Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin

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Alan79

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Hello all, I’m feeling very worried here. I attended the mass of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary tonight and I recently became an extra ordinary minister. I don’t know about other parishes, but the normal practice of selecting extra ordinary ministers occurs about 15 mins before mass begins to ensure all who are asked are in a state of grace and therefore capable of their service to the Church. I wasn’t asked tonight getting to the Church 5 minutes before mass begun so I thought I wasn’t selected and I do need to go to Confession as I am in a state of mortal sin. As such, I obviously couldn’t receive the Eucharist and had no intention to but I was beckoned by the alter server during the middle of mass to to be the extra ordinary minister which I wasn’t expecting. I couldn’t refuse and all that was going through my mind was “Lord, please forgive me”. I know I definitely need to get to confession as soon as possible but is there anything else I can do right now? I can’t feel any worse than I already do.
 
Did you receive? As a EMHC I can’t see how you couldn’t. I would get to confession as soon as possible, both for the first mortal sin and for the sin of receiving while not in a state of grace.
 
I can’t offer much guidance as to what you can do in the meantime, but I will be praying for the sake of your soul. 🙏
 
I wasn’t able to go to confession today so I went in the choir loft so as not to be tempted to receive Our Lord unworthily.

Excerpt from the Divine Liturgy:

"I believe, O Lord, and profess that Thou art truly Christ, the Son of the Living God, (Matt. 16: 16-18), Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. (1 Tim. 1: 15)

Of Thy Mystical Supper make a partaker this day, O Son of God, for I will not tell the mystery to Thine enemies, nor will I give Thee a kiss as did Judas, (Matt. 26: 46-50) but like the thief I profess to Thee:

+Remember me, O Lord, when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom. (Luke 23: 43)

+Remember me, O Master, when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom.

+Remember me, O Holy One, when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom.

Not for judgement nor for condemnation be for me the partaking of these, Thy Holy Mysteries, O Lord, but for the healing of my body and soul. (1 Cor. 11: 23-32)

+O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Lk. 18: 13)
+O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me.
+I have sinned without number; forgive me O Lord.

Sadly, there have been times when I received Our Lord unworthily. I never had peace until I went to confession.

If someone tries to rationalize it by saying something like “Oh it’s ok; God understands.”, please show them the Scripture verses cited here.

Yes, God understands that we’re human, but Our Lord told one of the saints (sorry, the name escapes me now) that there is no punishment on earth sufficient to atone for one unworthy Holy Communion!

Your sensus Fidei is right on so don’t let anyone lessen your reverence for Our Lord.
 
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Margaret_Ann said:
Yes, God understands that we’re human, but Our Lord told one of the saints (sorry, the name escapes me now) that there is no punishment on earth sufficient to atone for one unworthy Holy Communion!
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I second this. I often feel like my faith can be quite “fire and brimstone” but in the case of world over afterlife, it pretty much needs to be that way.
 
You don’t have to receive if you are an extraordinary minister. And you don’t have to be in a state of grace to serve as one.

-Fr ACEGC
 
Here is some food for thought.

Do you think that Jesus had the apostles go to confession before the last supper? Were all of them free from mortal sin at the first Eucharist?

I don’t mean to detract from your post, but sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on some things, when the emphasis when receiving communion might ought to be the healing power of the Body and Blood of Christ himself.
 
Food for thought, but not really good food, I would say. I mean this in all charity and in the interest of doing my job of shepherding souls.

Wanting to go to communion with a clean conscience is not an excessive emphasis on some things, it is what is required of us. If we receive unworthily, with mortal sin on our souls, then that sin not only stands in the way of us receiving the graces of the sacrament, it hurts us to receive. If our interior disposition is one that is not turned toward God, it is actually bad for us to receive communion. See what St. Paul has to say on the matter in 1 Corinthians 11.

I do think some people can get too hung up on sin, and especially hung up on thinking everything is a mortal sin. The answer is not to become excessively disinterested in sin and in the state of our soul. Virtue does not swing the pendulum to the opposite extreme, it finds the middle ground. We must not become obsessed with sin, but we must also ensure we receive worthily.

-Fr ACEGC
 
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Since we are all members of one body does one member receiving unworthily also harm all Catholics?
 
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farronwolf said:
Here is some food for thought.

Do you think that Jesus had the apostles go to confession before the last supper? Were all of them free from mortal sin at the first Eucharist?

I don’t mean to detract from your post, but sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on some things, when the emphasis when receiving communion might ought to be the healing power of the Body and Blood of Christ himself.
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I understand where you’re coming from and have had priests tell me this exact thing shockingly. I’m not one to talk because I’m not educated in the specifics, but I do know from standard practice that this is absolutely not a good thing to do EVER. (Sorry for the aggressive emphasis). Jesus does heal us through the Eucharist, that is true, but we can still receive healing in a state of grace because we need it then too. What DOES heal us from sin is the sacrament of reconciliation. You have to apply what’s appropriate at the time.
 
I am in no way saying that one should receive communion when they aren’t prepared to receive communion, please don’t take it that way.

1 Cor says a lot. Should be follow the hair guidelines, and veils? Not really something that is adhered to in modern society, but plainly spelled out in the passage which your referred to.

I am thinking you were referring to the following specifically:

So it is the Lord’s death that you are heralding, whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, until he comes. 27 And therefore, if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, he will be held to account for the Lord’s body and blood. 28 A man must examine himself first, and then eat of that bread and drink of that cup; 29 he is eating and drinking damnation to himself if he eats and drinks unworthily, not recognizing the Lord’s body for what it is.[7] 30 That is why many of your number want strength and health, and not a few have died.[8] 31 If we recognized our own fault, we should not incur these judgements; 32 as it is, the Lord judges us and chastises us, so that we may not incur, as this world incurs, damnation. 33 So, brethren, when you assemble to eat together, wait for one another; 34 those who are hungry had best eat at home, for fear that your meeting should bring you condemnation. The other questions I will settle when I come.[9]

We must recognize that we are in fact receiving the Body and Blood of Christ himself. We must recognize our shortcomings, which all of us being human have.
 
When I used to be an Emhc I also received altar server summons which I didn’t mind then. I remember bringing up the subject of what an Emhc does if conscious of a grave sin and I was nearly lynched for it. This was at the Emhc training event. They never heard of grave sin before and they didn’t want to then.
I gave up emhcing about two years ago as I no longer believe lay people should be on the sanctuary and no way should they be handling the body of Christ.
I hope you can get to Confession and regain peace as you were put in a very difficult position. You may come to the same conclusion I did about this activity.
 
farronwolf said:
I am in no way saying that one should receive communion when they aren’t prepared to receive communion, please don’t take it that way.
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It’s difficult to read your previous post as saying otherwise, but I’ll take your word for it.
farronwolf said:
Should be follow the hair guidelines, and veils? Not really something that is adhered to in modern society, but plainly spelled out in the passage which your referred to.
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There is a difference between moral and ceremonial law. It is always and everywhere wrong to receive communion in a state of mortal sin. It is not always and everywhere wrong for women to go without a veil in Church.
farronwolf said:
We must recognize that we are in fact receiving the Body and Blood of Christ himself. We must recognize our shortcomings, which all of us being human have
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Certainly. And if those shortcomings rise to the level of mortal sin, then we should recognize them in confession and receive forgiveness and healing. To receive communion in that state will not heal us. St Paul and the consistent tradition of the Church make that clear.
 
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