We continue this series on the Precepts of the Church, and so far we have addressed the precept to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, as well as the precept to confess all grave (mortal) sins at least annually. Canon Law states the third precept as follows: “After being initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to receive holy communion at least once a year” (can. 920, §1). “This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season” (unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at another time during the year can. 920, § 2)
The Catechism teaches us that this precept “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). We might find this particular precept strange, as if the Church were suggesting that reception of Holy Communion merely once a year is ideal. Remember: the precepts establish the bare minimum religious practice, not the ideal. This particular law arose during a period in the Middle Ages when the Blessed Sacrament was widely neglected by Catholics, and that sounds quite familiar today. The Church, as loving mother and wise teacher in all things pertaining to our eternal salvation and happiness, gives us these laws in some way to protect us from our spiritual laziness, and to guide us in times when our own fervor is not very strong. Jesus taught His disciples: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53-54). This is simply another instance of the Church taking the Lord at His word; in her love for Him, she “believes all things” (cf. 1 Cor. 13:17) that He tells her, and seeks to conform herself to His words. This precept is given for our sake, so that we do not remain too long separated from the Flesh and Blood that give eternal life; this law is given so that we do not spiritually starve to death, but rather eat and have life within us.
A Catholic is not required to receive the Eucharist every time he attends Mass. While the first precept requires that we attend Mass and partake of Divine Worship, this third precept highlights that it is in attending Mass that we fulfil our obligation, not in receiving. To be clear, reception of Holy Communion is immensely important, but the Church does not oblige us to receive at every Mass for several reasons, but a very simple reason is: sometimes, we may not be in a state of grace, and therefore ought not to receive. If we were required to attend Mass and receive at every Mass, when conscious of grave sin we would be put in a morally compromising position: either attend Mass and receive unworthily, or skip Mass because we cannot receive and fail to keep holy the sabbath. For a Catholic, as long as he is present every Sunday and Holy Day to worship God, and as long as he receives the Eucharist at least once during the Easter season, he meets the minimum expectation of these two precepts. This also draws attention to the second precept (“to confess grave sins at least annually”). Though the second and third precepts are distinct, they also have an intrinsic relationship, because Catholics prepare for their Easter communion by first making their annual confession of grave sins. A helpful paragraph from the Catechism highlights the relationship of these first three precepts:
“The Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days [1st Precept] and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation [2nd Precept], to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, if possible during the Easter season [3rd Precept]. But the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily” (CCC 1389).
How do we prepare to receive more often than the one time we are required to receive at Easter? By remaining in a state of grace. We are invited to receive frequently, but if we are conscious of grave sin we are not in a state of grace; we are spiritually dead, and the dead cannot eat or drink. To receive our Lord worthily we must be prepared. Saint Paul teaches, and the Church maintains, that: “Whoever eats the Bread or drinks the Cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Lord…For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgement upon himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29). The Council of Trent teaches that “he who approaches without this preparation not only derives from [the Eucharist] no advantage, but even incurs the greatest misfortune and loss” and so the Church teaches: “Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to Communion” CCC 1385). This is why we offer so many confession times, so that no one is at a loss of the grace of reconciliation and has every opportunity to be reconciled to God in anticipation of receiving Him in the Eucharist at Holy Mass. Much more could be said on this precept, but suffice to say that we are called to Communion with the Lord, and this communion is only possible when we are in a state of grace. The Eucharist is Heaven on Earth, and it is our pledge of things to come. Let us not inoculate ourselves against this reality by persisting in our sins and receiving unworthily, but rather let us be reconciled to God in confession and convert our lives, thus deriving the greatest spiritual benefits from this Most August Sacrament.
I forgot to mention in last week’s bulletin that I am away on retreat this weekend. I departed for Saint Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California this past Monday, and I will return this Tuesday. I keep all of you with me in prayer while I am away. I also want to congratulate our very own Rachel Hess (Niekamp) on receiving the archdiocesan Radiate Christ-Parish Evangelization Award. Rachel has been chosen for this award due to her great work in building our religious education program, and we are very proud of her. Congrats Rachel!
May God bless you in the week ahead and may Mother Mary lead you more deeply into the Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus. I remain,
Affectionately Yours in Christ,
Fr. Hess
