Saints Light
The Commandments · Lesson 4 of 12

The Third Commandment: Keep the Lord's Day

Sunday is the Lord's Day, kept by going to Mass and by resting in a way that leaves room for God, family and joy. Serious reasons like illness excuse us from Mass.

This is a summary of Lesson 4 of The Ten Commandments. The full lesson takes about 3 minutes in the Saints Light app.

Moses Presenting the Tablets of the Law, a painting by Philippe de Champaigne
Moses Presenting the Tablets of the Law, Philippe de Champaigne, c. 1648

What this lesson teaches

  • Christians keep the Lord's Day on Sunday because Jesus rose on the first day of the week.
  • Catholics are bound to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation unless excused by a serious reason.
  • Illness, caring for others, or unavoidable work excuse a person from the Mass obligation.
  • Sunday rest protects our dignity as children of God, not producers.

Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites

  • CCC 2168-2176
  • CCC 2180-2183
  • CCC 2184-2188

CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.

Scripture read in this lesson: Exodus 20:8-10; Mark 2:27.

A sample question from this lesson

Why do Christians keep the Lord's Day on Sunday rather than Saturday?

  1. Because a medieval pope moved it for convenience
  2. Because Sunday was a Roman holiday
  3. Because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week
  4. Because the commandment never mentions a specific day
Show the answer

Because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. From the earliest days Christians gathered on the day of the Resurrection, which fulfills the sabbath (CCC 2174-2176).

The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.

Words to know

Holy day of obligation
A major feast on which Catholics are bound to attend Mass, as on Sunday. The list varies by country.

More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.

Read the full lesson in the app

"The Third Commandment: Keep the Lord's Day" is lesson 4 of The Ten Commandments. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.

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