THE THIRD COMMANDMENT: REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE LORD'S DAY.
Scripture tells us that God rested on the seventh day (Sabbath) after the work of creation had been completed. Jesus accepted the holiness of the Sabbath and declared that it "was made for man." With Christianity, Sunday replaced the Sabbath as the day to keep holy because it recalls the resurrection and the new creation brought about by the death and resurrection of the Lord. It is the "first day of the week" (see Mk 16.2).
There is a simple recipe to guarantee the proper observance of Sunday and so help one to "keep holy the Lord's Day". 1. Participate in the Eucharist (Mass) every Sunday. 2. Refrain from work on Sunday, except that which is necessary to meet family needs, (e.g. cooking Sunday dinner) or is necessary for the care of society (e.g. the staff of hospitals, police, etc.). 3. Set aside time for personal and family rest and leisure.
Contemporary society, however, has pre-empted the observance of the holiness of Sunday. In most countries, even so-called Christian countries, Sunday has become just another day to keep businesses open out of an exaggerated concern for the need to make more money. So, with businesses open many Christians have to work to keep their jobs. The situation is anything but ideal. Each person must do whatever is possible to change the present pervasive trend that renders the Lord's Day anything but holy by its non-observance.
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OF THIS AND THAT
The parish delegates to the Diocesan Jubilee Conference will leave on Thursday, Oct. 15 and return to St. Maarten on Sunday, Oct. 19. * Wed. Oct. 15 is the feast of St. Theresa of Jesus, a Doctor of the Church. * Fr. Eugene, recently appointed pastor on the Island of St. Barts, will preside at our Sat. and Sun. Masses, Oct. 18-19 since Frs. Manuel and Thomas will be off island. * Mission Sunday is celebrated this year on October 19th. * This week Wed. there will be no Holy Hour in town and no Bible Study gathering Friday evening. Humor: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. * It was Pope John XXIII who was elected Pope on Oct. 28, 1958 after the death of Pope Pius XII on Oct. 9 of that year. * In November, the 2009 parish calendar will be available after the weekend Masses for a donation of $1.00 (to help cover printing and shipping). * On Sunday, Oct. 26th we will have the formal presentation of Confirmation candidates at the 8:30am Mass in Philipsburg.
