Did You Know?: The Precepts of the Church

If you ask anyone who was catechized fifty or sixty years ago if they could rattle off the precepts of the Church, my guess is that they’d probably be able to remember at least some of them. But for those of us who were catechized a little more recently (or not much at all), you might be more in the camp of “Wait, what? Precepts of the Church? What are those?”

The precepts of the Church are essentially commandments of the Church that are considered binding (as in, they have to be observed). Whereas the Ten Commandments are binding on account of divine precept (meaning God gave us those laws to follow), the precepts of the Church are what are called positive laws, meaning they are decreed by the Church for legitimate pastoral reason. Those “pastoral reasons” are to help aid people in the moral life and to nourish people through the liturgical life of the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraph 2041, puts it this way: “The precepts of the Church are…meant to guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor.” Essentially, they are the bare minimum to succeed in living a Christian life. If one is missing, well, then a fundamental aspect of our Christian identity is missing!

In their current enumeration, there are five (those of you who studied the Baltimore Catechism would know them as the six commandments of the Church). They are as follows:

• “You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.”
• “You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”
• “You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.”
• “You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.”
• “You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.”

Again, these are meant as a minimum. Some will need or want confession more than once a year (like me!). We are obliged to attend Mass on Sunday and holy days of obligation, but the Church is certainly not telling you that you have to stop there… It’s interesting to note that the precepts tell us that we’re not required to receive communion every time we go to Mass, just at least once in the Easter season. Many people equate going to Mass (required) with receiving (not required)—and I’ve heard people argue, “well, if I can’t receive communion [because they’re not properly disposed], then I just won’t go to Mass.” Or worse, people know they’re in a state where they shouldn’t receive and go ahead and receive anyway, just because they’re at Mass and that’s what you do. That’s not what the Church envisions, and it’s not what the Lord desires for us. It’s also illuminating to think that tithing (a.k.a. providing for the needs of the Church) is not just the Church saying “we gotta get ours”; rather, contributing some of our means (time, talent, and treasure) is seen as something positive, contributing to the building up of our spiritual lives by placing a proper emphasis on worldly goods and giving us stake in the mission of the Church.

The precepts of the Church are not just meant to be a list of requirements, but a formulation of what is helpful and necessary for an individual to experience God now and in eternity. No amount of just “checking the boxes” and then doing whatever I want with the rest of my life will ever fool God (or ourselves, for that matter). But certainly, abiding by these five precepts might just lead us to deeper communion with God and, thereby, with each other!

Keep spreading joy!

Teacher Appreciation Day is May 5, 2026. Your teacher doesn’t need another apple-shapedChristmas ornament but would love a little treat. We’ve made a “treat cheat sheet” so that you know what their favorites are. Many of these vendors are part of the Scrip fundraising program (win-win!) Those cards are available for purchase in person at the school office during regular hours (cash or check).

The Novena for the Mother of Eucharist and Grace on each first Sunday of each month in the church will be May 3 at 2:45-3:40, Everyone is encouraged to attend
Call Rose Amon at 217 926 2976 for any questions.

Mark your calendars! Vacation Bible School will return to Blessed Sacrament this summer. Join us June 22—26, 2026 from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. All children entering Preschool through Fifth Grade are invited to join us for VBS. 

“The Holy Goalie,” Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will be returning to the ice and defending the goal to benefit Catholic Charities Legal Services (CCLS) program during the upcoming Hockey with Paprocki fundraiser. This event will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. at the Nelson Center Ice Rink located at 1601 N 5th St in Springfield. Tickets can be purchased online for $10 or $15 at the door. Catholic School student ticket price is $5. Advanced tickets may be purchased at:https://cc.dio.org/events/hockey-pap.

From other parishes...

Attention all seniors...Senior Social
You are invited to Senior Socials, a monthly event connecting area Catholic seniors . Come meet other retired/senior citizens for an afternoon of games, cards, conversation and snacks. Bring a game you want to play or play one of ours. Hope to see you on Wednesday, May 20, 3:00pm-5:00pm in the Cathedral Atrium.

Blessed Sacrament will be offering VBS for kids ages Preschool through 5th grade in June, 2026 - but what about OLDER kids? 

Sign up your child for Totus Tuus, popular weeklong summer program and will be held at other parishes in Springfield.  Totus Tuus is a weeklong Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, praying the Rosary, attending Mass, and praying at eucharistic adoration. The program inspires in young people a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for daily conversion, and an openness to their vocation.
 
Teams of missionaries, comprised of college-aged students and several diocesan seminarians, will travel to a different parish each week, hosting the five-day catechetical program for grades 1-12. The week is filled with faith, fun, and friendship. There are messy games and crazy skits, in addition to daily prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, learning the Sacraments, and going to Mass. The missionaries also provide a witness to being an authentic disciple of Christ. The popular program sees hundreds of children participate every year in the diocese.  

Note, grades 7-12 are from Sunday-Thursday each week and the program is in the evenings. For grades 1-6, the program is Monday-Friday each week and starts in the morning and finishes in the afternoon. Families will receive the specific start and end times later this spring through the parish communications.
 
June 14 – June 19
St. Katharine Drexel, Springfield  
July 12 – July 17
Christ the King, Springfield
 
Sign up by going to dio.org/totus-tuus-camper-registration