If someone peeked into your family’s week, would they be able to tell which day was Sunday?

For many families, Sunday has become just another day, overflowing with errands, sports, catch-up tasks, or even back-to-back social events. But the Church calls us to something more.

Sunday is meant to be sacred. A day set apart. A day for the Lord and for family. A day where rest isn’t laziness – it’s worship.

Reclaiming Sunday won’t always be easy in a culture that values hustle over holiness, but it’s a beautiful act of moderation and faithfulness that can reshape your whole week.

Why Sunday Matters

The Catechism tells us that Sunday is “the Lord’s Day” (CCC 1166) – the day of Christ’s resurrection, the day the Eucharist renews our lives, and the day we are called to rest from work and delight in God.

Keeping Sunday holy as a family teaches children that God comes first, not just in theory, but in how we live. It also reinforces that we are more than our productivity.

Even more practically, Sunday rest helps us slow down, reconnect, and restore the relationships that matter most, starting at home.

Ways to Keep Sunday Holy as a Family

You don’t need to overhaul your entire week to honor Sunday. Start with just one or two intentional changes, and build from there.

1. Begin with Mass at the Center
Make Mass the anchor of your Sunday. Dress a little nicer. Arrive a little earlier. Let your kids know this is the most important hour of the week, not just another event on the calendar.

2. Limit Errands and Housework
Try not to schedule grocery runs, laundry, or home improvement projects on Sundays. When we give the day a different rhythm, it begins to feel different too.

3. Cook (or share) a special meal
Make Sunday meals feel joyful. Whether it’s pancakes after Mass or a slow dinner with dessert, use food to celebrate and gather everyone around the table.

4. Build in Family Time
Take a walk, play a board game, read a story aloud, or sit and talk. Let your kids experience Sunday as a day to be together, not scattered.

5. Enjoy quiet
Turn off the background noise. Leave the TV off for a few hours. Maybe even take a family “tech sabbath.” Silence creates room for listening to each other and to God.

6. Pray together
In addition to Mass, try a Sunday family Rosary, a decade before bedtime, or quiet time with Scripture. Start small. What matters is that it’s shared.

7. Visit someone or extend hospitality
Visit a grandparent. Invite a neighbor for coffee. Write a card to someone sick or lonely. Acts of charity are a beautiful way to keep the Lord’s Day.

8. Reflect and reset
Talk about the week ahead. What’s one thing you’re grateful for from last week? What’s one thing you need help with in the days to come?

What If Sunday Is Still Busy?

Sometimes Sunday obligations are unavoidable. Maybe a parent works weekends. Maybe there’s a tournament or family travel. Don’t stress – just start where you can.

The goal isn’t a “perfect” Sunday, but a more intentional one. Even small changes – like eating together after Mass or putting phones away for a few hours – can begin to shift your family culture.

Moderation and the Sabbath

Practicing moderation isn’t just about cutting things out – it’s about choosing the better portion. When we protect Sunday, we choose worship over work, rest over rush, and presence over pressure.

In doing so, we teach our children – and remind ourselves – that we belong to God, not to the demands of the world.

What’s one way your family can make Sunday feel different this week?

Let it be simple. Let it be sacred. And let it begin the quiet work of transforming your home – one Sunday at a time.