Is it sinful to not receive the Precious Blood?

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whatevergirl

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I normally receive the Precious Blood at mass, but have been very sick this past week. I am on antiobiotics, but only midstream, and am still coughing, sneezing, dealing with runny nose, etc…would it be wrong of me to not take of the Precious Blood tomorrow at mass? Is it sinful to not receive, even though I would be refraining so as not to cause others around me in the parish to get sick?

I have not been sick in a long time…with something contagious…and so I’m torn as to what to do tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks
 
Holy Communion may be received in any, or both, species (Body or Blood), and, even receiving Communion at all is only mandatory at Easter. So, no, it is not sinful not to receive the Precious Blood.
 
It’s NEVER sinful to not receive the Precious Blood - whether you’re sick or well.

In your case, since you’d be exposing others to risk of infection by doing so, it might well be more sinful TO receive.

Remember, in receiving the Host alone we receive the complete sacrament. For hundreds of years laypeople were only ever offered the Host at Mass, partly in response to a heretical idea that both needed to be received.

I’m surprised you’ve never seen people pass by the chalice when you go to Mass. Whenever the chalice is offered around here, the majority of people pass it by.
 
whatevergirl said:
I normally receive the Precious Blood at mass, but have been very sick this past week. I am on antiobiotics, but only midstream, and am still coughing, sneezing, dealing with runny nose, etc…would it be wrong of me to not take of the Precious Blood tomorrow at mass? Is it sinful to not receive, even though I would be refraining so as not to cause others around me in the parish to get sick?

I have not been sick in a long time…with something contagious…and so I’m torn as to what to do tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks
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No. It would not be wrong in any way. It would especially NOT be a sin.
 
It is not a sin to not receive the Precious Blood. Remember that when you are receiving the Sacred Host, you are receiving the living and complete Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Especially if you are not well, you don’t have to receive the Precious Blood.

Let me give you an example. If I were to take my migraine medication and then feel well enough to go to Mass and Communion under both species is offered, I could not receive the Precious Blood simply because the accidents will affect my medication (especially if the pill knocks out the headache within minutes).
 
Hi hon–hope you feel better soon!

Remember you receive all of Jesus–Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity whether you receive the Body, the Precious Blood, or both. So receiving the Host is receiving ‘just as much’ as receiving Host and Chalice (and receiving only the Chalice is just as much too).

Also remember that you do not have to receive Communion (under one, or both species) every single time you attend Mass. So if you normally receive only the Precious Blood (say you have celiac sprue) but (for any good sufficient reason) do not want to receive on a given Sunday, you don’t have to. You can make a Spiritual Communion instead.

And don’t forget the hand sanitizer! (if anybody gets offended, tough. Actually I ‘came down’ with sudden coughing and sneezing part way through Mass a couple of Sundays back and so I used the sanitizer copiously right before the sign of peace–and you should have seen the relieved looks on my neighbors’ faces!)
 
whatevergirl,

Don’t worry! Just try to get well. I’m assuming you are a layperson in the Latin rite? You are under no obligation to receive the Precious Blood. It is perfectly fine to only receive the host. All you need to do is return to your pew after receiving the host.

Remember, when you receive the host (the “species” that appears like bread), you are receiving Jesus body, blood, soul, divinity. The whole nine yards. Not to worry! 👍
 
LilyM said:
It’s NEVER sinful to not receive the Precious Blood - whether you’re sick or well.

In your case, since you’d be exposing others to risk of infection by doing so, it might well be more sinful TO receive.

Remember, in receiving the Host alone we receive the complete sacrament. For hundreds of years laypeople were only ever offered the Host at Mass, partly in response to a heretical idea that both needed to be received.

I’m surprised you’ve never seen people pass by the chalice when you go to Mass. Whenever the chalice is offered around here, the majority of people pass it by.
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No, I have seen people pass by…I guess I always wondered though deep down, if it were in some way sinful. Not necessarily a mortal sin, but I wondered. :o I prayed about receiving years ago, and I felt Christ assuring me…a faint whisper perhaps, that I would never fall ill from receiving the Precious Blood. I’m a recovering germaphobe and before 8 years ago, I would not receive it because of fear. And God put my worries at ease.

