What does Sunday mean to you?

What does Sunday mean to you? 

Me Before: When I was a little girl, I would wear my best dress and tag behind my teen sister and her friends to and from Mass.  I don’t remember much about the liturgical service, but I remember that Sunday’s were special.  First mom would get up extra early to attend service herself and on her way home she would buy delicious sweet tamales to accompany the coffee that only on that morning I could also drink.  After breakfast with the family, I would dress up in a frilly dress and tag behind my sister with my Domingo (my allowance) in my pocket.   We would attend Mass then afterwards stop at the plaza to buy a treat with the few pesos I had acquired earlier that morning.  My go to was a bag of chips, because each one would come with a prize, a small plastic figurine and I was set on collecting them all...  Sundays were special, set aside, a day I looked forward to.

Me Now: Today, I sometimes feel like everyone else does about Sunday -a day of scarcity instead of abundance. A day to do laundry and all the things that because of work I was unable to do during the week.  Yet, our faith challenges us to not look at Sunday as merely a day forming the weekend or to see it as “my time” versus “my work time.”  In a culture that values action and accomplishment we must remember that on the seventh day God rested.  He took the time to just be, to enjoy what He had created, and much in the same way we must follow His example.  Usually, I take my parents and my nephew to service every Sunday.  After RCIA I swing by my home and pick up the three and off we go to celebrate and be part of the heavens.  A few months back, I started adding ice cream after the Mass to do something fun so that my nephew will too cherish these times together (it’s difficult getting him excited about worship).  This past Sunday, we all went for Mexican ice cream at a fancy ice cream parlor in Santa Ana and it was such a lovely family moment.  Each Sunday, we get to feast on the Eucharist and then have dessert to prolong that family togetherness. 

What does our church say about Sunday:

1. It's the Lord’s Day recalling the day of Christ’s resurrection
2. It's Easter which returns each week, recalling and making present Christ’s resurrection
3. It's the day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24)
4. From the Creation Story- it's a day of God’s rest (not a day of God’s inactivity, rather a day God lingers before His “very good work." The resurrection introduces the new creation and is thus the eigth day (after the seven days of creation), the age to come, a day entirely outside of the traditional week
5. It expresses the dependence of humans and the cosmos upon God- everything belongs to Him
6. It's the fundamental feast day established not only to mark the succession of time, but to reveal time's deeper meaning “sacred time”
7. It's a tradition handed down by the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ’s resurrection.   

Sunday has to be lived differently because on this day we are bound to come together as brothers and sisters, to worship in community under one roof.  To celebrate the Lord’s passion, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ.  To hear the words of life and eat the bread of life so that it can be a day of utter joy.  A day free from work.  And if a little gelato helps little guys or those who do not fully understand (yet) the beauty of the liturgical celebration it doesn’t hurt to try. A spoonful of ice cream…