Well it depends on your situation ? It appears that you may be really young ? If there is no way for you to get to mass you are not held accountable ,however if you are older then you seem and can make it to mass, you are obligated to go . A priest visits those who are sick and ill ,and when he is busy has an extraordinary minster of communion visit you . Your parents can’t take you once a week?Also let me add that once a week is fine for those who can;'t make it and only can be visited on certain days . Sunday if possible , if not possible another is ok .Hi, i know its common practice for priests to visit parishoners that cannot attend weekly Mass.My question is can I have my priest visit me on the weekday to give me communion. My case is a bit unusual however, I can not attend weekly Mass because I go to camp most weekends with my parents. I dont have a car of my own so I cant just leave and come back, and they wont be driving me into town. Also as my church is Eastern rite they dont often have weekday Mass.
If you could always walk to the Church - then maybe you should you could talk to the priest and see when he offers the mass privately and see if he would be willing to have you sit in. Explain the situation and ask his counsel. It may be tough that your parents are missing their Sunday obligation - but he may have some suggestions for you and be willing to work with you on ways that you can fulfill yours within your Rite since he will know your Rite better than we will. Also the issue is the obligation should only be dispensed in grave situations where someone is unable to because of illness or infirmity. Why not seek a Latin Rite parish close to the campground to receive the Eucharist and fulfill your Sunday obligation. The five precepts are still the five precepts in both Churches.No they cant .I dont see anything wrong with it since most of the parishoners he visits are on my side of town.Also, many other people “non sick” receive communion when the priest comes .I could always just walk to the church and receive communion at his house as well.
You need to talk to your priest about your situation. From what I understand you to say, you can’t attend Sunday Mass because on the weekends you are away camping and your parents won’t drive you to church while away camping, and you have no car of your own to drive yourself. To compensate for this, you want the priest to come to your house during the week to give you communion.No they cant .I dont see anything wrong with it since most of the parishoners he visits are on my side of town.Also, many other people “non sick” receive communion when the priest comes .I could always just walk to the church and receive communion at his house as well.
Thank you this is a very well thought out post. It is what I was trying to say but so much better.You need to talk to your priest about your situation. From what I understand you to say, you can’t attend Sunday Mass because on the weekends you are away camping and your parents won’t drive you to church while away camping, and you have no car of your own to drive yourself. To compensate for this, you want the priest to come to your house during the week to give you communion.
If that is a correct understanding of your situation, then the obstacles I see are these:
What you need to do is sit down with your parents and have a heart-to-heart talk with them. Tell them that going to Sunday Mass is very important to you, and find a way to accommodate Mass with the camping. If they will not do this, then you need to meet with your priest and discuss this problem with him.
- Your parents are, voluntarily, regularly missing Sunday Mass and causing you to miss it as well; we are obligated (from the Commandment, the precept of the Church, and our love of God) to attend Mass on Sunday. Receiving during the week does not replace the Sunday obligation.
- The priest and EMHC bring communion to the sick and homebound as an act of charity because these invalids are unable to attend Mass at all. Your situation does not fall into that category. Your parents choose to miss Mass. They miss Mass because of their priorities not because of ill health. It is my opinion that for a priest/EHMC to bring communion to a healthy person in their home validates and perpetuates their misplaced priorities. Having said that, however, I realize that you are in this position due to your parents’ choice not your own. This is the crux of the matter and you need to discuss with your priest what your options are.
- You say you could walk to the church and receive communion at his house. First, if you can walk to the church, why does the priest/EMHC need to come to your house? They are not a courier service. Second, receiving communion is not simpy an act of going someplace to have the Host place in your hand/on your tongue. It is to be received in the context of a liturgy. Even when the priest/EMHC goes to someone’s house, they do a Liturgy of the Word/communion service. So you really cannot just go to “his house” and receive communion.
This is what is wrong with not attending mass on Sunday. BTW- it is not receiving Eucharist that is the issue it is attending mass on Sunday. Also, the reason you need to speak to your priest is that you need to see what can be done to maybe work out a ride to mass so that you can get to a mass closer to the camp - it is not imposing it is a Christian duty under acts of charity. I have highlighted the part in red that applies to you - all the applicable parts of the CCC are listed so you know we are not talking to here ouselves speak.My parents are not religious .One is a fallen away Catholic.They dont care if I attend church at all, and dont like it when it interferes in their life. Whats wrong with attending Mass on a weekday instead, if thats all I can do? Also, what would a priest be able to do? He would not drive into camp and pick me up.Also, I dont feel comfortable impossing myself on someone in my camp ground to take me to Mass with them. If they offer okay, but im not asking. They could have plans after etc…
THE FIVE PRECEPTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
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In order to nourish the moral and liturgical life of the Body of Christ Mother Church has established five positive laws, decreed by the pastoral authorities, which are meant to identify the minimum spiritual commitment required of the faithful. These five laws are known as The Precepts of the Church and are found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) at numbers 1388-9; 1457; 2041-43; 2177, 80-81. In addition to the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church through time, talent and treasure [CCC# 1351] the minimum Covenant obligations of the People of God include:
- The faithful are required to attend the celebration of the Eucharist every Lord’s Day, Sunday or Saturday vigil, unless excused for a serious reason . CCC #1388-9; 2042; 2180
- The faithful are required to confess sins at least once a year. CCC #1457; 2042
- The faithful are required to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season [but are encouraged to receive Christ in the Eucharist daily if possible]. CCC #1389; 2042
- In addition to the Lord’s Day the faithful are required to keep all Holy Days of Obligation. CCC #2043; 2177; 2180; 2185; 2187-8; 2192-3
- The faithful are required to observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence. CCC #1387; 1438; 2043