February 10, 2019 • Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

902 East 9th Street • Hopkinsville, KY 42240

Saints

Peter & Paul C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

Established 1872

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

We are a Roman Catholic Community of Christians called to be a priestly people, a household of faith, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a beacon of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apos-tolic Church shining for Jesus Christ in the heart of Christian County.

Rev. Fr. Richard Meredith, Pastor crmeredith@stsppchurch.org

Rev. Fr. Michael Charles Abiero, Parochial Vicar mcabiero@stsppchurch.org

Permanent Deacon, Mr. Tim Barnes tdbarnes@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Mr. Roberto Cruz rcruz@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Mr. Tim Schlueter tschlueter@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Dr. Bill Sweet wesweet@stsppchurch.org PARISH OFFICE PHONE: (270) 885-8522 PARISH FAX: (270) 885-5296 PARISH WEBSITE: www.stsppchurch.org DIOCESAN WEBSITE: www.owensborodiocese.org VATICAN WEBSITE: www.vatican.va PARISH OFFICE HOURS: 8 AM-12 Noon • 1pm-5 PM Monday – Friday

SCHOOL TELEPHONE: (270) 886-0172 SCHOOL FAX: (270) 887-9924 SCHOOL WEBSITE: www.stsppschool.org

Tru†h Radio WSPP 93.5 FM (Local Catholic Radio)

Saints Peter and Paul Assistance: 270-886-6027

Saints Peter and Paul Thrift Store: 270-962-7008

MEMBERSHIP IN THE PARISH We give a sincere welcome to all new families moving into our Parish. Please register with the Parish Office as soon as possible. Families who plan to move from our parish

community are asked to let us know.

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday evening ..................................... 5:00 PM Sunday ..................................8:00 AM, 10:30 AM Misa en Español............... 2:00 PM, 10:30 PM Monday - Saturday ................................ 8:00 AM Wednesday ......................................... 5:30 PM Thursday MISA EN ESPAÑOL .................... 5:30 PM

SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY

The Catholic Church teaches that the sexual abuse of any person is a grave moral evil. To report any instance of sexual abuse by anyone

acting in the name of the Catholic Church, (priests, deacon, employee or volunteer), please call the Diocesan Pastoral Assistance Coordina-tor, using the dedicated confidential phone-line (270-852-8380) as well as the Diocesan web site (www.owensborodiocese.org/safe).

† SACRAMENTS † † Reconciliation: Confessions will be heard Saturday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (English and Spanish), Wednesday at 4:30 PM. (ENGLISH and SPANISH) Confessions will be heard any time by appointment.

† Baptism: Baptismal Preparation Class is usually held the first Sun-day of each month. Our next class will be March 3, 2019 at 4:00 pm. Please call the Parish Office to register.

† Marriage: Contact the Office six months prior to the desired date.

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Parish Pastoral Council

Vicky Barnes, Education……..……...………....vicky@barnesws.com Jan Buckner, Family Life……………….janet.buckner59@gmail.com Dee Dailey, Worship …………..…....……....dalyfrau2@gmail.com Libby Downs, Pastoral Associate ….……….ljdowns@stsppchurch.org Gary Harden, Chair, Administration…………garyharden@gmail.com Hilda Linares, Social Concerns…………… linareshilda@outlook.com Fran Marko, Secretary ……………………….....franmarko@gmail.com Morgan Murray, Vice-Chair, Spiritual Life…. morgan.c.murray.1@vumc.org Katie Wyatt, Principal …………………...kwyatt@stsppschool.org

PARISH STAFF

Tom Buehrle (twbuehrle@att.net)...............Director Of Stewardship Brenda Chaudoin (bchaudoin@stsppchurch.org)…. Parish Office Mgr. Libby Downs (ljdowns@stsppchurch.org)............Pastoral Associate

Jennifer Groves (jgroves@stsppschool.org)…… School Secretary Leigh Ann Johnson …………………Parish Assistance Coordinator Steve Kinnard (skinnard@stsppchurch.org)...Maintenance Foreman Angie Phillips (abphillips2013@gmail.com)……...Thrift Store Mgr. Mayra Tirado (mtirado@stsppchurch.org)...Hispanic Ministry Asst. Sue Wassmer (swassmer@stsppchurch.org)............Parish Secretary Dan Wilkinson(dwilkinson@stsppchurch.org)...Parish Music Director Katie Wyatt (kwyatt@stsppschool.org)...................School Principal

MINISTRY TO THE SICK

Please notify the Parish Office upon admission of a family member into any hospital or nursing home. Any parishioner who is ill or infirm may request anointing by calling the Parish

Office, 270-885-8522.

PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

This is a devotion whereby members of the parish unite in tak-ing hours of Adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament dur-ing the day and throughout the night, seven days a week. (Code required.) There is a regular schedule of adorers but all are welcome to stop in for a visit. Parishioners are encouraged to sign up for a scheduled weekly Adoration time. Please con-tact Bill & Jenny Rush at 270-885-2888, if you are interested in adopting an hour or if you can be a substitute or prayer partner. Available hours: Sunday 12 am (midnight) & 5 pm, Mon-day 2am, Friday 10 am, Saturday 3 pm- Need prayer partners Saturday 9 am, 8 pm & 9 pm. Please help!!

FEBRUARY 10, 2019 • FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 3

An additional Award went to the Best Decorated Table.

This award went to the Tiell Table. This table consisted of Julie and Ken Tiell, Pat Puckett, Michelle and Damian Sand-heinrich, Connie and Tim Schlueter and Martha Reed with their theme of Winter Wonderland. A lot of fun was had all around! The proceeds (before expenses) $1,350.00 from this fundraiser go to our Youth Program and our Saints Peter and Paul School. We give thanks to the following: Fr. Richard, our MC, Sarah Kranz who managed our bar and cleaned up as well Bren-da Chaudoin and Libby Downs at the scorers table.

National Marriage Week February 7th thru 14th: The Sac-rament of Marriage is a beautiful gift from God. During National Marriage Week, take some time to focus on your marriage and ways to make it better. Daily mar-riage tips, a seven day virtual marriage retreat, and recommended readings can all be found on the United States Conference of Catholic Bish-ops (USCCB) site at www.foryourmarriage.org/celebratenational-marriage-week-usa/. These resources have been created specifically for National Marriage Week.

Prayer for Married Couples Almighty and eternal God,

You blessed the union of married couples so that they might reflect the union of Christ

with his Church: look with kindness on them.

Renew their marriage covenant, increase your love in them,

and strengthen their bond of peace so that, with their children,

they may always rejoice in the gift of your blessing.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Trivia Night: Our Ninth Adult Trivia Night was a great suc-cess. We had tables/teams vying for bragging rights as winners of our Ninth Trivia Night. The scores were very close throughout the night but the wagers and the final question determined the outcome. The final question was: “Who starred in the Original Mary Poppins Movie (Mary Poppins – Actress’ name) and who is in Mary Poppins Returns (Mary Poppins – Actress’ name)?” The answer was Julie Andrews and Emily Blunt.

1st Place - $100.00 Gift Card – Team Westfall consisting of

Jared Smith, Danielle Smith, Ralph Green, Christe Westfall, Roger Westfall, Linda Woodall, Beth Mueller and Morgan Murray.

2nd Place - $50.00 Gift Card – Chaudoin Table consisting of

Rita Black, Mike Quitter, Pam Quitter, Bill Chaudoin, Joe Chaudoin, Jennifer Chaudoin, Donna Dunham and Sharon Moseley.

3rd Place - $25.00 Gift Card – Sweet Table consisting of

Franco and Rossella Cincotti, Christine Weatherford, Greg Ligibel, Vickie and Steve Kinnard (Steve is missing from the picture), Pam and Bill Sweet.

World Marriage Day Celebration

Saints Peter and Paul Sunday, February 10th at 5:00 p.m.

Bilingual Mass with Reception to follow

Opportunity to Renew Wedding Vows

SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY 4

KUNA Bake Sale Thank You: Thank you to our parish for being so generous last weekend at the KUNA Bake Sale. With your generosity, we raised over $1,300.00 to help with student fees and the purchase of cos-tumes and props. Your kindness is very much appreciated!

Sympathy: As we begin this week, we have had several deaths. The obituaries were not available at the time of the printing of this bulletin. We do ask that you keep in prayer the following: 1. The repose of the soul of Alice Chuhralya

who we have been visiting at Christian Health Center. Alice is the mother of Amy Watkins.

2. Kay Stevens, the grandmother of Trey Stevens. 3. Terry Flanders, the nephew of Libby Downs.

Upcoming Liturgical Items

Begin collecting Blessed Palm from last year to be used for this year’s Ash Wednesday Services – see basket in the narthex.

