We cannot live without Sunday

Those who watched the TV transmission from Bari last Sunday during the Mass which concluded the Italian Church's Eucharistic Congress, must have been struck by the message behind the altar: Senza Domenica non possiamo vivere (we cannot live without Sunday). The Pope, who was the main celebrant at the concelebrated Mass, which was attended by a huge crowd, urged Catholics to keep Sunday spiritual.

Benedict XVI "decreed a world marked by unbridled consumerism and religious indifference that often seemed to put God in a corner". The importance of keeping in mind the true meaning of Sunday had been emphasised earlier during the Congress. "We cannot live without Sunday."

Alas, for many Catholics, Sunday means at most just going to church to hear Mass. For many others whose number keeps growing, including in this "most Catholic country", Sunday means simply rest, relaxation, entertainment; the climax of the weekend when we forget, or try to forget, our worries and problems; when we try to make up for what we could not afford to do during the week.

For others, not a few, Sunday gives them the opportunity to do manual work connected with the house, like painting, whitewashing or even building and doing similar jobs. Gone are the days when such things were considered, as they truly are except in certain circumstances, as going against God's commandment to keep Sunday holy.

This is not what the Church has always decreed about Sunday. In Vactican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy it is stated: "By apostolic tradition which took its origin from the very day of Christ's resurrection the Church celebrates the Paschal myster every eighth day; with good reason this then bears the name of the Lord's day or the day of the Lord.

"For on this day Christ's faithful should come together into one place, so that by hearing the word of God and taking part in the Eucharist, they may call to mind the Passion, the Resurrection and the glorification of the Lord Jesus... Hence the Lord's day is the original feast day and it should be proposed to the piety of the faithful and taught to them in such a way that it may become in fact a day of joy and freedom from work..."

The Malta Synod document on the liturgy and the Sacraments states that "the Lord's day helps so that all will be able to rest and relax and to cultivate their family, cultural, social and religious life". It goes on to say that Christians celebrate Sunday by being of service to the sick and infirm, the aged and those who are in need of help.

Christians keep Sunday holy and truly live the liturgy when they give more of their time to their family and to their relatives, especially when they are unable to do so during the other days of the week.

Pope Benedict's message at Bari should make us reflect on the true meaning of Sunday and decide to do our best not to allow this very special day to continue to be hijacked by "consumerism and religious indifference". "We cannot live without Sunday," the true Sunday, that is.