Author Topic: Going to restaurants on Sundays. (Read 14518 times)

Raoul76 · « **on:** March 06, 2011, 06:25:31 PM »

I was invited to go to a restaurant today after Mass at CMRI. I don't go out to eat on Sunday because it keeps people working for unnecessary reasons ( I'll get gas, since gas stations need to be open on Sunday for many legitimate reasons ).

One friend of mine, who is eighty, told me that in the 40's and 50's, towns were absolutely dead on Sunday. That was all I needed to hear, since then I haven't gone out to eat on that day.

Result: I was told I have scruples, that all the priests go to restaurants on Sundays. It is true that I seem to be the only one there who has this rule.

Do you go to restaurants on Sundays? Discuss.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2011, 06:41:52 PM »

Quote from: Raoul76

I was invited to go to a restaurant today after Mass at CMRI. I don't go out to eat on Sunday because it keeps people working for unnecessary reasons ( I'll get gas, since gas stations need to be open on Sunday for many legitimate reasons ).

One friend of mine, who is eighty, told me that in the 40's and 50's, towns were absolutely dead on Sunday. That was all I needed to hear, since then I haven't gone out to eat on that day.

Result: I was told I have scruples, that all the priests go to restaurants on Sundays. It is true that I seem to be the only one there who has this rule.

Do you go to restaurants on Sundays? Discuss.

Food has to be cooked on Sundays. The restaurant industry itself might be a problem.

I think you shouldn't always tell people of your opinions - I don't think you're wrong to stay away from restaurants on Sunday. It's commendable, so long as you don't offend people unnecessarily.

RomanCatholic1953 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2011, 06:56:06 PM »

I remember in the 1950's and early 1960's, most
restaurants were closed. In those days, they were
mostly family run. One of my first job, was a bus
boy at a cafeteria. The owners were very religious,
but non Catholic, and were always closed on Sunday.
The town look like a ghost town on Sunday, except
the occasional Jєωιѕн run business. Most people
avoided any type of business on Sunday.
In those days, the churches were full, and people
repected, and honored the Lord's Day.
The Liberalism, the Secularism, and the Supreme
Court decision in banning prayer in the Public
Schools cause the change in what we see today.

RomanCatholic1953 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:16:38 PM »

Coming to the present day, I still follow my 1950's habits
of abstaining from unnecessary labor, and any business
on Sunday, unless it is an emergency.
I never dine out on Sunday. After Church, I go my way.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:28:32 PM »

Telesphorus said:

Quote

I think you shouldn't always tell people of your opinions - I don't think you're wrong to stay away from restaurants on Sunday. It's commendable, so long as you don't offend people unnecessarily.

They asked me to go. In the time I had to formulate a response, I couldn't find anything else to say, any other way to get out of it. If I had said "I'm busy" or "I'm tired" or something, it would have been a lie.

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:31:44 PM »

There is indeed a contrast in how people spent their Sunday back then and today. Back then people were most inclined to spend their Sunday at home, unless there was some parish activity (which would occasionally include sports). Today a lot of people appear to spend their Sunday going out on the town. If your out and about trying to enjoy yourself (especially if it's your only day off from work) your not going to race home to cook a hot meal for yourself every time you get hungry. So I believe that the restaurants serve the same purpose as the gas stations, only perhaps to a lesser degree.

Also, when I get out of Church after Mass, Im hungry, and the cold packed lunch is far from satisfying.

MyrnaM · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:35:40 PM »

Quote from: RomanCatholic1953

I remember in the 1950's and early 1960's, most
restaurants were closed. In those days, they were
mostly family run. One of my first job, was a bus
boy at a cafeteria. The owners were very religious,
but non Catholic, and were always closed on Sunday.
The town look like a ghost town on Sunday, except
the occasional Jєωιѕн run business. Most people
avoided any type of business on Sunday.
In those days, the churches were full, and people
repected, and honored the Lord's Day.
The Liberalism, the Secularism, and the Supreme
Court decision in banning prayer in the Public
Schools cause the change in what we see today.

