The 3rd Commandment Edition
Cate and I have just returned from a trip to the grocery store, where I found myself annoyed by the number of people shopping on a Sunday.
Note the contradiction.
I can rationalize my actions just fine and so I’m going to ask you: Do you think it’s sinful to run one’s errands on a Sunday? Is there a difference between, say, a recreational outing to Michael’s and an all-out grocery run?
I don’t feel I have the answers right now.
Though I certainly do feel guilty.
+JMJ+ says
I was on a Catholic homeschool Mother’s retreat yesterday and this amazing priest said he w ould mow his mother’s lawn on Sunday if she needed it and he would be doing it out of LOVE, for LOVE.
So for me the question would be am I doing this with LOVE in my heart to bless my family or am I harried, grumpy and agitated?
Charlotte (Matilda) says
Whenever someone asks if something is sinful I always ask myself “what is the intention”? Remember, intention is everything. If I have run errands all day Saturday in order to perform acts of charity like clothing the naked (my daughters), feeding the hungry (Easter basket collection for the poor at Church) and visiting the sick (my pregnant friend due to have a baby next week) and didn’t have the time to shop for groceries, then is it an act of sin or an act of love if my husband goes to the store on Sunday so that I won’t have to?
Now, for an excellent understanding of what the new Canon Law teaches about servile work on Sundays, go read Jimmy.
Blogger wants me to type “outsales” to prove I am not a robot. Weird.
Charlotte (Matilda) says
Just in case people don’t want to click over and read the whole thing, here is the crux of the matter according to Jimmy:
You’ll notice that the concept of “servile work” is gone from the new law. So are prohibitions on any specific affairs (legal acts, public trade, shopping). Instead, there is a general prohibition on “those works and affairs which hinder” the goals of worship and rest.
minnesotamom says
Thank you for the link, Charlotte. This is something I’ve been struggling with for quite some time.
Jennifer says
A book I read mentioned that we also need to consider that by shopping we are causing others to work on Sunday as well. That’s not to say I have an opinion, just thought it was a good point.
Hélène says
I frequently do some shopping on Sundays, partly because we only have one car and it makes it easier, and partly because there is often something special that we decide to buy because it is Sunday. Donuts, Starbuck’s, ice cream, etc. Despite this, I do think it is better if one can help it to not shop on Sundays, but I usually only feel a tiny bit guilty. But sometimes I think it is because I have done it so much that my conscience is deadened to it.
However, if the purpose of not shopping on Sunday is not to force other people to work, then we shouldn’t do things that are recreational or leisurely that require labor. However, most people don’t see a problem with going to a ball game, a movie, or out to dinner on a a Sunday.
Joan says
OK. I work during the week, and sometimes cannot get all my shopping done on Saturday. I don’t consider it a sin to shop on Sunday. It is usually shopping that needs to be done to feed my family. That being said. I don’t “purposely” plan to shop on Sunday. Sometimes I am way too tired on Saturday to do it. I also need to do a lot of work at home for my job, so my time is at a premium. Please dear Margaret, stop being so hard on yourself. As long as there are good intentions, I think you are OK. I think even if you are grumpy about it, it’s probably OK too LOL.
Lisa says
There are Our Lord's words: Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
LIke Charlotte, said, I think it's a lot about intention, and a lot about recollection. Are we truly reserving the Lord's day as the Lord intended? We've made a few rules to help us judge: We stop to shop on Sunday, only for the day, and only for what we need but don't have on hand. We garden if it's something we enjoy, but don't force anyone to do it. We clean the whole house on Saturday, to enjoy freedom from those chores on Sunday, but feel justified in cleaning up any mess we add on Sunday, itself. And, if my Mom's lawn needed mowing and I had no other day to do it, I would consider that more important than fetching a donkey out of a ditch.
In general, I think it's sad that our culture has dropped the whole concept of God and rest on Sundays…Oftentimes liberality slides down the slope to license and laziness. But, a prayerful conscience is usually reliable, regardless.
–Gee, sorry so long… &:o'
Barb, sfo says
I really prefer not to shop on Sundays. But I am a homemaker and can USUALLY schedule my errands for some other day. So I confine my Sunday shopping to the convenience store for my newspaper.
For me, the idea is that you set Sunday apart in some way. As a homemaker, I could do the same stuff every day of the week. In fact, I do! So I try to keep Sundays a little separate–no shopping, no laundry (usually) and no heavy cleaning unless there is some emergency type mess. This leaves me more time to be free for family stuff that comes up, or a board game with the youngest, or just reading a book.
I guess in this case, I consider it my choice to reschedule shopping and heavy work to another day. Maybe Sunday is the most convenient, but it is a day that I am trying to make “not like every other day.” And when emergencies do happen, I try not to beat myself up over them.
Recovering procrastinator says
Great question and really interesting comments so far.
Because I work on Sundays, it’s hard for me to set Sunday apart as a day of rest. We do go to Mass, of course, and we have a nice lunch with the whole family, which we aren’t able to do often.
