Choosing yearly communion

[EasternCelt]

I know that we are obligated to take the Eucharist once per year, but that we are encouraged to take as often as possible. Has anyone else chosen to, in light of your own sinfulness, take it one time per year? I do not think that my own contrition is good enough (pretty much pure servile fear which is different than imperfect contrition), but I think I might be able to receive the grace to pull it together once per year.

 

[Anesti33]

I think this is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly, and as such, should be discussed and agreed with one’s spiritual director or confessor.

If we are so sinful, then we need the Eucharist even more than ever, because it remits venial sins. It would be error to believe that we cannot receive Eucharist after a good confession. The Jansenists went there, and you see where that got them.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Has anyone else chosen to, in light of your own sinfulness, take it one time per year.

No, because this attitude is Jansenistic and the Church has worked very hard, especially since the late 1800s, to dispel this sort of thinking and encourage everyone to receive (not “take”, but “receive”) the Body and Blood of Our Lord frequently, if possible daily. Jansenism is a heresy, and two of my patron saints (I didn’t pick them, they picked me via my parents) were very instrumental in combatting it.

Frequent reception of Eucharist is necessary for me to practice the spiritual work of mercy to which I feel called and have been doing for a few years. I also find that it helps to keep me from sinning, as well as absolving my venial sins. During COVID shutdown I was unable to receive Holy Communion for about 70 days because there was no public Mass. I became miserable and by the end of that time was crying about it to the priest in confession (we still had confession, Adoration, and churches open for prayer, but no public Mass and no Holy Communion). It was a lesson in what it feels like to be involuntarily separated from the Eucharist after several years of receiving almost daily. I would certainly not choose to separate myself in that way. I already feel bad enough that years ago when away from the Church I didn’t receive Communion for literally years at a time and now I see just how wrong that was and how I did not do myself any favors as I also lived pretty sinfully during much of that time.

 

[CelticWarlord]

The protestant church I attended for over two decades practiced only the annual communion. As such, I have taken communion precisely 22 times in my life. If I were to become Catholic I would probably maintain that level of frequency simply because I am a very, very private person and would feel most uncomfortable doing it. For now I’m happy to attend Mass and just observe.

 

[Andrea_Canada]

OP, I find your question concerning. If you genuinly feel you committed a sin that prevents you from receiving the body of Christ, why not just go to confession. A lot of churches in my area offer confession prior to 5pm Mass on Saturday. I am sure that in the 20 minutes between leaving the confessional and mass starting, you would not do a mortal sin

 

[Margaret_Ann]

St. John Chrysostom answered this long ago:

" What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. And why so? Because those vessels are made so for our sakes. They partake not of Him that is in them, they perceive Him not. But we do —yes, verily. Now then, you would not choose to make use of a soiled vessel, and do you approach with a soiled soul? Observe the vast inconsistency of the thing. At the other times you come not, no, not though often you are clean; but at Easter, however flagrant an act you may have committed, you come. Oh! The force of custom and of prejudice! In vain is the daily Sacrifice, in vain do we stand before the Altar; there is no one to partake. These things I am saying, not to induce you to partake any how, but that you should render yourselves worthy to partake. Are you not worthy of the Sacrifice, nor of the participation? If so, then neither are you of the prayer. You hear the herald, standing, and saying, As many as are in penitence, all pray. As many as do not partake, are in penitence. If you are one of those that are in penitence, you ought not to partake; for he that partakes not, is one of those that are in penitence. Why then does he say, Depart, you that are not qualified to pray, while you have the effrontery to stand still? But no, you are not of that number, you are of the number of those who are qualified to partake, and yet art indifferent about it, and regardest the matter as nothing."

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/230103.htm

 

[Tis_Bearself]

In addition to St. John Chrysostom’s good guidance, it should be noted that when we make a good confession and are absolved, we are no longer “soiled vessels” but clean and quite ready to receive the Eucharist as long as we don’t commit another grave sin between confession and Communion. People used to confess right before Mass to ensure this, and some still do. If someone were that worried about their own sinfulness, they could do the same, although if they confessed too often the priest might warn them about falling into scrupulosity.

Furthermore, since as has already been said the Eucharist itself absolves venial sins, we should not be using our venial sins as a reason to avoid receiving.

The idea of going around insisting one is still too sinful to receive, even after a good confession and absolution, is a serious error in the eyes of the Church.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I know that we are obligated to take the Eucharist once per year, but that we are encouraged to take as often as possible. Has anyone else chosen to, in light of your own sinfulness, take it one time per year. I do not think that my own contrition is good enough (pretty much pure servile fear which is different than imperfect contrition), but I think I might be able to receive the grace to pull it together once per year.

