It is always a good thing to encourage people to live a holy life. This means staying close to Christ in the Sacraments and through prayer. However, there is also such a thing as an overkill. I think that we’re giving too much information from our own heads. It would be better to provide the information found in the authoritative documents of the Church, the CCC and Canon Law. When 10 people give 10 versions of what may be the same thing, but in different ways, it can be confusing, overwhelming and even frightening. God wants us to repent, not to panic or despair of his mercy.
Every Catholic and Orthodox is bound to attend mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, barring those times where for reasons of health, safety (such as bad roads) or charity (caring for a sick person) it is impossible.
Suffice it to say what the CCC and Canon Law say: **2192 “Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church” (CIC, can. 1246 § 1). “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (CIC, can. 1247). **
Now let’s look at mortal sin. ** 1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.”**
Now let’s look at what we should know regarding the Eucharist. ** 1395 By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church.**
Our obligation is to encourage each other to follow these teachings, not to frighten people or to tell them that they can do whatever they want. Both extremes are presumptuous on our part. Because we are neither Christ nor the ecclesial authorities, we cannot make a judgment about the state of a soul, nor can we go in the other direction and excuse people from what are objective obligations.
Let us simply provide the information and allow the person to think about it and use it according to his or her conscience. It’s important that we inform, but that we remain objective as well.
If one believes that he or she is in a state of mortal sin he or she should make an act of contrition and resolve to go to confession as soon as it is possible, that may be the next Saturday or by appointment.
This is all the information a person needs to this question.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
