Not recieving Communion

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My intention was never to be disrespectful…however, maybe I was.
My friend and I were most certinally calm.

I doubt going to the priest would be any good. I have no plans to change my attitude.

My not going to communion is a moot point…discussed on an earlier thread
 
Meggie said:
My intention was never to be disrespectful…however, maybe I was.
My friend and I were most certinally calm.

I doubt going to the priest would be any good. I have no plans to change my attitude.

My not going to communion is a moot point…discussed on an earlier thread
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Do you still want to go to church?
 
Meggie said:
My intention was never to be disrespectful…however, maybe I was.
My friend and I were most certinally calm.

Are you sure? You described her as basically b*ching you out. Regardless, it is best to remember that inside of a church is usually not the best place for disagreements. Maybe you could suggest, if this occurs again, that you and your friend discuss it later? I’m not being judgmental, just trying to help you out.

I doubt going to the priest would be any good. I have no plans to change my attitude.

Why not try discussing it with the priest? You don’t have to change your opinion but you did state that he at least nodded in agreement with you when you said you do not have to receive Communion each week. If you want to fix this issue, you might try to be humble.

My not going to communion is a moot point…discussed on an earlier thread

I did not see the thread. CAF is pretty big. Please post a link or restate your reasons. I do not feel this is really moot.
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carol_marie said:
Do you still want to go to church?
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Honestly, I was fine with not going to communion and still going to Church…however I feel if a priest represents the church right now i really don’t know.

Church has always been a sanctuary for me so I know I’ll probably miss it. But i guess I can get over that.
 
Meggie said:
Honestly, I was fine with not going to communion and still going to Church…however I feel if a priest represents the church right now i really don’t know.

Church has always been a sanctuary for me so I know I’ll probably miss it. But i guess I can get over that.
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I’m sorry for your troubles. I’ll remember you in my prayers tonight.

I think if Church has been your sanctuary - you WILL miss that. Forget about the Priest - forget about your friend - just go to go. This life is so hectic & crazy - it’s nice to have a place where you can sit in peace.
 
I first want to encourage you to talk with someone who can give you wise counsel…I don’t think I’m the best person to offer you spiritual direction.

However. I disagree with the advice of the priest. Once you stop going to church it gets harder and harder to go back. Been there done that.

Perhaps the priest was reacting to your choice of words and unaware of your struggles of late. And quite honestly I don’t know what is the right thing to do. When I was struggling someone I respected basically told me my decision not to go to church was okay (at least that is how I interpreted it). I doubted then what he said was consistant with Catholic teaching and still do. I am glad, though, that he did not lay addtional guilt on me for not going. I believe it would have driven me further away. I just wanted to know if I had done something beyond repair, that God would have me back.

Meggie don’t go too far away that it will be more difficult to come back. I remember reading earlier posts and it reminded me of part of my journey. The good news is that pain and struggle preceded my “heart conversion”. My confusion and lack of understanding the Eucharist (including transubstantiation) many months later was healed in a profound way. God knew just the parts of my heart that needed to be healed.

I’m sorry you are in struggling and pray this time in your journey is short.
 
Meggie said:
Honestly, I was fine with not going to communion and still going to Church…however I feel if a priest represents the church right now i really don’t know.

Church has always been a sanctuary for me so I know I’ll probably miss it. But i guess I can get over that.
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I wouldn’t cease going to Mass because of a priest or friend. Fight the good fight, it is worth it.
 
Meggie said:
Church has always been a sanctuary for me so I know I’ll probably miss it. But i guess I can get over that.
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I think you really need to pray and consider your relationship with God. This above posts suggests that you may have the wrong motivations for going to church. Also, the pride you show in saying that you have no plans on changing your attitude is not spiritually healthy. I suggest you take alot of time in prayer…not just talking to God, but being silent and listening. Peace be with you.
 
Meggie said:
Yes, I guessmy friend was pretty shocked. She really thinks that I should be head over heels grateful to God for everything in my life. But we didn’t yell or anything.

Do you know if the priest said anything to your friend? Did she get the same treatment?

I don’t feel like I should humble myself to the priest. I’m not sorry for what I said.

