Quite a few questions concerning the Sabbath, here and on other Expert sites.

Most seem to say that we as Christians are not bound to observe the Sabbath. Others seem to indiate that the Sabbath was moved from the 7th day to the first.

Do Christians or even the Church have the authority and ability to alter or even negate one of the Ten? If we are not bound to this one of the Ten then are we also loosed from the other nine?

Thanks Shawn smadden2@nc.rr.com

The ten commandments do not mention Saturday, but only to keep holy the Sabbath. The word Sabbath means rest, not Saturday. The Church does have the authority to shift that day, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and based upon the fact that our Lord consecrated Sunday by His resurrection from the dead on that day. The Acts of the Apostles records the honor of Sunday, referred to as "the Day of the Lord." We continue this practice, as handed down by the Apostles, and perhaps as explicitly commanded them by the Lord Himself--we cannot assume that everything our Lord instructed them over the course of forty days is recorded in the few verses of the Gospels which regard the Risen Christ period.

And the confused and mistaken beliefs and practices of heretics and non-Catholics should not call into question what the true Church does.

Thanks, Shawn

Father Echert

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