Our Pastor's Reflection

Why Does The Church Do That? - Series

Why Do Christians Worship on Sunday Instead of the Sabbath?

This is a question many people ask. In the Old Testament, the holy day was the Sabbath, observed on Saturday. The Third Commandment tells us to "keep holy the Sabbath day." Why, then, have Christians gathered for worship on Sunday for nearly two thousand years?
The answer leads us to the very heart of the Christian faith.

For the people of Israel, the Sabbath was a sacred day. It commemorated the completion of God’s work of creation, when He “rested on the seventh day”. It was also a sign of God’s covenant with His people and a reminder of their liberation from slavery in Egypt. The Sabbath taught that human life is about more than work. We need time for God, for family, and for rest.

Jesus did not reject the Sabbath. He regularly worshipped in the synagogue on that day. At the same time, He revealed its deeper meaning when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”(Mark 2:27). He did not come to abolish the Law but to bring it to its fullness.

Everything changed with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. All four Gospels tell us that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week—Sunday. On that same day, He appeared to His disciples, greeted them with His peace, and broke bread with them. Even the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost took place on the first day of the week.

It is no surprise, then, that the earliest Christians began gathering on Sunday to celebrate the “breaking of the bread”, the Eucharist. The Acts of the Apostles and the writings of the early Church clearly testify to this practice. Around the middle of the second century, St. Justin Martyr described how Christians assembled on “the day of the sun” because it was the day on which Christ rose from the dead.

The early Fathers of the Church called Sunday “the eighth day”. It is a beautiful expression. Seven days represent the completion of creation. The eighth day points to a new creation, the new life, and the eternal hope brought by the Risen Christ. Every Sunday is therefore a “little Easter”, a weekly celebration of Christ’s victory over sin and death.

For this reason, the heart of Sunday is not simply refraining from work or fulfilling a religious obligation. The heart of Sunday is the Eucharist. At Mass, the Church listens to the Word of God, encounters the living Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and receives the grace and strength needed to live the Gospel throughout the coming week.

Keeping Sunday holy also reminds us that we were not created merely to work or to remain constantly busy. We need time for God, for our families, and for true rest. Sunday helps us keep our priorities in the right order and reminds us that our ultimate purpose is to live in communion with God.

When we walk through the doors of the church each Sunday, we are not simply checking off an obligation. We come to encounter the Risen Lord, who gathers His people, speaks to us through the Scriptures, and nourishes us with His Body and Blood. Every Sunday is an invitation to rediscover that our faith is not based merely on events that happened two thousand years ago, but on the living presence of Jesus Christ, who remains with His Church and continues to guide us today.

That is why the Church celebrates Sunday with such joy. It is the day on which we not only remember Christ’s Resurrection but truly share in His victory over sin and death.

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A Thank You

35 years ago, on June 22, 1991, I said "yes" to the priesthood. Today, with deep gratitude, I thank God for this beautiful vocation and I thank all of you who remembered me, prayed for me, attended my Jubilee Mass, or simply kept me in your hearts.

Every prayer, every kind word, and every sign of friendship has touched me deeply. Thank you for walking this journey with me. May the Lord bless you and reward your goodness abundantly.