You don’t have to, I merely mean to humble yourself before God as you try to fix this problem. Priests, blessed as they are, are still men. They make mistakes. Don’t let that prevent you from attending Mass and following God.


http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=150543

Thank you.
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Meggie said:
Today after Mass I was chatting with my friend who’s an alter server as she was cleaning up the pews. She noticed I didn’t go to Communion and was expaining to me that there was confession. I told her I didn’t need confession I’d stopped going to Communion. She then basically b*ched me out best she could in church. My friend was disgusted and said that I’m being horrible to God who’s given me so much.
I stood fast by my beliefs and told her that there was no church law that said I had to recieve every week. Father was within earshot and nodded that I was right. My friend pressed so I continued to tell her that I had every right to do what I was doing. That I didn’t have to go to Communion if I didn’t want to and I didn’t care if I was loosing grace or being disrespectful to my past graces becuase I have every right to do what I feel when it comes to my choices.

My friend went to lock up the mic’s and the priest took the time to tell me that I was unbelievably disrespectful and if I continued my attitude or truly felt that way I should not even enter the Church.

At this point I don’t know if i care
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I think by Church law you should go to Communion one time a year, it is better to sit out, and not go to Communion when you
have Mortal sins.I think what your friend did was stupid nobody
can force you to go to Communion and confession it has to be
by your own free Will.
 
I know I’m far from sinless but I haven’t committed any mortal sins that I know of. I made a good confession in January and since I did serious work not to do the venial sins I confessed.

I don’t think the priest talked to my friend as he talked to me on his way out of chuch.

I know the priest is human and I’ve had to deal with several friends criticizing my actions already. However, its just that, criticism, not a a private message not to enter church with my attitude.
 
Meggie said:
Today after Mass I was chatting with my friend who’s an alter server as she was cleaning up the pews. She noticed I didn’t go to Communion and was expaining to me that there was confession. I told her I didn’t need confession I’d stopped going to Communion. She then basically b*ched me out best she could in church. My friend was disgusted and said that I’m being horrible to God who’s given me so much.
I stood fast by my beliefs and told her that there was no church law that said I had to recieve every week. Father was within earshot and nodded that I was right. My friend pressed so I continued to tell her that I had every right to do what I was doing. That I didn’t have to go to Communion if I didn’t want to and I didn’t care if I was loosing grace or being disrespectful to my past graces becuase I have every right to do what I feel when it comes to my choices.

My friend went to lock up the mic’s and the priest took the time to tell me that I was unbelievably disrespectful and if I continued my attitude or truly felt that way I should not even enter the Church.

At this point I don’t know if i care
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Dear Meggie,

I do not want you to misunderstand my comment as being judgmental. You are certainly right that you are not required to receive Communion every week. However, there is a heavy dose of “I” in your comments.

I would only ask you to seriously and honestly reflect on why you would not care about receiving God’s Grace, and that you would consider that it isn’t for your benefit alone that God wants you to receive as much of His Grace as possible. Sure, His Grace helps us, but in doing so, it helps us help others more effectively.
So, you see, your decision affects more than just you.

“We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as definitive and has as its highest value one’s own ego and one’s own desires. The church needs to withstand the tides of trends and the latest novelties.” Pope Benedict XVI

May the Lord’s peace be with you.
 
Meggie said:
Honestly, I was fine with not going to communion and still going to Church…however I feel if a priest represents the church right now i really don’t know …] I know I’ll probably miss it. But i guess I can get over that.
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It seems to me your looking for an excuse to quit going to church. To stop going to Church because of somebody’s actions or words is silly, even if it is the priest. Even if this priest is totally wrong and screamed at you and threw you out of the church, that would still not be a good reason to quit going to mass. And yes, even if that priest was involved in some scandal and molested a child, that is not reason either.

Men are not God. They are not perfect. They make mistakes, have bad days, and may even commit acts of evil. This is the fault of men and not God.

To quit going to church because of the actions of men not only is disrespectful to God, but it gives Satan exactly what he wants. For example:

Satan temps a priest to commit the evil act of child molestation. The priest gives into this temptation and molests a child. Satan may win the soul of that priest. Then that molestation goes public. Satan temps people to persecute the Catholic faith. Satan temps Catholics to leave the faith. Catholics leave the faith. Satan now may win those souls, maybe even million souls or more.

If you quit going to church because of the actions of that priest then you not only disrespect God, but give glory to the devil, for you will be doing exactly what he wants you to do.

You have to make a decision. Do you want to glorify God or glorify the Devil? Its up to you.

