Receiving the Eucharist before doing penance

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Confessions are offered just before mass at my church and the lineups are generally long. By the time I finish confession, mass is well underway and often don’t have an opportunity (or know if it’s even appropriate) to do my penance before the Eucharist is offered.

Am I allowed to receive the Eucharist before doing my penance?
 
Hmmmm. You are absolved, so that much is done. However, as to the mass-in-progress, this is only my opinion, but I would attend a different mass, as we are called to full and complete devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the mass. We should be present to God from blessing to blessing. If we are at one Sacrament, we cannot simultaneously participate in another. Just a thought.
 
Hmmm 🤔

The ICRSS regularly has confession available during Mass. I went with them on a pilgrimage to Lourdes and every Mass had confession going on during the liturgy, by at least ten priests. If we cannot participate in two sacraments simultaneously, I don’t think they would do this. Is it possibly different because it’s the EF?
 
This is an interesting opinion and I can see your reasoning.

Confession at my church is a stressful ordeal and a total distraction from the mass. There is no formal line and people often cut in front out of nowhere only to have everyone identify the order to them. Plus, I can’t even see the front of the church because of the pillars.

Unfortunately my options are limited in attending another church.
 
Speak with Father. This can all be cleared up easily. Not necessarily another parish - just another mass. Or, confession by appointment, thus freeing you to attend the most convenient mass. We best serve the Lord, I think, when we devote full and complete attention to each and every Sacrament.

The Lord does not seek to complicate our faith lives - we do that by ourselves. He desires clarity, simplicity and purity of heart. There is a satisfactory solution to this, and it will be found at your local level.
 
You are allowed to receive the Eucharist twice in one day, but the second must be at a Mass you participate in. The first time doesn’t have that restriction. I mention this because you said Mass is well under way. If this is the first time you receive that day then it shouldn’t matter that Mass is underway. If it is the second then it would.

That said, obviously if possible it would be better if you can fully participate in the whole Mass.
 
Yeah, this is the issue I have with Confessions that run into the Mass.
Our parish has a STRICT rule, NOTHING can be going on at the parish during a Mass.
Nothing. No classes, no meetings, nothing. That includes confession. Once Mass begins, that is the focus.
That pretty much solves that. Confessions are available anytime by appointment, on Saturdays for a gracious amount of time, and after weekday Masses. Plenty of time. People can’t really say it’s too hard to get there. But the priest rightly says Mass is the “source and summit” of our faith. It comes first in our priorities. If one has serious sin, attending Mass and refraining from Eucharist is a good way to build a repentant heart and prepare yourself for a good confession. Then you’re in good shape for the next Sunday’s Mass.
 
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pianistclare said:
Yeah, this is the issue I have with Confessions that run into the Mass.
Our parish has a STRICT rule, NOTHING can be going on at the parish during a Mass.
Nothing. No classes, no meetings, nothing. That includes confession. Once Mass begins, that is the focus.
That pretty much solves that. Confessions are available anytime by appointment, on Saturdays for a gracious amount of time, and after weekday Masses. Plenty of time. People can’t really say it’s too hard to get there. But the priest rightly says Mass is the “source and summit” of our faith. It comes first in our priorities. If one has serious sin, attending Mass and refraining from Eucharist is a good way to build a repentant heart and prepare yourself for a good confession. Then you’re in good shape for the next Sunday’s Mass.
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It seems to me that this is a suburban/rural vs urban center thing… ?

In the suburbs & rural parishes, I never find a parish that has confessions when mass is going on. They will usually cut off the confessions and if you are still standing in line, oh well. Good priests will typically tell those still standing in line to come back for confession after mass.

However, at our Cathedral, they will have several priests hearing confessions before the 6PM Sunday Mass starts, and if people are still waiting in line when mass begins, one priest will stay and continue hearing confessions. So everyone standing in line, is still participating in mass, and only when in the confessional, will the person not be paying attention to what’s going on.

However, unlike suburban & rural parishes, many downtown city churches (like Cathedrals) are “pilgrim sites” and service business travelers & tourist. So in those situations, you don’t want to turn someone way from Confession because it might be the first time they are going in a long time or the last opportunity they have before traveling home.

