When do I tell my teens they can't receive Communion?

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momof8

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If I suspect my teenage children are not in a state of grace, at what point should I tell them that they should not receive Communion? I know I cannot judge the state of another person’s soul, but maternal instinct is telling me that if they are not in mortal sin, they are extremely close to it. I would appreciate your advice!
 
If they’re not in mortal sin, they’re not in mortal sin, and that means they’re free to receive Communion. You can provide instruction about the rules for receiving Communion, you can teach them what constitutes mortal sin, you can answer whatever questions they ask you about receiving Communion. But I strongly urge you not to presume to tell them they cannot receive Communion because you “suspect” they are in mortal sin. Provide them with opportunities to go to confession on a regular basis (such as at a once per month family excursion to confession), and assist them in examining their conscience during family devotions (by offering questions for them to think about, like “Have I acted chastely in all of my relationships?”), but otherwise trust that between their confessor and God’s grace, they’ll be given all the assistance they need to know when they are in mortal sin and should not receive Communion until their next confession.
 
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