God Bless You,

Steve
 
Also,

If a postal employee is rude to you do you stop sending and recieving mail? If someone at the Gas and Electric Company is rude to you do you stop using gas and electricity?

Probably not. But then why would it make sense to stop glorifying god because of the actions of men or the devil?
 
Meggie said:
I know I’m far from sinless but I haven’t committed any mortal sins that I know of. I made a good confession in January and since I did serious work not to do the venial sins I confessed.

I don’t think the priest talked to my friend as he talked to me on his way out of chuch.

I know the priest is human and I’ve had to deal with several friends criticizing my actions already. However, its just that, criticism, not a a private message not to enter church with my attitude.
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One doesn’t have to Confess venial sins, they are forgiven when you
take the Eucharist.
 
Techno2000 said:
One doesn’t have to Confess venial sins, they are forgiven when you
take the Eucharist.
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Yes, you are correct that one doesn’t have to confess venial sins it is still a good and pius practice to confess venial sins if one wishes. Venial Sins are also remitted when we bless ourselves with holy water and with other acts that open us to receiving God’s grace.
 
stove said:
It seems to me your looking for an excuse to quit going to church.
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It may be that many of the contributors to this blended thread have not had the opportunity to read the original posting where Meggie explains her current state of faith (or lack thereof). In view of what she has told us, I think she is acting with great integrity by continuing to attend Mass, fight her venial sins and not receive Communion. She does not need to be reamed out for acting according to her conscience during this difficult period in her life, either by a priest who does not know her whole story or anyone else.

Betsy
 
baltobetsy said:
It may be that many of the contributors to this blended thread have not had the opportunity to read the original posting where Meggie explains her current state of faith (or lack thereof). In view of what she has told us, I think she is acting with great integrity by continuing to attend Mass, fight her venial sins and not receive Communion. She does not need to be reamed out for acting according to her conscience during this difficult period in her life, either by a priest who does not know her whole story or anyone else.

Betsy
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Well, then let’s refresh our memories:
I do not “believe” one bit. There is nothing in me that has any faith in the least eon.
I have stopped recieving Communion beucase my thought process is based on facts and not on respect or love.
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The OP also asks if he/she is breaking any rules by attending a Catholic Mass with this state of mind. Does the Church have a rule that says you must believe, love, repect and have faith to simply attend a Mass? If so, I am not aware of any. However, I do question why anyone would continue to attend Church if they feel this way. I also suspect a certain degree of pride in all the responses from the OP. Asserting that his/her feelings will never change on this matter strikes me as quite willfull. And I wonder why one would come on a Catholic Forum or state these opinions to someone inside a Church with a priest within earshot. It’s a shame, IMO, because I believe the OP could benefit greatly from the graces of receiving the Eucharist.
 
Meggie said:
I’m having trouble in my life with many Catholic Church issues. I don’t like some of the things catholic persons in authority have done to me, espeally when it goes to the diocean level.

I do not “believe” one bit. There is nothing in me that has any faith in the least eon.

However, becuase I’ve studied other Religions I am pretty sure, well I am positive, that the Catholic Church provieds one with the greatest moral compas, spiritual direction and truth. Therefore I have commited to follow the rules of the Catholic Church, just like I follow the rules of my workplace, school, and state.(although the latter are clearly flawed)

I have stopped recieving Communion beucase my thought process is based on facts and not on respect or love. My protestant friends say I’m not Catholic then, and my Catholic friends say that if I’m not in Mortal sin then I’m being bellergant. My Catholic friends say that I am sinning because I am failing to recive grace that would help myself and others. I don’t really care about that becuase I can’t see it. When I tell them that they say I give Catholocism a worse name than if I didn’t go to church at all.

My feeling is that I am following church law and attending Mass weekly and there is no law that sais I have to recieve Communion (except at Easter, which I did) so I don’t.

Am I breaking any rules that I am unaware of?
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Dear Meggie, its not that you are breaking the rules but you are depriving yourself of th gift of Jesus’s own body blood soul and divinity. These are needed for the journey. I am sensing Pride in there but not how or why. I am also sensing scrupulosity which really needs to be dealt with. I am also sensing an emotional removal of yourself from the faith. So Meggie dear, its important that you meet with someone (spiritual director) to help you through this time.
God Bless you.
Grace Angel.
 
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