Getting a blessing while in a state of mortal sin

[ProdigalSon1211]

Are we allowed to get blessed when we are in a state of mortal sin?. I always refuse to go up for blessings at the altar during the First Friday Mass because I haven’t been to confession in a very very very long time. At my Parish during the First Friday Mass we have a blessing and people come up and are blessed by the priest while he holds the Blessed Sacrament and makes a sign of the cross over you while holding the Blessed Sacrament. Don’t you have to be in a state of grace to receive a blessing from the Blessed Sacrament? Maybe I am just thinking this over too much and just being scrupulous.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I thought that getting a blessing in this way was precisely for those who can’t receive for one reason or another – such as being too little or in state of mortal sin.

Some say the practice of giving blessings is an innovation that shouldn’t be done, but if your priest is doing it, that’s not your problem.

Alan

 

[Dubay]

It’s a tradition within Catholicism to with hold communion when in mortal sin. Giving blessings is appropriate.

 

[prodigalson2011]

Actually, going forward in the Eucharistic procession for a personal blessing is discouraged; those of us who are not in the state of grace are supposed to remain in the pw. The priest performs a blessing over the entire congregation at the end of the Mass. What you described (blessing with the host) is, to my knowledge, not even a licit practice. But I do know for sure that going forward for a blessing in the communion line is not licit, though widely practiced.

See this thread for more info (particularly the OP and Tim Staples’ reply (post #2)).

 

[Don_Jackson]

Actually, going forward in the Eucharistic procession for a personal blessing is discouraged; those of us who are not in the state of grace are supposed to remain in the pw. The priest performs a blessing over the entire congregation at the end of the Mass. What you described (blessing with the host) is, to my knowledge, not even a licit practice. But I do know for sure that going forward for a blessing in the communion line is not licit, though widely practiced.

I’d like to see a sorce for this claim. Those in mortal sin a those most in need of a blessing.

As I take my 4 dogs and 1 rat to the blessing of the animals this morning, should I first take them to confession to make sure none of them are in mortal sin?

 

[prodigalson2011]

I’d like to see a sorce for this claim. Those in mortal sin a those most in need of a blessing.

As I take my 4 dogs and 1 rat to the blessing of the animals this morning, should I first take them to confession to make sure none of them are in mortal sin?

I didn’t say anything about being in a state of mortal sin disqualifying one from a blessing. But the communion line is not the place for it. Of course one in mortal sin can receive a blessing. And they do at the end of each mass, which is why the practice of going forward for a blessing in the communion line is not a liturgical practice. They’re already about to receive a blessing in a few minutes.

 

[prodigalson2011]

Anyway, here’s a statement from the Congregation on Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (emphasis on the first and last points):

1. The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.

1. Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; Canon 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus(1985), n. 18).

1. Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands — which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here — by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged

1. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastora any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry”. To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing. status of Catholics in good standing
   **
2. In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).**

 

[ProdigalSon1211]

Hi sorry I want to clear up something. I made a mistake when I originally typed up this post. At my parish we have Benediction right after First Friday Mass. The priest does not give blessings during First Friday Mass. However, during Benediction who ever desires to have a blessing can come up to do so. People fall in line similar to Holy Communion and the priest will bless people by making the sign of the cross over them while holding the Blessed Sacrament in his hand. This is what I meant to say and ask! Sorry for the confusion. Like I said, I have not been to confession in a very very very long time. I am definitely in mortal sin. What I want to know is it ok to get a blessing from the priest with the Blessed Sacrament if i am in mortal sin?

 

[ProdigalSon1211]

I actually went up for a blessing twice yesterday AFTER the First Friday Mass. I did not get any blessings during the First Friday Mass. I got 2 blessings during Benediction which is right after the First Friday Mass. I first went up for a St. Faustina blessing and then I went back again for a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament. I received both of these blessings in a state of mortal sin.

 

[TuAutem]

See Acts 9. If God did *not *pour out his blessings on those in a state of mortal sin, there would be no Catholics in the world today!

 

[prodigalson2011]

Hi sorry I want to clear up something. I made a mistake when I originally typed up this post. At my parish we have Benediction right after First Friday Mass. The priest does not give blessings during First Friday Mass. However, during Benediction who ever desires to have a blessing can come up to do so. People fall in line similar to Holy Communion and the priest will bless people by making the sign of the cross over them while holding the Blessed Sacrament in his hand. This is what I meant to say and ask! Sorry for the confusion. Like I said, I have not been to confession in a very very very long time. I am definitely in mortal sin. What I want to know is it ok to get a blessing from the priest with the Blessed Sacrament if i am in mortal sin?

Oh. Whenever I’ve gone to benediction, the blessing is always performed over the whole congregation. So, yes, you’re fine to receive it.

Though, again, I’m not sure about the individual blessing as part of the Benediction service.

 

[Veronica97]

ProdigalSon, why don’t you just go to Confession? I hadn’t been to confession in 7 or 8 years and I had a lot to confess, some of which was pretty embarrassing. I went to another parish to a priest who didn’t know me, and I confessed everything I could think of. Afterwards, it was like a “light” turned on, and suddenly I could see clearly–no more cloud of sin! I finally had the grace to begin to understand the Church teachings I had rejected before. You’ll receive many more blessings by going to Confession than you will by any other blessing. And then you can receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament again. There is nothing that compares to that in all the world. Just go. Jesus is waiting there for you with open arms.

 

[sowinskija]

I’d like to see a sorce for this claim. Those in mortal sin a those most in need of a blessing.

As I take my 4 dogs and 1 rat to the blessing of the animals this morning, should I first take them to confession to make sure none of them are in mortal sin?

You all seem to have trouble with spell check.

p.s. how can a rat commit mortal sin?