Christian Sunday: Created to love |
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Christian Sunday: Created to love I've heard this story for a while.
A child lived with his whole family in a small town far from the city. As his condition was very humble he barely had a shoe to dress, walk in the city, go to school. One day he realized that his shoes were about to perish and he couldn't get another one. His great love of going to Mass caused him to put his shoes on his shoulder while he had to walk that dusty path. As soon as he got to the church atrium, he would put his shoes clean and go into it. This child who had no means, why didn't he stay home on Sundays? From a young age, he understood that it was necessary to attend Holy Mass. That's how he did it with his whole family.
The resurrection of the Lord is a very great and founding event in the life of Christian especially. It's Easter. Christ passes through the cross and death to resurrection and life. This Easter fact of Christ is so important that the Church commemorates every Sunday of the year. So much so that Christians are obliged to celebrate Sunday: the Resurrection of the Lord. That day we have been created again by Christ.
For many, Sunday is a relaxing day understood as lowering the intensity of work. People go to stadiums, show (they should always be healthy), they go shopping, do some walks, slow down the pace of work. Well, that's fine because Sunday is also a day of rest and family. It should be noted that rest means to change activity; what it means is to avoid abandoning yourself at whimsy, wasting time on things that are not worth it, vagueness. This practice is necessary because during the other days of the week we are restless and nervous about thousands of things.
Sunday is a special day to hear the word of God in and with the family. The Church is a great family and this day as in the special festivities (solemnities) we all meet. To stop going would be to isolate yourself and the one who is usually ungodly neglect important things in life.
Let's see another testimony. It is about the life of the first Christians. During the pagan era of the Roman Empire for a Christian to live the Sunday precept was very hard. It was outright banned all kinds of religious meetings. This happened at least during the first three centuries. But the early Christians were very clear that the Sunday meetings should continue. The testimonies of those times are instructive. For example, the Roman soldiers found the Bithynia martyrs gathered and told them: do they not know that it is forbidden to meet on Sundays? Said the soldier following the emperor's mandate. Those Christians responded: it is that without Sunday we cannot live, sine Domenica non-possumus! This is a testimony that helps us avoid all kinds of excuses to celebrate the Christian day of faith. We often say that I cannot, I do not have time, I have many things to do, I go later. God does not need the time that is left over, but that which is given with generosity and love.
We ask ourselves: why do I have to go to Mass? Is not the same thing always said? We can respond by saying that Sunday is the Lord's day; we have to fulfill our commitment that we made on the day of baptism: to grow and to educate ourselves in the faith with the listening of the word of God and the reception of the sacraments. Our faith has to be nourished. Indeed, the texts of the Mass are almost always the same, but they are full of novelties; for the Gospel (Christ) is always good news for all. Also, these prayers and formulas have been prayed by many people throughout history.
The point is that the words spoken or received by a burning heart are always novel and glad of the heart. For those who want to believe and love there are many reasons; for those who don't, it's hard to accept this truth. Also, our language is limited, because I can't find any other formula to greet my parents and friends at their parties, to say the same.
The Christian faith is an educator. The gospel transmits new things, awakens the depths of man, and helps to seek the most fundamental of man. We have been created to love so much and we are restless until we don't love something big. A Christian who follows the word of God and lives on Sunday is grateful and seeks to give his best to others. He realizes what qualities he has and what he lacks. He is a man who builds and builds with his life other lives, because Christ is risen and with him we all rise and stand.
Atte, P. Arnaldo Alvarado S.
Cañete Major Seminary