Why am I telling all this. 😊 Anyways, thank you for your reply, Lily. Ok, I will refrain tomorrow, then. I am glad I asked the question…
 
I was taught that if you recieve the Body and not the Blood, you will still recieve the full graces of the scacrament. You don’t need to have both. I have been a practicing Catholic all my life, and I have only taken the Blood once. I’m very likely to get sick, so for health reasons I don’t drink it. But, if I am one of the first offered the cup, I’ll take it.
 
Tantum_ergo said:
Hi hon–hope you feel better soon!

Remember you receive all of Jesus–Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity whether you receive the Body, the Precious Blood, or both. So receiving the Host is receiving ‘just as much’ as receiving Host and Chalice (and receiving only the Chalice is just as much too).

Also remember that you do not have to receive Communion (under one, or both species) every single time you attend Mass. So if you normally receive only the Precious Blood (say you have celiac sprue) but (for any good sufficient reason) do not want to receive on a given Sunday, you don’t have to. You can make a Spiritual Communion instead.

And don’t forget the hand sanitizer! (if anybody gets offended, tough. Actually I ‘came down’ with sudden coughing and sneezing part way through Mass a couple of Sundays back and so I used the sanitizer copiously right before the sign of peace–and you should have seen the relieved looks on my neighbors’ faces!)
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lol–I bet! I sometimes look at the “sneezers” in mass, and get a little paranoid. lol 😛 I didn’t know that receiving the Precious Blood and not receiving the Host, was equally permissible? I have of course, never been to a mass where the Host was not given. Interesting, I learn something new on here every week. :o
 
Oh, wait…I have been to a mass once, when the Host ‘ran out,’ (can’t recall the surrounding circumstances, other than an unexpected number of people at mass that day–and this was even after the Host was broken into two piece to distribute to the parish) and the Precious Blood was still remaining. I forgot about that…! Ok, that would be such a circumstance, then.
 
whatevergirl said:
I normally receive the Precious Blood at mass, but have been very sick this past week. I am on antiobiotics, but only midstream, and am still coughing, sneezing, dealing with runny nose, etc…would it be wrong of me to not take of the Precious Blood tomorrow at mass? Is it sinful to not receive, even though I would be refraining so as not to cause others around me in the parish to get sick?

I have not been sick in a long time…with something contagious…and so I’m torn as to what to do tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks
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NO WAY SIS!

The Host is Jesus in His entirety (Body, Blood, South and Divinity), and the contents of the chalice are Jesus in His entirety (Body Blood, Soul, and Divinity).

So those with throat illnesses can refrain from the cup and just take the Host, and those with toothaches and wheat allergies can refrain from the Host and just take the cup (so can anyone-but you get my point)
 
whatevergirl said:
I normally receive the Precious Blood at mass, but have been very sick this past week. I am on antiobiotics, but only midstream, and am still coughing, sneezing, dealing with runny nose, etc…would it be wrong of me to not take of the Precious Blood tomorrow at mass? Is it sinful to not receive, even though I would be refraining so as not to cause others around me in the parish to get sick?

I have not been sick in a long time…with something contagious…and so I’m torn as to what to do tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks
Click to expand...
I hate to be the one to break this to you but you only have to receive once a year and it is in no way required that you receive the Precious Blood at all ever. Where in the world did you get the idea that you have to receive the Precious Blood or that it might be sinful not to?:confused:
 
whatevergirl said:
I normally receive the Precious Blood at mass, but have been very sick this past week. I am on antiobiotics, but only midstream, and am still coughing, sneezing, dealing with runny nose, etc…would it be wrong of me to not take of the Precious Blood tomorrow at mass? Is it sinful to not receive, even though I would be refraining so as not to cause others around me in the parish to get sick?

I have not been sick in a long time…with something contagious…and so I’m torn as to what to do tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks
Click to expand...
I don’t believe so. When you recieve the Body of Christ, you are also recieving the Blood of Christ. Some churches don’t even offer the Precious Blood.
 
Thanks everyone for your answers…since I’m still coughing, I decided to refrain from the Precious Blood, yesterday. My dd looked at me and said mommy, is that a sin? I said, no, I checked with the people on CAF and they told me no. 😃
 
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