Taking Communion while in a state of Mortal Sin

[BrooklynBoy200]

What happens if somone took Communion while in a state of mortal sin? I’ve done it a few times because i didn’t know about this rule. As i’ve said before, i wasn’t raised very religiously and i just did whatever i was told to at church.

 

[NotWorthy]

It would be a mortal sin to do this, but only if you knew it was a sin to take communion while in a state of sin.

Good Luck!

 

[jmcrae]

What happens if somone took Communion while in a state of mortal sin? I’ve done it a few times because i didn’t know about this rule. As i’ve said before, i wasn’t raised very religiously and i just did whatever i was told to at church.

The best thing right now is to go to Confession, explain what happened, and ask the priest to help you with this.

It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of going to Confession on a regular basis, even when you don’t have anything serious to confess, so that when something serious does come up, you will know what to do, and it won’t be “scary” to go.

 

[Nicholas_II]

The best thing right now is to go to Confession, explain what happened, and ask the priest to help you with this.

It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of going to Confession on a regular basis, even when you don’t have anything serious to confess, so that when something serious does come up, you will know what to do, and it won’t be “scary” to go.

A better reason for going to confession regularly is that it not only means we are reconciled to Gods church, and all our sins are forgiven, but it strengthens us for the future. Although like all the sacraments its long term effects in the latter sense are dependent on other factors, such as our own state of faith etc etc.

I remember going to confession once and after confessing my sins, I felt the need to confide in the priest that I was getting a bit concerned about my life becoming cycle of falling and getting up again (with confession). The priest said a very startling thing to me. He said “but thats what confession is for!”.

I realised he was right. I had no hope of breaking the cycle without confession.



best regards
Nicholas

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

Ok thankyou guys. Got scared when i found out and was making sure i wasn’t damned to hell or anything.

 

[irishmac]

There isn’t a sin so grave that the Lord can’t forgive you of. You just have to ask for forgiveness.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

Should i confess this even though i didn’t know it was a sin? Or would that be like lying? Should i just tell the priest i did it?

 

[irishmac]

I think you should go and confess the mortal sin that you knew about. I also think you should also tell the priest that you didn’t know before it occured, but that you found out about it later.

But, just to warn you. YOU KNOW NOW. You now know that you are defaming the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ when you receive the Eucharist under the stain of mortal sin, which is a mortal sin in itself. I recommend going to confession often.

For everyone, in regards to this thread, have you ever noticed the people who leave the Mass after the Liturgy of the Word. Is that okay? Is it a sin? There were times when I was sinful and I simply did not proceed up to receive the Eucharist. Would I still fulfill the Sunday obligation even if I didn’t receive the Eucharist? Just a question.

 

[irishmac]

Also, I apologize if I slightly derailed this thread. I thought it was along the lines of the OP. Thanks.

SORRY!

 

[Unfinished]

Would I still fulfill the Sunday obligation even if I didn’t receive the Eucharist? Just a question.

Yes. You are only required to go to Mass, not to recieve Holy Communion. (Except during Easter time, I believe you have to recieve once.)

 

[irishmac]

What about those who leave after the homily? Does that fulfill the obligation?

 

[mercygate]

Ok thankyou guys. Got scared when i found out and was making sure i wasn’t damned to hell or anything.

Brooklyn – I think the Lord has you in his crosshairs! The Holy Spirit is prompting you to explore really important things.

God love ya!

 

[mercygate]

Should i confess this even though i didn’t know it was a sin? Or would that be like lying? Should i just tell the priest i did it?

Brooklyn, a sin is a sin is a sin. the fact that you didn’t know it only lessens the guilt.

Say you were raised someplace where people ate babies for lunch. The behavior would be objectively sinful, but you would not be held to the same standard of blame because you didn’t know it. So, a missionary comes along, and you convert to Christianity. Suddenly, your whole perspective changes, and you realize that you were absolutely awash in sin! (That is a very great grace by the way.) So you would REPENT of it.

Answer: confess the sin, including the part that you did not know it.

 

[E.E.N.S]

Should i confess this even though i didn’t know it was a sin? Or would that be like lying? Should i just tell the priest i did it?

Yes, definately go to confession and confess both the mortal sin, and the receiving while in the state of mortal sin. Of course you should also tell the priest that you were unaware that it was gravely wrong to receive the Eucharist while not in the state of grace.

*Also I wanted to note that receiving the Eucharist while in the state of mortal sin goes beyond just adding another mortal sin - it is what is known as a sacrilege. You may not be *fully *culpable for committing that sacrilege because of your lack of knowledge, but it doesn’t mean that it’s safe to go without confessing.

From the CCC:
**2120 ***Sacrilege *consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us.

Thank God for the Sacrament of Penance! “Now go and sin no more….”

 

[Unfinished]

What about those who leave after the homily? Does that fulfill the obligation?

No idea.

The catachumens are dismissed before the Liturgy of the Eucharist, so I am going to assume yes. But we all know what happens when someone assumes…

 

[E.E.N.S]

What about those who leave after the homily? Does that fulfill the obligation?

Well, our late Holy Father John Paul II said that it was an “abomination” to leave the Mass early (and he was refering to those who leave right after receiving communion.)

 

[jmcrae]

No idea.

The catachumens are dismissed before the Liturgy of the Eucharist, so I am going to assume yes. But we all know what happens when someone assumes…

Catechumens aren’t baptized yet, and there is no requirement for them to attend Mass. They attend the Liturgy of the Word as part of their spiritual formation.

Their leaders attend the full Mass at a different time that Sunday so as to fulfill their Sunday obligation.

According to Father John Zulsdorf of St. Agnes parish in Minnesota, in a conversation I had with him about a year ago, the minimum of the Sunday obligation is from the start of the Gospel reading until the final blessing.

Obviously it is best of all if you arrive a few minutes before Mass begins, so as to recollect yourself, and stay until the end of the final hymn, but in any case, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass includes being there for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

 

[jmcrae]

Would I still fulfill the Sunday obligation even if I didn’t receive the Eucharist? Just a question.

Yes, the requirement to receive Holy Communion once a year at Easter time is not the same thing as the requirement to attend Holy Mass every Sunday.

Attending Mass is not the same thing as receiving Holy Communion.

Obviously there are going to be times when you can’t receive Holy Communion at Sunday Mass for some reason - improperly disposed to receive, or didn’t get a chance yet to confess a mortal/serious sin, being the most common reasons for that - but you still have to be present for it.

 

[puzzleannie]

Ok thankyou guys. Got scared when i found out and was making sure i wasn’t damned to hell or anything.

no one is damned to hell for committing a mortal sin. a person who dies in a state of freely chosen unrepentent mortal sin is in danger of hell because he faces Christ in judgement at the moment of death, is given all the knowledge he needs to make a free choice between eternity with God or without God. If he then freely with full knowledge rejects God he is condemend to hell for all eternity by his free will choice.

 

[Michael_Francis]

Having answered the OP’s question, this thread is now closed.