Ash Wednesday – March 6th – Lent Begins. Masses of-fered at 8:00 a.m., 12:05 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in English and 7:00 p.m. in Spanish.

Burning of Palm - Tuesday, March 5th – immediately af-ter the 8:00 a.m. Mass in preparation for Lent.

Blood Drive – Wednesday, March 6th – 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Religious Education Classes 2018-2019

PSR – Pre-School thru 5th Grade: PSR Classes continue THIS Sunday, February 10th with classes beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the school building and concluding at 10:15 a.m. Please remember there are no classes next Sunday, Feb-ruary 17th as we celebrate President’s Day Weekend

PSR-January Schedule – Sundays, 9:00-10:15 a.m.: February 10 – Class February 24 - Class February 17 – No Class March 3 - Class

Youth Ministry Our Middle School and High School Youth program con-tinues this week, Wednesday, February 13th with a special service project and class. Remember we begin with Mass at 5:30 p.m., continue with dinner and program. Our night concludes at 8:00 p.m. February Schedule February 13 – Class Monday, February 18 – Youth Service Day February 20 - Special guest and concert February 27 - Class

Inclement Weather: Please be advised when the Hop-kinsville/Christian County School Sys-tem is closed on a Wednesday due to inclement weather, Middle and High School Youth Programs are cancelled at Saints Peter and Paul.

Youth 2000: YOUTH 2000 is responding to the call of Pope John Paul II who continually called upon the youth of the Church to be instruments and leaders of a new effort to bring the Gospel to the world. Pope Francis continues this challenge, “Jesus speaks in silence in the mystery of the Eucharist and each time reminds us that following him means to come out of ourselves and not make our life our

possession, but a gift to him and to others.” Youth 2000 continues to respond to these challenges through Eucharistic centered re-treats. This is the 22nd anniver-sary of Youth 2000 in the Dio-cese of Owensboro. If you are a high school youth, you are invited

to join us for this YOUTH 2000 Retreat scheduled for March 8th-10th on the Brescia University Campus Center. This retreat is being sponsored by the Diocesan Offices of Youth Ministry and the Diocesan Marian Shrine Committee. Youth should register through a Parish, School or other Group. For registration forms, see Libby this Wednesday at youth. The deadline to submit your registration for the parish is Wednesday, February 20th. The cost is $60.00 per participant and chaperone plus hotel expens-es. If you would like to help sponsor a young person, please see Libby. We will need adult chaperones for this event as well.

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Next Bake Sale Weekend of March 2nd and 3rd

All proceeds will benefit our Parish Assistance Program

to assist all those who come to us in need

If you would like to help by providing some bake sale items, please bring them the weekend of the sale.

Anointing of the Sick February 16-17, 2019 - Weekend Masses

The Anointing of the Sick is a remarkable sign of God’s great love for us. The Oil of the Sick that is used in this Sacrament is made of pure olive oil with nothing else added except the Blessing of Bishop Medley at the Chrism Mass of Holy Week 2018. In this Sacrament, the Priest will anoint the forehead and hands with prayer: “Through this Holy Anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.” To which we respond: “Amen”.

FEBRUARY 10, 2019 • FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH • FEBRUARY 10-17

Readings for the week of February 10, 2019 Sunday: Is 6:1-2a, 3-8/Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11/Lk 5:1-11 Monday: Gn 1:1-19/Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c Mk 6:53-56 Tuesday: Gn 1:20—2:4a/Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 /Mk 7:1-13 Wednesday: Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17/Ps 104:1-2a, 27-28, 29bc- 30 /Mk 7:14-23 Thursday: Gn 2:18-25/Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5/Mk 7:24-30 Friday: Gn 3:1-8/Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7 /Mk 7:31-37 Saturday: Gn 3:9-24/Ps 90:2, 3-4abc, 5-6, 12-13/ Mk 8:1-10 Next Sunday: Jer 17:5-8/Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6/1 Cor 15:12, 16- 20/Lk 6:17, 20-26

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Sun: PSR-9am 2/10 Parish Holy Hour-4 pm Financial Peace University-5 pm, MH Tue: Prospective School Parent Open House– 5pm Wed: Rosary Makers-8:45 am, HFR Choirs-Spanish, 5:30 pm-English, 6:30 pm MS/HS Youth-5:30 pm Thu: Worship Comm-Noon, OA RCIA-7 pm, MH Sun: Ultreya-Noon, OA 2/17 Parish Holy Hour-4 pm Financial Peace University-5 pm, MH

