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Sunday is a special day; a day to pray, a day to relax, and a day to take time to enjoy God’s presence in others. Every Sunday is a little Easter. In fact, because Jesus rose on a Sunday, the first Christians made Sunday their Sabbath day. Keeping the Sabbath is both a gift and a command for us. Honoring Sunday is a decision to trust God with our time and then resolve to do it.
The primary way in which Catholics celebrate the Lord’s Day is by participating in the Sunday Eucharist. This is so central that the Catholic Church makes provision for Catholics to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation by attending the Liturgy on Saturday evening. Remind students of the gift of celebrating Mass on Sunday.
Could we be missing out on the multiple benefits of the Lord's Day in ways beyond attending church? How can we keep holy the Sabbath Day more fully in our busy lives? According to the Catechism, "Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life." (CCC, Part III.2.1.3)
Rediscovering Sunday. Expand students’ appreciation for Sunday as a Little Easter. Look for “Easter” in your faith formation program series. For example, in Be My Disciples, Grade 5, page 361, students learn how we fill our homes with signs of joy and new life on Easter. Ask students, “What signs of joy and new life are present on any given Sunday in your home?”
Food for Thought. On Easter, we bless and enjoy special food. You will find an example of a blessing prayer for Easter foods in Blest Are We Faith in Action, Grade 4, page 348. Why not adopt this food blessing for any Sunday of the year? Ask students, “What special foods do you and your family enjoy when you are spending a relaxing day together?”
Imagination Activity: Invite students to dream of their Perfect Sunday. “Given a whole day to be refreshed and rested, what would you do?” Students could draw a picture of their dream Sunday experience and share it with their families.
Take the Lord’s Day Challenge: Invite students to make a plan for ways to enjoy a restful and renewing four Sundays — in addition to going to Mass. After four weeks, ask for volunteers to report on their experiences.
Saturday Night or Sunday Table Prayer: Invite families to gather around the kitchen table. Practice the prayer around your classroom prayer table. You will find a prayer here.
Sunday Time Together: Sunday is a prime opportunity for parents and children to spend time together on the “Take Home Pages” pre-chapter home activities in Blest Are We Faith in Action and “With My Family” pages in Be My Disciples.
About the AuthorDr. Lauri Przybysz specializes in equipping families to live their vocation to be domestic churches and signs of God’s love. Lauri received the Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, and she has been both a Catholic middle school religion teacher and a faith formation coordinator at the archdiocesan and parish levels. She is the mother of 6 children and grandmother of 21.
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