Auspice Maria: Reclaiming Sunday

Suppose we try to capture what the early Church was like by turning to the four different passages found in the initial chapters of Acts of the Apostles. In that case, we will discover the following qualities and characteristics. The early Church was a real community. Acts says, “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common” (4:32). St. Luke uses the metaphor of the early Church being a body with one heart and mind. In other words, members shared a mutual love and a clear mission. St. Luke adds, “There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need” (4:34).

St. Luke also speaks of the evident joy in the members of the early Church. He writes, “They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (2:46c-47). St. Luke tells of the fraternal sharing and the joy of “breaking bread in their homes” (v. 46b). “Breaking bread” was more than simply sharing food together. Their exultation came from sharing the Eucharist. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist, St. Luke describes the institution as Jesus “taking” the bread, “blessing” the bread, “breaking” the bread, and “sharing” the bread with his apostles and saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). Communal sharing in the Eucharist fed the joy of the early Church. 

With its members' joy, the early Church was an attractive community inspiring others to join. Although the apostles and the early disciples had no surveys and research to study and use as data for strategy, the Church grew quickly with the influx of new members. St. Luke writes, “And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b). He says, “Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them” (Acts 5:14). The early Church grew so fast by the witness of the apostles and the early disciples, that the ministry of the diaconate was established with the first seven deacons chosen and ordained by the apostles. St. Luke says in the same passage describing the selection and ordination of the first deacons, “The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests [Jewish priests] were becoming obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Among these first seven deacons was St. Stephen, the first adult to be martyred for his faith in Jesus (Acts 6).

These passages expose the dynamism of the early Church and how these Spirit-filled apostles and disciples radiated faith in Christ, joy, and charity while living out their mission. Jesus gave a clear mission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The zeal for mission, joy, and charity these disciples experienced were fed by their regular participation in the breaking of the bread. May I make a humble suggestion for the members of the Church today? If we desire to imitate the zeal, radiate the love of Christ, and live committed to the mission like the early disciples, let’s renew our commitment to the Eucharist experienced and received on the Lord’s Day.

Due to the shift away from parishes being the epicenters of our Catholic Christian life, unfortunately, many Catholic Christians have drifted from the very “source and summit” of their faith, the Eucharist (Catechism 1324). For many of us, even those who attend Mass, Sunday is no longer the Lord’s Day, but unfortunately, just another day of the week, a day that we happen to attend Mass. Think for a moment about how we live our Sundays. We shop, we dine out, and we can even do our banking on Sundays (I found a TD Bank with Sunday hours in Scarborough). I understand that Sunday may be the only day of the week when we have free time to complete basic errands. However, can Catholics reclaim Sunday as the Lord’s Day and not just experience it as the completion of the weekend? 

The observance of Sunday as the Lord’s Day originates from the Lord’s resurrection.  Scripture tells us that the risen Lord appeared to St. Mary Magdalene and his apostles on the first day of the week, the day after the Jewish sabbath (Saturday). We proclaim in the Nicene Creed, “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” The discovery that our Lord rose from the dead changed everything for the early Church. This discovery took place on Sunday. From that first Easter onward, the Church has maintained and promoted a special reverence and respect for Sunday. Every time we gather for Mass on Sunday, we celebrate the reality of the resurrection. Every Sunday is a “little” Easter and a day to exult in our Lord’s triumph over sin and death. 

Maybe, even if we attend Mass on Saturday evening, we can intentionally try to make Sunday the Lord’s Day once again. If parish leaders dedicate more prayer, time, and attention to the Sunday Liturgy, the music, the homilies, the training of liturgical ministers, and the hospitality offered at the Liturgy, participants will notice. Sunday Liturgy will bear even more fruit. Maybe if disciples sought to deliberately make time for family or significant friends on the Lord’s Day while putting down cell phones and actually having real face time with people, the disconnections often felt in our significant relationships would possibly heal. Maybe if we made some time to rest, stepping back from the hustle and bustle of life to go for a walk (not in the mall, Target, or Walmart) in nature to adore the beauty of God’s creation, we’d feel more connected to God the creator of it all. As Catholics, recalling our Jewish roots and the wisdom of the book of Exodus, we are reminded of the words, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (20:11). 

In conclusion, I propose that if Catholics re-prioritize Sunday as the Lord’s Day, our communities will grow, and our relationships will deepen, just like the early Church. We will grow not only in numbers but also in joy, love, and mission. 

-Bishop James Ruggieri