How to tell friends why I am not receiving the Holy Eucharist

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hamburglar

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Okay, so I will not be receiving the Body and Blood this Sunday because I am in a state of mortal sin and I need to go to Confession. Now I am a freshman at a Roman Catholic college right now, so I go to the Mass here on campus on Sundays, and sometimes I ride the bus across town to go to the Tridentine Mass as well as the campus one. When I go to the Mass on campus, I sit with friends and other classmates. This has happened before, and people asked me why I didn’t receive the Eucharist. I told them that I didn’t feel worthy. If I tell them that I am in a state of mortal sin and have not gone to Confession, I fear that they may misunderstand that. Many people misunderstand mortal sin, and think that means when you do REALLY bad stuff such as killing somebody or committing rape.

What should I tell them when they ask why I am not receiving the Eucharist?
 
It’s none of their business and that’s probably what I would tell them.

But perhaps you could accidentally on purpose break the Communion fast and tell them you’ve done so? (difficult I know but not impossible)
 
First of all, get thee to confession at the first possible moment. You said that you go to a Catholic college; surely then there is a priest on campus that you can get to asap? When is confessin scheduled on campus? If none scheduled for a while, can you call a priest and make an appointment?

Sencondly, it is none of your friends business why you don’t go to confession. If they press you, then just kindly and gently tell them to myob.

Praying for you, btw.🙂
 
mommyof4 said:
First of all, get thee to confession at the first possible moment. You said that you go to a Catholic college; surely then there is a priest on campus that you can get to asap? When is confessin scheduled on campus? If none scheduled for a while, can you call a priest and make an appointment?

Sencondly, it is none of your friends business why you don’t go to confession. If they press you, then just kindly and gently tell them to myob.

Praying for you, btw.🙂
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Well, I committed the sin yesterday, and the only time available for confession is mondays and wednesdays at 4:00 before 4:30 mass. There is not a monday or wednesday before tomorrow, so that’s not possible. Unfortuneatly, we don’t even have a permanent priest that says the masses. It changes every time 😦

Thank you for praying for me.
 
hamburglar said:
Well, I committed the sin yesterday, and the only time available for confession is mondays and wednesdays at 4:00 before 4:30 mass. There is not a monday or wednesday before tomorrow, so that’s not possible. Unfortuneatly, we don’t even have a permanent priest that says the masses. It changes every time 😦

Thank you for praying for me.
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Can you get to a parish that has confession before Sunday mass?
 
hamburglar said:
Okay, so I will not be receiving the Body and Blood this Sunday because I am in a state of mortal sin and I need to go to Confession. Now I am a freshman at a Roman Catholic college right now, so I go to the Mass here on campus on Sundays, and sometimes I ride the bus across town to go to the Tridentine Mass as well as the campus one. When I go to the Mass on campus, I sit with friends and other classmates. This has happened before, and people asked me why I didn’t receive the Eucharist. I told them that I didn’t feel worthy. If I tell them that I am in a state of mortal sin and have not gone to Confession, I fear that they may misunderstand that. Many people misunderstand mortal sin, and think that means when you do REALLY bad stuff such as killing somebody or committing rape.

What should I tell them when they ask why I am not receiving the Eucharist?
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I’d tell my friends that it was none of their business; a more charitable way may be that it is between God and you and leave it at that.

Peace be with you,

Kelly
 
You could say that your are upset, and afraid that you cannot hold anything down.

It is very sad that you feel that you must respond to rude questions. Maybe just do not answer, and they will get the message that their question is out of order.

God bless you.

Lux
 
Hamburglar:

I have had the misfortune of being in the same situation. I made it a point to drink a cup of coffee right before Mass. Then, should anyone ask, I could truthfully say I had not fasted for the appropriate amount of time.

The more important matter, though, is that of confession. I have gone into the sacristy before Mass and simply said to Father, “Do you have time to hear my confession before Mass?” I have never been refused. Father knows the seriousness of mortal sin, and can appreciate your desire to receive Our Lord. I’m sure most priests would accomodate you. I know it seems an embarassing ordeal, and I have felt the same way. I offered the unpleasant emotions as part of my penance in reparation for the particular sin.

Hope that helps.
 
Servulus said:
Hamburglar:

I have had the misfortune of being in the same situation. I made it a point to drink a cup of coffee right before Mass. Then, should anyone ask, I could truthfully say I had not fasted for the appropriate amount of time.

The more important matter, though, is that of confession. I have gone into the sacristy before Mass and simply said to Father, “Do you have time to hear my confession before Mass?” I have never been refused. Father knows the seriousness of mortal sin, and can appreciate your desire to receive Our Lord. I’m sure most priests would accomodate you. I know it seems an embarassing ordeal, and I have felt the same way. I offered the unpleasant emotions as part of my penance in reparation for the particular sin.

Hope that helps.
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Good idea. Or even if he doesn’t have time before mass, you could ask him right after mass. You still wouldn’t be able to go to communion, but you could at least be returned to a state of grace.
 
