An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Eighth Day

Sunday, the Lord's Day. Sunday is both the First Day and the Eighth Day of the liturgical week. The Christian week has been ordered around the Sunday Eucharist since the days of the early church. Sunday is the day of Christ's resurrection and the day of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The number eight breaks the closed seven-day cycle of the week. It surpasses the weekly cycle of chronological time. The number eight has been associated with resurrection, the eschatological fulfillment of time, new life, redemption, and baptism. Octagonal baptisteries and fonts reflect this symbolism of the number eight, and faith that in baptism we share the new life of Christ's resurrection and rebirth by the Holy Spirit. See Lord's Day, The; see Sunday.

Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.