Catholic names, _domingo, secunda feira, terca feira_, etc. It is said
that the seven days of the week as they stand in numerical order were
retained and confirmed by Pope Silvester I. (314-336): "_Sabbati et
Dominici diei nomine retento, reliquos hebdomadae dies Feriarum nomine
distinctos, ut jam ante in Ecclesia vocari coeperunt appellari voluit;
quo significaretur quotidie clericos, abjecta caeterarum rerum cura, uni
Deo prorsus vocare debere" (Brev. Rom_. in VI. lect. St. Silvester Pope;
31st Dec.).

There is no evidence of the abrogation of the Sabbath by Christ or by
His Apostles, but St. Paul declared that its observance was not binding
on Gentile converts. Accordingly, in the very early days of Christianity
the Sabbath fell more and more into the background, yet not without
leaving some traces behind it (see art. _Sonnabender_ in Kraut's
_Realenzyklop_). Among Christians the first day of the Jewish week, the
_prima Sabbati_, the present Sunday, was held in honour as the day of
our Lord's resurrection and was called the Lord's Day (Apoc. i. 10; I.
Cor, xvi. 2), This name, _dies dominica_, took the place of _dies
solis_, formerly used in Greece and in Rome. This day has many names in
the works of Christian writers. St. Ignatius, M. calls it _Regina omnium
dierum_; St. Chrysostom, _dies pacis; dies lucis_; Alcuin, _dies
sanctus; feria prima_, Baronius tells us, was another name for
our Sunday.

The subject of the liturgical celebration of the Lord's Day has been a
great study and a problem to modern scholars. It appears that in the
first ages of the Church, Sunday was a day of solemn reunion and of
common prayer. St. Justin, in his second apology, writes that on the
Lord's Day town and country met together at an appointed place for
sacrifice, for the hearing of the word of God, for pious readings and