THIRD COMMANDMENT

 The gift of the Ten Commandments “is the gift of

God himself and his holy will.” Specifically, the
“10 words” are the words of God that “point out
the conditions of a life freed from the slavery of
sin.” They show us a path of life that sums up
proclaims God’s law and will “make explicit the
response of love that man is called to give to his
God.”
“ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six
days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On
it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or
your daughter, your male servant, or your female
servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is
within your gates. For in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD
blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. “
- Exodus 20:8-11
 The Third Gift
 The third word refers to the gift of God making the
Sabbath holy. The first creation story of the Book of
Genesis recounts God’s creation of the world. It explains
how, on each of six days, God brought forth another
aspect of the created order until the world was complete.
God then rested from his work on the seventh day,
blessing it and making it holy.
 The beauty of the Sabbath lies precisely in the fact that
the source of its holiness is God, not us. It is set apart by
God for God and is thus goodness itself, so we can then
trust fully in its sanctity.
 Further, because God is the source, this gift is
about love. And it is in this love that the true
richness of the commandment comes to the fore.
For example, in Exodus 20:10, God explains to
Moses his view of what it means to fulfil this
commandment:”You shall not do any work, either
you, your son or your daughter, your male of
female slave, your work animal, or the resident
alien within your gates.”
 In other words, all are to partake of the goodness
and abundance of the Lord on his day. All creation
belongs to God, not us, and therefore is sacred,
made holy by God just like the Sabbath. It
follows, then, that no one would be excluded
from the rest and benefits of this day.
 The Third Commandment teaches us that the way
of life demands the celebration of the Lord’s Day.
“Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery
is celebrated… and is to be observed as the
foremost holy day of obligation in the universal
Church.”
 In addition, everyone should enjoy “adequate rest
and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural,
social, and religious lives.” This means refraining
from work or activities that “hinder the worship
owed to God.”
 Put another way, goodness and mercy shall flower
even on the Sabbath, for it was God’s goodness
and mercy that created the Sabbath. The Sabbath
was created so that we might participate in the
life of God, who is Good itself and therefore our
greatest good. This is to say the Sabbath was
created so that we might have life and have it
more fully, which is the very aim of any true act
of mercy. Consequently, works of mercy also
constitute appropriate activities on the Lord’s
Day.
 What does the Third
Commandment oblige you to do?

 Toattend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day

of Obligation.
 To
avoid all unnecessary manual (“servile”)
work or shopping on Sundays and Holy Days.
 What kind of sin is it to miss
Mass on Sunday or a Holy day?

 Tomiss Mass on these days through you own fault

and without sufficient reason is a mortal sin.
What kind of sin is it to be late
for Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day
of Obligation?
 If, through your own fault, you come into the church—

 Anytime before the priest takes the veil off the chalice,
you commit a venial sin, unless you stay for the missed
part in another Mass.

 Anytime after the priest takes the veil off the chalice you
commit a mortal sin, unless you stay for another entire
Mass.
Are you ever excused from the
obligation of hearing Mass?

 Yes, but only for serious reason.

 Examples: Sickness, caring for a sick person, long

distance from the church, necessary work.
What does the Third
Commandment oblige you to do
as a parent?

 Youhave the serious obligation to see that

your children attend Mass on Sundays and
Holy Days.