Was i wrong to receive the eucharist?

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captainmike

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last night, in a moment of weakenss, i watched a video on you tube that depicted a sex scene from a rated R movie. although the scene was definitely “steamy,” it would not qualify as pornography. i watched it for 2-3 minutes.

i was not impure with myself.

this morning, having not been to confession since last night, i received the eucharist. was it wrong for me to do so?

notice what i’m asking. i’m not asking whether it would have been a “good idea” to first go to confession.

rather, i’m asking whether it was WRONG for me to do so. stated another way, must i now go to confession for having received the eucharist this morning?
 
… Did I deliberately look at impure TV, videos, plays, pictures or movies? Or deliberately read impure materials? … … In the area of deliberate sexual sins listed above, all are mortal sins if there is sufficient reflection and full consent of the will. Appears that "
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sufficient reflection" and “full consent of the will” is the key to your answer.
 
Sir_Knight said:
Appears that "
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sufficient reflection" and “full consent of the will” is the key to your answer.

what are you quoting from? is that the catechism?

it seems to me that if one offense like that is a mortal sin (i.e., a sin that gets you to hell), then many, if not most of us, are in a state of mortal sin a good deal of the time (e.g., when we see a woman on the street and have sexual thoughts about her).
 
captainmike said:
what are you quoting from? is that the catechism?
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Go here. Click on the church link. Click on the “Sacraments” link in the menu on the left. Then click on the “Penance” link. Scroll down to the “SIXTH & NINTH COMMANDMENTS”.
captainmike said:
it seems to me that if one offense like that is a mortal sin (i.e., a sin that gets you to hell),
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Took only ONE offense to get Adam & Eve thrown out of the garden of Eden for ALL of us.
captainmike said:
then many, if not most of us, are in a state of mortal sin a good deal of the time
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Yep.
captainmike said:
(e.g., when we see a woman on the street and have sexual thoughts about her).
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Again, this is where “sufficient reflection” and “full consent of the will” enters the equation.
 
captainmike said:
last night, in a moment of weakenss, i watched a video on you tube that depicted a sex scene from a rated R movie. although the scene was definitely “steamy,” it would not qualify as pornography. i watched it for 2-3 minutes.

i was not impure with myself.

this morning, having not been to confession since last night, i received the eucharist. was it wrong for me to do so?

notice what i’m asking. i’m not asking whether it would have been a “good idea” to first go to confession.

rather, i’m asking whether it was WRONG for me to do so. stated another way, must i now go to confession for having received the eucharist this morning?
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  • What, exactly, was your motivation for watching the sexually explicit video? Ie, was it curiosity, desire for sexual stimulation, etc.
  • Did you know prior to watching it that you were choosing to disobey God by watching it?
  • Is there any reason to believe that you were incapable of making a free choice in choosing to watch it?
 
captainmike said:
what are you quoting from? is that the catechism?

it seems to me that if one offense like that is a mortal sin (i.e., a sin that gets you to hell), then many, if not most of us, are in a state of mortal sin a good deal of the time (e.g., when we see a woman on the street and have sexual thoughts about her).
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Mike, you seem to make a distinction between watching sexual content on film or other media and worry about the evil therein, but seem to be more casual when you “see a woman on the street and have sexual thoughts about her”. Both can be wrong, and both can be seriously or mortally wrong as well. While Scripture is silent about seeing images on some kind of screen, it is not silent about lusting after another creature in your heart or mind. Jesus Himself warned us when He said, “You have heard the commandment, ‘you shall not commit adultry’. What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman, (He was talking to the apostles), has already committed adultry in his thoughts”. (NAB Matt:5:27-8. That’s a pretty clear warning for us all weither what you see is on a screen or in person.

Now when does looking become lusting? A priest once explained it to me as the point when you stop admiring God’s handiwork, and begin wanting to sexually have that for yourself, and have no right to do so, (not your wife). That’s a pretty good rule of thumb. When you quit saying God, you really did a great job with that one, to I sure would like to get my hands on her and do thus and so, which you have no right to do. The gravity of the sin doesn’t change based on the depiction being on screen or in person, it is based on what was in your thoughts, (and some translations say what was “in your heart”).

God Bless
 
Philthy said:
  • What, exactly, was your motivation for watching the sexually explicit video? Ie, was it curiosity, desire for sexual stimulation, etc.
    Code: 
              the latter
  • Did you know prior to watching it that you were choosing to disobey God by watching it?
    Code: 
             yes
  • Is there any reason to believe that you were incapable of making a free choice in choosing to watch it?
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Code: 
          stress would be the only thing.

          i'll be going to confesion
 
captainmike said:
stress would be the only thing.
Code: 
          i'll be going to confesion
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Capt Mike, whenever you’re in doubt, you will always make the right choice by going to confession and asking your confessor about it.

