Last week, we began to discuss the commandments, or precepts, of the Church, and took a look at the first two (the Sunday Duty and fasting and abstinence). Now, Lesson Thirty-Sixth of the Baltimore Catechism No. 2 discusses the remaining commandments of the Church.
As we discussed last week, the Church has not created these rules arbitrarily. They are meant to ensure that all Catholics do at least the minimum to grow in their spiritual lives. Thus, the third commandment of the Church requires us to take part in the Sacrament of Confession at least once per year, in preparation for fulfilling our Easter Duty (the fourth commandment of the Church), which is to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season.
Of course, we should avail ourselves of both of these sacraments much more often than once per year. As long as we aren't conscious of mortal sin, we should receive Communion whenever we can; and a good yardstick for the Sacrament of Confession is once per month (and more frequently if we are struggling with a particular sin). But by setting a minimum, the Church reminds us of the necessity of these sacraments in the life of all Christians.
The fifth commandment of the Church requires us to support our pastors, our parish, and our parish school (if we have one). In the current Catechism of the Catholic Church, this is the final precept of the Church; the Baltimore Catechism, however, lists a sixth, which details the marriage laws of the Church at the time when the Baltimore Catechism was compiled. While the marriage laws of the Church have changed, it is still a worthwhile exercise to review the older rules, if only to help remind us of the spiritual dangers that may arise if we marry someone who does not share our Catholic Faith (or even, perhaps, our belief in Christ).
Next week, we will complete our study of the Baltimore Catechism with the final lesson, which is (appropriately) on the Final Things: the Last Judgment, the resurrection of the body, Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.
Lesson Thirty-Sixth from the Confirmation Catechism has 11 questions. Note that the lesson begins with Question 397, continuing with the numbering from Lesson Thirty-Fifth.
The parallel lesson this week in the First Communion Catechism is Lesson Thirty-Second. It includes 4 questions drawn from Lesson Thirty-Sixth of the Confirmation Catechism.
Check out this week's lesson, and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments or ask them in the Catholicism Forum!
Previous Lessons in Sunday School:- Welcome to Sunday School!
- On God and His Perfections
- On the Unity and Trinity of God
- On Creation
- On Our First Parents and the Fall
- On Sin and Its Kinds
- On the Incarnation and Redemption
- On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
- On the Holy Ghost and His Descent Upon the Apostles
- On the Effects of the Redemption
- On the Church
- On the Attributes and Marks of the Church
- On the Sacraments in General
- On Baptism
- On Confirmation
- On the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost
- On the Sacrament of Penance
- On Contrition
- On Confession
- On the Manner of Making a Good Confession
- On Indulgences
- On the Holy Eucharist
- On the Ends for Which the Holy Eucharist Was Instituted
- On the Sacrifice of the Mass
- On Extreme Unction and Holy Orders
- On Matrimony
- On the Sacramentals
- On Prayer
- On the Commandments of God
- On the First Commandment
- On the Honor and Invocation of Saints
- From the Second to the Fourth Commandment
- From the Fourth to the Seventh Commandment
- From the Seventh to the End of the Tenth Commandment
- On the First and Second Commandments of the Church