Servulus said:
Hamburglar:

I have had the misfortune of being in the same situation. I made it a point to drink a cup of coffee right before Mass. Then, should anyone ask, I could truthfully say I had not fasted for the appropriate amount of time.

The more important matter, though, is that of confession. I have gone into the sacristy before Mass and simply said to Father, “Do you have time to hear my confession before Mass?” I have never been refused. Father knows the seriousness of mortal sin, and can appreciate your desire to receive Our Lord. I’m sure most priests would accomodate you. I know it seems an embarassing ordeal, and I have felt the same way. I offered the unpleasant emotions as part of my penance in reparation for the particular sin.

Hope that helps.
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Both are good ideas.

Tomorrow, I will go to the Tridentine Mass and just not receive Communion. I am actually a Sacristan for the campus Mass tomorrow, so hopefully I will get to ask the Priest for confession so I can hopefully receive Communion for that mass.
 
hamburglar said:
Both are good ideas.

Tomorrow, I will go to the Tridentine Mass and just not receive Communion. I am actually a Sacristan for the campus Mass tomorrow, so hopefully I will get to ask the Priest for confession so I can hopefully receive Communion for that mass.
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You do that! I’m going to pray that the Holy Spirit removes all roadblocks to your confession tomorrow! 🙂
 
I have been known to ask the priest before Mass to hear my confession, too. No priest has ever turned me down. I encourage you to get there early, before the priest gets busy, and ask him. I’m glad you know NOT to receive unworthily. I confessed that once (unworthy reception) and the confessor said he didn’t think it was any big deal. After all, he said, Jesus wouldn’t turn me away. I was horrified. Another priest told me NEVER to receive the Eucharist if I was in a state of mortal sin, which is the true Church teaching. Not long ago, I was playing the piano at Mass in a convent and I could not receive Holy Communion because I had sinned the night before and the priest arrived very last minute so there was no time to ask him to hear my confession before Mass. Yes, it was embarrassing not to receive since I usually lead the Communion procession so I can get back to the piano to play. However, I just couldn’t commit a sacrilege, knowing I couldn’t rationalize my sinning and then receive Our Lord. I asked the priest after Mass if I could go to Confession and he graciously obliged me. Blessedly, that day, I had another opportunity to receive because I was playing at a funeral.
 
You can always use this as an opportunity to witness to them the meaning of mortal sin, Confession, and the seriousness of receiving Communion with mortal sin on the soul. If they think mortal is just the bad stuff such as murder and what not, maybe it’s time they learned the truth? Would it really be too much trouble to say “I committed the sin of “___” (you can be very generic about it) which is a mortal sin so therefore I need to go to Confession before receiving Communion because THAT is a Mortal sin itself”?

You’re not obligated to of course. I just think it could show that you take your faith very seriously, that mortal sin is not for just the “REALLY bad stuff”, that confession of mortal sins is very important before receivng and why.

Or you can take the easy way out and tell them as nice as possible to MTOB.

It’s just that too many Catholics don’t know what mortal sin is, that it’s not just for the “REALLY bad stuff”, and that receiving Communion before confessing mortal sin is a mortal sin itself.

BTW, I just did this last Sunday. When asked why I wasn’t seen getting Communion, I said, “Because I missed Mass the last few weeks, which is a Mortal sin and since I didn’t confess it yet, I’m to refrain.”

Tabitha
 
uh-oh, I just remembered that I am taking my mother to the Tridentine Mass tomorrow. I won’t be able to receive there either, but now I must face my mom. What should I tell her? I don’t wanna say mind your own business to her…
 
hamburglar said:
uh-oh, I just remembered that I am taking my mother to the Tridentine Mass tomorrow. I won’t be able to receive there either, but now I must face my mom. What should I tell her? I don’t wanna say mind your own business to her…
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Does your mother understand better than your friends do?

You might explain to her beforehand, and avoid the trouble.
 
Perhaps you could say something along the lines of, “I need to go to confession first. I’m not going to compound my sin by receiving unworthily, and I want to set a good example for others so they won’t feel weird if they don’t receive for whatever reason.” They can’t argue with that! And if anyone asks what your sin was, you can always jokingly tell them that you murdered somebody who asked what your sins were. 😉
 
I recently prepared myself to answer that question. My wife has been formally exploring entering the Church and has been attending Mass with me. For two weeks I did not receive because although I did not believe myself to be guilty of a specific mortal sin, certain deficiencies in charity led me to consider my disposition inappropriate to the Sacrament. So that’s what I would have told my wife, or anyone else who asked: I was not properly disposed.

JSA+
 
hamburglar said:
uh-oh, I just remembered that I am taking my mother to the Tridentine Mass tomorrow. I won’t be able to receive there either, but now I must face my mom. What should I tell her? I don’t wanna say mind your own business to her…
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Just say what you have told us and then resolve to go to Confession at the earliest opportunity. I can understand maybe your mother asking, but for the life of me I cannot understand anyone being so bold as to ask.

Good luck and God Bless…
:heart:Blyss
 
Make sure that you are behind your mother and go up during communion and receive a blessing. Your mother will not even turn around to see. Just cross your hands over your chest. It is that simple.
 
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