The Sunday Eucharist
Since the beginning of Christianity, the dominical (Sunday) Eucharist has always been at the heart of the church’s life. An early attestation to this is found in the Acts of the Apostles: "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers" (2:42), the "breaking of bread" being one of the first names for what we today commonly call the Mass or the Eucharist.
Why have the followers of Jesus consistently emphasized participation in the Sunday Eucharist, often at considerable cost and inconvenience? Why have Catholics clung tenaciously to it, risking imprisonment and death, to be faithful to the Lord's command, "Do this in memory of me"?
The basic reason is that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the weekly commemoration of Christ’s resurrection and the day which is meant to be given over to worship of God, to rest, and to the building up of family relationships. The great bishop and theologian Augustine of Hippo said, "Every Sunday is a little Easter."
Unfortunately, in a secular age like ours, Sunday is often viewed as just another work day, as time to catch up on what we weren’t able to accomplish on the other six days. As a result, the Lord’s Day doesn’t feel any different or function any differently in our lives.
It takes discipline and faith to resist this growing incursion on the Lord’s Day, to keep Sunday holy especially by participating in our communal prayer, the Eucharist.
That same discipline and faith are necessary, however, to remain focused on Jesus in a meaningful way as we go about our daily lives. It all begins at the Lord’s table . . . on the Lord’s Day.
Dies Domini, On the Lord's Day