Recieving the Eucharist for Easter

[Charlotte408]

((hypothetical situation))

Lets say, that there is someone who attends Mass regularly - but doesn’t recieve the Eucharist because they are living in ‘Mortal Sin’ and they take the Eucharist very seriously.

I would think that, for this person, par-taking in the Eucharist would be like lying to God and denying the reality of their situation. This person desperately wishes to take the communion, and is working on resolving the issue - but until then refuses to take it.

Well Easter is coming up. I’m not sure if I read or heard this correctly but I think it has been said that on Easter it’s mandatory for everyone to take communion. (Please correct me if I’m wrong).

Do you think, that if this person makes this walk of shame every Sunday - for a year, that maybe on just this one, very special day, they could take communion? Would it be downright disrespectful for them to not to, on Easter of all days? Or is the bottom line still the bottom line - don’t take communion unless your in communion?

 

[jtodisco]

Receiving the Holy Eucharist on Easter is not mandatory. What I think you are confused on is that the Church teaches that the faithful should receive the sacraments of Confession and Holy Eucharist at least once a year. This is the Church’s minimum. The Church then goes on to say that if the faithful were only to receive once a year that the most appropriate time would be in the Easter season. However, we should all be receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist more than the minimum.

The solution to your problem is simple. Go to confession and receive absolution. It is a temptation of the devil to avoid God’s forgiveness. Are we unworthy of God’s forgiveness? Of course. None of us deserve His mercy, but we receive it because His mercy is so great. All one needs to receive the forgiveness of the Lord is contrition with the sincere intention to stop sinning. This contrition need not be perfect (though perfect contrition is obviously desireable). The simple recognition of your sins as being wrong and the fear of God’s just punishments is sufficient to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Remember the story of the prodigal son, he returned to his father not necessarily out of deep sorrow for his sins or great love for his father, but because he was starving and going to die because of his sins and knew that if he returned to his father’s house he would have life. His father was no fool, he knew this was the case, but was so compassionate, loving, and merciful that as soon as he saw his son begin journeying back to him he ran out to meet him and embraced him. This is the way God approaches us wretched sinners. The only sin God cannot forgive are the sins we refused to be forgiven of.

Once you have been forgiven through the sacrament of Reconciliation then you are free to receive the Holy Eucharist again. Be it Easter or any other time of the year so long as you remain in a state of grace. The reason the sacraments are repeatedly offered to the faithful is because God and the Church knows that we are all weak sinners in need of constant forgiveness and grace. Do not shun God’s gracious gifts.

 

[maryj]

Unless this hypothetical person is repentant and goes to confession the answer is still NO. Lent is the season of repentence and conversion.

 

[markomalley]

((hypothetical situation))

Lets say, that there is someone who attends Mass regularly - but doesn’t recieve the Eucharist because they are living in ‘Mortal Sin’ and they take the Eucharist very seriously.

I would think that, for this person, par-taking in the Eucharist would be like lying to God and denying the reality of their situation. This person desperately wishes to take the communion, and is working on resolving the issue - but until then refuses to take it.

Well Easter is coming up. I’m not sure if I read or heard this correctly but I think it has been said that on Easter it’s mandatory for everyone to take communion. (Please correct me if I’m wrong).

Do you think, that if this person makes this walk of shame every Sunday - for a year, that maybe on just this one, very special day, they could take communion? Would it be downright disrespectful for them to not to, on Easter of all days? Or is the bottom line still the bottom line - don’t take communion unless your in communion?

Can. 920 §1. After being initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to receive holy communion at least once a year.
§2. This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at another time during the year.

The Easter season lasts from the Vigil of Easter until the day before the vigil of Pentecost.

Having said that, though:

Can. 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.
Naturally, it also follows that there is an obligation to go to confession once a year as well.

One thing to keep in mind is this:

Can. 987 To receive the salvific remedy of the sacrament of penance, a member of the Christian faithful must be disposed in such a way that, rejecting sins committed and having a purpose of amendment, the person is turned back to God.

In other words, for the confession to be effectual, the person must want to not sin again. Otherwise, the required intent is just not there. And, frankly, if the confessor knew it, chances are that he would not give absolution.

Bottom line, for somebody is a situation of habitual long-term mortal sin (such as cohabitation, long-term use of contraception, etc.), that person would be in a real conundrum.

 

[RSD]

((hypothetical situation))

Lets say, that there is someone who attends Mass regularly - but doesn’t recieve the Eucharist because they are living in ‘Mortal Sin’ and they take the Eucharist very seriously.

I would think that, for this person, par-taking in the Eucharist would be like lying to God and denying the reality of their situation. This person desperately wishes to take the communion, and is working on resolving the issue - but until then refuses to take it.

Well Easter is coming up. I’m not sure if I read or heard this correctly but I think it has been said that on Easter it’s mandatory for everyone to take communion. (Please correct me if I’m wrong).

Do you think, that if this person makes this walk of shame every Sunday - for a year, that maybe on just this one, very special day, they could take communion? Would it be downright disrespectful for them to not to, on Easter of all days? Or is the bottom line still the bottom line - don’t take communion unless your in communion?

