LESSON 42

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

 “Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day." (Exodus 20:8)

                   DIRECTIONS TO THE STUDENT

     Non-Catholics (and some Catholics...) have more difficulty with this commandment than with any other. Many people outside the Catholic Church have a very lax conscience regarding Sunday worship. The average non-Catholic feels that he should go to church on Sunday; but he also feels that if he misses church for any slight reason God will understand. For him Sunday worship is not something he owes to God. When a non-Catholic goes to church, he hopes to receive God's blessing during the week, but if he does not go to church, he does not realize that he is being unjust to God, that he is not paying God His debt. The non-Catholic has little sense of obligation in this regard and certainly no idea of mortal sin.

In this lesson try to understand your obligation to assist at Mass on Sundays and the six Holydays of the year . At the beginning of the course you should have begun the practice of assisting at Mass every Sunday and the six Holydays until you have assisted at Mass regularly for at least three months. Top receive instructions without practicing the simple obligations of Sunday Mass attendance is a serious error.

A.  NATURE, THE BIBLE AND TRADITION IMPOSE ON EVERYONE THE OBLIGATION OF WORSHIPPING GOD

Because all of us, Catholics and non-Catholics alike are creatures of God because all of us are e God, we have a serious obligation to worship God. The Bible and Tradition tell us that we must worship God publicly. It is a mortal sin to miss Mass through our own fault on Sunday or on a Holyday of Obligation.

B. THE DAYS ON WHICH YOU MUST ATTEND MASS: SUNDAYS AND HOLYDAYS

Too often the new Catholic accepts the obligation of Sunday worship, but does not see clearly the obligation of Mass on Holydays. It is a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sundays or Holydays through your own fault. There are fifty-eight days of obligation: fifty-two Sundays and six Holydays.

The six Holydays are December 8, December 25, January 1, Ascension Thursday, August 15, and November 1.

If you do not seriously intend to assist at Mass fifty-eight days a year, do not enter the Catholic Church at this time. Wait until you are attending Mass regularly. Even if you have a valid excuse for not attending Mass during the course of these instructions, the priest will probably ask you to delay your Baptism until you get the habit of assisting at Holy Mass.

C. FOOLISH EXCUSES FOR MISSING MASS

We will list in this section some invalid excuses for missing Mass. Some of these excuses will sound very foolish, but they are actually used. Perhaps you would never think of using them, but they are listed for the benefit of other readers.

These are common excuses: "I'm not feeling too well, I have a headache, I have a cold cramps, I am not feeling up to par." Answer: You are not really sick: get out of bed and go to Mass and you will feel better.

"My clothes aren't good enough, my clothes are at the cleaners, my shoes are in the repair shop." Answer: Neither God, nor the priest, nor the people care about the condition of your clothes. In this case, go to Mass in your old clothes.

"1 work hard on Saturday or Saturday night, I'm tired because of my work." Answer: The other people were tired too, but they went to Mass.

"Relatives came in from out of town", "I was visiting in another state." Answer: ' These are certainly not good reasons.

"I have no money for the collection." Answer: This is an insult to the Church and to priests; you don't need money to assist at Mass. These are foolish excuses that should not even be mentioned by intelligent people.

It is a serious mistake to baptize a person who has not developed the habit of assisting at Mass; if he does not have the habit of assisting at Mass before Baptism he will most likely not have it afterwards. By baptizing him, we would do him a real injustice. We make him wait for Baptism until he assists at Mass regularly.

D. VALID REASONS FOR MISSING MASS

There is only one rule to remember. If the inconvenience that keeps you from Mass on Sunday would keep you from your job on Monday, you are excused

The following excuses are generally valid: If you are so sick that you would stay home from work on a working day, then itis not a sin to miss Mass on Sunday.

If you are working during all the hours when Mass is said on Sunday, it is not a sin to miss Mass. (If it is possible to attend Mass while working on a Sunday, it is a sin to omit Mass.)

If the Catholic Church is so far away that it is very difficult to go to Mass then it is not a sin. (Remember, this is seldom true in an American city.)

If you are caring for a sick person and cannot get anyone else to take your place for an hour on Sunday morning, it is not a sin to fail to go to Mass.

E. PARENTS HAVE A GRAVE OBLIGATION TO SEE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ASSIST AT MASS REGULARLY.

Parents sin gravely by telling the child (seven years or older) to sleep, saying "You are tired; Sister won't know ," or "Its vacation time; you don't have to go to Mass."

Parents who do not attend Mass also sin gravely by giving the children bad example. Such parents destroy the training given by the Catholic school. If the parents are going to act this way, they should take their children out of the Catholic school. These parents are not playing fair with the teachers who give their lives for the religious training of the children; they are not playing fair with the pastor, who lets them use the school, and with the Catholic people who give their money for the maintenance of that school.

F. TARDINESS AT MASS

If you are very late for Mass, it is a big sin. If you are only a little late, it is a small sin. If you come in after the Gospel, you commit a serious sin. You should wait for the next Mass or go home and come for another Mass. The pastor and priests of this parish have good reason to be angry with the adults who come late and give bad example to our children. This is especially so if the excuse of coming late for Mass is an attempt to sit in the back of the church, out of sight of the priest and the altar.

G. THE OTHER SUNDAY OBLIGATION: ABSTAIN FROM UNNECESSARY MANUAL WORK

God strictly forbids unnecessary manual work on Sunday. Don't be deceived by those who disregard the laws of God. God commanded the Jews to stone a man to death for working on the Sabbath. (Numbers 15 :32-36)

This is the law of God. It still binds in the twentieth century; we must not be lax.

The only kind of work forbidden is unnecessary manual work. Manual work is done with the hands rather than with the mind. Many works of the body are necessary on Sunday and are not sinful. Firemen and policemen must work on Sunday, or perhaps your boss makes you work on Sunday. But remember to try to go to Mass first. Some manual labor is necessary at home on Sunday, such as cooking, making the beds, and so forth.

If manual work is not necessary on Sunday, it is a serious sin to engage in it, for example, washing or sewing on Sunday. Mental labor is never forbidden. Studying or writing are not sinful because they are not manual- they require more of the mind than the body.

H. RECREATION ON SUNDAY

Any recreation that is not sinful on Monday is not sinful on Sunday. Examples are fishing, playing ball. Decent dancing, movies and so forth. But be sure to go to Mass first! Any recreation that takes the place of Mass on Sunday is sinful.

I. MAKE A REAL EFFORT TO MAKE SUNDAY THE LORD'S DAY

Try to remember that Sunday, all of Sunday, is the Lord's Day. It is not just a "day off." Some people make it the devil's day by committing sins on Sunday simply because they are not busy at work. You have been occupied all week with material and worldly cares. Sunday is the day to put your mind on your soul lest you lose it. Do something for your soul on Sunday. Receive Holy Communion. Go to parish affairs on Sunday, if there are any in your parish. Tune in some Catholic radio and television programs at home. Bring home Catholic newspapers from Mass and read them. Read the Bible at home. Many people find an hour in the afternoon to go back to the church to pray and meditate and say the Rosary or the Stations of the Cross.

1. What kind of sin is it to miss Mass on a Sunday without good reason?

2. Is it a sin to be late for Mass?

3. What kind of sin is it to miss Mass on the six Holydays of Obligation?

4. Is it a sin to not pay attention to the sermon given by the priest at Mass?

5. What kind of a reason is a good reason to miss Mass?

6. Are recreational activities allowed on a Sunday or Holyday?