In a beautiful allegory, the Book of Genesis details how God created the universe, everything in it and us humans, in six days.
On the seventh day God rested from those labors (as if he needed to rest. . .).

The first truth communicated in those opening chapters of Genesis is that God created all things and us out of nothing, by the power of his own Word (whom we Christians believe is Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God). The second truth communicated in Genesis is that the foundation for the Sabbath rest comes from that original blessing of God’s creative act.

The story of creation is completed in Christ, in whom, by baptism, we are re-created, made new in the living waters. By baptism we are incorporated into the mystery of Jesus Christ and are immersed into his paschal mystery, that is, his life and ministry, his suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit.

This is why we Christian Catholics hold that it is crucial for us to gather every week on Sunday, the first day of the week, the day that Christ rose from the dead and celebrate anew the paschal mystery in the Eucharist. This is also why we hold that Sunday is a day of rest, a day of holy play and relaxation, a day when we engage in charitable activity whose purpose is helping others (and in so doing praising God from whom every blessing and goodness flows forth).

Recently, I’ve written a letter that will eventually go out to all parents whose children attend our religious formation, grades one through eight. A similar letter signed by all the pastors of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Grade School will also be sent.

These letters encourage parents to join with their children at Sunday Mass. No matter what we do with children as educators and catechists to hand on the faith to them, the greatest impact rests with parents and families.

If children attend our religious formation program or our grade school, but their family does not attend Sunday Mass each week—then no matter what we do in a classroom will not help to form them in the faith. For these children and their families, the classroom experience will be at worst a type of lying, and at best a “second-hand experience.”

Sunday liturgy is described by the Second Vatican Council as the “source and summit” of who we are as Christians. Everything else flows from it.

We love our children so much that we provide for them in many ways: food, clothing, a roof over their heads. We would never think, for example, of depriving them of daily food, certainly never would we starve them for weeks at a time.

Why would we do this with regards to Sunday Mass, the source and summit, the place, the event that nourishes us spiritually in the faith?

Fr. Steve Lanza
Parish Bulletin
8/24/03