Obeying the Third Commandment of the Decalogue
Greetings!
Keep holy the Lord’s Day, the Third Commandment exhorts us. And Sunday is the day of Our Lord, a day of rest and divine worship. The Third Commandment is a law of the Creator of the universe designed for man’s happiness.
It is interesting to note that in 1929, during the American regime, Manila Ordinance 1862 was passed by the Municipal Board of the City of Manila, providing that “it shall be unlawful on Sunday … to pursue his daily labor or occupation …”
After our Philippine independence from the Americans, Republic Act Number 946 or An Act to Prohibit Labor on Sunday, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, or the Blue Sunday Law, was promulgated in 1953.
However, in 1974, Republic Act 946 was repealed by Presidential Decree Number 442, or the Labor Code of the Philippines. There was no mention of Sunday; rest day is any day (Fr. Dennis J. Yu, SThD, “Happy Sunday! Rediscovering the Joys of Sunday”, St. Paul’s publication).
The Philippines is home to more than 80 million Catholics (Fr. Agustin Florentino, “Discovering the True Church,” St. Paul’s publication). Christians seek the recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. “They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2188).
“Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life” (CCC, 2186).
May we respectfully and earnestly appeal again to our esteemed leaders and legislators to please restore the Sunday Law, to help respect religious liberty and the common good of all, as we seek the urgent recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays.
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Mrs. Ching D. Aunario
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