“The Very Necessary Minimum”:
The Forgotten “Precepts of the Church”
What are the basic requirements of being a practicing Catholic?
An important part of the answer includes what are known as the Precepts of the Church. Unfortunately,
few Catholics seem to be aware of them, let alone to be conscientiously trying to follow them. This is
unfortunate because they would probably improve the lives of many Catholics.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives five precepts (CCC 2041-2043), which are listed below with
explanations. Some older catechisms used to peg the number at six, with the extra precept being that
Catholics must follow the Church’s laws regarding marriage. That’s of course still a requirement for
Catholics today, but this article will only go through the five listed in the Catechism. These precepts do not
exhaust the Christian life.
So then why does the Church have these precepts at all? According to the Catechism, they are “meant to
guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the
growth in love of God and neighbor.”
Here are the 5 Precepts of the Church:
1) “You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile
labor.”
This “requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the
principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the
first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered,
and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.”
(CCC 2042)
Holy Days of Obligation - Sundays and the following:
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation are not suggestions or optional. Unless you have a really
good reason, all Catholics need to be there. Also notice the “rest from servile labor” – they are supposed to
be days of rest.
2) “You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”
This “ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which
continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.” (CCC 2042)
Catholics are not supposed to receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin, and the Sacrament of
Confession is the means by which a person can be cleansed of mortal sin. Since you are required to receive
the Eucharist at least once a year (see precept 3), and since the Church is realistic about human sin, you
have to go to Confession at least once a year.
But that’s just the bare minimum. So that you can receive the Eucharist more often than once a year, and
for the salvation of your soul, most Catholics probably need to be going to Confession with some sort of
regularity throughout the year.
3) “You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.”
This “guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal
feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.” (CCC 2042)
The Christian faith is all about Jesus, his work on the cross, and being united with him in grace. The
Eucharist is one of the main ways God has given to us to apply the grace of the Gospel to our lives. As with
Confession, receiving the Eucharist once a year is a bare minimum. A normal practicing Catholic should be
receiving the Eucharist far more than that. The point is, though, if a person is not receiving the Eucharist
even once a year, there is a problem.
4) “You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.”
This “ensures the times of asceticism and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us
acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.” (CCC 2043)
Fasting is a normal part of the Christian life, because Jesus says so in the Gospels (e.g. Matthew 6) and
because it helps us to grow in virtue. The Church has prescribed minimal fasting during certain parts of the
liturgical year. None of it is very difficult, but that’s because it’s a bare minimum requirement. All
Christians can voluntarily do more difficult and more frequent fasts (for which a spiritual director can
provide helpful oversight).
5) “You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.”
This “means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to
his own ability.” (CCC 2043)
The Holy Catholic Church has the most important mission of any organization in the history of the world:
preaching the soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Carrying on this mission, of course, takes earthly
resources. Those of us who, by God’s gratuitous grace, have received the gift of faith and a new life in
Jesus Christ, should naturally want to generously provide what we can to support this desperately important
work. But because of our human weakness, the Church has made giving support an obligation of Church
law.
Note that the Church doesn’t prescribe a certain amount or percentage, but only says that people give “each
according to his own ability.” Each Catholic should prayerfully consider what they can do to support the
Church. But they should know that not helping in any way (when one has the ability to do so) isn’t an
option.
Obtained from: https://churchpop.com/2016/11/26/resurrection-the-forgotten-precepts-of-the-church/