Mortal sin and the Eucharist

[Stephentlig]

If I cannot attend confession before Sunday, even to the point of not being able to find a priest beforehand or if I am refused by a priest because its too late and Mass must begin, am I still able to attend Mass, not receive the Eucharist and still be seen as not commiting a mortal sin by not receiving Eucharist by attending Sunday mass?

In perspective, Am I still fulfilling the Holy day of obligation by having Mortal sin on my soul and yet not receiving Eucharist as a result of Mortal sin and not being able to get confession after all efforts of doing so have proven to be failing?

Pax Christi
Stephen <3

 

[Tantum_ergo]

If I cannot attend confession before Sunday, even to the point of not being able to find a priest beforehand or if I am refused by a priest because its too late and Mass must begin, am I still able to attend Mass, not receive the Eucharist and still be seen as not commiting a mortal sin by not receiving Eucharist by attending Sunday mass?

In perspective, Am I still fulfilling the Holy day of obligation by having Mortal sin on my soul and yet not receiving Eucharist as a result of Mortal sin and not being able to get confession after all efforts of doing so have proven to be failing?

Pax Christi
Stephen <3

You are obligated to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.

You are NOT obligated at ANY Mass to receive the Eucharist. And if you are in mortal sin you should NOT receive the Eucharist.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass and not receiving the Eucharist is what you SHOULD do.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass is fine. Receiving in mortal sin is NOT fine.

Therefore, for you not to compound your mortal sin, go to Mass, do not receive communion, and after Mass, make an appointment ASAP for Father to hear your confession.

 

[Stephentlig]

You are obligated to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.

You are NOT obligated at ANY Mass to receive the Eucharist. And if you are in mortal sin you should NOT receive the Eucharist.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass and not receiving the Eucharist is what you SHOULD do.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass is fine. Receiving in mortal sin is NOT fine.

Therefore, for you not to compound your mortal sin, go to Mass, do not receive communion, and after Mass, make an appointment ASAP for Father to hear your confession.

Just the answer I was looking for thank you.

So basically your saying its ok for me to attend mass with mortal sin on my soul, not receive Eucharist and still be seen as fulfilling my Holy Day of Obligation? as long as my keen desire to see a priest afterwards for confession is there?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Just the answer I was looking for thank you.

So basically your saying its ok for me to attend mass with mortal sin on my soul, not receive Eucharist and still be seen as fulfilling my Holy Day of Obligation? as long as my keen desire to see a priest afterwards for confession is there?

Yes. Try to make a perfect Act of Contrition, attend mass, do not receive, and then talk to the priest ASAP.

Actually I was in your situation myself this morning, with not being able to get to confession. I went to Mass, did not receive, and talked with Father right afterward and am now absolved and happy.

 

[Stephentlig]

Yes. Try to make a perfect Act of Contrition, attend mass, do not receive, and then talk to the priest ASAP.

Actually I was in your situation myself this morning, with not being able to get to confession. I went to Mass, did not receive, and talked with Father right afterward and am now absolved and happy.

I managed to get to confession beforehand this morning, but it just got me thinking is all.

Thanks for the advice

God bless you
Stephen

 

[bpaynter]

The term ‘mortal sin’ seems to be common in discussions on this web site.
Whatever happened to the expression ‘state of grace?’

 

[Stephentlig]

The term ‘mortal sin’ seems to be common in discussions on this web site.
Whatever happened to the expression ‘state of grace?’

Good expression Op, is there a reason why you prefer to choose this expression?

For me it doesnt matter which we use, but if we anaylise it one could see that Mortal Sin is a lot stronger expression to use, as it really brings to mind the seriousness of the Sin.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

The term ‘mortal sin’ seems to be common in discussions on this web site.
Whatever happened to the expression ‘state of grace?’

Though not on this particular thread, I’ve used the phrase “state of grace” in numerous threads regarding reception of the Eucharist, as in “Catholics should be in a state of grace in order to receive.” Just because the term ‘mortal sin’ or venial sin might have been seen by you in your readings here more often than "state of grace’ doesn’t mean the expression has ‘disappeared’.

Welcome to the forums.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Here. Actually I used the term at 1:40 this afternoon on the thread of “Why don’t Catholics have open communion”. This is from the first paragraph of the post I gave:

Actually the Church directs people not to approach Christ in the Eucharist unless they are Catholics in a state of grace because** Christ Himself says that we must be in a state of grace to 'eat and drink the Body and Blood of the Lord worthily, and Christ Himself established ONE true holy catholic and apostolic Church.**

 

[jfoges]

Good expression Op, is there a reason why you prefer to choose this expression?

For me it doesnt matter which we use, but if we anaylise it one could see that Mortal Sin is a lot stronger expression to use, as it really brings to mind the seriousness of the Sin.

We are definitely obligated to attend Sunday mass no matter what, even if we are not going to receive communion. I have to wonder though, are you sure you are not being scrupilous? I wonder if what ever you did is really so serious that it is a mortal sin.

 

[Stephentlig]

We are definitely obligated to attend Sunday mass no matter what, even if we are not going to receive communion. I have to wonder though, are you sure you are not being scrupilous? I wonder if what ever you did is really so serious that it is a mortal sin.

