Paradise
Guisto de' Menabuoi
1375-76
Fresco
Baptistry, Padua
What are the "Five Precepts of the Church"?
(1) You shall attend Mass on Sunday and holy days of obligation and abstain from work or activities that offend against the character of the day. (2) You shall receive the sacrament of Penance at least once a year. (3) You shall receive the Eucharist at least during the Easter season. (4) You shall observe the prescribed seasons of fasting and days of abstinence (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday). (5) You shall contribute to the material support of the Church.
What is the purpose of the precepts of the Church, and how binding are they?
The "Five Precepts of the Church" with their minimum requirements are supposed to remind us that one cannot be a Christian without making a moral effort, without participating personally in the sacramental life of the Church, and without union with her in solidarity. They are obligatory for every Catholic Christian. (YOUCAT questions 345-346)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (2041-2043) and other references here.