If You Struggle with Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy 

A Catholic Path to Worship, Rest, and Right Order 

(Especially Sunday Mass) 

Why This Commandment Is Foundational 

The Third Commandment—“Keep holy the Lord’s Day”—is not an arbitrary rule. It is about right order. 

God does not command rest because He needs it. He commands it because we do. 

When Sunday is lost, life slowly becomes: 

• Fragmented 
• Exhausting 
• Centered on work, entertainment, or self 
• Disconnected from worship 

This commandment protects both our relationship with God and our humanity. 

Why Sunday Is Different 

Sunday is not simply a day off. It is the Lord’s Day. 

From the earliest days of the Church, Christians gathered on Sunday because: 

• Christ rose from the dead on Sunday 
• Sunday is the “eighth day”—the beginning of new creation 
• The Eucharist is the heart of Christian life 

Sunday is not optional time with God. It is the weekly renewal of covenant. 

Why Sunday Mass Matters So Much 

The Mass is not merely a prayer service or a sermon. 

At Mass: 

• Christ becomes truly present 
• His sacrifice is made present sacramentally 
• We are united to His offering to the Father 
• Grace is given that cannot be received elsewhere 

This is why the Church teaches that Sunday Mass is obligatory, except for serious reasons (illness, care of the vulnerable, impossibility). 

The obligation is not about control. It is about what the soul needs to live. 

Common Reasons People Drift from Sunday Mass 

Many people stop attending Mass not out of rebellion, but gradually: 

• Life becomes busy 
• Weekends fill with activities 
• Travel, sports, or work encroach 
• Fatigue takes over 
• Mass begins to feel “optional” 

Over time, absence feels normal. 

But spiritual life weakens quietly when worship is displaced. 

What Happens When Mass Is Regularly Missed 

When Sunday Mass is neglected: 

• Prayer often becomes sporadic 
• Moral clarity weakens 
• Gratitude fades 
• The week loses its spiritual center 

This is not punishment—it is consequence. 

We become what we repeatedly practice. 

Practicing the Opposite Virtues: Worship and Rest 

Failing to keep Sunday holy is not healed merely by “trying harder.” It is healed by re-ordering life around worship. 

Worship 

• Placing God first, not when convenient 
• Giving Him time intentionally 
• Allowing the Eucharist to shape the week 

Worship restores perspective: God is God—and I am not. 

Rest 

• Rest is not idleness 
• It is time reclaimed for God, family, and the soul 
• It resists the lie that our worth comes only from productivity 

True rest is rest in God, not mere distraction. 

Sunday is not meant to fit into life; life is meant to be ordered around Sunday. 

Sunday Is About More Than One Hour 

Keeping the Lord’s Day holy includes: 

• Attending Mass 
• Avoiding unnecessary servile work 
• Making time for family and relationships 
• Allowing space for prayer and reflection 
• Choosing activities that restore rather than exhaust 

This looks different for each family—but worship remains central. 

What Sunday Mass Is Not 

Sunday Mass is not: 

• Just another obligation 
• A performance to evaluate 
• Optional when inconvenient 
• One activity among many 

It is an encounter. 

The Mass is God’s gift before it is our duty. 

Have a Plan for Sunday 

Faithful Mass attendance usually requires intentional planning, not good intentions alone. 

Helpful practices: 

• Decide Mass time before the weekend begins 
• Protect Sunday morning from late Saturday nights 
• Choose Mass before scheduling other activities 
• When traveling, plan around Mass rather than around convenience 

What is planned is protected. 

When Mass Feels Dry or Difficult 

Many people struggle because: 

• They feel distracted 
• They don’t “get much out of it” 
• They feel disconnected 

But worship is not measured by feelings. 

One of the great teachers of the Church, St. John Paul II, reminded the faithful that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, whether it feels consoling or not. 

Faithfulness matters more than feeling. 

Mercy, Confession, and New Beginnings 

If you have missed Mass deliberately without serious reason, bring it to confession simply. 

Confession is not meant to shame. It restores order where priorities have slipped. 

Every return to Mass is a homecoming. 

Why This Commandment Brings Freedom 

Keeping the Lord’s Day holy: 

• Re-centers life on God 
• Protects family and relationships 
• Resists burnout and meaninglessness 
• Restores peace of heart 

Sunday reminds us: 

We are not slaves to work or activity. We belong to God. 

A Line Worth Remembering 

Sunday Mass is not an interruption of life— it is the source from which life flows. 

Closing Prayer 

Lord God, You have given us the Lord’s Day as a gift. Restore in me a love for worship and a desire to gather with Your people. Help me order my life around You, to rest in Your presence, and to draw strength from the Eucharist. Amen.