Grape juice and buns

[saurav]

Besides attending Holy Mass,I also take part in services at a Protestant (“inter-denominational”) community.
Today they had the monthly Communion Sunday and since I sing with the “worship leaders” every Sunday Service,I was also there.They partook of the grape juice and bun and it was offered to me.I took the communion,telling myself,“There is nothing more than bread and juice in it anyway…it would both be idiotic and rude to refuse…”
After the Service,I was supposed to go over for Mass;but I didn’t,for reasons you can guess.I have absolutely no intention of even momentarily turning my back on the Holy Church.
Please tell me if I was wrong; and if so,why?What difference does it make at all?

 

[catherine_m]

I wouldn’t have taken it because even though it is only bread and juice it is what it represents symbolically that makes it wrong to take it, as a Roman Catholic who believes that at a Roman Catholic Mass the bread and wine is Consecrated by the Priest into the Body and Blood of Christ. You were partaking in an invalid communion.
By the way you said you didn’t go over to the Mass for reasons you can guess. What are those reasons?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Besides attending Holy Mass,I also take part in services at a Protestant (“inter-denominational”) community.
Today they had the monthly Communion Sunday and since I sing with the “worship leaders” every Sunday Service,I was also there.They partook of the grape juice and bun and it was offered to me.I took the communion,telling myself,“There is nothing more than bread and juice in it anyway…it would both be idiotic and rude to refuse…”
After the Service,I was supposed to go over for Mass;but I didn’t,for reasons you can guess.I have absolutely no intention of even momentarily turning my back on the Holy Church.
Please tell me if I was wrong; and if so,why?What difference does it make at all?

A Catholic is forbidden to participate in the Lord’s Supper in non-Catholic Communities. A Catholic is not “in communion with them”, and for that simple reason doing so would symbolize a unity that does not exist.

 

[saurav]

I did not go over to attend Mass because I felt I had done something wrong;also,since I had no clue about what the Catechism teaches,I thought I might as well find out if it qualifies as “sin” before seeking Confession.
Was that a sin essentially? Should I confess it at all or may I approach the Eucharist tomorrow morning?
Thank u for all the guidance.God Bless all of you out there!

 

[Joan_M]

I did not go over to attend Mass because I felt I had done something wrong;also,since I had no clue about what the Catechism teaches,I thought I might as well find out if it qualifies as “sin” before seeking Confession.
Was that a sin essentially? Should I confess it at all or may I approach the Eucharist tomorrow morning?
Thank u for all the guidance.God Bless all of you out there!

Saurav, you are always obliged to go to Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation regardless of whether you are in a state of grace or not. Not going to Mass without good reason is another grave sin.

If you believe you are not in a state of grace, go to Mass anyway but do not receive Holy Communion.

We are rapidly approaching Lent. It would be a very good Lenten exercise for you to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or, if that is too much (the language can be difficult to easily read), purchase the Compendium of the Catechism and read that.

As a Catholic you owe it to yourself to know as much as is possible about the faith in which you believe so as to live it better.

 

[1ke]

Not only should you not partake of any “communion” at this service, you also should not be participating in it on a regular basis as you are and certainly NOT as a “worship leader” singing in the front with them.

I recommend you get a copy of, or read online, the Papal Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia which goes into detail on this.

You should go to Mass but refrain from the Eucharist until you have had an opportunity to go to Confession and discuss this with your priest.

From the Encyclical:

The Catholic faithful, therefore, while respecting the religious convictions of these separated brethren, must refrain from receiving the communion distributed in their celebrations, so as not to condone an ambiguity about the nature of the Eucharist and, consequently, to fail in their duty to bear clear witness to the truth. This would result in slowing the progress being made towards full visible unity. Similarly,** it is unthinkable to substitute for Sunday Mass ecumenical celebrations of the word or services of common prayer with Christians from the aforementioned Ecclesial Communities, or even participation in their own liturgical services. **Such celebrations and services, however praiseworthy in certain situations, prepare for the goal of full communion, including Eucharistic communion, but they cannot replace it.

 

[bpbasilphx]

.I have absolutely no intention of even momentarily turning my back on the Holy Church.

But by the very act of receiving Protesrant pseud-communion, that’s EXACTLY what you did: turned your back on the Holy Church.

 

[anamchara]

I did not go over to attend Mass because I felt I had done something wrong;also,since I had no clue about what the Catechism teaches,I thought I might as well find out if it qualifies as “sin” before seeking Confession.
Was that a sin essentially? Should I confess it at all or may I approach the Eucharist tomorrow morning?
Thank u for all the guidance.God Bless all of you out there!

Take heart saurav, the best thing to do if you are unsure is go and talk to your priest. Don’t ever feel you can’t bring these concerns to your priest. It concerns me that you would come on here instead of doing this. If your not sure if something is a sin take it to confession anyway, it’s always better to play it safe. you obviously care very deeply for your own faith or you wouldn’t have come in here. God Bless you.

.I have absolutely no intention of even momentarily turning my back on the Holy Church.

