Is it okay to take Holy Communion only and not attend a Weekday Mass?

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Pythagoras

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If I am walking by a Catholic Church and I can see that it is Holy Communion time, can I walk inside the Church and take the Holy Communion without even having attended the Holy Mass from the beginning?
 
At St. Peter’s church in Chicago, the Franciscans used to have Communion Services for people who couldn’t make a scheduled Mass.

Sometimes people may not have been present for the Communion Service, but stopped in to receive Communion. The priest usually stood up in front for a while to give them a chance. He would have the Hosts and would give Communion to those who wanted it.

I suppose if one is already well-prepared and has fasted, this could be done. Sometimes the randomness of discovering Communion being distributed could make it harder to plan, not knowing, an individual ate or did not have time to pray before hand.
 
Yes, as long as one is in a state of grace and has kept the Eucharistic fast.
 
Pythagoras said:
If I am walking by a Catholic Church and I can see that it is Holy Communion time, can I walk inside the Church and take the Holy Communion without even having attended the Holy Mass from the beginning?
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Personally I try to never do that. We are supposed to be the full participants of the Christ’s sacrifice by taking Communion. For this purpose, we confess our sins at the beginning of the Mass, hear the Word the Lord is giving us this day, pray for the salvation of the entire humanity in the Universal Prayer and remind ourselves about our unworthiness after the Agnus Dei.

I usually do not take Communion when I am late for the readings.
 
Pythagoras said:
If I am walking by a Catholic Church and I can see that it is Holy Communion time, can I walk inside the Church and take the Holy Communion without even having attended the Holy Mass from the beginning?
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I myself would never do that.
Likely my pastor would have a “talk” with me.
 
Its the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, not a value meal at a drive-thru.

With that being said, the sick and homebound receive without a full Mass; but that’s an Apples to Oranges thing.
 
I asked one of our parish priests if it was wrong for me to receive Communion if I arrived at daily mass just in time for Communion. He said, “Not at all.”
Daily mass begins at 8:30 am and my son started preschool, same location, at 8:45 am, making it impossible to be on time!
I hope this helps! 🙂
 
Franciscan_Way said:
I asked one of our parish priests if it was wrong for me to receive Communion if I arrived at daily mass just in time for Communion. He said, “Not at all.”
Daily mass begins at 8:30 am and my son started preschool, same location, at 8:45 am, making it impossible to be on time!
I hope this helps! 🙂
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just trying to think this out logically; how could doing this be “wrong”
 
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Church’s greatest prayer. Rather than choosing to avoid participation in the prayer, or losing the opportunity to offer yourself to Christ at the offertory, I think it better to offer a prayer in passing for those who have participated and are receiving. I do not know if this practice violates the canons, but it is not a spiritual or physical practice that will lead upward. It is spiritually the same as avoiding the Last Supper and dropping in only to receive that first Eucharist.
 
I remember being told when I was younger that on a Sunday Mass you had to be there to hear the readings and Gospel.

Not sure if this is correct, maybe it was encouragement to stop people turning up for Communion and then leaving.

Is there anything in the Catechism?
 
po18guy said:
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Church’s greatest prayer. Rather than choosing to avoid participation in the prayer, or losing the opportunity to offer yourself to Christ at the offertory, I think it better to offer a prayer in passing for those who have participated and are receiving. I do not know if this practice violates the canons, but it is not a spiritual or physical practice that will lead upward. It is spiritually the same as avoiding the Last Supper and dropping in only to receive that first Eucharist.
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That’s how I feel about it too.
Look, all of us would like to go to daily Mass, but it’s not possible for many.
I go when I can, and accept it when I can’t.
I really make sure that I am fully present during the Sunday Mass, and I always feel like the Eucharist sustains me not for just that day, but for the entire week when I am able to meet Him at the table once again.
 
Another question if I attended an anticipated Sunday Mass on a Saturday Evening but did not receive Holy Communion because I want to confess some sins first. So during a Sunday morning I went to Confession, after that confession I sometimes go for Holy Communion without having attended its respective Mass (but I consciously know I already attended an anticipated Sunday Mass the day before). Do you think I did something wrong?
 
Pythagoras said:
Another question if I attended an anticipated Sunday Mass on a Saturday Evening but did not receive Holy Communion because I want to confess some sins first. So during a Sunday morning I went to Confession, after that confession I sometimes go for Holy Communion without having attended its respective Mass (but I consciously know I already attended an anticipated Sunday Mass the day before). Do you think I did something wrong?
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All I’m saying is that reception of Holy Communion under normal circumstances (not homebound, for example) goes hand in hand with participation in the liturgy.

Sounds like you should talk to your priest for clarification given the scenarios you present here.
 
brian_custer said:
just trying to think this out logically; how could doing this be “wrong”
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Agreed…but this is a lot different from thinking, I don’t want to sit through Mass, so I’ll just show up for communion…which would just be difficult to support as right.
 
I don’t know what possibly value receiving Communion could be to someone who has not properly disposed themselves to receive by participating in the Liturgy. Note that even when Communion is taken to the sick, part of the liturgy is said with them.
 
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