353 Q. What is the Third Commandment?  A. The Third Commandment is:  Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

354 Q. What are we commanded by the Third Commandment?  A. By the Third Commandment we are commanded to keep holy the Lord’s Day and the holy days of obligation, on which we are to give our time to the service and worship of God.

“Holy days” we are bound to keep holy just in the same manner we do Sundays—­that is, by hearing Mass and refraining from servile works.  Those who after hearing Mass must attend to business or work on those days should make this known to their confessor, that he may judge if they have a sufficient excuse for engaging in servile works, and thus they will avoid the danger of sinfully violating an important law.  There must always be a good reason for working on a holy day.  Those who are so situated that they can readily refrain from servile work on holy days must do so.  And, where it is possible, the same opportunity must be afforded to their servants.

“Of obligation,” because there are some holy days not of obligation.  We celebrate them, but we are not bound under pain of mortal sin to hear Mass or keep from servile works on such days.  For example, St. Patrick’s Day is not a holy day of obligation.  The great feast of Corpus Christi is not a holy day of obligation.  Not satisfied with doing only what the Church obliges us to do on Sundays and holy days, those who really love God will endeavor to do more than the bare works commanded.  Sunday is a day of rest and prayer.  While we may take innocent and useful amusement, we should not join in any public or noisy entertainments.  We may rest and recreate ourselves, but we should avoid every place where vulgar and sometimes sinful amusements, scenes, or plays are presented.  Even in taking lawful recreation we may serve God and please Him if we take it to strengthen our bodies that we may be enabled to do the work He has assigned to us in this world.

Sunday is well spent by those who, after hearing Mass, devote some part of the day to good works, such as pious reading, teaching in Sunday school, bringing relief to the poor and sick, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, attending Vespers, Rosary, etc.  Not that I mean they should do nothing but pray on Sundays; but they should not give the whole day to useless enjoyment or idleness, and forget God.  Some begrudge God even the half-hour they are obliged to give to Mass on Sundays:  they stand near the door, ready to be the first out, and perhaps were the last in; or they come late, and do not give the full time necessary to hear the entire Mass.  Others spend the whole day in reading newspapers, magazines, or useless—­I will not say sinful—­books.  It is not a sin to read newspapers, etc., on Sunday; but to give the whole time to them, and never read anything good and instructive, is a willful waste of time—­and waste of time is sinful.  There should be in every family, according to its