When I was growing up, Sunday was my least favorite day of the week for one single reason: it meant the weekend was over.
Sunday was the final break before returning to school, which usually meant last-minute homework and an early bedtime to prepare for the week ahead. Unfortunately, as I advanced through school and entered the workforce, my perspective did not change significantly. Sunday was still a day of dread; the weekend was over.
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Sunday or the weekend?
My perspective shifted dramatically during a graduate Theology course when I encountered a particular passage from Pope St. John Paul II. As we studied the Ten Commandments, we drew on Pope John Paul II during our reflections on the commandment to “Keep holy the Sabbath.”
In his Apostolic Letter on the Lord’s Day, Dies Domini, the pope observed how modern people’s view of the week has changed thanks to our contemporary concept of “the weekend.” We view Saturday and Sunday as our final days of fun and relaxation, earned after a week of hard work. It’s no surprise we often cram these two days full of activities, sports, travel, and more. Naturally, as the final day of the weekend comes to a close and the week of labor returns, we are filled with dread.
John Paul II is clear: this is not the Christian vision. Sunday is not the final day to sleep in before a busy week of work returns. Sunday is the first day of the week — the day we worship God and share in his rest.
Pope John Paul II challenges me, and all Christians, to recognize this important distinction. He writes, “The disciples of Christ, however, are asked to avoid any confusion between the celebration of Sunday, which should truly be a way of keeping the Lord’s Day holy, and the ‘weekend,’ understood as a time of simple rest and relaxation.” (Dies Domini 4).
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Rethinking Sundays
I felt, and continue to feel, greatly convinced that my Sunday habits need to change to honor the commandment to keep holy the Sabbath. Over the years, there have been a few questions I reflect on to help me keep my Sunday focused on God. Since getting married and having kids (a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old), it has been especially important to take time to reflect and pray on these questions together, so that our entire family can celebrate the Lord’s Day.
Questions for reflection
- Is Mass our priority today, or are we just fitting it into our schedule?
- What unnecessary busyness can we remove from our Sunday?
- Are we treating Sunday like the first day of a new week or the final day of the weekend?
- What is one thing we can do to help our kids see that this is a special day of the week?
- What can we do to rest this Sunday?
In attempting to answer these questions, here are a few habits my family has (imperfectly) incorporated to help consecrate our Sundays:
- Limit our screen time as much as possible
- Take a family walk
- Spend time reading spiritually uplifting books (particularly when the kids nap)
- Make a special treat for breakfast to make the day feel extra special (my favorite is cinnamon rolls — the dough rising is a fun opportunity to recall Christ’s resurrection with our kids)
- Set our evening aside for family prayer and reading books with our kids
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We aren’t perfect, and our Sundays can end up being hectic and busy. The important lesson I have learned is that we must be intentional. A holy Sunday does not happen by accident. Especially with little kids, it takes effort and intention to truly celebrate the Lord’s day. Those efforts consistently bear fruit for our family, and when we intentionally set aside our Sundays for the Lord, we feel closer as a family, experience more peace in our home, and are better able to experience the love and presence of God.
Take some time as a family this week to reflect on these questions and discuss one small change you can make to consecrate your Sunday for the Lord, so you can truly rest in him.
