Sunday - Special for Christians
Pope John Paul II wrote recently in a letter to Catholic Christians entitled Dies Domini (the Day of the Lord). I have shortened the letter for your interest because it is so good.
'The Lord's Day has always been special for Christians. It is the day of Christ's resurrection at Easter, the fundamental event upon which Christian faith rests, a day of joy. The coming of the third millennium invites Christians to deepen their understanding of the meaning and necessity of Sunday.
'In modern societies the "weekend" has developed. This weekly time of rest is good, but Christians should acknowledge that Sunday is for more than rest and relaxation: it is a day at the heart of Christian life, a day for giving time to developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Given its many meanings and aspects, and its link to the very foundations of the faith, the celebration of the Christian Sunday remains an indispensable element of our Christian identity.
'Sunday is not only a remembrance of a past event: it is a celebration of the living presence of the Risen Lord in the midst of his own people. For this presence to be properly proclaimed, it is not enough for Christians to pray individually. As members of the Church it is important for them to assemble together, particularly at the celebration of the Eucharist which is at the heart of the Church's life, and which literally means "thanksgiving". At the Sunday Eucharist, the different groups and movements within a parish come together and encounter God in his word (in the readings from the Bible) and in Holy Communion.
'Resting from work on Sunday helps humanity to recognise its dependence on God the creator, and provides the time to keep the day holy as a day of worship. Even in our own day work is very oppressive for many people, either because of miserable working conditions and long hours - especially in the poorer regions of the world - or because of the persistence in economically more developed societies of too many cases of injustice and exploitation of man by man. Through Sunday rest, the concerns of life can be put in their proper perspectives: material things can give way to spiritual values. Under less pressure, people appreciate each other and their environment better. Sunday also provides the opportunity to engage in charitable works. Inspired by the Eucharist, Christians will be aware of those who are in need: the sick, the elderly, children or immigrants.
'Why not make the Lord's Day a more intense time of sharing, encouraging all the inventiveness of which Christian charity is capable? Inviting to a meal people who are alone, visiting the sick, providing food for needy families, spending a few hours in voluntary work and acts of solidarity: these would certainly be ways of bringing into people's lives the love of Christ received at the Eucharistic table. The particular presence of Christ on Sunday should also inspire Christians to work more to change the oppressive structures present in society.
'Certainly, Christians are no different from other people in enjoying the weekly day of rest: but at the same time they are keenly aware of the uniqueness and originality of Sunday, the day on which they are called to celebrate their salvation and the salvation of all humanity.
'Sunday is the day of joy and rest precisely because it is the Lord's Day, the day of the Risen Lord.'
Your priest and friend.
Fr Malcolm Ferrier
Portsmouth Diocesan Clergy Conference at
Winchester
8th to 11th September 1998
There were seminars in clinical
theology,
preaching in the new millennium, and line dancing
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