Denver Catholic

19 DENVER CATHOLIC | MARCH 26-APRIL 8, 2016 Prayer in the Square needs you on April 2 T he world can seem such a mess that we may wonder what we can do. We need to pray. We need to pray as individuals and as a Catholic commu- nity, for the conversion of hearts and the salvation of souls. There are many opportuni- ties to pray and I'd like to invite you to the upcoming Prayer in the Square gathering on April 2 — and every fi rst Saturday after that. We need to let the world know our commitment to our faith, that it's not okay to cut God out of public life. God is public life. We need to let people know that there aren't many moralities; there's one morality which is the morality of God, of Jesus Christ. We need to stand up and declare that in public and let people know. The greatest form of charity is to save people's souls, to get them to engage in helping one another. This is the new civil rights movement. Priests and clergy can't do it alone. Be a part of Prayer in the Square. There's strength in numbers. As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that sur- passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Prayer in the Square is an opportunity to pray for the innocents. That could be children killed in the womb in America and around the world — or any person at risk of being denied true dignity and loving care due to aging or health issues. It's also to pray for Christians around the world who are being persecuted and murdered for their faith. All people of good will need to stand up and say, "Enough." The opportunity to do that in a very public way will take place at Prayer in the Square on the west steps of the state Capitol in Denver at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 2, the day before Divine Mercy Sunday. Prayer in the Square is a lay movement in the Archdiocese of Denver with the blessing of Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, who will celebrate Mass at 9 a.m. April 2 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immacu- late Conception. He will then lead the rosary at the state Capitol at 10 a.m. Prayer in the Square is a part of the fi rst Saturday devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. We gather at 10 a.m. on those mornings at any of fi ve locations on the Front Range to pray. And every three months, all the groups gather on the steps of the state Capitol to pray together. So please join us April 2 on the steps of the Capitol for bilingual Prayer in the Square. Then, on Saturday, May 7, join Prayer in the Square at any one of the fi ve locations. Two are in Denver: in front of Planned Parenthood at 3846 Pontiac St., and at Ruby Hill Park at 1200 W. Florida Ave. We also meet in Highlands Ranch at Civic Green Park at 9370 Rid- geline Blvd., and in Fort Collins, across from the Planned Parenthood at 825 S. Shields St. There is also a Prayer in the Square in Greeley at Centennial Park, 2315 W. Reservoir Road. Larry Smith is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver. Visit online at ccdenver. org or call 303-742-0828 to learn more, volunteer or make a donation. Guest Column LARRY SMITH The precepts of the church I've been reading more about the Church and I've come across something called the "p recepts" of the Catholic Church. How important are they? Why these fi ve extra "rules"? G reat question. First, they are gravely important (a matter of spiritual life and death). Second, they are not "extra"; they are the absolute minimum. Basically, the Church wants to make things as simple as possible for us. At some point, someone always comes along and asks something like, "What is the absolute least I can do and still be okay?" So, the Church answers the question. Basically, do these fi ve things, strive to follow the Ten Com- mandments, and assent to the teaching of the Church. If you do these, you are "still okay." Ultimately, they ensure that we are connected to the life and strength given to us through the Church (in the Sacraments and the mission of the Church). A "precept" could be described as an obligation legitimately placed upon Catholics in order to urge our obser- vance of a law. The fi ve precepts of the Catholic Church are largely unknown (even to most Catholics!). This is strange, don't you think? It is especially strange when we consider what the Cat- echism says about the precepts of the Church. "The precepts of the Church are…obligatory…[and are] meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispen- sible minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral e‡ ort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor" (CCC 2041). The "indispensible minimum!" A person literally cannot do any less and consider oneself a "living Catholic." That is why I said that the precepts are a matter of life and death; if a Catholic is not doing these things, they do not have a pulse. If this all I am doing to live out my faith, I have a faint pulse, but a pulse nonetheless. Furthermore, if I know that these precepts are required (and now you do… ha!), and consciously refuse to fulfi ll them, this is likely a mortal sin. Why don't people know this? Two reasons immediately come to mind. First, I think that they are so basic, that most Catholics far surpass them and therefore don't need to really examine if they have been fulfi lled. Most likely, if you are an active Catholic, you do these (and more!) regularly. I invite us all to examine ourselves and see if we are especially weak in any one area (Do we regularly skip Sunday Mass? Are we getting to Confession? Are we tithing?). The other reason most of us don't know the precepts is because our teachers want to be sensitive to us. We all know how much strangely more diª cult it becomes to do something when it is an obligation. As long as I am choosing this (as in: this is all my own idea), then I do not resent doing anything. The minute someone tells me that this is something that I HAVE to do, even if it is some- thing simple that I would have done anyways, the action takes upon itself the weight of a burden. We are funny like that, aren't we? I think that our teachers want to spare us from that experience, and so they (unwisely, even though well-intentioned) neglect to mention the necessity of these precepts. (another theory is that the last precept involves money and no one likes to tell some- one else what to do with their money… except commercials, and magazine ads, and billboards, and our broker, and the government, and…) In a positive sense, you are going to be protecting and nourishing your relationship with God and the Church if you keep these fi ve precepts of the Church. You can think of them as some arbitrary obligation placed upon you (they're not, by the way), or as check- points to make sure your life remains on course. They are a simple test of your spiritual "pulse." From this perspective, they provide a certain comfort. Have you ever been worried that you were doing enough? It is a good question. How do you answer it? "Well, I feel like I am today…I don't feel like it this after- noon…". The Church spares us from this agony, but not from the question ( because it is a really good question!). We have a criterion for self-evaluation. The precepts are neither arbitrary nor mysterious. They are practical and con- crete. You can trust them. Father Mike Schmitz is the chaplain for Newman Catholic Campus Ministries at the University of Minnesota Duluth. fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com Ask Fr. Mike FATHER MIKE SCHMITZ THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH: • You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation. • You shall confess your sins at least once a year. • You shall receive the sacra- ment of the Eucharist at least once during the Easter season. • You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence estab- lished by the Church. • You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church. PRAYER IN THE SQUARE Saturday, April 2 10 a.m. Colorado State Capitol 200 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80203 9 a.m. Mass at Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception For more info, visit prayerinthesquare.com i

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