Eucharist: Sin?

[Polska]

Hello. I have a quick question.

In my Polish culture I have been taught not to eat the eucharist when you have sins. Either you must go to confession before mass, or you must opt out on going up to eat the eucharist. However, in many other cultures as I have observed, mostly everyone gets up to take the Eucharist, sins or no sins. Anyone care to explain why such a difference exists, and which is correct, if any?

Thanks.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Hello. I have a quick question.

In my Polish culture I have been taught not to eat the eucharist when you have sins. Either you must go to confession before mass, or you must opt out on going up to eat the eucharist. However, in many other cultures as I have observed, mostly everyone gets up to take the Eucharist, sins or no sins. Anyone care to explain why such a difference exists, and which is correct, if any?

Thanks.

You should not receive the Eucharist if you are in a state of mortal sin. Venial sins should not prevent you from receiving, and you can use the examination of conscience period at the beginning of mass to confess them to God.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

In my Polish church, almost everybody goes up for communion. Whether that means that people with mortal sin (and I think you must be thinking of mortal sin, for one may indeed receive if there are only venial sins on one’s soul) are going up, I do not know.

Even though we were taught not to approach the Eucharist without being in a state of grace, I don’t know if everybody follows this teaching, knows the teaching, or understands the teaching.

I guess what I would say to you is that it is correct that one must be in a state of grace (no mortal sin); one may receive communion if one has venial sin though certainly it would be good to confess even venial sin first. What ‘other people’ do is God’s provenance–only He and the person him/herself can know whether a person is in mortal sin. To receive unworthily is in itself a grave sin. We must trust in God to address this.

 

[thistle]

Hello. I have a quick question.

In my Polish culture I have been taught not to eat the eucharist when you have sins. Either you must go to confession before mass, or you must opt out on going up to eat the eucharist. However, in many other cultures as I have observed, mostly everyone gets up to take the Eucharist, sins or no sins. Anyone care to explain why such a difference exists, and which is correct, if any?

Thanks.

Its not actually a matter of culture. A Catholic, whatever their background and culture, cannot receive the Eucharist while in a state of mortal sin.

Secondly, while many people might receive in a state of mortal sin they are committing sacrilege which in itself is a grave sin. Often it is down to lack of real education about their faith and not deliberate sacrilege.
Also, you do not know if the people going up to receive are in a state of grace or not. It is not up to you and I to judge this.

CCC 2120 Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

It is not an issue of ethnic culture, it is because in our society, many people have lost their sense of sin. People now grow up in an environment where they are bombarded continually in music verses, movies, TV and are taught that anything goes. This has caused a desensitization of sin and its consequences. We only have to go back to the 1950’s (for me that was my teen years). At mass, people had to step over others in order to go to Communion. Lines for confession were long and confession was offered frequently. In many parishes today, it is by appointment only. In some churches, you cannot even find a confessional. Now look at today, there is hardly anyone in line for confession and everyone gets up to go to Communion. I honestly do not think it’s because we have now grown a group of people who sin less. Its because we have grown a group of people who do not know what sin is. Priests used to teach morality during their homilies. Now in very many places you get feel good pablum. We are not being spiritually fed and that is our fault. Hopefully, prayerfully, things will turn around.
Deacon Ed B

 

[irishmac]

St. Paul told the early christians in Corinth, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks of the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats the bread and drinks the cup without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11: 27-29 NAB)

In the Mass, we are afforded an opportunity to be forgiven our venial sins through the Penitential Rite. Mortal or grave sins can only be forgiven through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

I, personally, examine my conscience before Mass, silently in prayer. There are a great many times that I have to refrain from approaching the blessed sacrament because I have not made it to confession. Usually, I am the only one in the congregation that does not process up for the Eucharist.

I think that the GIRM should require the celebrant to say something about the effects of receiving the Eucharist with grave sins on the soul. Maybe it would give some people pause before approaching.

Dominus vobsicum

 

[puzzleannie]

Hello. I have a quick question.

In my Polish culture I have been taught not to eat the eucharist when you have sins. Either you must go to confession before mass, or you must opt out on going up to eat the eucharist. However, in many other cultures as I have observed, mostly everyone gets up to take the Eucharist, sins or no sins. Anyone care to explain why such a difference exists, and which is correct, if any?

