The Precepts of the Church

The Precepts of the Church are the minimum obligations that every Catholic undertakes by baptism — the "indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort" that guarantees the faithful "the very necessary minimum" for growth in love of God and neighbor (CCC 2041).

They are not the peak of Christian life; they are the floor beneath it. Missing them gravely can be a matter for the confessional. Keeping them is the beginning, not the end.

The Precepts

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation, and rest from servile labor.

2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year.

3. You shall receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.

4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.

5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.

(Many catechisms list a sixth precept: to observe the marriage laws of the Church.)

Why the Precepts?

The precepts distill the Christian life into its sacramental rhythm: Mass on the Lord's Day, Confession, Easter Communion, fasting, almsgiving, and the sanctity of marriage. A Catholic who keeps them is living the bare shape of the faith. A Catholic who outgrows caring about them has usually outgrown the faith itself.

If you have fallen away from any of them, the path back is quiet and well-worn: go to confession. Every priest has heard it before, and none of it surprises Christ.