Accidentally dropping Eucharist on ground

[Pacbox]

I could seem to find a thread on this and this has been bugging me a little bit.

Years ago, I accidentally dropped a consecrated host on the ground when receiving communion. I pushed it aside with my foot and went back to father to receive again. I never picked it up. Father picked it up. I felt so bad. I now know that I should have picked the host up because it was Jesus and what I did was disrespectful to say the least. My question is: Is this a sin? I’ve apologized to God but wondering if I should have gone to confession. At the time I was only a teenager and hadn’t been well instructed in the faith for several years let alone in the Real Prescence. Should I go to confession anyways because I feel so bad about it?

Thanks.

 

[tdandh26]

Sure, why not? Confession is for helping with guilt as well. “Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted.” This means if you mourn over past transgressions God will wipe your tears away.
I dont think it was necessarily a sin though, but then again I cannot judge your heart thats God’s jurisdiction.

 

[Pacbox]

Thanks. Every so often this memory pops up and it bothers me. Since I wasn’t fully aware of the teachings regarding the situation of the time, I understand that I didn’t intentionally commit a sin, if a sin was committed. But then I can feel guilty about a lot of things at times. I think I’ve got a case of the blues and all the bad stuff I’ve done and how I feel about myself turns negative so I end up worrying over stuff that has been laid to rest or isn’t as bad or important as I make it out to be.

 

[m134e5]

Pacbox:

Since I wasn’t fully aware of the teachings regarding the situation of the time, I understand that I didn’t intentionally commit a sin, if a sin was committed.

Sins are always intentional. If you didn’t know that what you were doing was wrong, then the sin is on those who knew better but failed to catechize you properly- not you.

 

[Pacbox]

Thanks. I think what happens is that as I become more aware of my faith and the teachings of the Church I’m constantly reflecting those teachings on past behaviors when they are not to be applied to the past but rather from the point when I learn about them and then in the future. I tend to be pretty reflective about myself and my behaviors which is bit of a detriment sometimes rather than a help.

 

[tdandh26]

m134e5:

Sins are always intentional. If you didn’t know that what you were doing was wrong, then the sin is on those who knew better but failed to catechize you properly- not you.

Always? What about the person who gets upset at someone who is talking bad about them and they curse him, but immediatley feel bad because it slipped out without any concious reflection? This is a sin, because first of all if the person believes in Christ and His teachings he should have not got so upset by the words of another person. While this is a venial sin it is a sin. Secondly the curse which proceeded would have been also a venial sin because it proceeded the lack of selfcontrol.
While this person may not have intentionally sinned it is still a sin none the less.
Jesus said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” While they may not have known what they were doing they were still in need of forgiveness otherwise Christ would not have said this, right?

 

[uncleauberon]

Pope JPII encouraged the confession even of venial sins.

I consider this a kind of good brushing of the teeth to avoid the real plauque build-up that the dentist has to use a pick to scrape off.

Although, you don’t want to get into the habit of being overly scupulous. Analyzing every evil and possibly sinful thought and action you have done over the past week. Discussing them ad nauseum with the priest. This is an impediment to your maturity and a waste of a priest’s time in confession {Especially when there is a line of folks outside the confessional.}

In your case – Tell the Priest. “When I was a teenager I let the host fall to the ground. I kicked it aside. I realize now that was very disrespectful to Christ. I’ve never confessed it before. I am sorry.”

Then move onto your other sins that require more attention.

Once you recieve absolution. That’s it - don’t mention it or feel dragged down about it again.

God Bless

 

[precious_roy]

tdandh26:

Always? What about the person who gets upset at someone who is talking bad about them and they curse him, but immediatley feel bad because it slipped out without any concious reflection? This is a sin, because first of all if the person believes in Christ and His teachings he should have not got so upset by the words of another person. While this is a venial sin it is a sin. Secondly the curse which proceeded would have been also a venial sin because it proceeded the lack of selfcontrol.
While this person may not have intentionally sinned it is still a sin none the less.
Jesus said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” While they may not have known what they were doing they were still in need of forgiveness otherwise Christ would not have said this, right?

Right. That is still a sin because you knew what you were doing was wrong. By allowing yourself to get upset to the point of having decreased mental faculties you sinned. It’s like the line ‘and avoid the near occasion of sin.’

I would compare it to drinking to the point where your senses were impared. The act of becoming impared was intentional. Now, on the other hand if you were somehow ‘forced’ to get drunk and then you did something immoral, I don’t think that would be a sin.

 

[Pacbox]

Thanks for all you posts. I will be going to Confession sometime soon, either this weekend (if possible because I sing and have choir practice during the time of confession) or just after Lent starts. I’d be going to Confession anyways, it’s just a matter of when. This was just something that was bugging me. I stated in an earlier post in this thread that I was having a case of the blues and all my past faults kept coming to light, things that I have let go, have confessed and moved on about. Part of it stems from the blues, part of it stems from feeling useless unwanted (part of the blues) and part of it stems from the fact that the Devil is attacking me.

 

[precious_roy]

Pacbox:

Thanks for all you posts. I will be going to Confession sometime soon, either this weekend (if possible because I sing and have choir practice during the time of confession) or just after Lent starts. I’d be going to Confession anyways, it’s just a matter of when. This was just something that was bugging me. I stated in an earlier post in this thread that I was having a case of the blues and all my past faults kept coming to light, things that I have let go, have confessed and moved on about. Part of it stems from the blues, part of it stems from feeling useless unwanted (part of the blues) and part of it stems from the fact that the Devil is attacking me.

Eh, don’t feel so bad. I didn’t know about that (the dropping the Eucharist) until there was a question about it on EWTN. Actually, I had never even thought about it before then.

 

[Pacbox]

preciousroy, I hadn’t really understood about how to treat the Eucharist until recently. I had some good catechisis and some bad catechisis in my early faith formation. The good thing is that I’m learning and growing and understanding what is the real teaching and what is people’s opinion (or lack of catechisis on their part). Clarification is always good. I’d rather confess a sin I didn’t commit then omit a sin I did commit. Besides, Confession is always good for the soul . (Yes, I know that’s been said before but it’s oh so very true. )