Show Notes


Episode 49. Getting Sunday Right w/ Dr. Michael Naughton

Episode 49. Getting Sunday Right w/ Dr. Michael Naughton

"Through Sunday rest, daily concerns and tasks can find their proper perspective: the material things about which we worry give way to spiritual values..."
~ St. John Paul II


Sunday, the Lord's day, has a very particular purpose and call. But our world has diminished Sunday to look like any other day. How can Christians reclaim this part of their inheritance with reverence and rest on Sunday?

Dr. Michael Naughton joins this episode of This Whole Life to explore the significance of reclaiming Sunday as a day of rest, celebration, and fulfillment of the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. Dr. Naughton emphasizes the deep human need for rest and receptivity on the Lord's day, reflecting on the consequences of neglecting the Lord's day in his own family and work experiences. The conversation delves into the complexities involved in reframing and reclaiming Sundays. In a fallen world this is a messy project, but it's one that holds deep value for our wellbeing and for the health of our families. Join us as we explore the transformative power of honoring the Lord's day and unlocking the gifts that God desires to give us every Sunday.

Dr. Michael Naughton is the director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN where he holds the Koch Chair in Catholic Studies and is a full professor in the department of Catholic Studies. He also taught in the College of Business for over 20 years. Author, co-author and co-editor of 12 books and monographs and over 60 articles, his most recent book is What We Hold in Trust: Rediscovering the Purpose of Catholic Higher Education (2021). He serves on multiple boards including as board chair for Reell Precision Manufacturing, which has plants and offices in the US, Europe and Asia and the board of trustees at the University of Mary and Catholic Eldercare.

Show Notes

  • “Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God. You shall not do any work, either you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your work animal, or the resident alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”

    • Exodus 20:8-11

  • The two creation stories show us the two complementary stances of the human person: Adam the co-creator (Genesis chapter 1) & Adam the receiver (Genesis chapter 2)

  • Moving from FOMO (fear of missing out) to JOMO (JOY of missing out)

  • Focus on cultivating “Eulogy Virtues” over “Resume Virtues” (see link to David Brooks’ TED talk and book, The Road to Character, below)

  • Check out St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter on the Lord’s Day, Dies Domini, from 1998

Challenge By Choice

What is one way that you can better keep holy the Sabbath?

  • Could you…

    • Cut out screens & social media?

    • Spend intentional time in prayer & silence?

    • Take focused time to play and rejoice with your family by playing games, watching a movie, or spending time in nature?

    • Fast from work, nagging, chores, homework, and house projects?

Reflection Questions

For personal reflection or group discussion

  1. What is one specific thing that stuck with you from this conversation?

  2. How do your Sundays look right now?

  3. What are the ways that you currently honor the Lord's day? How are you feeling convicted to be more faithful to the Lord's day?

  4. What would being a "technosabbatarian" look like for you? How can Sunday be a day of distance from screens and social media?

  5. What sacrifices would you need to make in order to reclaim Sundays? How do you envision the graces from those sacrifices spilling over into your week?

  6. What is one way that you can better keep holy the Sabbath this coming Sunday?