"The word 'precept' comes from the Latin praeceptum, meaning to 'warn, admonish or instruct.' As such, the precepts of the Church specified historically a kind of bare minimum that Catholics must observe in living the Catholic Faith. ...
"The precepts focus on Church life and the minimal requirements of the faithful related to that."
"The number and specifics of the precepts have varied a bit over the centuries."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five precepts: "1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor; 2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year; 3. You shall receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season; 4. You shall observe days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church; 5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church."
In a quick summation, the precepts are not formal doctrine, but are the bare minimum obligations which Catholics must observe in order to be Catholics. As people who love Christ, we should aim higher than the minimum and live a life which Christ would approve. (Our Sunday Visitor: October 18, 2015, p 15, Pastoral Answers: by Msgr. Charles Pope)
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