Why Do Catholics ...?

In the Book of Exodus, it says to keep the seventh day holy, so why do we worship on Sunday (the first day) instead?

From Colin Donovan, EWTN’s vice president of theology: The Israelites were asked to rest on the seventh day in honor of God resting after creating. Christians celebrate not the first creation of the world, but its renewal, its re-creation in Christ (the passion, death and especially the resurrection of the Lord). Thus, we celebrate the eighth day (in other words, the first day) to indicate this divine faith.

We see this already in the New Testament, where St. Paul preached to the Jews in the synagogue on the Sabbath and then the Christians came together “to break bread” (the Eucharist) on the first day of the week (Acts 20; 1 Corinthians 16). In Revelation 1:10, John speaks of “the Lord’s Day,” not an expression used by the Jews but one still used by the Church (dominica from dominus or Lord). That the Church had authority to do this is demonstrated in the authority given to Peter and the apostles to bind and loose (Matthew 16 and 18), as exemplified at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). History also shows no beginning to this practice, but a 2,000-year continuity.

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