I never gave much thought to the fact that by sometimes doing that lunch at a restaurant or sometimes stopping at the store for ingredients, I’m causing someone else to need to work on Sunday.
Theresa says
This is an excellent question.
I try to reserve Sunday for Mass, rest, and relaxation.I try not to shop, do a lot of chores, or spend a lot of time cooking.
And speaking only for myself here, I generally find that if I am shopping/cleaning/cooking on Sunday it is because I have been too lazy to get it done on another day of the week.
I could have cleaned more on Saturday or through the week, I could have gotten busy and had the laundry done, I could have gone to the grocery rather than the beach one weekday, and I could have prepared a meal ahead to pop in the crock pot or oven on Sunday. But, through my poor choices during the week, I didn’t and now I have to do it on Sunday.
Mea culpa.
So, to the extent that laziness or thoughtlessness is a sin, then I guess for me it is sinful to do those things on Sunday.
But I am not pregnant. Your mileage may vary.
elizabeth says
This was a great question. I am in agreement with Barb and Charlotte.
A priest friend of ours put it simply; this is a day to keep Holy. Worshipping God and giving Him the glory when we are with family, walking with our spouse, or cooking a whole meal for 10. I just about cracked up when he mentioned the cooking part. That is a lot of work but, because we do it with joy and love for our invited guest or family we are giving the glory to God.
Now, we attend Mass on Sundays, we don’t “plan” shopping (but there are times, like today, when a trip to the grocery store was a must), we have Sunday family dinner and try to keep this day special. Does it alway work out this way…no but, we try none the less.
God bless ladies!
Ouiz says
I’m so glad you put out this poll!
I struggle with this issue as well. We taught the kids that Sunday is a day of rest, but there are times when work has to be done (and believe me, they all let us know very quickly “BUT IT’S SUNDAY!”)
In order not to make others work, I try not to do any shopping on Sunday; however, we do stop at the grocery store after Mass for doughnuts and a paper. Go figure. Other shopping, though, like groceries/clothing/whatever I try to keep for other days.
I also keep housework to a minimum, but could someone tell me why Sunday is the MESSIEST day of the week? Good grief! I drove myself nuts trying NOT to clean it all up, until a friend told me that it wasn’t very worshipful or restful to be in an environment that was making me anxious and upset. So today, for example, I didn’t beat myself up over the fact that I swept all my floors and did a FlyLady sweep through my kitchen. I was MUCH more restful after that!
For meals, I try to make it something special. Yes, it is more “work” for me, but it’s something I truly enjoy doing. I want to make Sundays memorable with a “big” dinner, complete with candles and a glass of wine. Another friend, who doesn’t enjoy cooking quite a much, makes Sundays restful by choosing a frozen meal to cook instead.
I like that so many commenters mentioned looking at the intention of it all. I suppose that’s the best way to judge.
regan says
hello margaret. i hope you don’t mind if i join in…funny you posted this because i had to run an errand today and i felt the same way-i couldn’t believe how many people were shopping-i don’t normally shop on sundays-but i had a rare chance to be out with just 1 of my 4 kids and so i did it-the rest of the week will be hectic-and i do think intention and necessity matter, especially when most of us here are busy living lives where we are constantly serving others-our families, etc. when i left the store i know that i was so thankful to get home and read prayers, do catechism and maybe even pray for those who don’t honor God on the sabbath or otherwise. their carts may’ve been full, but how empty their lives must be!
this was an interesting topic. thanks for the discussion. i enjoyed all the comments.
The Bookworm says
Sunday trading was illegal here until 1994, apart from convenience stores and a few other exceptions. Even now, stores can only open for six hours on a Sunday (again, apart from convenience stores). I don’t ever do a full grocery shop on Sunday, partly because for so long it simply wasn’t an option and I have never really got into the mindset of seeing Sunday as a shopping day like any other, and partly because the opening hours aren’t convenient. I do occasionally do other types of shopping on a Sunday, and will also nip into the supermarket for oddments if necessary.
Sundays are quite different from any other day – more restful, and very much a family day. The girls and I go to Mass in the morning; afterwards Angel and I have a band practice, then my Mum and brother join us for a large lunch, which Tevye cooks while we are out. In the afternoon the girls often catch up on homework, and if the weather is good we may go out for a walk or to the park. I suppose we have quite a traditional British Sunday – which is a bit ironic as Tevye is Jewish and Saturday should be his day of rest.
Anonymous says
hmmmm, very excellant thought provoking entry yesterday…On sunday i cleaned a closet that needed it in my attempt “purge” myself of items that are no longer considered nessesary. I was then able to organize my ever increasing library of excellant catholic books for easier access. I plan on “recycling” these unnessary items by holding a garage sale next month, but only on a saturday 🙂
Signed
Theresa in Alberta
Laura says
Taking care of family needs is care-giving in my opinion which is different from work.
I actually LIKE to grocery shop so would my trip be different from someone who considered it a chore?
So many ways to look at this.