Monday, February 11

8:00 AM † JEFFERY MOLLOHAN

Tuesday, February 12 St. Agatha

8:00 AM † PAT ESPOSITO

Wednesday, February 13 St. Paul Miki & Companions

8:00 AM PAUL RUSH

5:30 PM † GEORGE & VICTORIA SPURR

Thursday, February 14

8:00 AM RUBY CARSONE

5:30 PM SPANISH † ROMAN LINARES

Friday, February 15

8:00 AM † Rose Ann Tobin

Saturday, February 16

8:00 AM † JEFFERY MOLLOHAN

5:00 PM MELISSA SMITH

Sunday, February 17 Sixth Sunday In Ordinary Time

8:00 AM † FAYE DURCHHOLZ

10:30 AM † RUTH BYRNES

2:00 PM Spanish † JOYCE HUTCHINSON

10:30 PM Spanish For All The People

† Indicates Requiem Mass

SANCTUARY LAMP

IN MEMORY OF ALEX ISKENDAR

ADORATION CHAPEL CANDLES

NO REQUEST

©Liturgical Publications Inc.

Stewardship New…. In today’s readings, both Isaiah and Peter hear the call of God and feel themselves unworthy. But, reas-sured by the Lord, both answer and follow. Do I hear the Lord asking, “Whom shall I send?” Am I prepared to answer, “Here I am. Send me!”?

We Are Proud to Welcome - The Musical Talents of “His Own”To Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church for two different events!

First - Wednesday, February 20th – Youth of our Parish and Diocese of

Owensboro Mass offered at 5:30 p.m. - Church Simple Dinner at 6:30 p.m. – Gym Concert and Faith Sharing at 7:00

p.m. - Church

Second - Thursday, February 21st – Women of our Parish and Diocese of Owensboro

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Church snacks served after the concert.

Cost $5.00 per person. Reserve your spot by calling 270-885-8522 or

www.stsppchurch.org and “Donate Now” If you have questions or need further information email

Libby Downs at event@stsppchurch.org (As pictured: Maria Spears, Christine Simpson, Kara Klun -

maternity leave) Tickets will be for sale in the narthex the weekends of

February 9th and 10th and February 16th and 17th

Year End Tax Statements Are available again THIS weekend after all Masses

in the Narthex.

Monthly Food Drive: K of C Council 7847 in coordination with Aaron McNeil House (AMH) is conducting a monthly food. A large bin is located in the coat closet off of the restroom hallway of the church; to collect non-perishable food donations. Non-perishables can be placed in the bin at any time, but will be collected on the 3rd weekend of each month.

Budget News February 3, 2019

Contributing Households

Envelopes 128 $10,644

Online Donations/EFT 31 $4,790

Loose collection Cash $823

Loose collection Checks 39 $4,385

Weekly Total 198 $20,642

Weekly Parish Budget Needs $20,500

Capital Campaign/Legacy Donations 58 $4,637

1st Sunday of Month 2nd collection $736

Monthly Payment Due on 15th-$35,373 Balance $10,913

Past due Diocesan Assessment 17/18 $12,580

Past due Prop. Ins. & Priest Medical Ins. Payments to Diocese 17/18 $50,364

Past due Prop. Ins. & Priest Med. Ins. Monthly Pymts. to Dio. 18/19 $29,355

2018/19 Diocesan Assessment due 6/2018 $74,036

SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY 6

In Need of Prayers… Bradford Heights –Melnora Altshuler, Anne Cummings Carriage Way Assisted Living- Eleanor Rogers, Albert Weakly Covington Convalescent–Pat Chesnut, Friendship House- Christine Mills Western State Nursing Facility- Debbie Dickerson, Ellen Jones Christian Health Center- Lillian Cotthoff, Norma Downs, Barbara Holubecki - Others.. Betty Aberle, Jensen Christian Adamek, Vonnie Adams, Clarence & Helen Allard, Wendy Ander-son, Fred Anderson, Matt Baker, Ruth Britt, Joan Brockman, Judy Brummett, Sam Chesnut, George Coleman, Lynda Combs, Hugh Davenport, Donna Dunham, Woodly ‘Damon’ Dunn, Franki Durbin, Glenn Finch, Connie Fowler, Martha Fowler, Joe & Pat Gary Family, Ron & Janice Godot, Richard Graham, Teresa Hite, Heather Jeffries, Carol Johnson, Jim Gorman, Beth Hancock, Wil-liam Hancock, Tony Jones, Doug Kahre, Charlie Keel, Bobby Keyes, Christopher Lytle, Larry & Kathy Lytle, Joe Mezzoni Sr., Diane Mumme, Cecelia Omundson, Theresa Payne, Teresa Pazin, Al Perry, Emily Thomas Pyle, Zoe Raber, Martha Reed, Edwin Roeder, Frank Selph, Kristian Shouse, Linda Stepanek, Mike & Marilyn Stocker, Georgiann Svestka, Ken & Mary Swicicki, Jerry & Bernie Thomas, Carolyn Thorpe, Wilma Villinger, Linda West, Charles Whitmer, Helen Winstead, James Wittschack. Names will