I think that you and your friend do not understand the point of the rules. The church did not just say “Let’s play Catholic! What rules shall we make up to make this game different from other games?” No, it’s not like baseball or football, which can have some rules which are apparently contradictory. The point of the rules of the Church is to bring us all fully into union with the person of Christ.

The point of receiving Communion is to deepen a relationship with Christ. It must be a relationship that is already established. Otherwise communion will not do you any good, in fact St. Paul says that to receive communion unworthily can lead to spiritual death.

The point about making a good confession and receiving Communion at least once a year during the Easter season is the bare minimum spiritual food to keep alive your already established relationship with Christ. If your friend is living in a state of mortal sin, he needs to REPENT, turn away from sin, confess, do penance- then receive communion. The “walk of shame” is not some moral disinfectant which makes sinning ok. Penances come after repentance and confession. REPENTANCE means at least turning away from the sin. No matter how hard it is.

 

[corsair]

Great answers. All this hypothetical friend is doing is compounding his mortal sins by refusing to wait until his situation is reconciled. The longer it takes the more he needs to confess. Sins build up with all of us daily.

Its great that he is trying to get things resolved but he needs to refrain from Communion until then.

My prayers are with him.

 

[puzzleannie]

Well Easter is coming up. I’m not sure if I read or heard this correctly but I think it has been said that on Easter it’s mandatory for everyone to take communion. (Please correct me if I’m wrong).

Do you think, that if this person makes this walk of shame every Sunday ?

I have no idea what you mean by “walk of shame” and I know of no Catholic teaching about such a thing.

It is a law of the Church that we must confess all mortal sin at least once a year, and partake of Eucharist during the Easter season (not necessarily on Easter). The obvious solution is for the person to confess, receive absolution and communion. You seem to have a scenario in mind where this is not possible so the only further advice would be to enlist the help of a priest to remove whatever obstacles there are.

 

[ProVobis]

A feature of Roman Catholic life is the Easter duty, by which every member is required to receive communion sometime between Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday.

infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0816577.html

Then there is this:

EASTER DUTY
The grave obligation that every Catholic has to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season, which differs in various countries. Thus, in the United States it is from the first Sunday of Lent to Trinity Sunday inclusive; in other countries the season may begin on Ash Wednesday and close on Low Sunday or Ascension Thursday.

catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=33250

 

[Charlotte408]

I think that you and your friend do not understand the point of the rules. The church did not just say “Let’s play Catholic! What rules shall we make up to make this game different from other games?” No, it’s not like baseball or football, which can have some rules which are apparently contradictory. The point of the rules of the Church is to bring us all fully into union with the person of Christ.

The point of receiving Communion is to deepen a relationship with Christ. It must be a relationship that is already established. Otherwise communion will not do you any good, in fact St. Paul says that to receive communion unworthily can lead to spiritual death.

The point about making a good confession and receiving Communion at least once a year during the Easter season is the bare minimum spiritual food to keep alive your already established relationship with Christ. If your friend is living in a state of mortal sin, he needs to REPENT, turn away from sin, confess, do penance- then receive communion. The “walk of shame” is not some moral disinfectant which makes sinning ok. Penances come after repentance and confession. REPENTANCE means at least turning away from the sin. No matter how hard it is.

I don’t think this person misunderstands the point of communion. I think this person gets it, all too well, and respects it in fact so much that they wouldn’t dare recieve communion without being in full communion.

To the earlier poster, who had said something about co-habitation and a conundrum - can you help me with that?

Here’s the situation.

Single mother. Has a boyfriend. Boyfriend moves in. Boyfriend starts taking the place of the Father in the home. Happy family.

4 years later, my friend, goes through a deep conversion, to where she wants nothing more than to do the right thing by God’s eyes, live her life in a righteous way…she stops drinking, partying - etc. She starts going to church. Starts changing the way she interacts with people, mends family relationships…

She starts talking about marriage. He says ‘I don’t believe in marriage and I’ve been here this long, I’m a Father to your kid, we’re a family, why would marriage change anything?’ etc etc…

She starts praying for God to work in her life - and He does. Her Boyfriend starts attending Mass with her. He becomes more spiritual and deeper in the way he starts looking at his life, at the family.

Neither of them take the Eucharist, but I know it drives her crazy. Unfortunately she’s not in a position where she can just ‘up and leave’ because now she’s a stay at home mom, has no money saved up, and no family or friends she can shack up with until she gets on her feet. And really, the only issue is that they are unmarried. I know it tears her up inside, because she doesn’t want to be ungrateful, or give up too soon, many girls are begging for men that will just be faithful…and also she’s seen so much change already.

But it’s been almost seven years. Idk. I thought you don’t go to confession until you are ready to confess and NEVER do it again. If this girl knows she’s going to go home at the end of the night to the same place, cohabitating and in sin, she shouldn’t confess right? Or take Eucharist?

