Dies Domini
"Practicing" the Day of the Lord
(from the Nov./Dec. 1998 issue)
IN HIS RECENT APOSTOLIC LETTER, Dies Domini, (released in July, 1998) the Holy Father calls us to spiritual growth. If we reclaim the practice of keeping the Sabbath, he instructs us, we will see a significant growth in the culture of life, a time of peace and spiritual maturing. Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is a great gift from the Almighty which we need to practice. Christianity is a "practical" religion: "Be ye doers of the Word."
Pope John Paul II writes: "’Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy’ (Exodus 20:8)...Before decreeing that something be done, the commandment urges that something be remembered.....It is a call to awaken remembrance of the grand and fundamental work of God which is creation, a remembrance which must inspire the entire religious life of man and then fill the day on which man is called to rest. Rest therefore acquires a sacred value: the faithful are called to rest not only as God rested, but to rest in the Lord, bringing the entire creation to Him, in praise and thanksgiving, intimate as a child and friendly as a spouse...Therefore, the main point of the precept is not just any kind of interruption of work, but the celebration of the marvels which God has wrought" (Dies Domini, 16). Of course, the greatest marvel is the Redemption of man through Christ Jesus. Sunday is the day to celebrate this act of love.
Toward building a culture of life
A great factor in the decline of Catholicism’s effectiveness in building a culture of life—evangelizing—is the abandonment of the practice of the Lord’s Day. People are so busy they miss the natural and supernatural refreshment which comes from practicing the Lord’s Day. They are tired; hence, at times, violent, disrespectful, stressed, bored and confused. Families ought to make Sunday "the Lord of days" in the home.
People need rest—not just more time off, not mere interruption—rest; rest in the Lord. God commanded: "Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy," knowing that left on our own we would wear ourselves out with the time He gave us. Time is precious.
When Sunday loses its importance and becomes merely part of a "weekend," people cannot see the heavens. We need to "see the heavens," the Pope reminds us, to contemplate the mysteries of God and to spend time with Church and family; and to do this we need to stop for Sunday.
Sunday is time for God and us: the Day of the Lord (a celebration of the Creator’s work) is the Day of Christ (a celebration of the Risen Lord) is the Day of the Church (a celebration of the Mystical Body: at Mass, in moments of family life, social relationships, listening to each other, relaxation, prayer, catechesis ) is the Day of Man (a celebration of the day of joy, rest and solidarity) is the Day of Days (a celebration of the meaning of time which is found in Christ, the Alpha and the Omega.) To reclaim Sunday is to reclaim evangelizing the world for Christ, who came in the "fullness of time."
—Fr. Roger K. Arnsparger
Father Arnsparger is pastoral administrator of St. Barnabas Church in Arden, North Carolina
Source: http://www.aquinas-multimedia.com/catherine/diesdomini.html
MORE:
Rome Urges Sunday Observance!
27. "Wise pastoral intuition suggested to the Church the christianization of the notion of Sunday as "the day of the sun", which was the (Pagan) Roman name for the day . . ."
And skillfully attempting to lay a groundwork for establishing historical precedent, or so-called Christian tradition as authority for the "Christian Sabbath", the Pontif asserts that,
64. "Only in the fourth century did the civil law of the Roman Empire recognize the weekly recurrence, determining that on 'the day of the sun' the judges, the people of the cities and the various trade corporations would not work."
However, observe what is further stated about "civil" responsibility regarding "the Lord's Day":
65. "By contrast, the link between the Lord's Day and the day of rest in civil society has a meaning and importance which go beyond the distinctly Christian point of view. . ."
66. "In this matter, my predecessor Pope Leo XIII in his Encyclical Rerum Novarum spoke of Sunday rest as a worker's right which the State must guarantee."
67. "Therefore, also in the particular circumstances of our own time, Christians will naturally strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy."
Some might view this Apostolic Letter as only applying to Catholics. Dear Friends, that could never be further from the truth. It is generally appealing to "Christian duty" (all Christians), as noted in paragraph 67 above.
Friends, the gospel of salvation cannot and should not be legislated, but the Roman Church has throughout history sought to use the civil arm to enforce her will. The Apostle John vividly saw in vision a time just prior to the return of Christ in glory, when the apostate church would once again use civil law to persecute all who would not "worship the beast and his image." Society is being prepared for such a time, when under the guise of "family", "correcting society's ills", or "getting back to our nation's Christian roots", laws will soon be introduced which will honor the unscriptural "sabbath" of Roman tradition, the Sunday.
You can view the whole Apostolic Letter by Pope John Paul II at: The Official Vatican Web Site.
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