remain on the prayer list for 1 month. Please contact the parish office to add

Please Pray for our Deployed Military & Families

Trey Johnston, Jake Means, John O’Conner, and Dom Pifko

LAY MINISTERS FEBRUARY 16/17 • SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

Saturday, 5:00 pm Altar Servers ....................Carly Chaudoin, Laney Chaudoin Cross Bearer ....................................................... Mia Litchfield Commentator .................................................. Imelda Gorman Lectors ............................. Pam Sweet, Karenna Chaudoin Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers: ................ Dawn Ligibel, ........................ JoAshley Hall, Dana Nethery, Patty Goode Choir Loft ................................ Julie Tiell, Mary Moehlman Ushers ....................................................... Todd Hall, Ken Tiell .................................................... Bill Chaudoin, Joe Chaudoin Vocational Cross ............................................... Ruby Carsone

Sunday, 8:00 am

Altar Servers .................. Patrick Stevens, Elizabeth Stevens Cross Bearer .................................................. Ashleigh Stevens Commentator ...................................................... Diana France Lectors ................................... Jim Creighton, Chris Stevens Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers: ................ Lori Gardner, ......................................... Dan Gardner, Tom Folz, Julie Folz Choir Loft ........................... Debbie Harden, Bob Stites Ushers ...................................... Anthony France, Alvin Schmitt ................................ Philip Garnett, Gary Harden Vocational Cross ...................................... John Juneau Family

Sunday, 10:30 am

Altar Servers ........................ Mason Malone, Franco Fiscella Cross Bearer ........................................................... John Allard Commentator .......................................................... Alex Allard Lectors ....................................... David Allard, Dee Dailey Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers: ......... Sarah Covington, ............. Marlee Thomas, Nathan Tillman, Connie Schlueter Choir Loft ................................ Kelly King, Vicky Barnes Ushers ............................................. Bill Harkins, Billy Garnett .................................. Lindsay Garnett, Kelly King Vocational Cross ........................... Michael Anderson Family

Domingo 2:00 pm Comentarista: .................................................. Pedro Rodríguez 1-2 Lectura: ........................... Emanuel Ixcol, Evelia Ocampo Ministro E: .................................... Ana Ethridge, Day Mulero Hospitalidad: .................................. Erick Gines, Chano Vieyra Monaguillos: .............................. Edgar Galvan, Aaron Oñate

Monday, February 11th: February 11 is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Blessed Mother appeared

eighteen times to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. On this day in 1858 a young, poor girl named Bernadette Soubirous was out collecting firewood with her sister and an-other friend near a grotto when she saw a vision of a lovely lady. In the words of St. Bernadette, “I raised my head and looked toward the grotto. I saw a Lady dressed in

white, wearing a white dress, a blue girdle and a yellow rose on each foot the same color as the chain of her rosary.” In the vision Our Lady was praying the rosary. A few days later, on February 14th, Bernadette was permitted to return to the grotto, and again the Lady ap-peared to her. This happened again on February 18th. On this third visit the Lady asked Bernadette to come back to the grotto every day for the next two weeks. At those sub-sequent visits the Lady asked for a chapel to be built on the grounds, for Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners, and for her to drink the spring water that was re-vealed to her at the grotto. Word of these apparitions spread rapidly. Many of the townspeople believed that Mary was appearing to Bernadette, and they came down in large numbers to the grotto to pray. The spring that the Lady asked Bernadette to drink from quickly revealed itself to be blessed water with miraculous healing properties. On March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation, the Lady appeared at the grotto again, this time identifying herself

as the Immaculate Conception. The Marian dogma of the Immaculate Conception had only recently been pronounced by Pope Pius IX a few years previous, on December 8, 1854. This infallibly defined dogma declared that the Blessed Virgin Mary, “from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privi-lege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, was preserved free from every stain of original sin is a doctrine revealed by God and, for this reason, must be firmly constantly believed by all the faithful.” Four years after Our Lady of Lourdes appeared to St. Bernadette, the local bishop ruled that the apparitions were authentic. St. Bernadette eventually entered a religious house where she continued to suffer physically, uniting her suffering to Christ, and died at an early age.

