Welcome
Home
Holy
Mass
The
Sacraments
Faith
Formation
Parish
Life
What's
New
This
Week
More
Treasures
Contact
Us ! |
Keeping
Holy the Sabbath
Shoppin'
on the Lord's Day, a little Q&A
Questions by Flora
Nomenora; Answers
by Cora Nopanorah
Sources—The Holy Bible; The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Q: Is it a sin to shop on Sundays?
A: Yes, most of
the time it is a sin to shop on Sundays. It is not a sin to
purchase something on a Sunday if it is absolutely necessary
such as medicine, food, gas.
Q: Why is it a sin to shop on Sundays?
A: Well, it might
be easiest to understand this if we first define sin. The
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition defines sin as “deliberate disobedience to
the known will of God”. Shopping, therefore, offends God
because He has very clearly asked us to rest on Sundays.
Q: Is it an offense against God to shop on Sundays
if I find it relaxing?
A: There is no
such thing as "relaxed shopping."
Q: No, seriously, I love to shop! It is one of my
most favorite things to do, and I find it very relaxing and
satisfying. I mean, I don't have a license plate frame that
says, "I'd rather be shopping at Nordstrom" or anything,
but I really would rather be shopping than doing anything on
earth.
A: No,
seriously, it is a sin to shop on Sundays—ESPECIALLY
if you find it relaxing and more enjoyable than anything
on earth!
Q: But it's the new millennium, didn't God "lift
the ban" once all the stores started opening their doors
on Sundays?
A: Oh, no no no
no no, Sweet Girl, God did not rewrite Exodus and the Gospel
series. Had He, I'm sure we would have seen it on Primetime
Live with Elizabeth Vargas.
Q: You are just saying that because you hate shopping,
aren't you?
A: No, at times
I find the temptation very great myself.
Q: How do you control yourself?
A: Well, it’s
kind of crazy, but I’ve actually had to train my mind
to believe that all retail establishments are closed on Sundays
thus forcing myself to get shopping done before Sunday.
Q: But what if it I still don’t think it’s
sinful if I’m doing it for my own enjoyment?
A: If that's the
case, try thinking of it like this: your shopping on Sundays
is making someone else have to work on Sundays.
Q: Oh, wow, I never thought about it like that, Cora.
A: Yeah, I know,
it took me a while to figure out, too.
Q: But, golly, what if everyone closed their doors
on Sundays?
A: Well, we'd
probably just have a lot more people able to focus on God and
family.
Q: But Cora, you know that Forrest and I have to keep
our grocery store open on Sundays! Don't we have to stay competitive?
A: Flora,
I know it seems scary, but you can rest assured that all God
can do is reward you for your faithfulness to Him.
He really meant it when he said “be not afraid”
and would never in a million years command something of His
little ones without offering His help. We must simply Trust
Him.
Q: Wait! WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING? Am I exempt
because it's for Christmas?
A: Hopefully,
my dear friend, Flora, you will come to love Jesus so much that
the last thing you will want to do is shop on His big day!
Q: Boy, keeping the Sabbath Day holy is really hard,
isn't it?
A: Flora Nomenora,
you think this is hard? Girlfriend, you wouldn't have lasted
a day in the sandals of a Jew before Christ came along. Praise
Him for the New Covenant!
Playin'
Golf on the Lord's Day, a little Q&A
Questions
by Forrest Nomenora; Answers
by Cora Nopandorah
Sources—The Holy Bible; The Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Q: Is it a sin to golf on Sundays?
A: It is not a
sin to golf on Sundays unless...
Q: "Unless..." I knew it, I
knew, I knew it! There's always an "unless" with you,
Cora! You are just no fun. I mean it, why do you have to be
such a party pooper?
A: I
am a "party pooper" because I love you; you asked
the question, and I don't want to lie to you.
Q: All right, what's your answer? Why
might it be a sin to golf on Sundays?
A: Well, one way
that playing golf on Sundays can be sinful is if it is a habit.
Q: What do you mean? Like if it is an
addiction?
A: Not exactly.
More like if you have a family, but every Sunday you leave them
at home while you play with your buddies. That is when it is
sinful.
Q: What if they don't want to play?
A: It doesn't
matter.
Q: What if I find it relaxing?
A: Are you serious?
Forrest, you know I used to own a golf course! Why was booze
our biggest money maker if golf is already so relaxing?
Q: What if it refreshes my relationship
with God?
A: Oh, you mean
like when you hit a tree and your ball goes into a swamp and
you say, "Oh, my God, You are so good, look at the beautiful
trees You have created and the water and..."?
Q: You think you're pretty funny, don't
you?
A: Yeah, kinda.
Q: All right, what if the whole family
wants to come and we go as a family?
