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Q.Each year I get concerned about the minimal requirements of Easter duty. Itís that time of year again, and I can feel my anxiety rising. Any help or direction would be appreciated.

A. Yours is a common concern in the SA community. The Church’s minimal requirements seem to trigger maximum anxiety with some of our readers. I don’t know of a single member of the SA community who hasn’t fulfilled at least the minimal requirements that the Church directs us to keep for our spiritual growth and development. Minimal requirements are directed toward the men and women of the Church who may not be fully engaged or focused. That’s not descriptive of a person with scrupulosity. Please be at peace. You have fulfilled all that is required and perhaps even more than what is required.

Q.May I attend the wedding of a niece who is getting married in a Methodist Church? She is Catholic but her fiancÈ is not, and for some reason they have chosen not to be married in the Catholic Church.

A. Of course you may attend. Nothing stands in the way of your attendance at your niece’s wedding. You are free to presume that your niece has engaged in the necessary pastoral counseling that is a routine part of marriage preparation and all is in order. The Church routinely makes provisions for exactly this situation. It is not at all uncommon, and you need not be concerned. Attend the wedding and pray that their marriage is blessed and persevering.

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