“The Sunday question has been working its way to the front. It is our duty not to act as a church asleep. Those at the head of the Sunday movement will wrestle for the victory. Shall they have it? God forbid” (Manuscript 29, 1910).
The Rhode Island Catholic, founded in 1875, is the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. On January 26, 2023, the Rhode Island Catholic published an article titled, “Keep Holy, the Sabbath is About Rest.” This article was specifically written in direct response to the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case involving a former US Postal Service employee who refused to work on Sundays. Basically, the Postal Service claimed that it could deny a worker’s request for special religious days off if, while attempting to accommodate those religious beliefs, it created an “undue hardship” for the employer. Ultimately, Gerald Groff, a Christian who observes Sunday as the day of worship, was denied having his Sundays off by the Post Office.
So what are Roman Catholics saying about what the Supreme Court ought to do regarding giving people Sunday off? The Rhode Island Catholic expressed the following:
“Two parts of this case deserve examination. First, the argument that Groff’s religious practice imposes an undue burden on his fellow employees. At first glance, this makes sense: no one likes being forced to cover an absentee fellow employee. Yet, Groff’s absence is not the problem, nor is he necessarily the one imposing the burden. What about the company? Why not give everyone Sunday off? Groff’s fellow workers should not get mad at him, but at the company which treats them as instruments to maximize profit.” [1]
“Second, we ask the question: Why did God give us the Third Commandment? Does God need our worship? Not at all. God is perfect; He needs nothing and no one. God instituted the Sabbath rest for humanity. Contrary to popular opinion: God’s commands are good for us. Rest is the basis of culture. Groff’s case is not just about the freedom to practice one’s religion, it is about being able to take time for rest.” [1]
The Rhode Island Catholic has basically said that the real culprits in this legal dispute are not the employees who want Sundays off for rest or worship. No, the offenders in this litigation are the companies that treat people like machines and force them to work on Sunday. This Roman Catholic publication is publicly and emphatically arguing, “Why not give everyone Sunday off?”
Can we not hear the voice of the dragon rumbling? Make no mistake. These words are being directed both to the public and to the Supreme Court of the United States! The Catholic Church does have an official stance on Sunday rest. Yes, Rome does support limiting certain activities on Sundays to encourage religious observances or rest.
Catholic leadership not only encourages its members to participate in Sunday Mass, but it also promotes policies that help establish Sunday as a day of rest and worship for Christians. The Catholic Catechism teaches that keeping Sunday holy is a moral obligation, but today’s Catholics are calling on our political institutions to designate Sunday as a day of rest and worship for all people.
There is a concerted effort underway in this country and throughout the world to promote Sunday as a day of rest. It is true that some of the driving forces behind this initiative are purely social, meaning that some are advocating for Sunday rest in order to give workers more time to relax and thus improve their physical and mental health. Some of the calls for Sunday rest are purely political in nature, with the aim of addressing climate change and motivating people to take steps to lessen their carbon footprints by resting on this day. But it is undeniable that there are those who view Sunday rest as a moral obligation for worship, and if necessary, this day should be protected by law, as we can see in the Rhode Island Catholic newspaper.
“The United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion, is still far from being destroyed” (Great Controversy, p. 578).
Sources
[1] https://thericatholic.com/stories/keep-holy-the-sabbath-is-about-rest,13513
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Catholics are coming out of the closet and speaking out loud about what they really want for society.
They are showing their true colors. The main goal of all the economic and environmental debates is to get us to pass legislation prohibiting work on Sunday.
Remember how the Supreme Court in 1973 legalized abortion. It will be interesting to see what language the court uses in this decision.
If Sunday keeping people want to take Sunday off as a “holy” day, than why don’t they, like Seventh-day Adventists, tell their employer’s when they get hired that they will not work on Sunday? I was in a two hour interview once, I asked if their was any Saturday work, and when I was told that I would be working only one Saturday a year, I turned the job down! Why wait till it becomes an issue. The only time this should happen is if you become a Christian after you have been hired for the job.
I also noticed in this article that they said the THIRD commandment concerns the Lord’s day. That would be the catholic version of the commandments. We know that the Sunday Law is coming, it is just a matter of when, not if. We need to be preparing ourselves now for the storm that is brewing!!!
Great catch on the 3rd commandment vs. the 4th commandment. I had totally forgotten that Rome basically expunged the commandment forbidding image worship and then moved the 4th commandment down to the 3rd.
Isn’t it interesting that there’s always enough of a clue that we won’t be deceived if we study to show ourselves approved.
My theory (not timesetting here…just trying to see the things going on) is that either America will be subject to another 4 years of absolute mayhem such that people will be BEGGING for a Trump (or someone similar) and the people will also be begging for laws to “get back to church” (on Sunday of course) *OR* 2024 will see Trump or a Trump-like figure come in and we will see efforts for a Sunday law earlier than expected.
Again, NOT trying to prognosticate here…I just can’t help wondering out loud where all these political pieces fit in.
Bottom line: it’s time to get any and all idols out of our life and make God and His Son supreme.