Msgr. Pope on the Sabbath Rest

"Some of us who are older remember that Sundays were once quiet in downtown; in shopping areas, parking lots were empty. Most businesses were closed and few people had to work on Sundays. Surely there were exceptions, such as medical personnel, emergency workers, and those who ran essential services like power plants. But for most, Sunday was a day off. And although the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, in a largely Christian nation Sunday was the 'Sabbath' day of rest.

"In those days, Church was in the morning and then it was home to a family brunch or mid-afternoon meal. I remember back in the '60s that after Mass our family returned home and we kids got out of our 'Church  clothes' to go and play - in the yard in warm months and in the basement on cold or inclement days. Mom and Dad announced the 'parent hour,' making the living room off limits to us kids so they could sip coffee, read the paper, and catch up with each other. Dinner was at four or five in the afternoon; often our grandparents would join us or we went to their house. Evening featured Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (a nature show) followed by Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color/The Wonderful World of Disney. And then came The Lawrence Welk Show, which we hated but Mom and Dad liked (we went off to play again as soon as Disney was over).

"It was the end of an era. By the mid 1970s many 'Blue laws' or 'Sunday laws,' which prohibited the sale of certain products or the conducting of certain types of business on Sundays were on their way out. To heck with family, we were off the shopping mall!.

"It is a loss. To be fair, most of us who are well off can still observe the Sabbath (Sunday) rest if we choose. However, the poor and younger people just entering the workforce usually have little choice as to whether or not they work on Sundays. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the Sabbath rest and its link to justice.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: On the Lost Justice of the “Sabbath Rest” (26 MAR 15)