My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are six (6) Commandments of the Church treated in three (3) articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2041–2043. The following is a reflection on the third commandment “Humbly receive your Creator at least at Easter.”
This Precept of the Church provides a guaranteed minimum in the reception of the Body and the Blood of the Lord in connection with the Easter Feast, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy. That we humbly receive the Lord in Eucharistic Communion is only right since He humbled Himself to be born of Mary (cf. John 6:26–59; Philippians 2:8; Galatians 4:4).
The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) established this precept, in no small part, to thwart any lukewarmness or laxity in our devotion to Christ the Lord in the Sacrament of His Real Presence. Of course both the second and third precepts or commandments of the Church are reflected in the Lord’s Prayer: "… give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses… (cf. Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:1–4). The Eucharist is our supersubstantial bread come down from Heaven, our sins, faults and trespasses are forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance.
Sometimes called “Easter Duty” this Holy Communion is to be received at Easter. The liturgical season of Easter extends from the great Vigil of Easter, Holy Saturday night through Pentecost. In some countries the bishops allow for the Easter Communion to be received between Ash Wednesday (which begins Lent!) through to the Sunday after Easter or even the Solemnity of the Ascension. In the United States the bishops allow the Easter Duty to be made between the first Sunday of Lent through to Trinity Sunday, which is the Sunday after Pentecost.
Jansenistic heretics did not come around for another four hundred years after the Fourth Lateran Council, their overly pessimistic, rigorous, scrupulous ‘spirituality’ is well addressed by the Precepts or Commandments of the Church. We are to make a good Confession, receive absolution and make a worthy Communion. Especially in the sacraments God gives us the graces we need. The book Augustinus of Cornelius Jansen (1585–1638) published after his death is said to be the source for the heresy of the same name. While Jansenism was (is) not restricted to Franophonic lands, Jansen both studied and taught at the University of Leuven, and the nuns of the Parisian Abbey of Port-Royal. The prayer from the Holy Mass Lord I am not worthy… (Domini non sum dignus…) is based on the words of the centurion found in Matthew 8:8. In the current Missal this prayer is only prayed once, by the clergy and laity together. In the older form (through the 1962 Missal) this prayer was repeated by the priest three times and then by the laity three times. Jansensist sadly pray this prayer with abandon and then never receive Holy Communion, except perhaps once at their first Holy Communion and then as viaticum, a last Holy Communion before death.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr