With a simple act, local and national companies set the example
By William Van de Planque | On Mission
Closing on Sundays — taking a break from buying and selling, and resting from work — is not the only way to follow the third commandment, but it is a great place to start.
This simple yet impactful act sets small and large businesses apart and has been done since the dawn of Christianity. While other stores or restaurants may close over the weekend, companies like Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A are known for closing on Sundays explicitly to make time for Christian worship.
“Our founder S. Truett Cathy made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia,” reads a page dedicated to the topic on Chick-fil-A’s website. “Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest, enjoy time with their families and loved ones or worship if they choose, a practice we uphold today.”
Hobby Lobby’s website displays a similar message: “We have chosen to close on the day most widely recognized as a day of rest, in order to allow our employees and customers more time for worship and family.”
“This has not been an easy decision for Hobby Lobby because we realize that this decision may cost us financially. Yet we also realize that there are things more important than profits. This is a matter of principle for our company owner and officers.”
David Green, Hobby Lobby founder and CEO, openly recognizes that closing on Sundays and ceasing commercial operations hurts the company financially. They miss opportunities and take losses because of this decision. There are plenty of willing and available consumers who would be more than happy to take a trip to a local Hobby Lobby when they have extra free time on a Sunday.
But perhaps that is the point. Not only is it a sacrifice for the corporations, but it also forces consumers to sacrifice going out and buying certain things for the sake of something bigger, something more principled.
Scott Follett, a faithful Catholic business owner in the Diocese of Green Bay, closes his award-winning restaurant, Primal Eats, on all Sundays of the year, except for four or five.
Follett opens Primal Eats on those Sundays to host an event specifically centered around the fourth commandment. The “Keep the Sabbath Day Holy” events feature food and a live performance from a Christian musician or band.
But where do these rules come from?
To understand the third commandment to keep holy the Lord’s Day, as Christians follow it, consideration of the Jewish Sabbath, which preceded it, is needed. Jews follow the law as Moses gave it:
“Remember the sabbath day — keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God… For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (Ex 20:8-11).
Sunday, the Lord’s Day, isn’t the same as the Jewish Sabbath, but it is a similar celebration based on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Keeping the Lord’s Day holy, and reclaiming Sunday, is not simply about rest or setting the day apart, it is about divine worship.
The 1983 Code of Canon Law clearly states: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass. Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body” (Canon 1247).
“Servile work” is a term used in both the The Catechism of the Council of Trent, documents from Council of Trent that was held between 1545 and 1563, and the 1917 version of the Code of Canon Law, but has since been retired in Church documents, as a wide variety of modern forms of work and an increase in need or legitimate reason for individuals to work on Sundays have arisen.
In short, experiencing the closure of businesses on the Lord’s Day, both as a consumer and laborer, can remind the faithful that divine worship is the top priority on that day and participating in commerce can take away from our ability to participate in divine worship.
The faithful, however, can also recognize that going out to eat at a restaurant can fulfill the obligation for “suitable relaxation of body.” Likewise, if Sunday is the only time of the week a person can go grocery shopping, it’s not necessary for them to abstain from such activities as they enable the faithful to tend to the needs of their families.
As they endeavor in earnest to keep the Lord’s Day holy, the faithful can benefit greatly from keeping in mind the words of Our Lord, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mk 2:27).
For more information on the Lord’s Day and Catholic teaching on the subject, the following resources from Catholic Answers may be helpful:
- “What Can’t You Do on Sunday,” Jimmy Akin: catholic.com/audio/tjap/what-cant-you-do-on-sunday
- “The Catholic Ten Commandments,” Fr. Michael Wensing S.T.L.: catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-true-ten-commandments