The Easter Duty
The Easter duty is the obligation of every Catholic of requisite age to receive Holy Communion within the Easter time.
This obligation begins at about the twelfth year and continues throughout life. During this time it binds under pain of mortal sin all those who enjoy the use of reason.
The Easter time in this country extends from the First Sunday of Lent until Trinity Sunday.
The precept binds all grown Catholics of sound mind without distinction, whether they are in health or in sickness, whether they are able to go to church or not.
Those who are not able to go to church during the Easter season, or those in charge of them, must notify the Priest, so that he may bring Communion to the former although they be in no danger of death.
Do not put off notifying the Priest until the last week, or second last week of the Easter time; but give him ample opportunity by notifying him in the beginning or in the middle of the Easter season; as he may have a great many invalids to attend to during the course of the Easter time.
To prepare a sick person properly for the performance of this duty, see article: Communion for the Sick, page 25; and Article: Sick-Calls, page 32.
To make one’s Easter duty, it is not necessary to receive on Easter Sunday, during Holy Week or during Easter Week. As for those who go to confession and Communion only once or twice in the year, they ought rather not to go to confession at a time when the confessor is busiest, as on Holy Saturday or Christmas Eve, as the Priest has all he can do to hear those who go frequently to Communion, and who are the more entitled to go on the great feast-days.
There is no such thing as a Christmas duty in this country. Hence it is not a sin if one does not go to the sacraments during the Christmas season; although it is advisable to do so, as the Church would have the faithful to go to Communion from time to time during the year.
It is not necessary in performing one’s Easter duty to have the express intention of so doing. All that is necessary to fulfill one’s duty, is to receive Holy Communion some time during the Easter season, whatever intention one may or may not have.
Do not put off your Easter duty until the last week of the Easter time, or even to the very last day of it. If the Priest at that time should not find it expedient to give you absolution, or admit you to Holy Communion, and the Easter time thus elapses before you receive, remember it will be your own fault, and you make yourself guilty of a grievous sin through your own carelessness.
