Can One Mow the Lawn on a Sunday and Still Keep Holy the Sabbath?

Within the past few years, I’ve added a few things to enhance my faith life. They include additional times for daily prayer — including saying grace before meals — and increased attendance at Mass. (Aside: My recollection from my childhood is the family said grace before meals typically only on Thanksgiving Day. I wish for the sake of character and faith formation alone the act had been a regular part of our quotidian practice.)

I’ve also begun to more earnestly attempt to keep holy the sabbath (reserving, when possible, Sunday as a day of rest). But occasionally the weather combined with my work schedule dictate Sunday as the only day available for keeping up with yardwork.

When that has been the case, I’ve rationalized that I actually rather enjoy the task: Being in nature (the deer visit daily) and tending to the land that has been entrusted to me (thus, it’s not necessarily “work” in the more unpleasant sense of the word: a regular grind that I might rather not be doing).

The other day while I was working in the yard (yes, it was a Sunday), the thought occurred to me: Didn’t Jesus rebuke those who criticized him for healing people on the sabbath?

“O you hypocrites!” Jesus said. “Which of you does not let his ox or ass out of the stall on the sabbath to water it?” (Luke 13:15).

Another time he asked: “Suppose one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath. Will he not take hold of it and pull it out?… Clearly, good deeds may be performed on the sabbath” (Matthew 12:11–12).

A takeaway, it would seem, is that each of us performs certain kinds of inescapable work on Sundays — sometimes out of necessity (including chores such as preparing meals for ourselves and others); and other times due to responsibility (for example, caring for those around us — including our animal pets — out of love and concern for them). Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The sabbath rest is not violated by serving God and neighbor” (¶ 582).

But do you think I’m stretching the point when it comes to Sunday yardwork? I don’t believe so.

Those of us blessed to have land entrusted to us have been appointed temporary stewards of those parcels (they’re ours only for our short durations here on earth). With the gift of stewardship comes a duty to maintain the property. Whenever possible, doing so on a weekday or a Saturday might be ideal. But when done with joy, gratitude and thankfulness for blessings received, I believe it’s not wrong to tend to the land even on a Sunday (a day when many of us likely enjoy respite from our “everyday work” [CCC ¶ 2172]).

“The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions” (CCC ¶ 2171; emphasis added). In this sense, I believe that by acting with a grateful heart toward God and his creation, “the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day” (CCC ¶ 2185) aren’t necessarily hindered by brief time spent mowing the lawn.

Perhaps it’s something you, too, can add to your faith life: If you own land (or even if you rent), simply be thankful for your apportioned spot on earth — including whenever with a grateful heart you toil upon it.

“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Enjoy the remainder of summer!

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Addendum 1: Speaking of yardwork, remember the Golden Rule (“Do unto others …”) before “pulling the cord”: Out of common courtesy for our neighbors (including shift workers), avoid running outdoor power equipment before 9 a.m. on weekdays (and, I dare say, hold off prior to noon on Saturdays and Sundays).

Addendum 2: If you’re blessed with ‘easy living’ on Sundays (especially during the summer months), take a moment to enjoy Billy Stewart (1937–1970) singing about “A-summertime … an’ the livin’ is easy” … 

Billy Stewart – Summertime (1966)