No one talks about the five Church precepts. Do you know them? If so, congrats to the parent or teacher who taught you. It is rare.
If you join a track or basketball team, you have rigid, firm rules: attendance at practice, games, etc. You may be committed to 10 or 20 or more hours weekly. It is a part time job. When you join the Catholic Church there are only 5 simple, easy rules. They take a little over an hour a week. But they are ignored. It is a shame. Here they are:
1. Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
2. Confess (grave) sins at least annually.
3. Receive Holy Communion at least once annually during Easter season (Ash Wednesday to Pentecost.)
4. Fast and abstain on designated days of penance (Fridays, Lent).
5. Assist the material needs of the Church according to your means.
These are really easy: one hour weekly and a few things intermittently throughout the year.
The one most ignored is 4: specifically fast/abstain on Fridays. The traditional practice was abstinence from meat. However the American bishops allow us to choose an alternate.
This is small, but important. On Good Friday Jesus suffered and died for us. So, on every Friday, we all do something for him. Small is good. Something bigger is great if you have the desire for it. But we really need to do something. It is a precept, which is a law, a requirement, an obligation. It is not a suggestion, not an option. If you are Catholic, you do it...Period!
It could be: waking early to pray, abstaining from social media or screen time or sweets, setting aside time to pray the stations of the cross or the litany to the Divine Mercy. You may make up your own. It should hurt a little at least. That is what makes it a sacrifice.
It is a good thing that all us Catholics do it together, on Friday. We don't have to talk about it too much, but it might be good to talk about it a little, especially in the family, to encourage others.
Even a small sacrifice of a little thing works against our sinful nature, strengthens us in virtue, and draws us closer to Christ and his Church.
This morning I woke up craving, as I do every morning, my coffee. Then I was frustrated because I love the sugar kick I get but I give up my sugar in my coffee every Friday. I started to look for a reason to have the sugar: is it a feast day of some sort? Don't I really need that energy boost to get started? Nothing worked. So I decided to pray: "Jesus, I will do what pleases you." Then a thought came to my mind: "Jesus, you suffered and died for me on a Friday. I will give up a teaspoon of sugar for you today, Friday." I have been laughing about that all day!
The bad news: If you haven't been doing some penance on Friday it may because of an invincible ignorance so you are probably free of guilt. Now that you know, you will be responsible for a sin if you do nothing.
The good news: If you do it freely, generously, joyfully...you will be helped to overcome sin; you will grow interiorly in serenity, fortitude, wisdom and all the virtues; you will draw closer to Christ. And if you bring friends and family members into the practice, they will benefit as well. And we all will! How cool is that?
Don't thank me: this is the least a good Grandfather can do! LOL!
No comments:
Post a Comment