OP, I don’t have any particular advice for you, but from your other threads I think you need sustained, long term spiritual counseling and direction. Not just a one off conversation with a priest but like an ongoing relationship where you meet regularly. You’ve essentially created Catholicism: Extra Doom and Gloom Edition in your head and it’s clearly making you miserable.

 

[KyPerson]

No. My confessor said the Eucharist takes away venial sins and gives us the grace and strength we need to avoid sin. I go weekly

 

[Vico]

I know that we are obligated to take the Eucharist once per year, but that we are encouraged to take as often as possible. Has anyone else chosen to, in light of your own sinfulness, take it one time per year. I do not think that my own contrition is good enough (pretty much pure servile fear which is different than imperfect contrition), but I think I might be able to receive the grace to pull it together once per year.

Attrition disposes one to obtain forgiveness sins in the sacrament of Penance. Attrition has three qualities: sorrow, hating sin out of fear of the consequences, and a firm purpose of not sinning in the future. Are those three not present?

 

[EasternCelt]

No, they’re not: I don’t hate my sin and any thoughts I try to conjure to forsake them are artificial and fleeting. Hence why I feel that any absolutions I receive would be invalid.

 

[Vico]

No, they’re not: I don’t hate my sin and any thoughts I try to conjure to forsake them are artificial and fleeting. Hence why I feel that any absolutions I receive would be invalid.

OK, well that is odd since you said you had servile fear. If there is fear then there must be regret at having that fear, and that is sorrow for sin. Now, how can one have that sorrow and not want to avoid it recurring? Maybe from despair? But remember, God gives the actual grace of conversion before the reception of forgiveness in the sacrament of penance which would then bring sanctifying grace.

Catechism

2091 The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption: " By despair , man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy."

 

[EasternCelt]

I have heard there’s a difference between servile fear and imperfect contrition.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

No, they’re not: I don’t hate my sin and any thoughts I try to conjure to forsake them are artificial and fleeting. Hence why I feel that any absolutions I receive would be invalid.

Please talk to a priest. As someone already told you, you’ve made multiple threads where you’ve apparently rejected numerous Church teachings and are making up your own harsh gloom-and-doom version of Catholicism. At best, this is pride; at worst, it could be some sort of a mental condition. You need to discuss this with a priest, off the forum.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

Furthermore, since as has already been said the Eucharist itself absolves venial sins, we should not be using our venial sins as a reason to avoid receiving.

True, but some have the false reasoning that because the Eucharist cleanses our venial sins ergo It does the same for mortal sins; therefore one doesn’t have to go to confession (which is FALSE), thereby receiving Our Lord unworthily (c.f. 1 Cor. 11: 23-32 & Byzantine Prayer before Communion).

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I don’t think the OP or anyone else in this thread is committing or advocating the error of receiving while in mortal sin becaues we think we don’t need to go to confession.

The thread is concerned with people such as the OP who are erring by still considering themselves too sinful to receive, even after they’ve made a good confession. The OP has also stated in other threads that he has an inordinate fear of God sending him and everybody else to Hell and that he doesn’t think Hell is a consequence of the free will choices of the individual.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

I sympathize with the OP because I used to think the same way. However, I still go to confession before receiving Holy Communion.

I have to get ready for Liturgy now. Thank you!

 

[ush]

Concern yourself with whatever supernatural effects that receiving the Eucharist has before deciding. We do have Hell to worry about after all. We don’t want to go there do we now?

I don’t know what supernatural effects that receiving the Eucharist has but it was mentioned above that it cleanses of venial sin which is one supernatural effect. I don’t know the truth of that but it might be true for all we know. I would like a better source for the information than an internet forum.

 

[Fauken]

No, they’re not: I don’t hate my sin and any thoughts I try to conjure to forsake them are artificial and fleeting. Hence why I feel that any absolutions I receive would be invalid.

Sorrow isn’t a feeling, it’s an act of the will.

Imperfect contrition is perfectly fine for a valid absolution.

Please speak to a priest about your concerns and entrust yourself to his care.

 

[Fauken]

I don’t know what supernatural effects that receiving the Eucharist has but it was mentioned above that it cleanses of venial sin which is one supernatural effect. I don’t know the truth of that but it might be true for all we know. I would like a better source for the information than an internet forum.

Here’s the Catechism:

https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm

"1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins.231 By giving himself to us Christ revives our love and enables us to break our disordered attachments to creatures and root ourselves in him:

Since Christ died for us out of love, when we celebrate the memorial of his death at the moment of sacrifice we ask that love may be granted to us by the coming of the Holy Spirit. We humbly pray that in the strength of this love by which Christ willed to die for us, we, by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, may be able to consider the world as crucified for us, and to be ourselves as crucified to the world. . . . Having received the gift of love, let us die to sin and live for God.232"