Minimum Requirement Catholics? Please answer

  • Thread starter Thread starter VeronicasJude
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

VeronicasJude

Guest
I ask this question in the Apologist thread and I think it may be overlooked.

I really want to understand this.

Minimun Requirements for a catholic are to at least go to Confession and Communion once a year, preferably at Easter.

It is a moral sin to miss Mass on Sunday and I believe Holy Days of Obligation.

This seems so contridicting. Many Catholics feel that they are good Catholics by following the the minimum but yet if I miss Sunday Mass because I am sick, I am still in the confessional on Monday.

If the once a year people go to confession, they can then go to Communion knowing that they will not be back until next year. If they know this in their hearts, arent they sinning by even going to Communion or even going to Confession knowing they have no intention of a conversion of heart?

How is this right? It so confuses me. I know I am not to judge but I am not understanding this concept and the church being ok with it.
 
yet if I miss Sunday Mass because I am sick, I am still in the confessional.
Click to expand...
Its not a sin of any kind to miss mass on Sunday or any other day, if you have good cause such as sickness.

And if you’re sick and contagious, its a real good idea to stay home, drink plenty of fluids and take aspirin for pain until you feel better.
 
Yes, I understand that. I just threw that in there. I have a chronic condition which can cause me to miss Mass often (once a month sometimes). It is my personal choice to confess that as I am truly sorry for missing. Im a literal person. I confess probably a lot more than is required.

I would still like toknow the answer to my question though.

God Bless
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
I ask this question in the Apologist thread and I think it may be overlooked.

I really want to understand this.

Minimun Requirements for a catholic are to at least go to Confession and Communion once a year, preferably at Easter.

It is a moral sin to miss Mass on Sunday and I believe Holy Days of Obligation.

This seems so contridicting. Many Catholics feel that they are good Catholics by following the the minimum but yet if I miss Sunday Mass because I am sick, I am still in the confessional on Monday.

If the once a year people go to confession, they can then go to Communion knowing that they will not be back until next year. If they know this in their hearts, arent they sinning by even going to Communion or even going to Confession knowing they have no intention of a conversion of heart?

How is this right? It so confuses me. I know I am not to judge but I am not understanding this concept and the church being ok with it.
Click to expand...
Going to confession once a year and receiving communion once a year are not the minimum requirements of being a Catholic.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
2041 The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:

2042 The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.”) requires the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic celebration when the Christian community gathers together on the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord.[82]
The second precept (“You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”) ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.[83]
The third precept (“You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.”) guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.[84]

2043 The fourth precept (“You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.”) completes the Sunday observance by participation in the principal liturgical feasts which honor the mysteries of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.[85]
The fifth precept (“You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.”) ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts; they help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.[86]
The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.[87]

With that being said it is not contradicting. Even if you only receive communion or go to confession once a year, you still are required to attend mass every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation.

matthew
 
When in doubt as the pastor or assisting priest(s). I’m sure the nun can answer it too.

I know if you are sick or assisting a person that is near death missing Mass is ok.

There is also Saturday to accomadate people who have other obligations on Sunday. Example: a job.

Weekday Masses cannot substitute Sunday.

And when one is out of town, one gets a special grace for looking and attending Mass.
 
Thank You. That does clear many things up for me although I think that there are many Catholics, maybe through ignorance or just skating by do only attend Mass once a year along with Confession and Communion. If they are not ignorant, how do they justify that?

My parish is huge and the preist will usually comment on this very thing on Ash Wednesday. People wont go all year but yet they show up for Ashes out of obligation and the lines go down the street. He sadly comments how the communion lines are never as long as lines for Ashes. How sad.

I am having a hard time grasping this and it angers and hurts me that people treat God and our Church this way.

I think we should have required refresher courses on our Faith periodically. I know i myself could benefit.

God Bless
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
Thank You. That does clear many things up for me although I think that there are many Catholics, maybe through ignorance or just skating by do only attend Mass once a year along with Confession and Communion. If they are not ignorant, how do they justify that?

My parish is huge and the preist will usually comment on this very thing on Ash Wednesday. People wont go all year but yet they show up for Ashes out of obligation and the lines go down the street. He sadly comments how the communion lines are never as long as lines for Ashes. How sad.

I am having a hard time grasping this and in a way, it angers and hurts me that people treat God and our Church this way.

I think we should have required refresher courses on our Faith periodically. I know i myself could benefit.

God Bless
Click to expand...
I’ve heard that sermon too. I encourage people at my parish to attend Mass more frequently all the time. I just don’t let them continue teaching in a religious education program. As long as you do your part to encourage them God and people in your community will thank you.
 
but yet if I miss Sunday Mass because I am sick, I am still in the confessional on Monday.

This should not have been part of my question. I dont know how to take it out now. Everyone is picking up on my personal circumstances. From now on I will be sure to ask a question more clearly. I tend to go in different directions.

Sorry.
 
Precepts of the Church (Baltimore Catechism);
  1. Hear Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
  2. Fast and abstain on the days appointed.
  3. To confess our sins at least once a year.
  4. To receive Holy Communion during Easter time.
  5. To contribute to the support of the Church.
  6. To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
Yes, I understand that. I just threw that in there. I have a chronic condition which can cause me to miss Mass often (once a month sometimes). It is my personal choice to confess that as I am truly sorry for missing. Im a literal person. I confess probably a lot more than is required.

I would still like toknow the answer to my question though.

God Bless
Click to expand...
Try to find out if your Church has Eucharistic ministers that travel to homes for the people who are bed ridden and can’t attend Church. There are no such things as minimum requirements. Once a year confessions is used because if you keep and follow the commandments then once a year is good enough, but if you have mortal sin on your soul then you need to go to confession before communion.

