I am very worried about this. I have heard conflicting things from traditional catholic clergy regarding what is appropriate on a Sunday and what is not. A very holy SSPX priest told me that its ok to go to a restaraunt or a movie theatre because people are working there and they have to be there to make money and support their families. Yet I have talked to a sedevacantist in the clergy and he said that those things may not be forbidden by the letter of the law, but they are absolutely forbidden by the spirit of the law. Any help?
- Going to a restaraunt?
-Going to a movie theatre?
-Going grocery shopping?
-Going to the mall?
-Going on a date?
-Going to the gym?
I am curious about this because I have heard that Sunday's for Catholics should be a celebration, and not a funeral, like it is for some mormons/pentecostals/amish.
Movie theatre and mall are a bit too secular any day of the week -- the tendency toward dissipation is high, and the need is usually low. Movie theatre? What are you watching there? With almost no exceptions, everything in the theatres today is anti-Catholic trash. There may be some exceptions for your DVD player (Catholic movies, docuмentaries, older movies, etc.) but the movie theatre? I doubt it.
Restraurants on Sunday? I think it's fine, because it's usually a necessity. People have to eat. And with the Crisis in the Church, how many of us walk to Church on Sunday? On the contrary, going to Mass usually involves a decent drive (sometimes an hour or more). When you have kids, that's very inconvenient. They have to eat, and so do you. So after Mass you need a place to eat. If all the people who lived near the Mass center/chapel invited the out-of-towners over for dinner, I guess we wouldn't need restaurants open on Sunday :wink:
Grocery shopping -- that depends. Here is my advice (which I follow personally). DO YOUR BEST to do your shopping Monday-Saturday. But if, say, you are home all week long (24/7, because your wife is a stay-at-home mom and the dad works from home), never going out, and you live in the country and only "go to town" for Mass on Sunday, there's nothing wrong with picking up your groceries after Mass on Sunday. You're saving gas both ways -- frugality/spirit of poverty is a virtue. You're also saving time. But even a country-dweller should TRY to do his shopping beforehand if he finds himself/herself in town during the week.
Generally, you're supposed to A) take care of your soul on Sunday, B) indulge in non-lucrative activities -- acts of culture and leisure. (pursuits for your mind that you don't normally get to indulge in.) We should do things we don't normally have time for -- reading, singing, playing instruments, enjoying music. Creative "work" -- programming, drawing, writing, whittling, knitting, scrapbooking, etc. As long as you're not doing it for a client, those things are not servile and hence aren't forbidden on Sunday. Many activities that seem to use the body (sewing, knitting, etc.) free up the mind so that we can socialize while doing them. We should look for activities that are TRULY recreating. Recreate means to re-create or rejuvenate (make young again) your mind and body. Going for walks, socializing, visiting churches, going for a scenic drive, visiting relatives, etc.
You want to be well-rested for Monday or your Sunday was an "epic fail". If you work too hard on Sunday, you'll end up taking Monday "off" even if you didn't intend to, and then you've inverted God's order.
As a corollary, you want to work HARD on Saturday to get chores/errands/housework done, so you don't have any leftover for Sunday. You WILL do it on Sunday if it's left for then, so don't go easy on yourself on Saturday. I'd say don't take ANY rest on Saturday if there's even a 5% chance you won't get time for good Sunday activities on Sunday.
We Catholics should never take recreation on Saturday -- Sunday is the day of rest. We're not Jєωs. Saturday is NOT a day off. No Saturday morning cartoons, no goofing off. Saturday is often a day off of work, but it should be used for household work, so SUNDAY can be free.
Of course if you're single and you don't have many responsibilities/much to do, it would be advisable to
A) take more time off on Saturday as well, and
B) be much more strict about what you do on Sunday.
It depends on your situation.
As far as physical exertion goes, it depends on what you do for a living. If you work construction, I'd advise more "restful" activities. If you're a desk jockey, I'd advise getting out for some sun, fresh air, and exercise.
Matthew