How late is too late?

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foreveradoreHim

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Hi family,

I spoke to my godmother today and she said that she shouldn’t have received Communion since she was so late for the Mass that she missed the Gospel. It wasn’t her fault though, as she was caring for her sick mother. The same thing happened to me last week. I had just come from Confession and run into someone who asked some questions that I had to answer. I was late to the Daily Mass upstairs even though it wasn’t my fault. I came in in the middle of the homily. I received at that Mass and again today. Is it a sin? Should I go to Confession before I receive our Lord again? (I was wondering whether or not to receive but I didn’t no for sure so I’d guess I wasn’t guilty of anything). What do you guys think?

Love,
Jonathan
 
You ought to ask your priest whether there was any mortal sin in receiving Holy Communion after having arrived late for Mass. I was taught that one ought not receive Holy Communion if one willfully misses the Gospel reading by tardiness. Apparently there are no hard and fast rulings on what parts of the Mass one may miss, but your priest will be the best guide.
 
I read elsewhere that there used to be a time limit, but they abolished it because it simply encouraged people to miss the beginning of the mass. So now there is no time limit.

However your grandmother probably grew up during the time that the rule was in force, and might be unaware of the change. You shouldn’t worry about it being a mortal sin, but obviously don’t make it a habit.
 
Stylites said:
You ought to ask your priest whether there was any mortal sin in receiving Holy Communion after having arrived late for Mass. I was taught that one ought not receive Holy Communion if one willfully misses the Gospel reading by tardiness. Apparently there are no hard and fast rulings on what parts of the Mass one may miss, but your priest will be the best guide.
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Receiving Communion has nothing to do with being late for Mass or not. A person in a state of grace may arrive at Church just in time to join the Communion line and receive.

As for fulfilling the Sunday obligation there is no teaching on what constitutes being too late or not.
 
thistle said:
Receiving Communion has nothing to do with being late for Mass or not. A person in a state of grace may arrive at Church just in time to join the Communion line and receive.

As for fulfilling the Sunday obligation there is no teaching on what constitutes being too late or not.
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I thought that the Gospel and Communion both had to be observed, recieved, or whichever term you wish to apply. I thought that was the criteria in order to satisfy your Sunday obligation was. I forget where I heard that though.
 
It’s okay to eat bread and drink wine which are body and blood of Christ respectively in a Catholic mass, even if you’re a Protestant.
 
foreveradoreHim said:
Hi family,

I spoke to my godmother today and she said that she shouldn’t have received Communion since she was so late for the Mass that she missed the Gospel. It wasn’t her fault though, as she was caring for her sick mother. The same thing happened to me last week. I had just come from Confession and run into someone who asked some questions that I had to answer. I was late to the Daily Mass upstairs even though it wasn’t my fault. I came in in the middle of the homily. I received at that Mass and again today. Is it a sin? Should I go to Confession before I receive our Lord again? (I was wondering whether or not to receive but I didn’t no for sure so I’d guess I wasn’t guilty of anything). What do you guys think?

Love,
Jonathan
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There is no obligation to attend daily Mass, therefore you can’t have committed a sin by being late.
Neo_The_One said:
It’s okay to eat bread and drink wine which are body and blood of Christ respectively in a Catholic mass, even if you’re a Protestant.
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No. That is not OK. First of all, they shouldn’t be receiving at all if they don’t believe it is actually the body and blood of Christ (St. Paul says woe to those who do not discern the body and blood). Also, the only people who should receive communion are those in communion with the Church who are in a state of grace. If you are not in communion with the Church (if you are not Catholic), then you shouldn’t be receiving.
 
thanks all, I learn new things each day in my new Catholic life!

And NO, even though we love Protestants, they’re not allowed to receive Communion at our Masses!
 
BornAgain2010 said:
I thought that the Gospel and Communion both had to be observed, recieved, or whichever term you wish to apply. I thought that was the criteria in order to satisfy your Sunday obligation was. I forget where I heard that though.
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The only obligation to receive Communion is once a year during the Easter period. While it is recommended we receive Communion regularly it is only required once a year.

To satisfy the Sunday Mass obligation you have to attend Mass either on Saturday evening or on Sunday.
In my view it is disrespectful to turn up late for Mass without any good reason but there is no teaching that you must be there by a certain time to fulfill the obligation.
 
foreveradoreHim said:
Hi family,

I spoke to my godmother today and she said that she shouldn’t have received Communion since she was so late for the Mass that she missed the Gospel. It wasn’t her fault though, as she was caring for her sick mother. The same thing happened to me last week. I had just come from Confession and run into someone who asked some questions that I had to answer. I was late to the Daily Mass upstairs even though it wasn’t my fault. I came in in the middle of the homily. I received at that Mass and again today. Is it a sin? Should I go to Confession before I receive our Lord again? (I was wondering whether or not to receive but I didn’t no for sure so I’d guess I wasn’t guilty of anything). What do you guys think?

Love,
Jonathan
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i was speaking to a priest yesterday on this very subject (being late for mass) and He said that the words of Consecration are the limit.
Neo_The_One said:
It’s okay to eat bread and drink wine which are body and blood of Christ respectively in a Catholic mass, even if you’re a Protestant.
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This is not what the Church teaches.
catholic.com/thisrock/quickquestions/keyword/Eucharist/page15 fifth question down

plus whats the point in receiving the Eucharist if the receiver is a protestant, they don’t believe in it and if they did they would probably cease to be protestant very quickly. To be outside of the Church knowingly is a mortal sin (i am almost certain) so to receive the Eucharist in such a state is obviously not a good idea (i think Paul speaks to this in 1 Corinthians 11 27-29).
 
HickmanJosh said:
i was speaking to a priest yesterday on this very subject (being late for mass) and He said that the words of Consecration are the limit.

This is not what the Church teaches.
catholic.com/thisrock/quickquestions/keyword/Eucharist/page15 fifth question down

plus whats the point in receiving the Eucharist if the receiver is a protestant, they don’t believe in it and if they did they would probably cease to be protestant very quickly. To be outside of the Church knowingly is a mortal sin (i am almost certain) so to receive the Eucharist in such a state is obviously not a good idea (i think Paul speaks to this in 1 Corinthians 11 27-29).
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I can see the logic in that but can you ask him to refer us to the Church document which states that. As far as I know the Church has no teaching that your obligation is not fulfilled if you turn up after the consecration. I can find nothing in the GIRM or Canon law to that effect.
 
Neo_The_One said:
It’s okay to eat bread and drink wine which are body and blood of Christ respectively in a Catholic mass, even if you’re a Protestant.
Click to expand...
no it is not, unless you have first been brought into full communion with the Catholic Church. For a baptized Christian with a good grounding in the faith and no other issues that is easily done. See the priest and welcome home. Jesus himself forms the community through is sacrifice and gift of self, and its reception is a sign of unity, which sadly has been broken in the tragic rift between various Christian denominations and the Church. So receiving the Sign of unity would not be allowed until the unity has been restored.
 
Many of us who follow the older discipline will not receive communion if we are late for Mass, i.e., after the penitential rite, and on a Sunday or holy day we would not consider our obligation fulfilled if we arrived after the gospel. But that is not a Church requirement (anymore), so we are not bound by it.
 
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