Having to work on a Sunday

[eBeth]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently a Graduate Studet in Computer Science and work part-time as a lab assistant for the University in the Student Computing Labs. (It is not a very taxing job, and I spend a lot of time browsing OBOB in Christian Forums and other Catholic resources. )

Unfortunatly, for this acdemic quarter I had to work on Sundays. (Next quarter I requested Sundays off.) My "weekend" is Friday and Saturday and I treat my Saturday as my Sabbath -- going to Saturday evenging mass, reading the bible and other spiritual books, relaxing, and spending time with my family. Is this an acceptable alternative? I have heard that we should avoid unecessary work, but what defines unecessary work?

Does anyone else out there have to work Sundays? How do you handle the situation?

Thanks
Elizabeth

 

[nyj]

Unfortunatly, for this acdemic quarter I had to work on Sundays. (Next quarter I requested Sundays off.) My "weekend" is Friday and Saturday and I treat my Saturday as my Sabbath -- going to Saturday evenging mass, reading the bible and other spiritual books, relaxing, and spending time with my family. Is this an acceptable alternative? I have heard that we should avoid unecessary work, but what defines unecessary work?

Does anyone else out there have to work Sundays? How do you handle the situation?

The Church will not hold it against you since you literally have no choice. If you don't work, you don't get your education, you don't improve on your life. That you consciously take the effort to put aside Saturday for Godly things shows, at least to me, that you are in tune with the spirit of the Sabbath.

 

[cleaveun2him]

Hey Elizabeth!
Well, years ago, I asked a Sister about this question. I said, Sister is it right that we work on Sundays? The Sister said, "Well, there are some jobs, such as caring for the ill, or maintaining safety, or other similar jobs where it is necessary to work on Sundays. When I work on Sundays here in hospital I offer that day's work to the Lord as an ongoing prayer. I believe that he honors that. We, of course, also go to mass before our day starts. I have worked every other Sunday since then, and I must say that I agree with her.

Of course, in your situation, I would see if there was any possibility of switching with someone, but if not dedicate the time to Him.

 

[mhillson]

elizabeth-

i'm sort of in the same situation. i'm generally at work on sundays for a variety of reasons. there was a similar discussion on one of the other the forums on this board (forget which one). i believe that the general consensus was that, due to certain situations, sunday isn't the necessity, but as long as there is one day in 7 that there is time put aside for godly things.

i generally got to mass at noon on wednesday since i generally take a long lunch that day from work.

 

[Miss Shelby]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently a Graduate Studet in Computer Science and work part-time as a lab assistant for the University in the Student Computing Labs. (It is not a very taxing job, and I spend a lot of time browsing OBOB in Christian Forums and other Catholic resources. )

Unfortunatly, for this acdemic quarter I had to work on Sundays. (Next quarter I requested Sundays off.) My "weekend" is Friday and Saturday and I treat my Saturday as my Sabbath -- going to Saturday evenging mass, reading the bible and other spiritual books, relaxing, and spending time with my family. Is this an acceptable alternative? I have heard that we should avoid unecessary work, but what defines unecessary work?

Does anyone else out there have to work Sundays? How do you handle the situation?

Thanks
Elizabeth

Hospitals don't close for the Sabbath, so unfortunately I end up working a few here and there. I'm lucky though, many people have to work every other weekend. The way I look at it, people still get sick on Sundays so what am I gonna do?

Michelle

 

[Rosa Mystica]

I myself am forced to work Sundays. Where I work, shift packages are pre-set for you (you basically have no choice when your regular shifts are). I need to keep my job b/c I have a bad home life, and never know when I may have to up and leave suddenly.

 

[UberLutheran]

Removed this post.

 

[Miss Shelby]

I'm going to qualify what I'm going to say by stating first that I observe a fairly strict Sunday Sabbath.

Given that -- there are people (nurses, firemen, doctors, surgeons, etc.) who really can't observe a Sunday Sabbath -- so there's really no reason why they can't observe the Sabbath on another day.

Romans 14:5-6: "One man esteems one day above another. Another esteems every day alike,. Let each man be fully asured in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he wo does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it."

If, for some reason, I had to work on Sunday; and my two days off were Wednesday and Thursday -- I would celebrate the Sabbath on one of those two days. In fact, on those rare occasions when I do have to work on Sunday, I do so on the contingency that I will take another day off so I can observe the Sabbath.

I agree. If I do have to work a Sunday, I make sure I go to Mass on Saturday night though. Or Sunday at work because they have a service there.

Michelle

 

[Rosa Mystica]

Fortunately, I don't have to work Sun. mornings (just afternoon), so I'm able to make it to Mass before my shift.

 

[Miss Shelby]

Fortunately, I don't have to work Sun. mornings (just afternoon), so I'm able to make it to Mass before my shift.

I suppose I could go at 6 am, but I have to be there at 7 and work a 12 hr shift.

Michelle

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

In my parish there are a lot of high school kids who work through the entire weekend. Many of them can be found a 6:30 Mass Monday morning. I asked my parish priest what he thought of the practice. His response: "These are the children we need to work to keep, they will make us proud."