Feed My Lambs
by Bishop
William K. Weigand
June 21, 2008
Keep God in your vacation plans
We are well into June already, but it is not too late to remind us all to keep God in our vacation and summer plans. Do not forget our loving Savior during this time. Say your daily prayers. Attend holy Mass each Sunday. Love the Lord Jesus and one another.
Parents, summer is a time to set a good example of Catholic faith for your children (or a lifetime bad example). Discuss with them and teach them how to find God’s presence in the beauties of nature, whether camping in the mountains, enjoying the seacoast, or traveling to new places. Pray the rosary with them while admiring the sunset or enjoying the campfire. Vacations can actually enhance our faith.
But, please plan in advance where you will attend Sunday Mass. Most generally, there is a Mass you can attend within reasonable driving distance from your camp site. Generally, camping is not an excuse to miss Mass. The Eucharist is the center of our life in Christ and gravely obligates us. And your vacation — and life — will be blessed by God accordingly. Plus, the example for your children will be very strong. We all know that “actions speak louder than words.”
Which brings me to what I get asked about from time to time: “What ever happened to the ‘precepts of the Church’?” (We know, I trust, what the commandments of God are.) The five precepts of the Church are still in effect. Paragraphs 2041-2043 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church list them: 1) Attend Mass and rest from servile work on Sunday; 2) Confess your sins at least once a year; 3) Receive Holy Communion during the Easter season; 4) Observe the established days of fasting and abstinence; 5) Help provide for the financial needs of the Church.
The Catechism, in part, explains: “The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is 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:
“The first precept (‘You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor’) requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principle liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days. (cf Can. 1247)” (Nos. 2041-42)
Dear friends, have a great summer. Get a good vacation. But, keep the practice of your Catholic faith intact. God will bless you if you do, and your faith will grow stronger.
