Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Three › Section Two › Chapter One · Article 3 (§§2168–2195)
Paragraphs · 28
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
I. The Sabbath Day
- §2168 — The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."vatican.va
- §2169 — In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."vatican.va
- §2170 — Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore…vatican.va
- §2171 — God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant. The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.vatican.va
- §2172 — God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."vatican.va
- §2173 — The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.vatican.va
The day of the Resurrection: the new creation
- §2174 — Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation.vatican.va
- §2175 — Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God.vatican.va
- §2176 — The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all."vatican.va
- §2177 — The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life. "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church."vatican.va
- §2178 — This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another."vatican.va
- §2179 — "A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop."vatican.va
- §2180 — The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."vatican.va
- §2181 — The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.vatican.va
- §2182 — Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. the faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity.vatican.va
- §2183 — "If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church…vatican.va
- §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.vatican.va
- §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.vatican.va
- §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.vatican.va
- §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.vatican.va
- §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.vatican.va
In Brief
- §2189 — "Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Deut 5:12). "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (Ex 31:15).vatican.va
- §2190 — The sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday which recalls the new creation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ.vatican.va
- §2191 — The Church celebrates the day of Christ's Resurrection on the "eighth day," Sunday, which is rightly called the Lord's Day (cf SC 106).vatican.va
- §2192 — "Sunday . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church" (CIC, can. 1246 # 1). "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (CIC, can.vatican.va
- §2193 — "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound . . to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord's Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body" (CIC, can.vatican.va
- §2194 — The institution of Sunday helps all "to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their amilial, cultural, social, and religious lives" (GS 67 # 3).vatican.va
- §2195 — Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day.vatican.va
Scripture cited · 29 verses
Genesis 2:2 · Exodus 20:11 · Exodus 23:12 · Exodus 31:15 · Exodus 31:16 · Exodus 31:17 · Deuteronomy 5:15 · 2 Chronicles 36:21 · Matthew 12:5 · Matthew 28:1 · Mark 1:21 · Mark 2:27 · Mark 3:4 · Mark 16:1 · Mark 16:2 · Luke 24:1 · John 7:23 · John 9:16 · John 20:1 · Acts 2:42 · Acts 2:43 · Acts 2:44 · Acts 2:45 · Acts 2:46 · 1 Corinthians 10:11 · 1 Corinthians 11:17 · Hebrews 10:25 · Hebrews 12:22 · Hebrews 12:23