 

[ProVobis]

I thought you don’t go to confession until you are ready to confess and NEVER do it again. If this girl knows she’s going to go home at the end of the night to the same place, cohabitating and in sin, she shouldn’t confess right? Or take Eucharist?

There is no limit as to the number of times you can resolve to do better. Therefore there is no limit to the number of confessions you can do, assuming you have a priest who’s willing to hear your confession, absolve you of sin, and thus permit you to do your Easter duty.

 

[baltobetsy]

If this girl knows she’s going to go home at the end of the night to the same place, cohabitating and in sin, she shouldn’t confess right? Or take Eucharist?

That is correct. To do so would be to mock both sacraments. But she needs to make a serious choice about her life. Does she choose her current comfortable situation or does she choose eternity with God? It’s that serious. I hope she chooses well.

 

[markomalley]

I don’t think this person misunderstands the point of communion. I think this person gets it, all too well, and respects it in fact so much that they wouldn’t dare recieve communion without being in full communion.

To the earlier poster, who had said something about co-habitation and a conundrum - can you help me with that?

Here’s the situation.

Single mother. Has a boyfriend. Boyfriend moves in. Boyfriend starts taking the place of the Father in the home. Happy family.

4 years later, my friend, goes through a deep conversion, to where she wants nothing more than to do the right thing by God’s eyes, live her life in a righteous way…she stops drinking, partying - etc. She starts going to church. Starts changing the way she interacts with people, mends family relationships…

She starts talking about marriage. He says ‘I don’t believe in marriage and I’ve been here this long, I’m a Father to your kid, we’re a family, why would marriage change anything?’ etc etc…

She starts praying for God to work in her life - and He does. Her Boyfriend starts attending Mass with her. He becomes more spiritual and deeper in the way he starts looking at his life, at the family.

Neither of them take the Eucharist, but I know it drives her crazy. Unfortunately she’s not in a position where she can just ‘up and leave’ because now she’s a stay at home mom, has no money saved up, and no family or friends she can shack up with until she gets on her feet. And really, the only issue is that they are unmarried. I know it tears her up inside, because she doesn’t want to be ungrateful, or give up too soon, many girls are begging for men that will just be faithful…and also she’s seen so much change already.

But it’s been almost seven years. Idk. I thought you don’t go to confession until you are ready to confess and NEVER do it again. If this girl knows she’s going to go home at the end of the night to the same place, cohabitating and in sin, she shouldn’t confess right? Or take Eucharist?

There is another alternative. She and boyfriend (who is more spiritual now and is going to Mass with her weekly) could resolve to live as brother and sister until such time as they are able to take care of the issue (get any required annulments and get married…quietly…in the Church)

 

[mom2em]

There is another alternative. She and boyfriend (who is more spiritual now and is going to Mass with her weekly) could resolve to live as brother and sister until such time as they are able to take care of the issue (get any required annulments and get married…quietly…in the Church)

Yes, this is something that in situations where separating is not feasible, is recommended.

 

[Morgan_Hiver]

Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought that cohabitation was not official doctrine. Which is why some priests will marry you and some will not. If it was official then why would you still allowed to be married while living together? If you are allowed to be married then shouldn’t the priest hear your confession?

 

[ProVobis]

There is another alternative. She and boyfriend (who is more spiritual now and is going to Mass with her weekly) could resolve to live as brother and sister until such time as they are able to take care of the issue (get any required annulments and get married…quietly…in the Church)

Good word. There is the matter of public scandal that needs to be avoided.

 

[puzzleannie]

Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought that cohabitation was not official doctrine. Which is why some priests will marry you and some will not. If it was official then why would you still allowed to be married while living together? If you are allowed to be married then shouldn’t the priest hear your confession?

yes it is in the 10 commandments and all moral teaching of the Church which is as official as you can get. Cohabitation, as in unmarried persons living together: purpose sex, and other perks–is a mortal sin, namely fornication (adultery of one of them has been married before). “I thought” or “I heard” or “some priest said” is not doctrine.

Whether the priest witnesses the marriage of this or that couple, no matter what their prior activities have been, is quite simply, NOOB, none of our business. We are obliged to assume, in Christian charity, the most charitable conclusions we can, name that he has given them the best possible pastoral care, and they have done the best possible to benefit from that counsel, including confession and amendment of any situation (of which we have no knowledge because we don’t share in their confession) required.

Reality, as some of the “hypothetical” situations posed here, has a way of intruding into “pastoral care” and we must trust that any individual priest, confronted with any two individuals, in whatever manner they have been living, who now want to get right with God and the Church, will take care of their sacramental and pastoral needs in the most compassionate, Christlike, faithful manner possible.

Each individual couple, each individual who forms a couple, each marriage, putative or valid, each situation is unique. That is why there are both moral laws and canon laws that govern and it is the duty of the priest, and what he is trained for, to apply those universal laws to specific situations, remembering that the goal is always to lead people to Christ. This he must do in the face of a constant barrage of criticism, advice, monday morning quarterbacking, resentment and “what about my cousin” from family, parishioners and anyone else who has a grudge on such matters.