The importance of Sunday
By Father Larry Kramer of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church
“We can’t make it without Sunday!” Make what? Survival. That has been a watchword many times in the history of Christianity.
It’s hard for us today in this country to think of Sunday worship as a rally experience and morale builder.
Some churches try to make that happen, but it isn’t easy. You can be part of such an experience, but often you have to go outside the Sunday routine to find it. A pilgrimage, a retreat or something else that attracts people who can feel a common bond in some great cause can do the trick. We pastors like to see our members go to such events so they can see more in worship than they might find in the usual routine of Sunday worship. Then hopefully they can bring some of that spirit back to their Sunday experience.
Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. That was the first day of the New Creation. On the first day of the original creation God said, “Let there be light.” On the first day of the New Creation, the Son of God became a light brighter than any sun.
On the last day of the original creation, God rested and enjoyed what had been accomplished on the other six days. Christians have moved the Sabbath rest to coincide with rally day the first day. This is so that we can “rest and enjoy” our solidarity as believers. In times of persecution, Church members felt a desperate need for that sense of togetherness. It helped them face whatever would happen at the hands of their persecutors.
Today our main persecutor is inertia and the indifference that comes with it. We need to be creative in freeing up time for our God dimension. But however we do this, we can’t make it without Sunday!
“We can’t make it without Sunday!” Make what? Survival. That has been a watchword many times in the history of Christianity.
It’s hard for us today in this country to think of Sunday worship as a rally experience and morale builder.
Some churches try to make that happen, but it isn’t easy. You can be part of such an experience, but often you have to go outside the Sunday routine to find it. A pilgrimage, a retreat or something else that attracts people who can feel a common bond in some great cause can do the trick. We pastors like to see our members go to such events so they can see more in worship than they might find in the usual routine of Sunday worship. Then hopefully they can bring some of that spirit back to their Sunday experience.
Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. That was the first day of the New Creation. On the first day of the original creation God said, “Let there be light.” On the first day of the New Creation, the Son of God became a light brighter than any sun.
On the last day of the original creation, God rested and enjoyed what had been accomplished on the other six days. Christians have moved the Sabbath rest to coincide with rally day the first day. This is so that we can “rest and enjoy” our solidarity as believers. In times of persecution, Church members felt a desperate need for that sense of togetherness. It helped them face whatever would happen at the hands of their persecutors.
Today our main persecutor is inertia and the indifference that comes with it. We need to be creative in freeing up time for our God dimension. But however we do this, we can’t make it without Sunday!