Deadline for receiving Eucharist at TLM?

[JReducation]

The Noon Mass I attend on weekdays is near the downtown area. There are not many, but a few people get to Mass late. Probably due to their lunch break schedule.

The priests there are not liberal at all, and those arriving late receive on a regular basis. As scrupulous as I intend to be, I’ve never given it a second thought and obviously neither do the priests at that parish.

So it is apparent that one can receive the Blessed Sacrament when getting there late, no matter how late. Whether one can say they assisted Mass or not has nothing to do with it.

There are few things here that allow the priest to make a pastoral call.

1. It’s a weekday mass. The person does not have a moral obligation to attend mass.
2. As you said, these folks are probably doing the best they can given their work schedules.
3. A priest or a deacon is allowed to give someone communion, even if they have not attended mass. It’s his call to make.

The problem is on Sundays when people regularly arrive late, receive Holy Communion and believe that they have fulfilled their Sunday obligation, because they made it in time for Communion.

This morning, I was at a mass celebrated by a Trinitarian Friar. He brought up this point. He told the congregation that those who had arrived late could not receive Holy Communion and should go to confession for missing mass or wait for the next mass. He explained that the whole mass is the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist from beginning to end. He said that if anyone had a special situation, they should ask him or the deacon.

Fraternally,

Br.JR, OSF

 

[mick321]

There are few things here that allow the priest to make a pastoral call.

1. It’s a weekday mass. The person does not have a moral obligation to attend mass.
2. As you said, these folks are probably doing the best they can given their work schedules.
3. A priest or a deacon is allowed to give someone communion, even if they have not attended mass. It’s his call to make.

The problem is on Sundays when people regularly arrive late, receive Holy Communion and believe that they have fulfilled their Sunday obligation, because they made it in time for Communion.

This morning, I was at a mass celebrated by a Trinitarian Friar. He brought up this point. He told the congregation that those who had arrived late could not receive Holy Communion and should go to confession for missing mass or wait for the next mass. He explained that the whole mass is the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist from beginning to end. He said that if anyone had a special situation, they should ask him or the deacon.

Fraternally,

Br.JR, OSF

Good advice.

All faithful Catholics would do well to voluntarily apply this standard to their personal lives, regardless of the dictates or non-dictates of canon, liturgical or criminal law.

Those who wish to receive Holy Communion should put themselves into the proper state of grace. Those who fall short on any level should get their issues sorted out and come back tomorrow. Our Holy Church offers the Sacrament of Penance specifically for this purpose.

We all know our own hearts. In charity, we should refrain from forcing an EF priest to make a “pastoral call” on a matter like this.

.

 

[Immaculata90]

So…in other words, we’re not exactly 100% sure, but it is most likely that missing either part of Mass of the Catechumens or the Mass of the Faithful is missing Mass, and probably shouldn’t receive.

I think whoever made the comment about remembering that we only need to receive once a year made a really good point. I think a lot of times we just associate Mass with Communion, when that’s not the only reason we go to Mass every week. It’s beautiful and really important, but there are graces imparted to those who are there prayerfully attending as well. I’m also really extremely spoiled and get to go to daily Mass and receive the Eucharist on a regular basis. One day of not receiving will not kill me, and if anything will produce a feeling of longing for the Lord in my heart–which will make me work harder to be at Mass the next time.

I wasn’t trying to see how much I could push it and do other things and be late for Mass. I usually drive about an hour to get to the TLM on the weekend and there can be a lot of tractors and such on the road going 10 mph. I usually leave early enough to have 20 minutes before Mass for morning prayer and preparatory prayers so that is a good buffer too. I guess I didn’t think about it enough before I asked, but it appears that it was a good learning opportunity so praise God for that!

 

[JReducation]

So…in other words, we’re not exactly 100% sure, but it is most likely that missing either part of Mass of the Catechumens or the Mass of the Faithful is missing Mass, and probably shouldn’t receive.

Remember, this only applies to Sunday and Holy Days of obligation. It does not apply to weekdays.

If someone misses part of the Sunday mass through their own fault, they are culpable and should not receive the Eucharist until they go to the next mass or confession.

This same rule does not apply to a non holy day. In that case, if you miss part of the mass, you have not attended mass, but you are not culpable of sin. It would be up to the deacon or priest to give you Holy Communion. That is a pastoral judgment left to the ordinary minister of Holy Communion.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF