Sunday

During Pope Francis' visit to Molise, he posed an important question: Perhaps it is time to ask whether it is a true freedom to work on Sundays.
Perhaps Pope Francis is referring to ECONOMIC FREEDOM but a "working Sunday" affects our family life and faith a lot.

During the time of St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney (born in 1786) as Parish Priest of Ars-en-Dombes, working on Sunday was what he most often preached about.

There are works that can not afford an off-Sunday like hospital workers but many establishments, though, they can very well have a work-free Sunday just can't let pass a day's profit. Working on Sunday is just a by-product of our productivity-oriented society and the workaholism that plagued us.

Workaholism is the easiest way to douse the fervor of faith. One tends to just veg out on Sunday or catching up with housekeeping. The holiness of Sunday as Lord's day becomes a mere breather from work that even going to Mass is just a matter of convenience inserted to a day that is too short for the workaholic world.

To the modern world, it is even seen as an admirable trait. A hard-worker. A productive person. Yet, it is the most numbing state wherein a person keeps on moving but going nowhere. Not really realizing the problems taking root within the family most especially with the children.

Untie my hands and deliver my heart from sloth.
Set me free from the laziness that goes about disguised as activity when activity is not required of me,
and from the cowardice that does what is not demanded, in order to escape a sacrifice.
But give me the strength that waits upon you in silence and peace.
Give me humility in which alone is rest, and deliver me from pride which is the heaviest of burden.
And possess my whole heart and soul with the simplicity of LOVE.
Occupy my whole life with the one thought and the one desire of love.

by
Thomas Merton, New seeds of Contemplation