How late can you be and not be late for Mass?

[Subiaco]

I attended High Mass last week and I have a question. I arrived early and had to leave and return home for something I needed to get my 2 year old through Mass. I got back about 5 minutes before the Homily. How late is too late to take Communion or have to go to Confession to say that I missed Mass?

Thank You!

Subiaco

 

[sw85]

I attended High Mass last week and I have a question. I arrived early and had to leave and return home for something I needed to get my 2 year old through Mass. I got back about 5 minutes before the Homily. How late is too late to take Communion or have to go to Confession to say that I missed Mass?

Thank You!

Subiaco

My understanding is that the obligation is such that you must be physically present inside the Church at the start of the offertory. Could be wrong, though.

 

[sw85]

Here’s a useful answer from Ask an Apologist: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=13499

Prior to Vatican II, the common catechesis was that a person had to be present for the Offertory, Consecration, and Communion, or one had not fulfilled the Mass obligation and was required to go to another Mass. While a noble attempt to get people to church on time by giving them the time at which they were late, it had two unforeseen effects:

Those with freer consciences would arrive after the start of the Mass, knowing that as long as they got there on time for the Offertory all was well. Although I am a post-Vatican-II convert myself, I have been told by pre-Vatican-II Catholics that it was not unusual for people to walk in after the Mass began but before the Offertory started.

Those with tender consciences suffered deeply from scruples and would believe themselves in a state of mortal sin even though their tardiness to Mass was entirely out of their control (e.g., the car broke down; road hazards slowed down traffic; etc.).

Both of these conditions were unhealthy, and following Vatican II the cut-off point of the Offertory was dropped. Another reason that contributed to that was the elevation of the liturgy of the word and the homily to their modern importance in the Mass.

Basically, the Church wants us to be there for the full Mass: . . .

If there is just cause for being late to a particular Mass, one has still met one’s Sunday obligation (and can receive Communion), but being late should not become a habit. If there is not just cause, one may still have met the Sunday obligation but the fact that one has not treated the Mass as a serious and holy event to which one should be prompt might be a matter to consider during an examination of conscience. If the matter is not mortally sinful because of lack of full knowledge or lack of free consent, one can still receive Communion. Because there is no longer a cut-off point after which you are late for Mass, the temptation to regularly budget one’s time around the Offertory and skid into the pew just as it begins is removed.

When considering the question, our primary concern should be to be present for the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. Those who were present that day two thousand years ago gathered around their Lord as quickly as they could and stayed with him throughout his agony, praying and suffering as well. Two thousand years later, we owe our Lord no less devotion than our forefathers and foremothers in the faith gave him then.

So, I guess there is no longer any firm obligation to be present at any particular point. Just do your best to get there before mass starts.

 

[Subiaco]

Thank you very much for this! I appreciate it very much!

Now when something has happened and I get there a little late, I know that I can still recieve my Lord fills my heart with joy!

I am still not making this a habit!

God Bless!

Subiaco

 

[tradcathusa]

Here is the rule. You have the obligation to hear the whole mass, but you must be present from the offetory to the communion of the priest within the same mass. Our pastor just read us the riot act over this exact question.

 

[sw85]

Here is the rule. You have the obligation to hear the whole mass, but you must be present from the offetory to the communion of the priest within the same mass. Our pastor just read us the riot act over this exact question.

I’m guessing traditional Catholics probably still abide by this rule. It appears to have been effaced in the rest of the Church, though.

 

[thistle]

I attended High Mass last week and I have a question. I arrived early and had to leave and return home for something I needed to get my 2 year old through Mass. I got back about 5 minutes before the Homily. How late is too late to take Communion or have to go to Confession to say that I missed Mass?

Thank You!

Subiaco

Do not confuse the two issues of fulfilling your Sunday obligation and receiving Communion.

If you are in a state of grace you could actually get to Church and walk directly into the Communion line and receive Communion. Now in my view that probably would not fulfill your Sunday Mass obligation but that is a totally separate issue from receiving Communion.
With regard to the Sunday obligation the problem about trying to determine what is too late or not is that the Church has never documented this. All the Church says is that you must participate in the Mass without defining what is too late. You will hear lots of opinions but I bet nobody can produce a Church document on this.