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coolcatholicguy
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My little brother basically slept through Midnight Mass and didn’t recieve The Eucharist, was this Mass valid for him?
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laszlo
Guest
Until the 1960’s the majority of the people did not received communion in a Mass. The rule was the confession before communion for most people.
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beth40n2
Guest
I always thought our participation is the Mass made it valid. Our participating in the prayers, listening to the word, etc. Even if you can not recieve Jesus for some reason it would still be meeting your obligation.
Now if your brother slept through it (I assume he is an adult), and did not participate, he did not meet his obligation.
Now if your brother slept through it (I assume he is an adult), and did not participate, he did not meet his obligation.
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At_Trent
Guest
That statement makes me envision an image of St Peter sitting on a stool at the gate wondering why there isn’t a line to get in
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malphono
Guest
It would help to know what you mean by “valid” in this context? It would also help to know the age of your “little brother”.
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coolcatholicguy
Guest
My brother is 8.
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ProVobis
Guest
The answer to the title question is no. Only the priest needs to “recieve” for the Mass to be valid. Sleeping during a Mass does pose some “actual/active participation” questions though, but that in itself wouldn’t count against fulfilling your obligation. All that said, I don’t think anyone deliberately falls asleep in Church, although many do manage to keep their eyes open when dozing. 
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mick321
Guest
The line is so short these days because so many Catholics depend upon technicalities within Canon law to save them. While there is no shortage of “canon lawyers” who will provide free advice as to what is “allowed”, few are willing to provide personal representation before St. Peter.That statement makes me envision an image of St Peter sitting on a stool at the gate wondering why there isn’t a line to get in
Merry Christmas
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corsair
Guest
Just a reminder that Confession is necessary before Communion IF you are in a state of mortal sin. Perhaps people in the past took to considering their state of grace more seriously than they do today. No sense compounding ones sins by receiving in a state of sin.
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beth40n2
Guest
You could help your brother by waking him up, encouraging him to join in he prayers, being a good example. Also since your brother is only 8, you could go to an earlier Mass, I went to a 9pm instead of midnight.
Encourage your brother to get to confession, and as a big brother do your best to set a good example and encourage him in his faith.
Encourage your brother to get to confession, and as a big brother do your best to set a good example and encourage him in his faith.
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alacoque
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Coolcatholicguy: The Mass is valid in and of its own right and by its own right; nothing we, in the pew, can do to make a Mass invalid.
However, by sleeping through Mass, there could be a question of your brother’s ‘attendance / participation’. This is important as it relates to his fulfilling the obligation of the holy day (Christmas). Considdfing his age, however, and the lateness of the hour, I don’t believe there’s a problem here. Some counsel as to the importance of the situation may be in order - or it may just be a one-time thing and best left alone.
In any event, and as info - it’s not the failure to receive the Eucharist that’s the problem, but rather our ‘attending’ (or lack thereof) to the liturgy and our participation in it.
The bottom line is: The Mass is completely valid, period. (unless liturgical abuse is present) - And, a person is free to receive or not receive the Eucharist without affecting that validity. In the end, the issue is more about the ‘spirit of the law’ than it is about the ‘letter of the law’.
Being 8 years old pretty much makes this a non-issue. I, too, remember falling asleep (when I was 7 or 8 yrs. old) at late Masses - AND at 40 hours adoration. My parents always signed up for the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning, for adoration, because they thought no one would sign up or come! They also insisted the whole family go for adoration - so, many is the time I fell asleep in an kneeling position and actually FELL OFF THE KNEELER,crashing to the floor!
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ProVobis
Guest
Indeed. Parents used to teach their kids this as well. If I didn’t go to confession on Saturday, she would assume I wouldn’t go to communion the next day so she would fix me breakfast before Mass.
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ElizabethPH
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Also the fast was longer, and it was harder to keep than only the hour it is today.
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malphono
Guest
I think I’m getting a clearer picture here. [post=7397683]alacoque[/post] seems to have addressed the matter quite nicely, so there’s really not much I can contribute.
What I’ll do is simply add that any “obligation” to assist at Mass is met irrespective of whether one receives communion or not. In relatively recent years, an idea of “when one goes to Mass, one has to receive communion” has developed, and I don’t quite get the “why” of that. There is not, and never has been, a requirement that a person receive communion at every Mass. The only “requirement” as such to receive communion is what is called the “Easter Duty” and that certainly doesn’t apply to the case at hand. Frequent communion is, of course, a good thing, but it is a personal matter, and not a requirement.
What I’ll do is simply add that any “obligation” to assist at Mass is met irrespective of whether one receives communion or not. In relatively recent years, an idea of “when one goes to Mass, one has to receive communion” has developed, and I don’t quite get the “why” of that. There is not, and never has been, a requirement that a person receive communion at every Mass. The only “requirement” as such to receive communion is what is called the “Easter Duty” and that certainly doesn’t apply to the case at hand. Frequent communion is, of course, a good thing, but it is a personal matter, and not a requirement.
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ProVobis
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True except I wouldn’t know exactly how to define “participation.” If I attend a Mass whose vernacular (for example, Vietnamese) I didn’t understand at all, the lack of full attention or response on my part wouldn’t count against my fulfilling the obligation.
I believe it was St. Pope Pius X who said when you attend the Mass, you PRAY THE MASS. It seems as if that’s the key issue.
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malphono
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Yes, and I seem to have overlooked that point in my previous post.
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paperwight66
Guest
I really don’t think it is necessary to fret or worry your parents or your little brother with any talk about mortal sin in not fulfilling the requirement.
Your brother presumably didn’t have any choice about going to Midnight Mass, and (as another poster said) he wouldn’t have intended to fall asleep.
Another point is, how much of an eight year old is he? I mean, is he nearer seven than nine? If the former, he is only just within the guidelines of being oblliged to attend Mass, and even that is vague - IIRC ‘at the age of reason, seven or thereabouts’.
Your brother presumably didn’t have any choice about going to Midnight Mass, and (as another poster said) he wouldn’t have intended to fall asleep.
Another point is, how much of an eight year old is he? I mean, is he nearer seven than nine? If the former, he is only just within the guidelines of being oblliged to attend Mass, and even that is vague - IIRC ‘at the age of reason, seven or thereabouts’.
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TRAD1936
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No he does not have to receive for the Mass to be valid for him. I think one of the reasons that we see almost everybody go to receive all of the time is that many people belive they must receive at every Mass.
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CB_Catholic
Guest
If I took my 8 year old grandaughter to Midnight Mass, I would be surprised if she didn’t fall asleep. That is very late to expect a child of that age to stay awake, although some kids can.
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