P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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INTENTION : |
That Christians may live their Sundays more truly as days of the Lord dedicated in a special way to God and their neighbour.
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This month we pray that Christians take the lead in assuring that Sunday be a special day for prayer, rest and charity. In this way, we keep the third Commandmant, "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath". Sunday is a day from the Lord for the Lord. We sanctify it by attending Holy Mass, listening to God's Word and receiving Holy Communion. It is a day of prayer and it should not be limited to the time when we attend Mass only.
The commandment and purpose for which Sunday was established by the Lord gets marginalized by mindless shopping and inordinate preoccupation with entertainment outside the home. Rather, Sunday should be a day when we can devote ourselves to works of mercy, charity and ministry. The Holy Father in an informative Apostolic Letter entitled, The Lord's Day, challenges the people of God to make Sunday not only a day of rest and prayer, but also a day of solidarity and charity.
The Jesus whom we meet at Mass in the Word and in the Eucharist should be met again in our homes and in a special way with the sick and the needy. Jesus showed on several occasions that the Sabbath did not mean a day of rest from acts of love and charity! In spite of opposition from the narrow-minded religious leaders, Jesus courageously reached out and healed the sick on the Sabbath. Sunday, like any other day, is a day to perform good works. We are to do the same.
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