Receiving Communion When One Can't Be At Mass

[patricius79]

Hi, Iwant to receive Communion as much as possible.

A priest said that the appropriate place to receive Communion is the Mass and indicated that if one is unable to be at Mass they cannot recieve the Eucharist–unless of course they are sick

This triggered my fear of God–I struggle with anxiety, including scruples–as I enjoy recieving so much and don’t understand this rule, unless people are trying to substitute something for Mass

I only want to do what God wills here, as He is Infinite Goodness. I just don’t understand.

what exactly has the Church taught about htis?

Is it okay to recieve Communion without attending Mass if they have prepared? I mean, do some very good priests do this?

also, is it okay to recieve Communion if one is only able to be at the end of Mass?

 

[yukonbrad]

One should recieve communion at mass and as your priest mentioned in case of sickness and infermity communion will be given outside of mass. It is wonderful you want to partake as often as you can but communion without mass (outside of illness) looses some of it’s solemnity in my opinion. Try making it to weekday masses if you can.

 

[englishredrose]

How are you going to receive communion if you are not at Mass?

As far as I can see, you cannot receive communion at all if you are not at Mass because Mass makes it the communion.

Whether mass is said at your home or in a church or in a hospital or on a campsite it is still a Mass. You can’t take one from the other its impossible as its the Mass that makes it communion.

Yeh you can buy the materials in a shop but that is not communion. It becomes communion at a Mass where the priest works through the service that turns it into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ which then makes it communion. He can’t just take it simply to your home. If he takes it to your home he will do a simpler Mass than in Church but it is still a Mass because it cannot be communion unless its been through the Mass.

Does that make is easier or more confusion? It be just wine and wafer if you consumed it without the Mass. The Mass makes the Wine and Wafer into Communion, the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

 

[maryjk]

How are you going to receive communion if you are not at Mass?

As far as I can see, you cannot receive communion at all if you are not at Mass because Mass makes it the communion.

Um, no. Communion is taken to the sick all of the time.

 

[Andre1000]

Um, no. Communion is taken to the sick all of the time.

Yes and this was done since the first Christians though the centuries till today. This is standard work for a priest.

 

[chococat]

A good friend of mine and I asked our priest if we could come to church daily during Lent to receive Communion on our way to school. We were unable to attend Mass due to our school schedule.We were in high school at the time. He gave us this special privllege and opened the Tabernacle and let us receive the presantified Host. We felt very honored and humbled to be able to receive our Lord daily during Lent.BTW we are Byzantine Catholics.

 

[baltobetsy]

How are you going to receive communion if you are not at Mass?

As far as I can see, you cannot receive communion at all if you are not at Mass because Mass makes it the communion.

Whether mass is said at your home or in a church or in a hospital or on a campsite it is still a Mass. You can’t take one from the other its impossible as its the Mass that makes it communion.

Yeh you can buy the materials in a shop but that is not communion. It becomes communion at a Mass where the priest works through the service that turns it into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ which then makes it communion. He can’t just take it simply to your home. If he takes it to your home he will do a simpler Mass than in Church but it is still a Mass because it cannot be communion unless its been through the Mass.

Does that make is easier or more confusion? It be just wine and wafer if you consumed it without the Mass. The Mass makes the Wine and Wafer into Communion, the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is totally incorrect. When the priest consecrates the bread and wine at Mass, they become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus until they no longer have the appearance of bread and wine (usually through digestion). Excess consecrated hosts (which are Jesus Himself) are stored in the tabernacle and brought to the sick, homebound and imprisoned. There is no “simpler Mass” said at the person’s home, as the consecration has taken place already and is still in effect.

 

[Corki]

How are you going to receive communion if you are not at Mass?

As far as I can see, you cannot receive communion at all if you are not at Mass because Mass makes it the communion.

Whether mass is said at your home or in a church or in a hospital or on a campsite it is still a Mass. You can’t take one from the other its impossible as its the Mass that makes it communion.

Yeh you can buy the materials in a shop but that is not communion. It becomes communion at a Mass where the priest works through the service that turns it into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ which then makes it communion. He can’t just take it simply to your home. If he takes it to your home he will do a simpler Mass than in Church but it is still a Mass because it cannot be communion unless its been through the Mass.

Does that make is easier or more confusion? It be just wine and wafer if you consumed it without the Mass. The Mass makes the Wine and Wafer into Communion, the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

That sounds more like the teaching of some Anglican parishes - that the Real Presence ceases at the end of Mass. That’s not **at all **what the Catholic teaching is.