** But by the very act of receiving Protesrant pseud-communion, that’s EXACTLY what you did: turned your back on the Holy Church.**

Oh sheesh, dial it back. no need to hit someone over the head when they are already obviously remorseful.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I did not go over to attend Mass because I felt I had done something wrong;also,since I had no clue about what the Catechism teaches,I thought I might as well find out if it qualifies as “sin” before seeking Confession.
Was that a sin essentially? Should I confess it at all or may I approach the Eucharist tomorrow morning?
Thank u for all the guidance.God Bless all of you out there!

Not following the directive of the Church would be a sin, however not knowing the directive of the Church it would be hard to intentionally disregard it. Serious sin requires intention.

 

[Anthony02]

I did not go over to attend Mass because I felt I had done something wrong;also,since I had no clue about what the Catechism teaches,I thought I might as well find out if it qualifies as “sin” before seeking Confession.
Was that a sin essentially? Should I confess it at all or may I approach the Eucharist tomorrow morning?
Thank u for all the guidance.God Bless all of you out there!

Well yes it is a sin. In order for it to be a mortal sin, it needs to meet the three criteria: it has to be grave sin, you need to know it’s a grave sin, and you need to choose to do so by your own free will. Seeing as you didn’t know, you may not be in the state of mortal sin. Now you know its a serious sin because of what we believe about the Eucharist and what they believe. They may believe it’s just grape juice and a bun, but in the sacrifice of the Mass, the wine and the bread truly become Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It isn’t rude to refuse. If they don’t understand why you don’t recieve their communion, that’s not your concern.

You should never skip Mass. That is something you should know. Regardless of whether you can recieve, you still recieve grace through the Mass and are able to recieve graces even without recieving the Eucharist.

I would speak with a priest about the situation anyway. If nothing else, to become more knowledgeable in our Catholic faith. Don’t worry about not knowing your faith as well as you would hope, nobody knows everything there is to know about our faith. God Bless.

 

[FrCorey]

Juice and Buns?
snacks don’t belong in mass, eat afterwards.
the Lord will come when asked to, but he won’t transform juice and buns into his blood and body. so basicly it is still plain food. and use napkins.
wow, whats next, donuts and soda? Behold! the snack of the Lord…

 

[Anthony02]

Not only should you not partake of any “communion” at this service, you also should not be participating in it on a regular basis as you are and certainly NOT as a “worship leader” singing in the front with them.

I recommend you get a copy of, or read online, the Papal Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia which goes into detail on this.

You should go to Mass but refrain from the Eucharist until you have had an opportunity to go to Confession and discuss this with your priest.

From the Encyclical:

The Catholic faithful, therefore, while respecting the religious convictions of these separated brethren, must refrain from receiving the communion distributed in their celebrations, so as not to condone an ambiguity about the nature of the Eucharist and, consequently, to fail in their duty to bear clear witness to the truth. This would result in slowing the progress being made towards full visible unity. Similarly,** it is unthinkable to substitute for Sunday Mass ecumenical celebrations of the word or services of common prayer with Christians from the aforementioned Ecclesial Communities, or even participation in their own liturgical services. **Such celebrations and services, however praiseworthy in certain situations, prepare for the goal of full communion, including Eucharistic communion, but they cannot replace it.

I agree wholeheartedly. You should not be going to protestant services regularly and certainly shouldn’t be leading them in worship. That send mixed signals to your Catholic brothers and sisters and your protestant brothers and sisters. What doctrine do you believe? If you believe the teachings of the Catholic Church, the Mass has everything you need. Protestants don’t agree with our teachings and decided to separate themselves from us. We should be reaching out to them through quality eccumenism, but to hopefully draw them back to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Get involved with your Catholic parish and leave behind the protestant church you went to. There is so many ways to do this. Sing in the choir, volunteer your time in the community, join a (Catholic) Bible Study. I urge you to read more about your faith, especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church. God Bless.

 

[MargaretCortona]

You should not be going to protestant services regularly and certainly shouldn’t be leading them in worship. That send mixed signals to your Catholic brothers and sisters and your protestant brothers and sisters. What doctrine do you believe?

I must gently disagree with Anthony02 on this. There are many loyal Catholics who assist in various ways in Protestant church services. I know many Catholics who do or have participated in Protestant services as organists, paid singers, etc. It’s a job - not much different from one of their members who works for the Catholic Church in a social service capacity. I used to go to early mass at my parish, then drive across town to a Protestant church to sing in their choir (where the organist and one other paid member of the choir were also Catholic). We of course did not receive communion there, and frequently took advantage of opportunities to explain our own faith.

My advice to the OP would be to go on to mass today - not necessarily to receive communion if you haven’t had a chance to go to confession - and then talk to a priest. If you are going to continue participating in the Protestant services, it is all the more important to be very knowledgeable about your own faith. Read some modern apologetics material - the best might be material by converts from the particular denomination whose services you are attending, to really understand the differences and how to talk to people of that denomination about your own faith. You don’t want to be argumentative there, but you do want to know how to answer questions or challenges that may arise in an accurate, faithful and loving way.