A: That's a much better idea.
Q: But that still means that people have
to work because we want to play. How ya gonna skirt around that
one, Cora?
A: I'm not. You
are right and it is true—finding a family activity that
does not involve making someone else have to work would be best.
Q: Wow, Cora, that seems like a very fine
line, doesn't it?
A: Yes, and what
I would suggest you do is open your Catechism of the Catholic
Church to Articles 2184-2188. Noting especially
Article 2187. I think this will help you
understand what I'm trying to explain.
Q: Cora, you are nuts, you know that?
A: Yes, but thank
you for reminding me. God never wanted the world to lose its
sense of the holiness of Sunday, but it has. By doing these
little things, one by one, we can help Him change the culture
and bring Sunday back to what He intended it to be for us. Sunday
is a gift—let's open it.
Return to top
About
Cora Nopandorah
Cora Nopandorah, good friend of St. Thomas Aquinas
who writes to us from the northwest (corner of her brain),
has perhaps a deeper-than-the-average-bear understanding of
keeping the Sabbath day holy by way of her relationships with
Orthodox Jews.
If you are unfamiliar, Orthodox Jews, for the most, adhere
to the laws that the Jews of Jesus’ time adhered to.
In the homes of Orthodox Jews, for instance,
there is no cooking on the Sabbath, and there is no switching
on of lights or running of cars. Cora spent many a Shabbat (Hebrew
term for Sabbath) with her Jewish friends. You might ask why?
Why are these benign activities prohibited? The answer comes
from Exodus
35:1-4:
Moses assembled the whole Israelite community
and said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded
to be done. On six days work may be done, but the seventh
day shall be sacred to you as the sabbath of complete rest
to the LORD. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put
to death. You shall not even light a fire in any of
your dwellings on the sabbath day."
Observant Jews like Cora’s friends consider
electricity to be a form of fire, so switching on a light is
thought to be starting a fire and therefore a great offense
against God. All cooking is done before the Sabbath begins at
sundown on Friday evening, all transportation is afoot, and
lights and other electrical necessities are set to timers. Their
faithfulness to what might seem silly to Catholic Christians
impressed Cora very much and helped her want to better understand
the observance of the Lord's Day for Christians.
Then he said to them, "The
sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." Mark
2:27
In the end, Cora was more grateful for the Gospel message
than ever and had a profound perception of why it is called
the "Good News"! Still, Jesus did not come to abolish
the Old Law; rather, He came to fulfill it.
Stay tuned, later Cora will explain how she decided that
to be a good Catholic Christian she would have to follow the
example for her King in observing the Sabbath—and all
God's commandments—in the way that He taught and lived.
Jesus proclaimed:
That is
why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." Mark
2:28
REDISCOVER
THE MYSTERY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SUNDAY
29-November-2004 -- EWTNews Brief
REDISCOVER THE MYSTERY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SUNDAY, SAYS
POPE
VATICAN CITY, Vatican, November 29 (CNA) - Speaking yesterday
from his balcony overlooking St. Peter's square before praying
the Angelus, Pope John Paul II urged Christians to rediscover
'with new strength the meaning of Sunday: its 'mystery,' the value
of its celebration, its significance for the Christian and human
life."
His words referred to the theme of the 24th Italian National
Eucharistic Congress which will be held in May 2005, which is
"Without Sunday, We Cannot Live," which he asked all
Italian's to prepare for by rediscovering Sunday.
He also mentinoned that yesterday, the first Sunday of Advent,
was the first day of the new liturgical year "during which
we will contemplate with particular fervor the face of Christ
present in the Eucharist."
"Jesus, Incarnate Word, who died and rose from the dead,
is the center of history," said the Holy Father. "The
Church adores Him and discovers in Him the ultimate and unifying
meaning of all the mysteries of faith: the love of God that gives
life."
More on Keeping
Holy the Sabbath
From the Catechism of the Catholic
Church:
A day of grace and rest from work
2184
Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which
he had done," human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The
institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest
and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious
lives.
2185
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to
refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship
owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of
the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.
Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse
from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it
that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion,
family life, and health.
The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity
of charity accepts just work.
2186
Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren
who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from
work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated
by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick,
the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday
by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often
difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for
reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which
furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.
2187
Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every
Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that
would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day. Traditional activities
(sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services,
etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should
still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance
and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses
and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities.
In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure
citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers
have a similar obligation toward their employees.
2188
In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians
should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as
legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer,
respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution
to the spiritual life of society. If a country's legislation or
other reasons require work on Sunday, the day should nevertheless
be lived as the day of our deliverance which lets us share in this
"festal gathering," this "assembly of the firstborn
who are enrolled in heaven."
Return to top
|
