On Wednesday, we celebrated the 109th anniversary of the dedication of St. Joseph Church! Let us give thanks to God for being able to receive his grace in this place for so many years! Also, be sure to mark your calendars for July 16, 2026. Next year we will celebrate the 110th anniversary of our church’s dedication, even though that’s a Thursday, you can bet we’re going to have a party!
Over the last few days, a line has been stuck in my head, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:20) It was in the Gospel on Sunday at the Latin Mass. Another line from scripture has been tagging along with it, this time from the book of Revelation (or the Apocalypse of John if you like the old-school title), “because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:16)
With these two verses in my head all week, I suspect the Lord is trying to tell me something; however, it also reminds me that sometimes we all need a reminder of what the basic expectations of a Catholic are. When I was in grade school, we called these the “Precepts of the Church.” There are five listed in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (2041-2043), although many lists include a sixth. The precepts are:
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You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.
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You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
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You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.
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You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
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You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
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Many lists include: You shall follow the laws of the Church regarding marriage.
While many people struggle to keep these precepts, they are, actually, the minimum for a Catholic. We should always aim higher than this though! Remember those verses: We must not be lukewarm! We must surpass the scribes and pharisees in righteousness!
If you’re doing great with all these, that’s fantastic, and I encourage you to go deeper in our faith and help those around you. If you’re struggling with making it to Mass or confession, or with figuring out how to provide for the needs of the Church, perhaps you might take some time to pray and see where priorities can be shifted to enter more fully into the church’s life. Remember, the church gives us rules like these because she wants us to go to Heaven. The church isn’t in the business of arbitrary rules or of making life miserable for people. Any time she challenges us with a teaching (such as the teaching that we must go to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day), it’s because she’s trying to help us to be holy.
Fr. Matt