The Lord indeed invites us, as He invited the Apostles, to experience rest from our labors. This is possible not only in extended times of vacations. It is also the meaning and purpose of Sunday. Sunday should not be seen merely as part of the weekend, but as a Holy Day, the Day of the Lord. It is a day at the very heart of the Christian life, the day of Our Lord’s Resurrection. Sunday needs to be re-discovered in our culture and in our lives as Christians as truly the Day of the Lord. Blessed John Paul II called Sunday an indispensable element of our Christian identity.
At the very heart of Sunday (The Lord's Day) and keeping it holy is the celebration of the Eucharist. On this day, above all others, we gather together to commemorate Our Lord’s Resurrection. The Catechism teaches that the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and His Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life.
We keep Sunday holy by attending Sunday Mass and fulfilling that important obligation. Blessed John Paul II, is his apostolic letter Dies Domini (The Day of the Lord), wrote the following: Sharing in the Eucharist is the heart of Sunday, but the duty to keep Sunday holy cannot be reduced to this. In fact, the Lord’s Day is lived well if it is marked from beginning to end by grateful and active remembrance of God’s saving work. This commits each of Christ’s disciples to shape the other moments of the day -- those outside the liturgical context: family life, social relationships, moments of relaxation -- in such a way that the peace and joy of the Risen Lord will emerge in the ordinary events of life.
Come Join us at St Mary of the Visitation Parish for the Lord's Day - Saturday evening at 5:00p.m. and Sunday at 8:00a.m, 9:30a.m., and 11:00a.m. There is a place for you and something for everyone!