Between the tradition-rich seasons of Lent and Easter, and Advent and Christmas, Christians seem to be in a lull period; there is no particularly significant season or major Church holiday. However, our weekly observance of Sunday Mass is extremely important. It is the most ancient and fundamental of all Christian activities. The ritual dates back to the very earliest years, perhaps even months, of Christianity.

As with many of our traditions, the celebration of Sunday has roots in the Jewish tradition. The first followers of Jesus were, of course, Jews. Rather than “reinvent the wheel,” they continued familiar Jewish religious forms as they forged their new religious identity.

These first followers continued to observe the Sabbath, a Hebrew word meaning to “leave off” or “to rest.” The Jews dedicated this last day of the week to one God, “Yahweh,” in accordance with the creation story in the Book of Genesis as well as the Third Commandment (“Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day,” Exodus 20:8).

The Jewish Sabbath day, measured from sundown to sundown, emphasized rest or absence of work. This, in turn, facilitated assemblies of the people at local synagogues. They prayed, listened to readings of holy writings, known as Scriptures, and received religious instruction. Home life was sanctified with ceremonies surrounding the Sabbath meal. At the heart of this meal was a blessing of unleavened bread and cups of wine.

As Sunday evolved into its familiar form, those who believed Jesus was the Christ gathered weekly on the anniversary of his being raised from the dead. Initially, the first gatherings of believers likely occurred in the evening of the Sabbath day, Saturday night. Eventually, this day coincided with the first day of the Jewish week.

On each weekly anniversary commemorating Christ’s resurrection, it is believed that the first Christians gathered twice. On the Sabbath morning, they came together for a service of the word and prayer modeled on the Jewish assemblies in the synagogue. In the evening, they would gather at someone’s home for a meal (which may have been the full Sabbath meal). The highlight of this meal was the blessing of the Eucharistic cup and bread. A similar ritual was performed at the weekly Sabbath meal and at the annual Seder meal of Passover. In the Christian context, this ritual included references to the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper. Thus, Christ’s memory and presence were preserved. The following morning, Sunday, was the first day of the week, an ordinary day when everybody attended to business and daily chores.

In the early part of the second Century, this ritual was moved from Saturday after sunset to Sunday before dawn because of a decree issued by the Roman Emperor Trojan. The decree, in an attempt to persecute Christians, outlawed suspicious gatherings in the evening. At the same time, the Gentiles’ interest in a Sabbath-styled evening ritual waned. Since Sunday was an ordinary workday, a pre-dawn ritual or ceremony was necessary so that the faithful could carry out their normal weekday activities. This Sunday morning assembly combined what had been two separate assemblies. The entire ritual evolved into the form of Sunday Mass we recognize today and which has been in place since about 165 A.D.

The importance of this day is reflected in its name. The Church’s official title for Sunday is “the Lord’s Day.” Significantly, the title does not honor God in any general sense. Rather, it is dedicated precisely to the resurrected Christ whose title became “Lord.”

The origin of the more generic “Sunday” is an interesting example of pagan culture and traditions influencing Christian religious traditions. It has Germanic origins and referred to the pre-Christian worship of the sun. Christ is and was also known as “the light of the world.” Christians identified with symbolism and were comfortable with this descriptive title for their most sacred day. Sunday is a most fitting and appropriate name.