 

[japhy]

I did the same thing a year or so ago, twice. Then I read about it and realized I had sinned. It was during a time when I was “checking out” other Christian communities to see how they worshiped, how it was different from Catholic worship, how it was similar, etc. I shared in the communion of two other ecclesial communities. In my zeal, I thought I was being like St. Paul (cf. 1 Cor 9:19ff) but in truth, I was sinning against the true Holy Communion.

 

[Anthony02]

I must gently disagree with Anthony02 on this. There are many loyal Catholics who assist in various ways in Protestant church services. I know many Catholics who do or have participated in Protestant services as organists, paid singers, etc. It’s a job - not much different from one of their members who works for the Catholic Church in a social service capacity. I used to go to early mass at my parish, then drive across town to a Protestant church to sing in their choir (where the organist and one other paid member of the choir were also Catholic). We of course did not receive communion there, and frequently took advantage of opportunities to explain our own faith.

My advice to the OP would be to go on to mass today - not necessarily to receive communion if you haven’t had a chance to go to confession - and then talk to a priest. If you are going to continue participating in the Protestant services, it is all the more important to be very knowledgeable about your own faith. Read some modern apologetics material - the best might be material by converts from the particular denomination whose services you are attending, to really understand the differences and how to talk to people of that denomination about your own faith. You don’t want to be argumentative there, but you do want to know how to answer questions or challenges that may arise in an accurate, faithful and loving way.

Oh good, I’m so glad that you would support the Protestant church stay protestant and even build them up through music. I don’t care if they do pay you, you are Catholic or you are not Catholic. You cannot have it both ways. It is rediculous that you would give of your time and talents in the protestant church that pays rather than in the Catholic Church which is the One true Church.

 

[VietCatholic83]

.I have absolutely no intention of even momentarily turning my back on the Holy Church.

But by the very act of receiving Protesrant pseud-communion, that’s EXACTLY what you did: turned your back on the Holy Church.

Seriously, no need to make this poster feel bad. It was an honest mistake. Now the OP knows more about it. Let’s try to practice some Christian charity here with the Lent approaching.

 

[anamchara]

Juice and Buns?
snacks don’t belong in mass, eat afterwards.
the Lord will come when asked to, but he won’t transform juice and buns into his blood and body. so basicly it is still plain food. and use napkins.
wow, whats next, donuts and soda? Behold! the snack of the Lord…

This isn’t funny, it’s demeaning toward our separate brethren. I was a Protestant. Communion Sunday was a very spiritually profound experience. Regardless if you think it was “just plain food” for some people it means much more. I doubt you would like showing up on a Protestant board and reading some of the demeaning things they say about us. Let’s show some Christian charity.

 

[lizaanne]

This isn’t funny, it’s demeaning toward our separate brethren. I was a Protestant. Communion Sunday was a very spiritually profound experience. Regardless if you think it was “just plain food” for some people it means much more. I doubt you would like showing up on a Protestant board and reading some of the demeaning things they say about us. Let’s show some Christian charity.

What is demeaning about telling the truth? It’s not Jesus, so therefore it is only just food. As I told someone this weekend at a birthday party we went to - regardless of what YOU get out of it, it’s still just oyster crackers and grape juice.

I’m not about to sugar coat reality for a lapsed Catholic (the woman at the party, not the OP). Christian Charity means getting them to heaven - not giving them a warm fuzzy about their juice and buns.

~Liza

 

[FrCorey]

What is demeaning about telling the truth? It’s not Jesus, so therefore it is only just food. As I told someone this weekend at a birthday party we went to - regardless of what YOU get out of it, it’s still just oyster crackers and grape juice.

I’m not about to sugar coat reality for a lapsed Catholic (the woman at the party, not the OP). Christian Charity means getting them to heaven - not giving them a warm fuzzy about their juice and buns.

~Liza

I think they mean, we should have respect for other
religions. even thou it’s wrong in ours.

 

[lizaanne]

I think they mean, we should have respect for other
religions. even thou it’s wrong in ours.

While I certainly respect the person - I in no way respect the belief.

From a web search (definition of resepct):

• esteem: the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded); “it is held in esteem”; “a man who has earned high regard”
• an attitude of admiration or esteem; “she lost all respect for him”
• deference: a courteous expression (by word or deed) of esteem or regard; “his deference to her wishes was very flattering”; “be sure to give my respects to the dean”
• obedience: behavior intended to please your parents; “their children were never very strong on obedience”; “he went to law school out of respect for his father’s wishes”
• regard: a feeling of friendship and esteem; “she mistook his manly regard for love”; “he inspires respect”
• regard highly; think much of; “I respect his judgement”; “We prize his creativity”

I do not esteem false teaching, nor do I have admiration for it. I will not give deference to it, nor will I ever be obedient to it. I have little regard for false teaching, therefore I do not respect it.

I am respectful of the person - I have never defamed anyone personally in any way. But I refuse to be respectful of false teaching simply because it is politically correct. To do so is misleading and disingenuous at best.

~Liza