Thanks.

there is no difference in the underlying teaching. yes you must confess all mortal sin you are aware of before communion. the cultural difference lies in acknowledging our sins, in lax conscience especially about habitual sin, or sin we have no intention of stopping (use of artificial birth control being a common example).

 

[Franciscan]

It is not an issue of ethnic culture, it is because in our society, many people have lost their sense of sin. People now grow up in an environment where they are bombarded continually in music verses, movies, TV and are taught that anything goes. This has caused a desensitization of sin and its consequences. We only have to go back to the 1950’s (for me that was my teen years). At mass, people had to step over others in order to go to Communion. Lines for confession were long and confession was offered frequently. In many parishes today, it is by appointment only. In some churches, you cannot even find a confessional. Now look at today, there is hardly anyone in line for confession and everyone gets up to go to Communion. I honestly do not think it’s because we have now grown a group of people who sin less. Its because we have grown a group of people who do not know what sin is. Priests used to teach morality during their homilies. Now in very many places you get feel good pablum. We are not being spiritually fed and that is our fault. Hopefully, prayerfully, things will turn around.
Deacon Ed B

Deacon Ed, you’re right. Here’s a challenge to you–to read or preach verbatim what you just wrote during yuour next homily.How would your parish receive this? How would your Pastor receive this?

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

I preach and teach in several parishes in our Archdiocese. Believe me, I am outspoken and not afraid to say what I think is necessary to challenge whoever hears me to also try to help correct the situation. Thank you for the compliment.
Deacon Ed B

 

[john654]

I preach and teach in several parishes in our Archdiocese. Believe me, I am outspoken and not afraid to say what I think is necessary to challenge whoever hears me to also try to help correct the situation. Thank you for the compliment.
Deacon Ed B

Deacon Ed,
Do you preach about Contraception from the pulpit?

John

 

[ckonrad]

It is not an issue of ethnic culture, it is because in our society, many people have lost their sense of sin. People now grow up in an environment where they are bombarded continually in music verses, movies, TV and are taught that anything goes. This has caused a desensitization of sin and its consequences. We only have to go back to the 1950’s (for me that was my teen years). At mass, people had to step over others in order to go to Communion. Lines for confession were long and confession was offered frequently. In many parishes today, it is by appointment only. In some churches, you cannot even find a confessional. Now look at today, there is hardly anyone in line for confession and everyone gets up to go to Communion. I honestly do not think it’s because we have now grown a group of people who sin less. Its because we have grown a group of people who do not know what sin is. Priests used to teach morality during their homilies. Now in very many places you get feel good pablum. We are not being spiritually fed and that is our fault. Hopefully, prayerfully, things will turn around.
Deacon Ed B

I think it would be better if confession were part of mass. People would have to go into the booth and confess their sins in order to receive communion afterwards. It would make more sense to me, to do it that way.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

To John 654 I have spoken on contraception in parish missions and in classes, but not in a homily at mass. I have spoken on abortion in mass homilies, as well as classes and missions.
Deacon Ed B

 

[ckonrad]

Hello. I have a quick question.

In my Polish culture I have been taught not to eat the eucharist when you have sins. Either you must go to confession before mass, or you must opt out on going up to eat the eucharist. However, in many other cultures as I have observed, mostly everyone gets up to take the Eucharist, sins or no sins. Anyone care to explain why such a difference exists, and which is correct, if any?

Thanks.

I think the main problem is that people in the west are not as educated as people in your culture. In my town most catholics dont know even the most simple aspects of their faith. Most Americans usually leave the catholic faith for many years and live a life of complete sin until they realize they aren’t going to live forever and come back into the faith. It has alot to do with the way our culture is we live in a secular society of consumerism. Most catholic kids that i talk to in the US just cant wait until they are grown up so they can get away from religion. Its a sad phenomenon. The most common answer that i receive from catholic people in my town when i ask them what they think the catholic faith is all about is “if you dont kill anyone, you’ll go to haeaven”. Its pretty pathetic actually.