THE LORD'S DAY (PART 2)

"AT THE HEART OF THE CHURCH'S LIFE"

The Eucharist feeds and forms the Church...The mystery of the Church is savored, proclaimed and lived supremely in the Eucharist...Significantly, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "the Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and His Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life." (n. 2177) (32)

NO LONERS

...It is not enough that the disciples of Christ pray individually and commemorate the death and Resurrection of Christ inwardly... Those who have received the grace of baptism are not saved as individuals alone, but as members of the Mystical Body, having become part of the People of God. It is important...that they come together to express the very identity of the Church... (31)

FAMILIES AND THE SUNDAY EUCHARIST

For Christian families, the Sunday assembly is one of the most outstanding expresssions of their identity and their "ministry" as "domestic churches," when parents share with their children at the one table of the word and the Bread of Life. (36)

CROWNING WITNESS

With the offering of the Sunday Eucharist, the Church crowns the witness which her children strive to offer every day of the week by proclaiming the Gospel and practicing charity in the world of work and in all the many tasks of life... (38)

DON'T STOP AT THE CHURCH DOOR

The Eucharistic celebration does not stop at the church door. Like the first witnesses of the Resurrection, Christians who gather each Sunday to experience and proclaim the presence of the Risen Lord are called to evangelize and bear witness in their daily lives. (45)

"THE PEACE AND JOY OF THE RISEN LORD"

The Lord's Day is lived well if it is marked from beginning to end by grateful and active remembrance of God's saving work. This commits each of Christ's disciples to shape the other moments of the day—those outside the liturgical context: family life, social relationships, moments of relaxation—in such a way that the peace and joy of the Risen Lord will emerge in the ordinary events of life. (52)

DON'T BE OVERWHELMED

Today...many who wish to live in accord with the demands of their faith are being faced with difficult situations in various parts of the world....If believers are not to be overwhelmed, they must be able to count on the support of the Christian community. (48)

SUNDAY OBLIGATION

Christians...are obliged in conscience to arrange their Sunday rest in a way which allows them to take part in the Eucharist, refraining from work and activities which are incompatible with the sanctification of the Lord's Day, with its characteristic joy and necessary rest for spirit and body. (67)

"TRUE BROTHERHOOD"

The Eucharist is an event and program of true brotherhood. From the Sunday Mass there flows a tide of charity destined to spread into the whole life of the faithful, beginning by inspiring the very way...they live the rest of Sunday... Inviting to a meal people who are alone, visiting the sick, providing food for needy families..., these would...be ways of bringing into people's lives the love of Christ received at the Eucharistic table. (72)

(Source: Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini, issued May 31, 1998)