Reading the note above, makes me wonder why God allowed Vatican II to happen. I always felt He allowed it because Catholics were not doing the above.
I recall a great big banner in our Church when the stores started to open on Sunday, it read:
STOP! Don't shop on Sunday, I guess this was in the early 50's, I seem to remember being about 10 years old or so.

Yes, I have gone out with my husband and family for breakfast after Mass, otherwise I just go home and work fixing it at home for them.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:38:27 PM »

Thanks RomanCatholic1953.

I think I made the right decision for once. It's hard to tell if you're being prideful sometimes, or if you're really doing the right thing. When all the priests are okay with going to restaurants, it makes you feel like you have to go along, but I'm aware that there are varying opinions on this question.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:41:25 PM »

If you are really starving, and it is a long drive home from Mass, then obviously there's no problem with it. As Samurai says, it can be justified like going to a gas station.

Raoul76 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:47:57 PM »

I have to be careful here since this is permitted by all the priests... I'm not trying to be insubordinate. This is just one of those many minor controversies like medical marijuana or pants on women.

CMRI, it is no secret, tends to the liberal end of the spectrum, not in terms of their dogma, which is Catholic, but when it comes to moral theology. They are more liberal in that sense than SSPX who they consider overly strict with the dress code, things like that. Usually I agree with them, but not always.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2011, 07:54:28 PM »

Quote from: Raoul76

Telesphorus said:
Quote
I think you shouldn't always tell people of your opinions - I don't think you're wrong to stay away from restaurants on Sunday. It's commendable, so long as you don't offend people unnecessarily.

They asked me to go. In the time I had to formulate a response, I couldn't find anything else to say, any other way to get out of it. If I had said "I'm busy" or "I'm tired" or something, it would have been a lie.

That was rather scrupulous, if you refused the invitation on those grounds (if you would have gone otherwise).

I believe there are times when Friday abstinence is dispensed if one is in an awkward situation where refusing to eat meat would be very rude, that would be more serious than going to a restaurant on Sunday.

CathMomof7 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2011, 08:11:34 PM »

Under most circuмstances we do not dine out nor shop on Sundays. Sunday is our family day. Mass for us is at 4 pm. We have a large brunch at 10 am. Occasionally, like for the Super Bowl, we stop and pick up a pizza. We went out to eat with our friends after our baby's Baptism. I have had to go to General Dollar on occasion for milk or band aids.

Having said that though, I grew up in the South. Up until about 1975 only the gas station was open on Sunday, and only until 5 pm. Nobody went shopping. The Churches were full and the streets were empty. Sunday was spent at Grandma's after Church. My parents didn't go to Church, but we went to Grandma's any way for a HUGE dinner.

Sigismund · « **Reply #12 on:** March 06, 2011, 08:22:03 PM »

Our family always ate out after Mass on Sunday. Many of the people working in restaurants on Sundays are simply not concerned about not working on Sunday. If you have no choice about working, it is not a sin to o so.

I remember two of my children facing that problem as teenagers. One worked in a book store, the other in a hardware store. Both were open on Sunday. The owner of the bookstore was a Conservative Jєω, and did not work on the Sabbath or on Jєωιѕн holy days, leaving the sore in the care of an assistant manager. When my son was hired, she asked him if he had any religious restrictions on when he would work. He told her that he could not work on Sundays, Good Friday, or Christmas. The store was closed on Christmas because there were no customers. She had no problem accommodating his desire to be off on Sunday and Good Friday, and said she admired his dedication. The hardware store manager was less happy about it, but he didn't push it either as long as my son was willing to work any other days asked.

Sigismund · « **Reply #13 on:** March 06, 2011, 08:22:48 PM »

And I see someone is now ignoring me. I wonder who I annoyed.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #14 on:** March 06, 2011, 08:25:48 PM »

When I was a young child I would often go out to eat with my mother and grandmother on Sunday after Mass. We eventually stopped that though because my mother and I started going to the Traditional Latin Mass whenever we could, whereas my grandmother kept going to the NO and in fact only went to the TLM with us twice. Usually we do take-out on Sundays now. I don't think it's a sin to eat at a restaurant on Sunday, but I do think take-out would be better than exposing yourself to a large crowd containing people of mixed religions.