Do you have to hear the gospel to receive the Eucharist

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Kathleen_Lehane

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I attend daily Mass and this question came up. If a person comes late for daily Mass (after the reading of the gospel) is it permissable to receive the Eucharist?
 
One can receive Holy Communion at Mass (assuming they have not yet received Holy Communion earlier that day) even if they show up at the tail end of Mass just before Communion is over! So, a person who shows up 15 minutes late for a 30-minute 6:30 AM daily Mass can still receive Holy Communion… but they probably haven’t “attended Mass”.

What that means for Sundays is that you can show up 40 minutes late for Mass and receive Holy Communion, but I don’t think you could reasonably say you have fulfilled the obligation to attend Mass by doing so!
 
japhy said:
One can receive Holy Communion at Mass (assuming they have not yet received Holy Communion earlier that day) even if they show up at the tail end of Mass just before Communion is % So, a person who shows up 15 minutes late for a 30-minute 6:30 AM daily Mass can still receive Holy Communion… but they probably haven’t “attended Mass”.

What that means for Sundays is that you can show up 40 minutes late for Mass and receive Holy Communion, but I don’t think you could reasonably say you have fulfilled the obligation to attend Mass by doing so!
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you can still receive Holy Communion on a daily mass without hearing the gospel but on a Sunday mass, you have to be there by the gospel or homily. otherwise you have to go to a different mass
 
Fludgecow101 said:
you can still receive Holy Communion on a daily mass without hearing the gospel but on a Sunday mass, you have to be there by the gospel or homily. otherwise you have to go to a different mass
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Even on Sunday, you could still receive Communion. You are supposed to go to a “whole” Mass to fulfill your Sunday obligation but that’s a different issue than being able to receive Communion.

There used to be a rule or a guideline that said you had to be there before the Gospel. These days, there isn’t a specific cut-off since that is seen as minimalistic. Rather you are supposed to attend a whole Mass. Many people would say that’s from the entrance rite to the final blessing. There isn’t a “least possible” amount.
 
Fludgecow101 said:
you can still receive Holy Communion on a daily mass without hearing the gospel but on a Sunday mass, you have to be there by the gospel or homily. otherwise you have to go to a different mass
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NB: There are two questions being confounded here.

  • *]What portion of the Liturgy must one attend in order to present himself and receive Holy Communion?
    *]What portion of the Liturgy must one attend in order to satisfy his obligation to assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days?

    Only one of these questions was asked by the OP.

    tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
NB: There are two questions being confounded here.

  • *]What portion of the Liturgy must one attend in order to present himself and receive Holy Communion?
    *]What portion of the Liturgy must one attend in order to satisfy his obligation to assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days?

    Only one of these questions was asked by the OP.

    tee
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  • well i was kinda responding to Japhy and answering kathleen’s question.
 
A Catholic may receive Communion at Mass regardless of how late one arrives. Hearing the Gospel (or homily if there is one) has nothing to do with being able to receive Communion.

Having said that though, such a person should ask the honest question “by being so late, am I truly in a state of readiness to receive the Eucharist?” There is no possible objective answer to that one, but it depends entirely upon the individual and the reason for being late.
 
FrDavid96 said:
. . . . such a person should ask the honest question “by being so late, am I truly in a state of readiness to receive the Eucharist?” There is no possible objective answer to that one, but it depends entirely upon the individual and the reason for being late.
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Amen. Amen.

To my knowledge, the two notions, participation and reception, are, in fact, separable, since the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist and Holy Communion are separable notions in a certain sense (and in this sense only). The first refers the the celebration of Mass itself. The second may encompass reception of Holy Communion either within or apart from the celebration of Mass.

The law does not impose the requirement of participation at Mass for a person to receive Holy Communion. In fact, a Catholic who is eligible to receive Holy Communion may receive it at a Mass in which he or she had not participated. See c. 912: Any baptized person who is not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to Holy Communion.

Any question about the suitability of administration of Holy Communion in a Mass in which one participates, outside Mass, or at a Mass in which one had not participated, would relate to the principles in c. 843 §1: Sacred ministers cannot deny the sacraments to those who seek them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them. So if a devout Catholic is passing by a church, and discovers that Holy Communion is being administered, if those conditions are met, he or she may receive. [my italics]

Of course, this prescinds from the matter of satisfying the precept to participate at Mass on a day of obligation.

Prior to the 1983 code, the common opinion among experts was that being present from the offertory was sufficient to discharge the obligation to hear Mass on days of precept. But both the1917 and the 1983 codes are silent on that.

However in any case as noted above in other words, let’s never become either minimalistic or less than reverently awestruck about the unfathomably wonderous Gift of this sacrament.
 
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