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Introduction |
Mass Attendance and Holy Days of
Obligation |
Confession |
Receiving Communion |
Fasting |
Needs of the Church
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 HE
PRECEPTS of
the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished
by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed
by the pastoral authorities is 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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church
[CCC] 2041). |
1. |
“The first precept
(You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days
of obligation and rest from servile labor) 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).
Supporting texts
from the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici):
Can. 1246 §1
The Lord’s Day, on which the paschal mystery is celebrated, is by apostolic
tradition to be observed in the universal Church as the primary holyday of
obligation.
In the same way
the following holydays are to be observed:
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the
Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ |
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the
Epiphany |
• |
the
Ascension of Christ |
• |
the feast of
the Body and Blood of Christ |
• |
the feast of
Mary the Mother of God
her Immaculate Conception
her Assumption |
• |
the feast of
St. Joseph |
• |
the feast of
the Apostles SS Peter and Paul |
• |
the feast of
All Saints. |
§2 However,
the Episcopal Conference may, with the prior approval of the Apostolic See,
suppress certain holydays of obligation or transfer them to a
Sunday.
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“At their
plenary assembly in November 1991, with follow-up mail balloting by absentees,
the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops . . . decided
that whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary,
Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the
Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity
of All Saints, falls on a
Saturday or on a Monday, the precept
to attend Mass is abrogated. . . . the effective date of this
decree for all the Latin rite dioceses of the United States of America will
be January 1, 1993. . . .” (See
Holy Days of
Obligation from the USCCB.) |
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Can. 1247 On
Sundays and other holydays of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist
at Mass. They are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit
the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or
the due relaxation of mind and body.
Can. 1248 §1
The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated
in a catholic rite either on a holyday itself or on the evening of the previous
day.
§2 If it
is impossible to assist at a eucharistic celebration, either because no sacred
minister is available or for some other grave reason, the faithful are strongly
recommended to take part in a liturgy of the Word, if there be such in the
parish church or some other sacred place, which is celebrated in accordance
with the provisions laid down by the diocesan Bishop; or to spend an appropriate
time in prayer, whether personally or as a family or, as occasion presents,
in a group of families.
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2. |
“The second precept
(You shall confess your sins at least once a
year) ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of
the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of
conversion and forgiveness” (CCC 2042).
Supporting text from
the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici):
Can. 989 All
the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully
to confess their grave sins at least once a year.
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3. |
“The third precept
(You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist
at least during the Easter season) 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).
Supporting texts
from the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici):
Can. 920 §1
Once admitted to the blessed Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to
receive holy communion at least once a year.
Can. 919 §1
Whoever is to receive the blessed Eucharist is to abstain for at least one
hour before holy communion from all food and drink, with the sole exception
of water and medicine.
Can. 917 One
who has received the blessed Eucharist may receive it again on the same day
only within a eucharistic celebration in which that person
participates.
Can. 916 Anyone
who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body
of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession, unless
there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case
the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition,
which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.
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4. |
“The fourth precept
(You shall observe the days of
fasting [1] and abstinence established by the Church)
ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical
feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of
heart” (CCC 2043).
Supporting texts
from the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici):
Can. 1249 All
Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own
way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain
common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days
the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage
in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their
obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence
which the following canons prescribe.
Can. 1250 The
days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the
whole year and the season of Lent.
Can. 1251 Abstinence
from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference,
is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday.
Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday.
Can. 1252 The
law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The
law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning
of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even
those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and
abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.
The law of
Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs or the products
of milk.
The law of Fasting allows for one full meal per day. Other food sufficient
to maintain strength may be taken in the morning and evening, but together
these “meals” should not equal more than a full meal. Eating between
meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juice are
allowed.[2]
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5. |
“The fifth precept
(You shall help to provide for the needs of the
Church) means that the faithful are obliged to assist with
the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability. The
faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of
the Church, each according to his own
abilities” (CCC 2043).
Supporting texts
from the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici):
Can. 222 §1
Christ’s faithful have the obligation to provide for the needs of the
Church, so that the Church has available to it those things which are necessary
for divine worship, for apostolic and charitable work and for the worthy
support of its ministers.
§2 They
are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the Lord’s
precept, to help the poor from their own resources.
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1.
Fasting can also be referred to as sacrifice or
suffering. Fasting, in its literal sense, means to do without our
accustomed food so that in feeling physical hunger we might recognize a spiritual
hunger for holiness; suffering, in its literal sense, means to endure pain
that we have done nothing to deserve. But the broad sense of sacrifice
means that we must give up what we don’t really need, so as to give
to others what they do need. In other words, we must give up the psychological
defenses that protect us from feeling unloved
by the social world so that we can give true love
to others. And so we must feel the pain of all the
sins of the world, we must
bear that pain patiently, and we must offer our
suffering as our own daily “fasting” for
the sake of all those souls who might turn back to God because of our constant
sacrifices for them.
In this regard, the great
Lenten fast should entail more than just giving
up chocolate or sweets or coffee. If you are really serious about your faith,
your fasting should be a matter of being attentive for opportunities to make
sacrifices of kindness for others.
2.
See Pope Paul VI, Constitution Pœnitemini, February 17, 1966.
Note that in the early Church, fasting was meatless. Today, it is generally
allowable to eat meat during a fast. But why would you want to? If you say,
“But I’ll die if I can’t eat meat!” then you have missed
the point of the whole concept, haven’t you?
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