Peace
 
Like my confessor says the struggle makes us strong when the struggle is over there are only 2 things - pride or death.

Keep up the good fight.
 
That’s darn good advice, son. There’s no harm at all in going to confession to confess both things if you’re in doubt. Better to err on the side of the sacraments.
 
I have had similar occassions when I’ve looked at a beautiful women and admired her…

Yes, sometimes on reflection I have not been sure of my intentions… so I have deliberately avoided the sacraments until I am able to get to confession…

Are you admiring the person or the body??? If I find I am admiring the body… I personally still regard this as a lustful thought… so I do go to confession.

Follow your heart, you know the answer already 🙂
 
Ok,I am still learning about Catholicism. And with my question, you’ll realize how truly new I am.

What is a Eucharist?

And what is the significance of Rosary beads?
 
I read this question and thought, Are we supposed to be free of sin before we can receive communion ???
 
We should refrain from recieving communion when in the state of Mortal Sin. This is why it is important to know if the sin is mortal or not. Advice I have recieved in confession has not been consistant, nor long on explaination. We are living in an era when advice we get may not be the best. I still struggle with this, and my will at times is very strong, but at other times very weak. Either way, I try to get to confession weekly or bi-weekly. The Actual and Sanctifying GRACE recieved will make us stronger, and better judges of our actions.
 
This is really something to bring to your confessor. He can tell you if you were wrong to receive the Eucharist. There is absolutely no way for us to determine if you were in a state of mortal sin. The instruction you receive at this confession will help you make the right decision (whatever that is) next time it happens.

The three conditions for a mortal sin again are:
  1. It has to be grave. - is viewing one R-rated clip on you tube with no impure actions following, grave? Arguable.
  2. Committed with full knowledge. - reads like that is a ‘yes’ on this one.
  3. Deliberate consent - this is a tricky one and also arguable, which is why you need to discuss it with your priest. How strong was the compulsion? Did you say to yourself, “I know it’s wrong, but, I don’t care…I’m going to look anyway?” Or, was it something you did without thinking?
This is one of the great values of the confessional. A good confessor will counsel you on these things and help you to avoid sin in the future.

It is frustrating that we don’t have confession before every Mass at the majority of parishes. In the meantime, do your best determination. For me, if in doubt, I don’t receive. But, you need to be careful with this strategy, because the Eucharist is part of what strengthens us against sin. Get to Confession ASAP.

God bless,
Robert
 
rlg94086 said:
This is really something to bring to your confessor. He can tell you if you were wrong to receive the Eucharist. There is absolutely no way for us to determine if you were in a state of mortal sin. The instruction you receive at this confession will help you make the right decision (whatever that is) next time it happens.

The three conditions for a mortal sin again are:
  1. It has to be grave. - is viewing one R-rated clip on you tube with no impure actions following, grave? Arguable.
  2. Committed with full knowledge. - reads like that is a ‘yes’ on this one.
  3. Deliberate consent - this is a tricky one and also arguable, which is why you need to discuss it with your priest. How strong was the compulsion? Did you say to yourself, “I know it’s wrong, but, I don’t care…I’m going to look anyway?” Or, was it something you did without thinking?
This is one of the great values of the confessional. A good confessor will counsel you on these things and help you to avoid sin in the future.

It is frustrating that we don’t have confession before every Mass at the majority of parishes. In the meantime, do your best determination. For me, if in doubt, I don’t receive. But, you need to be careful with this strategy, because the Eucharist is part of what strengthens us against sin. Get to Confession ASAP.

God bless,
Robert
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Your answer is 100% on target. No one here can give the OP what he needs. It’s to be done in the confessional…God Bless…teachccd
 
I believe most people have given the OP good advice
however a warning against using confession as an excuse to sin
examine the following logic i’ll watch this sex scene and then i’ll go to confession ASAP
this is a bigger sin we can’t use confession as a licence to sin
it’s wrong to compare this beautiful sacrament to like playing in the mud cause you know you got a powerful detergent at home
another error to avoid is giving in to scruples
a good authority on confession and confessors is St Alphonsus Liguori and his writings he tells us to avoid scruples and follow the advice of our confessor if a confessor errs and we follow his advice we are absolved from the sin through our obedience to Christ’s representative.
Both extremes are to be avoided disregard for confession and excessive confession
St John Bosco and other worthy confessors often prohibited devout people who came to them from fulfilling their desire for frequent confession as they knew it was more their idea than the right path to holiness
 
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