Was this considered stealing?

[DoxieMama]

I just remembered that my husband brought home a cooler full of water bottles from a potluck yesterday. We brought the cooler to the potluck, but not the water. We knew that the water was in the cooler, and took it anyway. Was this considered stealing?

If it was considered stealing, I didn’t realize it until just now. I found out who brought the waters, and she said she left them in our cooler for us to take. If it was considered stealing, and because I just realized it, was it wrong for me to take Communion this morning? Do I need to confess taking Communion while in a state of mortal sin?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2408 The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods…

What you did would only have been stealing if you reasonably thought the other person wanted their water back. That person clearly told you that she expected you to take the water and therefore the act was most certainly not theft. My guess is that you simply gave it no thought when taking the cooler and when you came to the realization of what transpired you tried to make amends. I do not see any theft or stealing in this situation nor do I see any possibility for a mortal sin.