FEBRUARY 10, 2019 • FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 7

Pastor’s Greeting KEEPING HOLY THE LORD’S DAY At St. Joseph Elementary School I learned the 3rd Commandment as: “Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.” It was only when I studied the Old Testament in college semi-

nary that I first noticed the distinct difference between the Sabbath Day and the Lord’s Day concerning the Ten Com-mandments. Puzzled, it came to me that, as with the entire Law of Moses, Jesus must have fulfilled this particular cove-nant law. It was not until my studies of the New Testament and of the Fathers of the Church that I encountered the ear-liest Christian witnesses which confirmed what I had conclud-ed. The earliest indicator is actually in the New Testament itself, Letter to the Hebrews, 10:24-25— “We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.” We know from early Christian history that the day of their “assembly” was the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, or Sunday (see also 1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 20:7-12; Revelation 1:10). The “day” which is believed to be drawing near is the day of Christ’s return, also thought as going to occur on that same day of the week on which the Lord rose from the dead, namely, Sunday. We learn from the testimony of Saint Ignatius of Antioch [c.107AD] and from that of Saint Justin Martyr [c.165AD] that the Christians of the time fully believed that Jesus Christ had fulfilled the Jewish Sabbath and had inaugurated the new creation in his resurrection, establishing the First or Eighth Day as the day to be kept holy in view of his victory over death and in expectation of his return. Around the same time as St. Ignatius, what is probably the first cate-chism, The Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), says: “On the Lord’s own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins, so your sacrifice may be pure” [14]. This has been the faith under-standing of the Church for two millennia and may be found articulated today in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2174-2176. For over three hundred years Sunday was not a holiday from work. Christians gathered often before dawn and even after dusk to pray and to keep the Eucharist. They then labored normally the remainder of the day. Around 250AD the Didascalia Apostolorum [23] (Teaching of the Apostles) taught: “Make not your worldly affairs of more account than the word of God; but on the Lord’s day leave everything and run eagerly to your Church; for she is your glory. Otherwise, what excuse have they before God who do not assemble on the Lord’s day to hear the word of life and be nourished with the divine food which abides for ev-er?” It was not, however, until the Peace of Constantine (313AD) and explicit imperial law (321AD) that people were exempted from laboring on Sunday. From that time until now, the Church has specified that the Lord’s Day and other days of obligation are to kept holy by Eucharistic as-sembly, by rest from unnecessary labor, and the cultivation of our “familial, cultural, social, and religious lives [CCC 2184].”

To Christians who claim that they get nothing from the Lord’s Day assembly and Mass or claim that they better commune with God in the woods, the Church says, “You are missing the point and are self-deceived.” Participation and attendance are an act of charity to neighbor and of obedi-ence to God. The Lord wills our presence that we might build each other up and encourage one another; that he might give us himself and heal us in himself. To replace God’s will with my own is nothing more than idolatry of self. The purpose which obliges us is not our own self-satisfaction, but is our surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation he brings.

Here are two excerpts from the Catechism which make the obligation clear:

[2181] The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this rea-son the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin. [2185] On Sundays and other holy days of obli-gation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship of God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relax-ation of mind and body. Family needs or im-portant social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

A final Triduum perspective—Jesus was dead and in the grave over a three day period: the late afternoon of Fri-day, all of the Sabbath, and the dark of the first day of the week. By his body’s rest in death Jesus satisfied all of the broken Sabbaths and Lord’s Days of human history. At least that is how it seems to me. That Sabbath of the Lord’s entombment is holy beyond words. He was there for us. He lay there in bodily death to heal the sinful death of our refusal to rest in God and to trust in God rather than in ourselves. He was obedient unto death, proving to us that the Father can be trusted. By that awful Sabbath rest of death, Jesus took upon himself the terminal consequence of our sin and in his rising he established the joyful rest of our being completed and made whole in God. This is what we celebrate. This is its purpose as God’s gift to us in Christ. Keeping the Lord’s Day is being kept by the Lord’s Day, an act of profound hope and defiance before the world, that God can be trusted in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Fr. Richard