Yup, believe me on this one, it was indeed a mortal sin.

I dont claim to have knowledge or be all Holy but I do try my best to extinguish between the two…Mortal and venial sin that is.

 

[Ponyguy]

Yup, believe me on this one, it was indeed a mortal sin.

I dont claim to have knowledge or be all Holy but I do try my best to extinguish between the two…Mortal and venial sin that is.

Hey, Irishman, aren’t all you Irish excellent writers?

I think you really mean “distinguish” in this instance.





Regards,
Ponyguy

 

[Stephentlig]

Hey, Irishman, aren’t all you Irish excellent writers?

I think you really mean “distinguish” in this instance.





Regards,
Ponyguy

well, I think my statement ‘‘I dont claim to have all knowledge’’ just rang true then dont you think? :yukonjoe:

 

[OpenSource]

It is a very good thing to be honest with yourself and not receive communion while not in a state of grace. Hopefully it will set an example.

My parish has, I’d have to say roughly, a thousand or maybe two thousand members or so. I have never once seen anybody not receive communion. And there are very few people in the confession line every week or every other week. One would hope that the entire congregation is in a state of grace. I am optimistic, but not naive.

Thank you for respecting our Lord Jesus Christ who is truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament. God Bless.

 

[Ponyguy]

You are obligated to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.

You are NOT obligated at ANY Mass to receive the Eucharist. And if you are in mortal sin you should NOT receive the Eucharist.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass and not receiving the Eucharist is what you SHOULD do.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass is fine. Receiving in mortal sin is NOT fine.

Therefore, for you not to compound your mortal sin, go to Mass, do not receive communion, and after Mass, make an appointment ASAP for Father to hear your confession.

Apparently, there is precedent for exception to the Church’s rule of “No communion for those in a state of mortal sin”:
Code of Canon Law: ARTICLE 2: PARTICIPATION IN THE BLESSED EUCHARIST:

Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession, unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

This must be the exception which proves the rule… http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/ponyguy/Shrug.gif

Regards,
Ponyguy

 

[Inwe86]

You are obligated to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.

You are NOT obligated at ANY Mass to receive the Eucharist. And if you are in mortal sin you should NOT receive the Eucharist.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass and not receiving the Eucharist is what you SHOULD do.

If you are in mortal sin, attending Mass is fine. Receiving in mortal sin is NOT fine.

Therefore, for you not to compound your mortal sin, go to Mass, do not receive communion, and after Mass, make an appointment ASAP for Father to hear your confession.

Exactly…except that I might add that as Catholics we’re only bound once a year to receive communion to fulfill our Easter duty…which I’m assuming you already have. Although it’s best to receive communion often. You’re doing the right thing by refraining

 

[OpenSource]

“Originally Posted by Code of Canon Law: ARTICLE 2: PARTICIPATION IN THE BLESSED EUCHARIST
Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession, unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.”

This seems to be somewhat of a paradox…it is a grave sin not to go to Mass, but if you’re conscience of grave sin, you can’t go to Mass. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

“Originally Posted by Code of Canon Law: ARTICLE 2: PARTICIPATION IN THE BLESSED EUCHARIST
Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession, unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.”

This seems to be somewhat of a paradox…it is a grave sin not to go to Mass, but if you’re conscience of grave sin, you can’t go to Mass. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t?

I believe you have misread this. The 'celebration of Mass" refers to priests who are conscious of grave sin. They are supposed to confess before celebrating the Mass but may, of course, validly do so even in a state of mortal sin, hopefully being able to get to confession as soon thereafter as possible.

You see, as a lay person you do not ‘celebrate’ Mass. You attend Mass, you participate in it, but you don’t celebrate it. Celebration of the Mass is for the priest/deacon. Does that explain it?

YOU, as a layperson, are obligated to attend Mass but since you do not celebrate, you do not have to refrain from celebration.

Suppose you had a priest who committed a mortal sin. Unfortunately, he does so only an hour or so before he is to celebrate Mass. There is no other priest to whom he can confess before celebrating Mass. He makes an act of perfect contrition, celebrates the Mass (though in mortal sin), and after Mass, goes over to the next town, confesses to a fellow priest, is absolved, the end.

Suppose the priest committed a mortal sin, but it was after he had celebrated Mass that day, and he has plenty of time to find a priest to confess to before he needs to celebrate Mass tomorrow. THAT is what the canon law was noting. He SHOULD go to confession before he celebrates the next Mass and unless there is grave reason (as I said above, no TIME to get to confession), he should NOT celebrate Mass unless he HAS confessed.

 

[mal]

If a lay person recieves communion after they commited a mortal sin, is it the real presence or is it bread because of being in a state of sin?

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

If a lay person recieves communion after they commited a mortal sin, is it the real presence or is it bread because of being in a state of sin?

Transubstantiation, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, is not dependent at all on the person receiving it. When we adore Our Lord in a monstrance at Adoration, there is no one receiving Him.

If you receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin, you receive Christ but not mercy but rather in judgment and it compounds your sin (since it is a mortal sin, in and of itself, to receive while in a state of mortal sin). Here is what St. Paul says:

Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep =have died]
.