55. The Commandments of the Church


Introduction

We are all aware of the importance of complying with the law. In sports, for example, if the rules are not abided and there is cheating, then it is impossible to play correctly. Even more serious is the respect due to the law, that when not met causes deaths and disasters, such as traffic laws. After having analyzed the Ten Commandments, you must know that the most important law is the Law of God. As Jesus told the rich young man: “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17).

    To help us comply, the Church established certain obligations for Christians, which are called the Commandments of the Church. Christ gave the Church the authority to rule the faithful, and it plays a mother role by pointing out more specifically what is the will of God, thereby helping us to get to heaven. In short, that is the mission of the Church.

  A. Answer by choosing the correct option: goalie, referee, soccer, traffic, commandments, rules, country or Church.

 In sports, this person is in charge of guarding the rules

 In order to prevent accidents and deaths, these laws must be respected

 If you want to have a meaningful life comply with the

 In order to help with compliance, there are the commandments of the



1. Jesus Christ founded the Church to save us 

    By studying the Creed, we learn that Jesus Christ came to Earth to redeem us and give us divine life. He came to this world to found the Church, which continues His redemptive work and leads us to salvation.

    So he chose Peter and the other Apostles to govern the Church and transmit powers to their successors, the Pope and the bishops. These powers are: to teach the doctrine of Christ, sanctify through the sacraments and govern through laws that bind one’s conscience.

2. The Church and the power to enact laws

   Christ effectively gave his Church the power to govern, and sent the Apostles and their successors around the world to preach the gospel, baptize and teach to maintain all of that which He had taught: “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16); “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21). Under this authority, the Church can enact laws and regulations. Among all of them, the most known are the Commandments of the Church.

B. Answer by choosing from the options: condemn us, save us, teach, govern, sanctify, Commandments, regulations, us or you.

 Jesus Christ founded the Church to

 To spread the doctrine of Jesus Christ is to

 To put in place laws that bind one’s conscience is to

 To manage the sacraments is to

 The Church has the authority to dictate

 As the Father sent me, so am I sending


3. Reason for the Commandments of the Church

   The Commandments of the Church are a sign of affection for its children because, in establishing these rules, it intends to help us comply with the Commandments of God’s Law. The Church knows that it can be difficult to comply with God’s will and has pointed out to these obligations for Christians in order to lead us to salvation.

4. What are the Commandments of the Church?

   1. Attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days. This commandment obliges, under mortal sin, the faithful that have reason and have reached the age of seven. In this way, the Church determines and facilitates compliance of the Third Commandment of God’s Law. In addition, pedagogically, it teaches us about the importance of the Mass so we attend regularly.

2. Confess mortal sins at least once a year, and when in danger of death and before communing. Also around the age of seven, we begin to use our reason and are capable of committing mortal sins. Hence, the Church points to the need of approaching the sacrament of Penance at least once a year, starting from that age of discretion. If you are in mortal sin you must confess before participating in the communion, and it is often convenient to do so in order to overcome temptations. Particularly, the need to confess urges when you are in danger of death; it would be an inconceivable folly to appear before the tribunal of God while being in mortal sin, which would make us prisoners of hell.

3. Commune during Easter. The Eucharist is a mystery of faith and love that we will never come to understand; however, ever since we can remember, we know how important it is. From that moment, the Church established the need to participate in the Communion properly prepared. It sets the minimum to at least once a year, but it hopes for us to commune regularly. This helps us better comply with the Third Commandment of God’s Law.

4. Fast and abstain from eating meat when mandated by the Church. The Christian person is to be identified with Christ and cannot live like a pagan who cannot control his appetite. He has to be able to sacrifice some things. So we do not forget, the Church ordains for a small sacrifice in relation to food for a few days each year:

- Fridays are the days of abstinence from meat during Lent that do not match with the day of obligation.

- Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the days of fasting and abstinence.

- The Fridays of the year that are not holy days of obligation are also days of penitence. But the abstinence from meat imposed by the general law can be replaced, according to the free will of each faithful person, by any form of penance recommended by the Church, for example, exercises of piety and prayer, bodily sacrifices and works of charity (the Mass, volunteer work, giving alms...).

- The law of abstinence binds those who have already reached the age of fourteen.

- The law of fasting binds those who have already reached the age of twenty up to sixty.

5. Help the Church in its needs. The Church is like a mother and cares for the needs of its children: spiritual and material. That is why it demands prayers, sacrifices and alms from the faithful. Through these you can help the neediest: the poor, missions, seminars... The material help that Christians are required to render to the Church also preserves the dignity of the cult: buildings, sacred vessels, ornaments, etc.

Catechism course. Don Jaime Pujol Balcells and Don Jesus Sancho Bielsa. EUNSA. Navarra. 1982. With the permission of the authors.

C. Answer by choosing one of these options: destruction, salvation, holy days, never, venial, mortal, Penance, Anointing, baptize, communion, fish, meat, holy Friday, painful Friday, needs or sacraments.

 The Commandments of the Church guarantee to path to

 It is important to attend Mass on Sundays as well as on

 Once a year, it is important to confess

 Before the communion, you need to conduct the sacrament of

 In Easter we must participate in the

 When mandated by the Church we must fast and abstain from eating

 Fasting and abstinence should be done on Ash Wednesday and on

 We must also help the Church in its


Catechism Questions

1. Does the Church have power to make laws that oblige one’s conscience?

The Church has power to make laws that oblige one’s conscience, because it is on Earth with its authority continuing the work of Jesus Christ until the end of the world.

D. Choose the correct answer by clicking the button. Below are the possible answers:

 QUESTIONS

 ANSWERS

 Does the Church have power to make laws that oblige one’s conscience?


 POSSIBLE ANSWERS

 A

 Yes, because it is still on Earth with authority to continue the work of Jesus Christ until the end of the world.




  Purposes of Christian life

- Learn the Commandments of the Church (they are in the “Profession of Faith” section).

- Pray daily for the needs of the Church, especially for the Pope, for the bishops and priests.

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®Arturo Ramo García.-Record of intellectual property of Teruel (Spain) No 141, of 29-IX-1999 Plaza Playa de Aro, 3, 1º DO 44002-TERUEL







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