Homework On Sundays

[Resurrexi]

The Canon 1273 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law says:

"Abstineant insuper ab illis operibus et negotiis quae cultum Deo reddendum, laetitiam diei Domini propriam, aut debitam mentis ac corporis relaxationem impediant."

That is:

"Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body."

When the previous Code was in effect, studying was considered one of the things that was certainly permissible on Sunday, but under the new Code it seems that one could interpret homework as something which hinders the joy proper to Sunday or the suitable relaxation of mind. Therefore, would it be wrong to choose to do homework on Sunday when one could easily do it on Friday or Saturday?

[Thy Geekdom Come]

I would say it may depend on the type of homework and on the student's disposition toward it. For some people, math is grueling work; for others, it inspires wonder and a sense of joy.

I would argue that, ideally, the liberal arts would not be considered strenuous work; a student of philosophy, theology, literature, music, etc. should not feel burdened by studying these things on a Sunday. In fact, the liberal arts are called "liberal" because they are for free men, men who do not have the obligations of manual labor; on Sundays, all men, even slaves, are free men. God gave us the Sabbath to rest and I think, probably, to ensure that even manual laborers had a chance to study those things we call the liberal arts, which are studied for their own sake because they bring joy to the heart and a sense of purpose to life, whereas those types of work which do not fall under the category of "liberal arts" are generally meant not for themselves, but so that society can be constructive and so that individuals can earn wages. Six days out of the week, we work to sustain our bodies. God intended to ensure that we would spend at least one day sustaining our souls.

That said, disposition counts for something. If a "liberal" field becomes a strain to an individual (which, unfortunately, happens all too easily in our society, where even philosophers have deadlines), then to study that field further on a Sunday would not benefit a person's soul or bring him closer to God. It would be wise to study another field or even no field at all, perhaps spending the time with friends (interestingly, our society also does too little of this; we gather together on Sundays to watch television, but that doesn't allow families to engage one another, and the Sunday fails to do anything effective for the spiritual good of the family, leaving everyone far short of well-rested come Monday morning; the best Sundays I've ever had were when I was in the company of friends discussing things relating to, naturally, the liberal arts).

If, however, a philosophy student is truly in love with philosophy, then I see no reason he could not do his homework on a Sunday, as it would not be a burden, but simply a continuation of his own study that lifts is mind and heart to God. This is, of course, so long as he's not studying philosophy at the neglect of other important things, which would be a detriment not only to him, but to philosophy itself, since philosophy loves when everything is in proper order.

CCC 2186: "Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life."

CCC 2184-2188 actually gives a very good picture of what a Sunday should be regarding rest.

Lastly, you may be interested in Josef Pieper's "Leisure: the Basis of Culture." It was required reading at FUS for philosophy of the human person. Leisure as Pieper uses it is precisely what the Church means by "rest" and "recreation." Recreation is also re-creation. It is a time for renewal.

I hope this helps.

God bless,

Micah

[cappie]

[quote name='StThomasMore' date='Sep 14 2008, 03:39 AM' post='1654660']
The Canon 1273 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law says:

"Abstineant insuper ab illis operibus et negotiis quae cultum Deo reddendum, laetitiam diei Domini propriam, aut debitam mentis ac corporis relaxationem impediant."

That is:

"Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body."


Can. 1273 The Roman Pontiff, by virtue of his primacy of governance, is the supreme administrator and steward of all ecclesiastical goods.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cappie' post='1656205' date='Sep 15 2008, 06:54 PM']Can. 1273 The Roman Pontiff, by virtue of his primacy of governance, is the supreme administrator and steward of all ecclesiastical goods. [/quote]

Good point. STM, you actually should cite CIC 1247.