God Bless.
 
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michaelArc said:
Confessions are offered just before mass at my church and the lineups are generally long. By the time I finish confession, mass is well underway and often don’t have an opportunity (or know if it’s even appropriate) to do my penance before the Eucharist is offered.

Am I allowed to receive the Eucharist before doing my penance?
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Question: how often to attend confession?

Because if you are concerned, you could simply refrain from Communion until you finish your penance. Unless you have this issue every week, it’s OK to miss Communion from time to time. Truthfully, while we are required to go to Mass every Sunday, we are only required to received Communion once a year (during Easter) though we are encouraged, but not required, to receive quite often.

Question 2: are the sins venial or mortal?

Personally, if the sins were venial, then I would personally feel comfortable receiving before I finished my penance. But if the sins I confessed were mortal, then I would personally feel better refraining from communion until I finished my penance.

God bless.
 
I think it depends on the Bishop. Our Archbishop has a PhD in Liturgy. No confessions during Mass anywhere.
 
I guess the ICRSS is wrong, then.

I’m awestruck that nothing else goes on at your parish if Mass is in progress. If we did that in my parish, we’d either have to cease a whole lot of other activities, reschedule those activities to times that are at best inconvenient and at worst impossible for those they are intended for, or reduce the number of Masses offered.
 
I didn’t say anyone was wrong.
It’s just a pastoral decision to make the Mass priority #1

Since I attend the OF, and people tend to deride it I’m amazed that no one else thinks this is appropriate.
Go figure. We’re all non-reverent except that we are reverent. And it’s still considered odd. Oh well.
 
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Agree, same in my Archdiocese. It would be considered an interruption in the flow of the Mass.
 
Yes, derision for either form is strange to me, but that wasn’t what I was driving at. The consensus in this thread appears to be that there’s something wrong with confession being available during Mass. I was just wondering if things are different if the Mass is being offered in the EF. If not, then I wonder why the ICRSS does it. I guess I should ask them directly. 🙂

At Notre-Dame in Paris, confession is also possible during Mass. I’m not bothered about it one way or another. The fact that tourists flow in and out of the cathedral regardless of what is going on at any given time is far more distracting and potentially problematic, but I suppose given the status of this particular cathedral it’s not practical to avoid it.
 
phil19034 said:
However, at our Cathedral, they will have several priests hearing confessions before the 6PM Sunday Mass starts, and if people are still waiting in line when mass begins, one priest will stay and continue hearing confessions. So everyone standing in line, is still participating in mass, and only when in the confessional, will the person not be paying attention to what’s going on.
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This pretty much sums up my church, except there is no standing line. There are a lot of tourists that come to mass and confession.
 
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In reply to your questions, I attend confession 2 or 3 times a month.

I go to confession whenever I commit mortal sins, which you can guess by the frequency of them by my reply above.

I tend to try and squeeze in my penance during the mass so I can receive communion. Often this particular priest will give me just one Hail Mary for my penance. If it’s anything more, then I won’t do my penance during mass, and I don’t go for communion.

I’m not sure if it’s guilt or a feeling of inadequacy, but I have real issues on not being able to receive communion, especially since I feel the need to receive a grace for my mortal sins. I unfortunately have very black/white thinking at times and it’s almost as if don’t want to go to mass at all if I can’t receive communion.
 
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The Lord is pleased you’re still going to Mass even if you don’t receive. There are people who believe there’s no point in attending Mass if they can’t receive, but Communion isn’t the only point of the Mass.

As Paul said earlier in the thread, however, you may receive Communion after confessing but before doing your penance. It’s the absolution that matters. Absolution is valid immediately.

If I confess but don’t have the time to do my penance before Communion, I receive and do the penance after Mass. Sometimes I have no choice. I’ve been given penances like “spend an hour at Adoration tomorrow evening.” Impossible to do sooner, but Mass is about to begin now. It wouldn’t make sense to not receive if I’ve been absolved.
 
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