The Sabbath

The Sabbath (Hebrew: Shabbat) is the seventh day of the week — the day God rested after the six days of creation — set apart as holy in the Third Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). For Christians, the weekly day of holy rest and worship has shifted from Saturday to Sunday — the "eighth day" and the day of the Resurrection (CCC 2168–2195).

The Sabbath in Creation

The Sabbath is built into the structure of creation: "On the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it" (Genesis 2:2–3). The Sabbath is not merely a human institution — it is embedded in the rhythm of creation itself, marking time as ordered to God (CCC 2169).

The Sabbath in Israel

For Israel, Sabbath observance was a covenant sign — distinguishing them as God's people. The Sabbath was both a day of rest from servile labor and a day of worship, Torah study, and family. Its observance was so sacred that violations were punished severely in the Mosaic law (CCC 2171).

Sunday: The Christian Sabbath

The first Christians, all Jews, gradually transitioned their primary day of worship from the Sabbath (Saturday) to the Lord's Day (Sunday) — the day of the Resurrection. Sunday is both the fulfillment of the Sabbath (God's rest completed in Christ's rest in the tomb) and the first day of the new creation (CCC 2174–2176).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't Catholics keep Saturday as the Sabbath? The Third Commandment requires keeping one day holy for God. The day has shifted from Saturday to Sunday in recognition of the Resurrection — the new creation that supersedes the old. The obligation of Sunday Mass fulfills the Sabbath commandment for Christians (CCC 2175).