Ask Ellen: If the Sabbath is Saturday, why do we go to church on Sunday? -Tom, PA

Thanks for your question, Tom.  In the Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is on Saturday.  We know Jesus was a devout Jew so He would have observed the Sabbath on Saturday.  The Christians began to observe the Sabbath on Sundays after Jesus’ Resurrection.  The Bible tells us that Jesus rose from the dead on the “first day of the week” (Luke 24:1).  This was Sunday.

The Christian tradition has kept to observing the Sabbath on Sunday since its earliest time.  Catholics can choose to keep the vigil (Saturday evening) in observance of the Sabbath on Sunday and that is why we go on Saturday.