Nikki says
I generally agree with the majority of the responses. I make an effort to do most of my shopping and chores at other times during the week. I avoid Sunday shopping, but there are occasions where it cannot be helped.
I think it was yesterday’s gospel (maybe Friday’s gospel) that retold the story of Jesus healing on the sabbath… There are some things that just need to be done on Sunday.
Also, in response to Laura’s comment, I enjoy shopping as well and I wondered if this made it OK for me to go out on Sundays. After a lot of praying I realized two things. One, just because I enjoy something doesn’t make it good for my spirit. We are a very materialistic society and shopping is pleasuable. I found it beneficial then, to give that a break on Sundays as well. It was good for me to try to put shopping at a different priority. Sundays, for me, are better spent focusing on spiritual growth and shopping (while enjoyable) just wasn’t helping. As Jimmy said, Sundays are for worship and rest. As much as I enjoy shopping, I didn’t feel like it encouraged either. I say all that as just my experience and by no means do I think that therefore no one should shop on Sundays. These were just my own humble thoughts.
My second thought is similar to what another poster commented, I don’t want to encourage companies to be open on Sunday. Let’s face it, these stores are open on Sunday because they are making money. I’ve even read that with the economic problems, these stores are staying open longer on Sunday. Sunday, in our society has begun to look like any other day. It is not a day set apart for worship and rest.
Anonymous says
I live in an area of the country that still has “Blue Laws” in place for commerce on Sundays. Grocery stores are open, but retail is not. Therefore, if one needs to go to Costco or Target or Macy’s, one has to travel to the next county. Since I’ve lived in the same area since a child (save for college/post college years) I’m in the habit of shopping on Sundays. It’s easy for me to say that I don’t shop for clothes on Sunday.
That said, I will grocery shop if we are starving and out of food. I don’t like to do it because it’s so crowded and all the produce is picked over, but I will. We entertain quite a bit in the summer on Sundays so I do it.
Do I think it’s a sin? No, but I think intentionally missing Mass is one.
Jennifer
Anonymous says
oops, I meant to say that “I’m not in the habit of shopping on Sundays”. Sorry, not enough coffee this am.
Jennifer
Tracy says
Ditto here – while I don’t plan to shop on Sunday sometimes I drop by a store after church if we are in an area with stores that are too far away to get to during the week.
I will have to read the link about “servile labor” – I tend to think that if we lived in the days when middle class Americans hired household help that I wouldn’t have so much servile labor leftover at the end of the week!
Jamie says
I think I agree with most, here, I try to do most of my shopping during the week, or Saturday, but with 4 small children, it’s easier to do most of it when hubby is home to watch them and go on the weekend, sometimes it’s impossible to do it all before Sunday, so sometimes, out of necessity, I do, but only what I need to, like something quick after Mass. Otherwise the day is reserved for Mass and family.
erica says
Hi Margaret,
I love this topic, not because we are great at it over here, but because it is always a good reminder when mentioned or posted about.
I find that the times when we truly give the day to God – Mass, no shopping, no eating out, a nice Sunday breakast and/or dinner, a Rosary, a family walk or board game, etc. – we are blessed by a peaceful week. Mondays just seem easier. 🙂
A friend shared that she thought that by getting ahead with the laundry on Sundays she would have an easier week. She said that so far it’s never been true for her.
I agree with above posters that when I find myself shopping on Sunday or catching up with house cleaning or whatever, it is only because I’ve been lazy during the week or we don’t make getting said things done on Saturdays a priority.
We are a very busy family during the week and I’m without my husband for part of it, but trying to maintain a Sunday rest truly brings us all together without the daily distractions of, well, daily life! 🙂
I agree that it’s all about intentions and please know we are far from perfect here. Too many Sundays have found us popping in somewhere for a last minute gift or needed groceries. My humble opinion is that we shouldn’t be in the habit of doing these types of things on Sunday.
Margaret, and don’t hate me for saying so, I also think taking a break from the computer is a great thing to do on Sundays. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for the post and the reminder to keep our Lord’s day holy.
Praying for you and baby,
Erica
Eileen says
I had wanted to chime in on Sunday on this, but didn’t have time!! 🙂
We’ve been reading books for school time, set in the early 1800s, when most people took “rest on Sunday” pretty seriously.
I have one word for their interpretation: Joyless.
Do with that what you will.
Anonymous says
I just got an ad from Sears portrait studio, open Easter Sunday. Then I saw take our survey. Keeping you in mind, I did. If they know it’s Easter, do they really expect people to shop, let alone work on that day? I asked, what is really important here? I am sure no one will see my 2 cents, but I made the effort, as I am now. Glad to “know” you Miss Margaret. Jenn
Anonymous says
I always feel guilty when we do something – like going out to eat – that requires other people to work. We asked Father after Mass if we could go to the zoo…and he said that in this culture, the zoo is going to be open regardless – people are going to be working on Sunday – and since we are enjoying it as a family recreational activity, it was o.k. (tho’ I suppose his answer might have been different if our “family recreation” was shopping…