How to Keep Sundays Holy, Even If You Go to Mass on Saturday Night

Barb Szyszkiewicz brainstorms ways to observe the Sabbath Day, no matter what time you and your family go to Mass. 

When the kids were younger, it was fairly easy to set Sundays apart. There was one terrific three-year period when our older son was an altar server at the Sunday-morning family Mass: the same Mass where I helped out with the kids’ choir our daughter sang with. My husband handled pew duty with our toddler. 

Afterward, we might go to the diner with friends for breakfast or pile in the car to visit the grandparents. 

That was the Sunday plan, every Sunday, and it worked out well overall. 

When there’s no routine, it gets more challenging 

But some things have changed at the parish, and I don’t always sing at the same time anymore. The musicians are scheduled based on availability, rather than being required to show up for “their” Mass, the same one every week. Often, the ensemble I sing with now is scheduled for the 4:30 Mass on Saturday. 

Setting Sundays apart has become a bit more challenging, as a result. The Saturday vigil Mass is not my favorite — though I will say that seeing people lined up for the confessional is edifying and reminds me of the need to get in that line more often. Saturday is a busy day, and suddenly at 3:45 I need to shift gears, put on church clothes, pick up my guitar, and get out the door. 

And then, the temptation to fill Sunday with all manner of errands and chores is much stronger than it was when we were Sunday-morning Massgoers. 

What am I already doing? 

I try very hard not to shop on Sundays. I don’t have to try too hard to give myself permission not to do laundry or housework on Sundays. Other than cooking and everyday wiping down for sanitary purposes, most things can wait another day. (I will admit to sometimes cooking a complicated recipe or baking something, because that’s relaxing for me and I have the time — and then my family enjoys it together.) 

What else can I try? 

Just as I go to Mass at the time I’m assigned (and make sure to change out of my typical Notre Dame game day football jersey before leaving for church when I sing on Saturdays), I can take some concrete actions to make Sunday different from the other days of the week and to remember why I do this:

• Pray the Rosary instead of watching the news while I take a spin on my stationary bike. 
• Invite a friend from church to join us for a meal. 
• Spend the day visiting a faraway family member. 
• Bake (and deliver) some treats to local friends. 

What can the whole family do? 

Consider making a whole-family effort to find some Sabbath rest, no matter what time you choose to attend Mass together: 

• Pray a family Rosary in the car on the way to a park or to visit loved ones. 
• Go for a hike or bike ride and enjoy the world God created. 
• Read stories from a children’s Bible or book about saints. Or listen to an audiobook version while in the car. 
• Stop by an Adoration Chapel. Even if you can only manage a holy five minutes, it’s time well spent in helping your children develop a love for Jesus in the Eucharist. 
• Cue up some praise music instead of the music you listen to the rest of the week. 
• Enjoy a family meal together — and make it special. Have a picnic or eat in the dining room using fancy dishes. 
• Wrap up your Sunday with Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. 
  
  

The housework will always be there, and if there’s a choice, I encourage you to choose, to keep your Sundays free from work and shopping and everyday household chores. I guarantee you won’t miss being among the crowds in the supermarket on a Sunday. 

Beyond resting from those daily chores and errands, we can do more even if we’ve fulfilled our Sunday obligation on Saturday evening. How do you and your family set Sundays apart? 

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Copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.