48: The Law of Rest
The Third Commandment, the Law of Rest, mandates abstention from secular labor on a designated day (the Sabbath or Sunday) to commemorate God's rest after creation and to consecrate that time to Him. This commandment uniquely intrudes on daily life, requiring an external act of worship that complements internal devotion. This physical repose is not mere idleness but a necessary public expression of homage, essential for preserving inner piety, providing opportunities for religious instruction, and fulfilling humanity's obligation to acknowledge God's dominion over the whole person. Even pagans, guided by natural law, recognized the need to periodically cease work to honor their deities and receive spiritual guidance, demonstrating that this law of rest is rooted in human nature and our fundamental relationship with the Creator.
For the full audiobook can be obtained here. The contents of this volume appeared originally in The Catholic Transcript, of Hartford, Connecticut, in weekly installments, from February, 1901, to February, 1903.
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