The unworthy receiving the Eucharist

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Zundrah

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If someone you know is in a state of sin yet they still go up to take part in communion, does it anger you?
 
Since I have no ability to read people’s souls, I’m afraid I don’t know about their state of sinfulness. I can only judge my own.
 
Sin should anger any Christian, especially when the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord are being mistreated. However the intent of the person committing the sin is unknown so while its ok to hate the sin, it is not ok to hate the sinner.

If we know that a friend of ours is in a state of mortal sin because they disclosed this to us, then we are obligated by charity to inform them that to receieve communion in a state of mortal sin would be a sacrilege.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
Since I have no ability to read people’s souls, I’m afraid I don’t know about their state of sinfulness. I can only judge my own.
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^^^ This. i think I have quite enough to worry about for my own soul. Why would I be watching the Communion line and be speculating on people’s “worthiness?”

And besides, are any of us actually worthy?
 
Credo_in_Deum said:
Sin should anger any Christian, especially when the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord are being mistreated. However the intent of the person committing the sin is unknown so while its ok to hate the sin, it is not ok to hate the sinner.

If we know that a friend of ours is in a state of mortal sin because they disclosed this to us, then we are obligated by charity to inform them that to receieve communion in a state of mortal sin would be a sacrilege.
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You may know they have committed sin - but you may not know if they have confessed this .

It is not your place to judge the state of their soul - only God can do that
 
I have no ability to discern another man’s state of grace. I have a hard time discerning my own.

If I knew he was guilty of a flagrant mortal sin, I would be angered: but such would be a sin in itself, as how do I know, that he did not receive penance?
 
yeah,it makes me angry! What right did Jesus have giving Judas communion at the Last Supper,anyway?
 
I have no idea if their sin met all three requirements for a mortal sin which is what would actually make them unworthy for Eucharist:
1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."131
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1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
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1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
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1860 Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.
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1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
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Even if by some off the chance I did know all that then I still don’t know if they had made a Confession prior to Mass or not.
 
FrIntervention said:
yeah,it makes me angry! What right did Jesus have giving Judas communion at the Last Supper,anyway?
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Ummm… Jesus was the Son of God. He had the right to do anything He wanted, technically, and He couldn’t sin, because He’s God in the flesh.
 
Most of the time, one doesn’t really know if others are in a state of mortal sin or not so I don’t really worry about it. When I do know of an instance, it doesn’t usually make me angry. More often it makes me sad, because that person doesn’t really “get it”. What does make me angry is when people who are clearly not practicing Catholics claim to be in order to decieve the faithful.
 
Zundrah said:
If someone you know is in a state of sin yet they still go up to take part in communion, does it anger you?
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Hello - it doesn’t anger me per se, it does bother me though.

We all should help each other out as part of the Body of Christ. I see it as an opportunity to evangelize, and let’s do so with charity and gentleness. I’ve had instances where I’ve advised family members that if they don’t believe that it’s truly Jesus they are receiving up there that the need to refrain from it and sadly, when I try to explain, I am met with with so much resistance. Or told friends who are engaged in pre-marital sex that they are not in communion and so I have to explain the sacrament of marriage etc…
 
Zundrah said:
If someone you know is in a state of sin yet they still go up to take part in communion, does it anger you?
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Does it anger you?

What’s your stake in this discussion?

Who was it said, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” and “let he who is without sin cast the first stone?”
 
Zundrah said:
If someone you know is in a state of sin yet they still go up to take part in communion, does it anger you?
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How would I have any idea the state of someone’s soul or the state of their Confessional life?

Luna
 
Agnes therese,

Great answer you gave. It reminded me straight away of the following from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis. **“Whatever becomes of others neglect not thyself”
**

Still though, there’s a total lack of reverence nowadays by some, and it’s very noticeable.
I think they do themselves more harm than good receiving like that.

2 Cor 13:13
Eddy Barry
 
Zundrah said:
If someone you know is in a state of sin yet they still go up to take part in communion, does it anger you?
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I don’t really consider it any of my business, in most cases.

If the person is a student or child of mine, I would watch for an appropriate time, and make sure they understand what it means, to be “in a state of grace” generally, but I would never go up to anyone or accuse them directly.
 
soylatte3 said:
Hello - it doesn’t anger me per se, it does bother me though.

We all should help each other out as part of the Body of Christ. I see it as an opportunity to evangelize, and let’s do so with charity and gentleness. I’ve had instances where I’ve advised family members that if they don’t believe that it’s truly Jesus they are receiving up there that the need to refrain from it and sadly, when I try to explain, I am met with with so much resistance. Or told friends who are engaged in pre-marital sex that they are not in communion and so I have to explain the sacrament of marriage etc…
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You cannot necessarily say they are or are not in Communion with the Lord because you do not know their status regarding Confession. You also do not know if they fully understand the teaching of the Church. In today’s world sadly it is not so rare to have people that honestly do not understand the teachings of the Church - this goes to intent. I am not saying that I am letting them off the hook but yes some people are that poorly catechized. Not only that but if they are hearing one message one place and another from their parents it could rightly go to invincible ignorance - who are we to say.
 
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