And to answer your question about once a year confession and communion. My answer would be yes and no. A sin yes if they don’t confess before communion and no sin if they confess before communion. But only recieving the Eucharist one day a year is denying Him, 364 other days. Now to me that is a sin in my book.
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
I ask this question in the Apologist thread and I think it may be overlooked.

I really want to understand this.

Minimun Requirements for a catholic are to at least go to Confession and Communion once a year, preferably at Easter.

It is a moral sin to miss Mass on Sunday and I believe Holy Days of Obligation.
it.
Click to expand...
why is it contradictory? Catholics are required to receive Communion once a year during the Easter season, to confess their mortal sins at least once a year, and may not receive communion if they are aware of unconfessed mortal sins. Deliberately missing Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation without a good reason is a mortal sin. it must be confessed before one can receive communion. If one receives communion knowing he is in a state of mortal sin, he compounds the sin. If you miss Mass due to illness you did not commit a sin, so no need to confess. Where do you discern the contradiction?
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
Thank You. That does clear many things up for me although I think that there are many Catholics, maybe through ignorance or just skating by do only attend Mass once a year along with Confession and Communion. If they are not ignorant, how do they justify that?

My parish is huge and the preist will usually comment on this very thing on Ash Wednesday. People wont go all year but yet they show up for Ashes out of obligation and the lines go down the street. He sadly comments how the communion lines are never as long as lines for Ashes. How sad.

I am having a hard time grasping this and it angers and hurts me that people treat God and our Church this way.

I think we should have required refresher courses on our Faith periodically. I know i myself could benefit.

God Bless
Click to expand...
Well you are on a refresher course now. This forum is a refresher course for catholics and an informal orientation to non catholics.
 
I dont always communicate very well what i am trying to say.

I guess it is not contradictory really but very misleading to someone who does not know the true teachings of thier faith. Shoot, I dont know very much myself but I am learning.

I guess Im one of those people…was gone for a very long time and now I am back jumping in with everything that I have. Kind of like an ex-smoker…they are the worst ones to contend with when you smoke. Not a very good analogy.

Yes, and right now I am like a sponge…except Im saturated. All this information and learning and loving everything about it but I am so scattered.

Hugs
 
We’ll we can learn something here especially if they post something which has basislike a part of church’s documents.

I learn a lot in this site not because i believe in everything that they say but because i am forced to read some curch documents because of my curiosity and interest on topics.
 
VeronicasJude,

I can relate. I had been absent from the Church for a while and now back into it in a big way. Afraid I may stumble though.

Anyway, I thought your question was very good. I was baptised Catholic, however that’s where my formal teachings stopped. Even though some years at Catholic school, I never had First Communion.

So, now what does that make me? Am I in fear of my mortal soul because I cannot receive the Body and Blood? What of those who cannot receive?

Crimeny, see–you are not the only one who can get scattered 😉

Maggie
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
I really want to understand this.

Minimun Requirements for a catholic are to at least go to Confession and Communion once a year, preferably at Easter.

It is a moral sin to miss Mass on Sunday and I believe Holy Days of Obligation.

This seems so contridicting. Many Catholics feel that they are good Catholics by following the the minimum but yet if I miss Sunday Mass because I am sick, I am still in the confessional on Monday.

If the once a year people go to confession, they can then go to Communion knowing that they will not be back until next year. If they know this in their hearts, arent they sinning by even going to Communion or even going to Confession knowing they have no intention of a conversion of heart?

How is this right? It so confuses me. I know I am not to judge but I am not understanding this concept and the church being ok with it.
Click to expand...
Here is the contradiction:

Confession & Communion obligation is once a year.
Mass aattendance is every Sunday and all Holy Days.

Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, with rare exceptions go to Communion on Sunday. The number of people in the confession lines on Saturday is nowhere near the number of communicants on Sunday.

Contradiction: All these communicants appear to be exemplary and perfected saints, since they never seem to need confession.

The Church seems to be OK with a very lax attitude to receiving the Eucharist in a state of sin.
 
One thing I’m confused about is that my grandmother never attended Mass and stayed home with the young children (she had a baby a year for 14 years) and the children who were over 7 went to church with my grandfather. My grandmother always understood that because she were home caring for the young children, she was excused. I didn’t think this was a valid reason. So which is it?
 
40.png
VeronicasJude:
I dont always communicate very well what i am trying to say.

I guess it is not contradictory really but very misleading to someone who does not know the true teachings of thier faith. Shoot, I dont know very much myself but I am learning.

I guess Im one of those people…was gone for a very long time and now I am back jumping in with everything that I have. Kind of like an ex-smoker…they are the worst ones to contend with when you smoke. Not a very good analogy.

Yes, and right now I am like a sponge…except Im saturated. All this information and learning and loving everything about it but I am so scattered.

Hugs
Click to expand...
I think your initial question arises from equating “receiving Communion” with “attending Mass.” You seem to say that you need to attend Mass only once a year. Not true. Weekly attendance (except as others have noted) is required. You are not required to receive Communion except once a year.
 
One thing I’m confused about is that my grandmother never attended Mass and stayed home with the young children (she had a baby a year for 14 years) and the children who were over 7 went to church with my grandfather. My grandmother always understood that because she were home caring for the young children, she was excused. I didn’t think this was a valid reason. So which is it?
Click to expand...
I don’t think that never attending is a good idea, but taking care of young children or the sick and infirm is certainly a valid reason to miss.
 
Morning Glory,

So are you pursuing the completion of your initiation into the Catholic Church?

Please do.

Christ’s Peace,

TJD
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top