St. Mark Catholic Church

I continue my series of Pre-Lenten reflections on the most basic obligations for Catholics to actively live and practice our Faith with the third of the Church’s Precepts —     
                This obligation stems from the Lord’s own command at the Last Supper:   

The only reason for a Catholic to refrain from weekly fulfilling this instruction from our Lord Jesus is if they know themselves to have deliberately and freely chosen to do something that does serious damage to the relationship of love that must exist between themselves, God, and  their  neighbor  as  taught  by  Christ— that is serious or mortal sin.

The Ten Commandments can guide us in judging the issues and circumstances that would constitute grave sin in our lives.   

It is important to remember that no one can unintentionally commit a serious or mortal sin.   

Before receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist   serious sins must be confessed to a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.       

This precept brings together those two which   previously addressed the obligation of weekly Mass attendance and annual confession of sins.   

To live for any time separated from the true communion with God and His community of faith frustrates the divine plan for our lives.   

Our regular reception of Holy Communion builds us up so we can more fruitfully carry the message of God’s love celebrated in the Holy Mass into the world.   

May none of us ever neglect Christ’s call to intimacy found in the Most Holy Eucharist! 

Fr. Bob Burkemper