 

[twopekinguys]

That sounds more like the teaching of some Anglican parishes - that the Real Presence ceases at the end of Mass. That’s not **at all **what the Catholic teaching is.

 

[paperwight66]

That sounds more like the teaching of some Anglican parishes - that the Real Presence ceases at the end of Mass. That’s not **at all **what the Catholic teaching is.

Englishredrose is, in fact, Anglican.

 

[superamazingman]

Englishredrose is, in fact, Anglican.

Well than why is he running around here on a Catholic board telling us about Catholic doctrine and how we should do things? A little deceptive and deceitful, no?

 

[maryjk]

Well than why is he running around here on a Catholic board telling us about Catholic doctrine and how we should do things? A little deceptive and deceitful, no?

Yes, it is deceptive.

Maybe s/he should change their religion from “I love God,” to their actual religion.

 

[Corki]

Englishredrose is, in fact, Anglican.

But the OP’s question has nothing to do with Anglican teaching.

 

[superamazingman]

Yes, it is deceptive.

Maybe s/he should change their religion from “I love God,” to their actual religion.

My thoughts exactly. It’s reasonable to assume that someone’s Catholic unless they put something obviously not Catholic. That would clear up why her/his views on liturgical music are nothing close to the true Catholic view…

 

[englishredrose]

Um, no. Communion is taken to the sick all of the time.

It is but it is transformed at Mass before hand. one cannot receive communion without a mass whether present at that mass or not doesn’t matter as such but mass is performed for it to be communion. When I was sick the priest came to the hospital and home and performed mass each time even at my sickest. He didn’t just give me the communion. He performed mass with it.

 

[englishredrose]

This is totally incorrect. When the priest consecrates the bread and wine at Mass, they become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus until they no longer have the appearance of bread and wine (usually through digestion). Excess consecrated hosts (which are Jesus Himself) are stored in the tabernacle and brought to the sick, homebound and imprisoned. There is no “simpler Mass” said at the person’s home, as the consecration has taken place already and is still in effect.

please read what I have said. I have basically said this.

There is absolutely no way that anyone can receive communion without a mass being said for it. You aren’t just given the wafer and wine. Mass is performed on it at some point before you receive it as body and blood.

I have said that if you read rather than just want to challenge what you think I said. I have actually received the simpler mass at home. You have interpreted something else to what I mean by simpler mass. All I mean by simpler mass is a Said Mass. That is said at home or it is with us because that is what I received for six weeks after hospital.

some people are quick to challenge rather than quick to find out what I might be actually meaning. I have received communion at home - have you?

 

[maryjk]

please read what I have said. I have basically said this.

There is absolutely no way that anyone can receive communion without a mass being said for it. You aren’t just given the wafer and wine. Mass is performed on it at some point before you receive it as body and blood.

Yes, then the Eucharist is reserved in the Tabernacle.

I have said that if you read rather than just want to challenge what you think I said. I have actually received the simpler mass at home. You have interpreted something else to what I mean by simpler mass. All I mean by simpler mass is a Said Mass. That is said at home or it is with us because that is what I received for six weeks after hospital.

What do you mean, “the simpler mass at home?” There is no simpler Mass.

some people are quick to challenge rather than quick to find out what I might be actually meaning. I have received communion at home - have you?

Yes, I have. And I have received at the hospital.

There was no “simpler mass.” And I received the same Eucharist that I would have, had I been able to attend Mass.

 

[englishredrose]

I have told you want I mean by simpler mass - Said Mass.

 

[maryjk]

I have told you want I mean by simpler mass - Said Mass.

Please explain.

If you mean a Mass that is said, rather than sung, then you are wrong. There was no “simpler Mass.”

 

[Corki]

It is but it is transformed at Mass before hand. one cannot receive communion without a mass whether present at that mass or not doesn’t matter as such but mass is performed for it to be communion. When I was sick the priest came to the hospital and home and performed mass each time even at my sickest. He didn’t just give me the communion. He performed mass with it.

Again, you are presenting an Anglican teaching and assuming it applies to the Catholic question in the OP.

The hosts are consecrated once and only once, in the context of a Mass. They may be received at the Mass or reserved to be used later. They may be reserved to be brought to the sick; they may be reserved ahead of time for a Sunday where no priest will be available; they are reserved to be available to be given as Viaticum to the dying; they are reserved for adoration.

When Communion is given at home or in the hospital, an additional Mass is not said. In many cases, the Communion is brought by a deacon or EMHC rather than a priest.

Masses are generally not said in homes. To say Mass outside of a Church or chapel, a priest needs special permission from his Bishop.