A Beacon Of Light… Mother And Teacher

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + Every journey requires assistance along the way. As babies enter the world, parents have the unique responsibility of ensuring that their children are prepared to live a life that is self-sufficient. The parents are the first teachers in the children’s lives in how to live. This is from teaching the difference between right and wrong, and teaching them how to walk the path of life. Parents have a great responsibility in the growth of their children
  In the same way, the Church fulfills the role of guiding the faithful on the path of faith. Primarily, she accomplishes this by being our mother and teacher. Like a mother who teaches her child the difference between right and wrong, the Church has the authority to teach the faithful how to live the moral life. In living the moral life, we present ourselves as acceptable children of the Church, offering ourselves as an acceptable sacrifice.
  Remember, the role of the Christian’s activity in life finds the nourishment it needs through the participation in the Church’s liturgical life. This liturgical life includes first and foremost participation in the Eucharistic Celebration, followed by the other sacraments, devotions, and the daily life of prayer the Church offers to her children.
  The Church is the pillar of the truth because she has received her authority from Christ Himself. She has the responsibility to maintain the Deposit of Faith. This is accomplished through the Magisterium. This body of the Church has the responsibility of teaching, which is done through catechesis and preaching. The Roman Pontiff and the bishops in communion with him are the “authentic teachers” endowed with the authority of Christ to preach the faith to believers. This authority is safeguarded by the charism of infallibility.
  The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains infallibility in the following way: “infallibility extends as far as does the deposit of divine Revelation; it also extends to all those elements of doctrine, including morals, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved, explained, or observed” (CCC, n. 2035).
  God entrusted the Church with the duty of instructing the faithful in the proper way to live the Christian life. As we saw last week, this is done with the cooperation of God’s grace. God freely imparts His grace, as a sign of the unconditional love He has for us. We have within ourselves the desire to either accept or reject this grace.

The Precepts Of The Church

In her role as mother, the Church continually strives to remind us, as sons and daughters of Christ, of the obligations required in our applying the faith to our daily lives. One reminder of the Church’s motherly care is found in the precepts of the Church. The precepts of the Church are found, and lived, within the context of the moral life. The precepts are nourished within the context of the Church’s liturgical life and help the faithful in fulfilling the obligatory character of the life of faith. The precepts are an indispensable reminder to the faithful of the “absolute minimum” requirements of living the faith.
What are these precepts? First, you shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. (“Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock….”) This precept requires the participation of the faithful in the Celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. On this day, the whole community of Christians gathers together to commemorate the Resurrection of the Lord. So often, Catholics will grumble about the “obligation” to attend Mass.
I like to remind them of the great love Christ showed on the cross. Jesus wasn’t obliged to suffer and die for us; He did it because of His love for us. When we attend Sunday Mass, or any Mass, we are showing our love and thanksgiving to the Lord for His wondrous love for us. What He offered, once and for all, to save us, we offer each week as an expression of our love for Him, gaining the food we need for our earthly pilgrimage.
The second precept is connected to the love, mercy, and forgiveness Christ offers. This precept requires the Confession of your sins, at a minimum of once a year, but usually monthly or as needed. This precept is connected to our Baptism. Baptism begins within us continual conversion. Having become sons and daughters of Christ, we are freed from original sin, but the effects remain, and the battle of the spiritual life ensues. This desire of the Church’s faithful to receive, at least yearly, Confession continues within us the conversion begun in Baptism. We will always need God’s mercy and forgiveness. This precept is a reminder of our need for a renewal in the sacramental grace needed in living our daily lives.
The third precept is a reminder, but more of an invitation really, to receive Our Blessed Lord, in Holy Communion at least during the Easter Season. Again this precept, like the previous, is the bare minimum. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, offered Himself as the nourishment needed in fighting the spiritual battle. It assists in our conversion because it makes us more like Christ. If Christ, is the source and summit of the Christian life, then we need to ensure the Eucharist is the center of our lives.
The requirement to receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season, is a reminder of the epic connection these Paschal Mysteries have as the origin and center of who we are. Christ is the food and nourishment that enables this to happen.
The fourth precept reminds us of the obligation to keep holy the holy days of obligation. This precept, however, is a bit different from the first. Here we are reminded of the Third Commandment and its decree to “keep holy the Lord’s Day.” With this precept, we go a step further by remembering the solemnities of the Lord, along with the many feasts connected to Him. We also commemorate and remember, however, the great importance the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints play in the life of the Church. They, too, are recognized and revered. So, this precept is a completion of the first, in that it, encompasses the fullness of the liturgical year of the Church.
The fifth precept reminds us of the penitential aspect of our lives. Each of us are called to acts of penance, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
The fifth precept calls us to observe the prescribed days of fast and abstinence. These signs of penance assist us in our preparation for the liturgical feasts throughout the year. They are usually, however, only thought of during the Season of Lent when there is a requirement to do so. The laws requiring fasting, and abstinence are:
“Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics.
“In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. . . . The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards” (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent/catholic-information-on-lenten-fast-and-abstinence).
These can also be used throughout the entire year on our own as additional acts of penance. Every Friday of the year is observed as a day of abstinence, but if we choose to eat meat, we must make an act of penance in exchange for eating meat. (This exchange does not apply to Fridays of Lent. Fridays of Lent require a dispensation from the local bishop, or competent ordinary, allowing the faithful to forgo abstaining from meat. Check with your diocese regarding the possibility of this dispensation.)

The Reign Of God

Returning to the idea of the Church as mother and teacher, we find ourselves at an impasse. How does this influence the world? The proclamation of the Gospel and the Church’s missionary activity in the world rest on the fidelity of the faithful. In order for the message of salvation to be seen as radiant and powerful before men, it requires an authentic witness of the Christian faithful. This authentic witness expressed in the love of Christ, along with works of charity, has the power to draw people to the faith of Jesus Christ.
In doing so, as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, with Christ as our Head, we contribute to the building up of the Church. The Church increases, grows, and develops and the holiness of her members is made possible. The Catechism expresses this in a beautiful way:
“By living with the mind of Christ, Christians hasten the coming of the Reign of God, ‘a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.’ They do not, for all that, abandon their earthly tasks; faithful to their master, they fulfill them with uprightness, patience, and love” (CCC, n. 2046).
Next week we will begin to look at the importance of the Ten Commandments in living our lives of faith!