For U.S. Catholics, time is ticking for tax filing and Easter duty deadlines

COLCHESTER, Vt. (Catholic Online) - Once again the annual deadlines of tax season and Easter duty are here. The bad news for taxpayers is that the deadline for filing is today, April 17. The good news for Catholics, who may not have made their Easter duty yet, is that they still have more that a month left to fulfill that obligation.

While people throughout the Unites States have been and are scurrying through today doing their financial inventories in order to file their 2006 Income Tax Return forms on time, Catholics preparing for "Easter duty" are also required to do an inventory, a moral inventory. Because of the central importance of Easter to the Christian faith, the Catholic Church requires that all Catholics who have made their First Communion receive the Eucharist sometime between the first Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, June 3 this year. Coupled with the "Easter duty" to receive communion is the requirement that Catholics who have sinned in a grave manner go to confession before receiving communion. "According to the church's command, 'after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year'" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1457). But even if there is no grave fault, Catholics should take part in the sacrament of reconciliation before receiving this Easter communion. Like the variety of forms available to taxpayers, there are a variety of "forms" or models that could be used to use to prepare for the important sacrament of confession. A person could: - Refer to the Ten Commandments and resort to the same guidelines learned at the time of their first confession.
- Use the "7-deadly sin" short form, which includes the sins of pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth.
- Take extra time to look more closely at their thoughts and behaviors since their last confession and reflect on their level of being faithful. People's lives are often over booked these days, but an hour of television or computer time could be traded for reflection to prepare for confession. Or, setting the alarm clock an hour earlier creates an hour of opportunity. For those who have the luxury of a few hours or an entire day, the experience could be like a post-Easter retreat. Examining one's thoughts and behaviors not only takes time, but also takes patience, humility, inner strength and courage. Asking questions similar to those listed below can help people to scan for wrongs and recognize good deeds that have been done since the last confession. - Have I been honest with myself, God and others, especially those nearest to me?
- Do I treat other people as I'd like to be treated?
- Have I committed sins of omission that neglected responsibilities?
- Have I purposefully hurt anyone?
- Have I committed actions for which I am ashamed and/or lied about them to cover them up?
- Am I a hypocrite, saying one thing and then doing another?
- Have I apologized and made amends for wrongs committed?
- Have I verbally, emotionally or physically abused another or myself?
- Have I mistreated family members or co-workers?
- Do I really listen to others when they speak?
- Do I accept, while not always agreeing, other people's points of view in the spirit of charity?
- Am I grateful to God for the daily gifts of nature, family, food and shelter?
- Do I pray on a regular basis?
- Have I been harsh or unjustly critical of others?
- Have I gossiped about others?
- Have I been financially irresponsible? Writing out thoughts relating to a moral inventory can help a person to be more focused during the actual confession. When the answers are completed, there will be a discovery of the negatives to confess, and a glimpse of the many positives actions that interweave daily life. Catholics are blessed to have confession as a spiritual tool that allows them to reflect upon their lives, recognize negative patterns, confess their wrong doings, say prayers of penance and be forgiven. Most importantly, it is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes made and to then make living amends by mindfully choosing to change harmful acts and thoughts. After a needed confession has been made, the deadline of Trinity Sunday can be made and Easter duty will be done for 2007. And, hopefully, the tax forms will be mailed out on time - with or without an extension. - - - Mary Carty is the Home and Family editor of Catholic Online.

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