The World Has Stopped Sanctifying Sunday
Picture an average Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon. The temperature is warm or at least pleasant. Sunshine fills the sky. The morning’s calmness is punctuated only by the transcendent and alluring church bells which toll throughout the morning during the Consecration at the Holy Mass. Holiness pervades the air and the day is characterized by Christian charitable works, meetings of apostolates, authentic family time and other like activities — in one word, the day is set aside for leisure. But this is how Sunday is in a Catholic nation.
Instead, nowadays we find something far different — few, if any, Catholics go to Mass. The bells no longer toll during the Consecration of the Mass. In fact, few people even attend Mass and far, far fewer attend the reverent and beautiful Traditional Latin Mass. Divine Justice is not offered an august and immaculate Victim; rather, the Triune God is angered by the indifference, injustice, and impiety of a people who have fallen from the True Faith. And all the while the day is characterized by the sounds of lawnmowers, power tools, and mundane machines.
What Are Servile Works?
It’s not hard to find any Sunday in the year in which people are mowing their lawns, painting their homes, repairing household items, cleaning their cars, and doing other mundane activities that we are explicitly forbidden to do by the Third Commandment. The Third Commandment requires us to honor the Lord’s Day; and the Church, in Her precepts, requires attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, aside from those dispensed or unable to fulfill this precept. The Third Commandment also requires us to honor the Lord’s Day by abstaining from servile works. The Catechetical Instructions of St. Thomas Aquinas distinguishes servile works from intellectual work as follows:
“Servile work is bodily work; whereas ‘free work’ (i.e. non-servile work) is done by the mind, for instance, the exercise of the intellect and such like. And one cannot be servilely bound to do this kind of work.”
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that there are only four exceptions to the prohibition on servile work on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation:
“We ought to know, however, that servile work can be done on the Sabbath for four reasons. The first reason is necessity. Wherefore, the Lord excused the disciples plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath, as we read in St. Matthew (xii. 3-5). The second reason is when the work is done for the service of the Church; as we see in the same Gospel how the priests did all things necessary in the Temple on the Sabbath day. The third reason is for the good of our neighbor; for on the Sabbath the Saviour cured one having a withered hand, and He refuted the Jews who reprimanded Him, by citing the example of the sheep in a pit (‘ibid.’). And the fourth reason is the authority of our superiors. Thus, God commanded the Jews to circumcise on the Sabbath.”
Has holiness vanished from among men? Does no one care any longer for the sanctity of Sunday?
Have we forgotten the words of Our Lady of La Salette?
Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud were two children from Corps, France, near the town of Grenoble in the southeastern part of France. When Melanie was 14, and Maximin was 11, they were watching cattle in a pasture when they saw a globe of light that “opened” to reveal a most beautiful Woman, clad in long dress and apron, with a shawl that crossed in front and tied in back. Around Her neck was a Crucifix that depicted the instruments of Our Lord’s Passion, and on Her head were a cap and roses. She sat on a rock, with Her face in Her hands, weeping. The Lady said that unless the people repented of working on Sundays and of blaspheming Our Lord, She would be forced to let go Her Son’s arm because it had grown so heavy. She also said that crop blights and famine would follow if Her wishes weren’t heeded.
If we have forgotten the message of Our Lady of La Salette, have we also forgotten (or even heard of) the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Willow Tree?[1] If you do not know the story of Our Lady of the Willow Tree[1], read it and see the grave importance of the Third Commandment.
Encourage Others to Sanctify Sundays
One of the greatest acts of charity that we can do is assist others in saving their souls. We have an obligation to admonish sinners, instruct the ignorant, and counsel the doubtful. The next time it is Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation, post an update on Facebook or Twitter to remind your friends/followers of the need to go to Mass. Do it in a polite way to help others. Pray for your friends and family, and offer sacrifices and prayers to God for them.
We have a moral obligation to stand against the onslaught of sin in this world. Next time you see a fellow Catholic cutting the lawn, painting their home, etc. on a Sunday remind them to stop. It is a spiritual work of mercy to admonish sinners. Doing so with prudence and charity is the key. If we can prevent sin, are we not guilty of negligence or acedia (spiritual laziness) when we fail to make the attempt? Standing against sin is necessary lest we too participate in their sin by our quiet acceptance of it.
If you have a concern about approaching the person or truly believe it would not bring about their conversion, you could consider leaving them an anonymous note, for example at their doorstep.
In the words of Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei:
“How will those Christians not fear spiritual death whose rest on Sundays and feast days is not devoted to religion and piety, but given over to the allurements of the world! Sundays and holidays must be made holy by divine worship which gives homage to God and heavenly food to the soul….Our soul is filled with the greatest grief when we see how the Christian people profane the afternoon of feast days….”
[1] If you are not familiar with Our Lady of the Willow Tree, visit the Real Presence Association website for a short description (that can be printed and shared with others) illustrating the importance of honoring Sundays and for fighting against the errors of Protestantism. See: http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/misc/BVM/125_PLANTEES_60x96.pdf