Why should you not receive the eucharist if you have sinned?

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sheebabobo

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Hello, I have a question that may seem dumb, but I’m hoping someone can give me an epiphany and finally make me understand this question.

My question is - Why should you not receive the eucharist if you are conscious of sin?

Is there anyone out there that could give me an analogy that might make it more clear?
 
my brother, you cannot receive the eucharist when you are sin, cause there is no way Christ will reign or take a place in your life cause you are swimming in sin
 
We are not to consume when conscious of grave sin. The Eucharist remits venial sin, but it is best to confess that venial sin at your next opportunity.
 
sheebabobo said:
Hello, I have a question that may seem dumb, but I’m hoping someone can give me an epiphany and finally make me understand this question.

My question is - Why should you not receive the eucharist if you are conscious of sin?

Is there anyone out there that could give me an analogy that might make it more clear?
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Analogy? Here goes - imagine your soul is an electric appliance, say a heater. Mortal sin is like having a heater with something faulty or wrong with the wiring. To take the Eucharist while in a state of sin would be like trying to plug your faulty heater into a power point - to do so would make the heater malfunction, and maybe electrocute you, or start a fire which could harm you.
 
To receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is to commit another mortal sin. This is because you are desecrating the Eucharist, putting It in an impure and unworthy place (your sin-soaked body).
 
Here’s another analogy for you.

First, realize that it is only mortal sin that prevents one from receiving the Eucharist.

Mortal sin kills the life of God in the soul. The soul is essentially dead until mortal sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is the food of the soul. The dead are unable to take in food or receive nourishment from it, so the soul does not benefit from the reception of the Eucharist. In fact, as another poster has already mentioned, to do so simply piles on another mortal sin.

Venial sin, on the other had, is a sickness of the soul that does not result in death. The Eucharist is the perfect remedy for this kind of sickness, in the same way that good nutrition is important during recovery from a serious illness. Those conscious of venial sin are encouraged to receive the Eucharist as a saving remedy.

To sum up: You can’t feed a dead person, but the sick need good nutrition.
 
LilyM said:
Analogy? Here goes - imagine your soul is an electric appliance, say a heater. Mortal sin is like having a heater with something faulty or wrong with the wiring. To take the Eucharist while in a state of sin would be like trying to plug your faulty heater into a power point - to do so would make the heater malfunction, and maybe electrocute you, or start a fire which could harm you.
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Thank you for the analogy - I sort of get it, but am still searching for a really great analogy which gives me the “aha!” moment.

For me, understanding the details of why you shouldn’t do something is very helpful…
 
baltobetsy said:
Here’s another analogy for you.

First, realize that it is only mortal sin that prevents one from receiving the Eucharist.

Mortal sin kills the life of God in the soul. The soul is essentially dead until mortal sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is the food of the soul. The dead are unable to take in food or receive nourishment from it, so the soul does not benefit from the reception of the Eucharist. In fact, as another poster has already mentioned, to do so simply piles on another mortal sin.

Venial sin, on the other had, is a sickness of the soul that does not result in death. The Eucharist is the perfect remedy for this kind of sickness, in the same way that good nutrition is important during recovery from a serious illness. Those conscious of venial sin are encouraged to receive the Eucharist as a saving remedy.

To sum up: You can’t feed a dead person, but the sick need good nutrition.
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This is pretty good - I would have never thought about the soul being dead while in a state of mortal sin, just that you would be in a state of sin.

Hoping for another good analogy from every day life (sort of like the electric stove example)

Thank you everyone for your (name removed by moderator)ut 🙂
 
my question,

you have been absolved from sin at the beginning of mass but throughout mass you are annoyed by something said in the sermon because it goes against what you have been doing? Or he has highlighted a teaching that you disagree with. Someone tries to give you sign of the peace and you don’t like them so carefully avoid them or you are busily chuntering your way through the whole service. do you listen to that line that we all say, “Lord I am not worthy to receive your word and I shall be healed” and receive communion or do you not listen to what is being said in the service and receive communion?
 
englishredrose said:
… do you listen to that line that we all say, “Lord I am not worthy to receive your word and I shall be healed” and receive communion …
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This is a beautiful admission of faith. The statement itself does not make one any more worthy to receive communion, though.
 
englishredrose said:
my question,

you have been absolved from sin at the beginning of mass but throughout mass you are annoyed by something said in the sermon because it goes against what you have been doing? Or he has highlighted a teaching that you disagree with. Someone tries to give you sign of the peace and you don’t like them so carefully avoid them or you are busily chuntering your way through the whole service. do you listen to that line that we all say, “Lord I am not worthy to receive your word and I shall be healed” and receive communion or do you not listen to what is being said in the service and receive communion?
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I’m just curious if anyone can give a good analogy as to why Catholics are not supposed to receive the eucharist in a state of sin.

Personally, I like to dig deeper into my faith and have a good understanding as to why we do what we do.

I actually had an analogy come to me earlier today… how about this:

***Receiving communion in a state of mortal sin is like a government taking money from taxpayers and spending it foolishly.

The public (Jesus) puts trust in the government (members of the church) that it is abiding by all laws, spend their hard earned tax dollars wisely and not act in a corrupt way.***

Someone out there can probably reword this better than me, but I think I’m getting somewhere…
 
I don’t know if I can give you a neat analogy for the Eucharistic teaching… but here’s a quote from a Church Father’s writing circa 150 A.D.

“This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, **and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins **and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God’s Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus.” - St. Justin Martyr

So… this is what the Church has always taught, if that helps.

Here’s a whole website devoted to what the Church Fathers have to say about the Eucharist:
therealpresence.org/eucharst/father/a5.html
 
If you are in a state of mortal sin, you have chosen to break spiritual communion with Christ. It would then be inconsistent and hypocritical to receive Holy Communion at Mass because you are not in a state of grace - i.e., you are not in actual communion with Christ.

An analogy is okay, but it limps because it is not a complete explanation. But one analogy would be a husband who cheats on his wife and breaks that bond they share. His wife knows and is upset, but instead of seeking reconciliation with his wife, he simply demands conjugal relations. That physical union means nothing because the emotional union has not been reconciled. In fact, the husband is taking the wife for granted and that further humiliates her.

In this analogy, the husband represents the unrepentant sinner and Christ the humiliated wife. Christ is there for us to receive, but that union must be undergirded by a living spiritual union. If we are not in a state of Grace, then we are not spiritually united with Christ, and the reception of actual Holy Communion at Mass does not force reconciliation with Christ - in fact, it takes Christ for granted and adds the sin of sacrilege because we desecrate the sacrament. We must go to Confession first and receive forgiveness from the Church before we receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament from the Church.
 
Windmill said:
If you are in a state of mortal sin, you have chosen to break spiritual communion with Christ. It would then be inconsistent and hypocritical to receive Holy Communion at Mass because you are not in a state of grace - i.e., you are not in actual communion with Christ.

An analogy is okay, but it limps because it is not a complete explanation. But one analogy would be a husband who cheats on his wife and breaks that bond they share. His wife knows and is upset, but instead of seeking reconciliation with his wife, he simply demands conjugal relations. That physical union means nothing because the emotional union has not been reconciled. In fact, the husband is taking the wife for granted and that further humiliates her.

In this analogy, the husband represents the unrepentant sinner and Christ the humiliated wife. Christ is there for us to receive, but that union must be undergirded by a living spiritual union. If we are not in a state of Grace, then we are not spiritually united with Christ, and the reception of actual Holy Communion at Mass does not force reconciliation with Christ - in fact, it takes Christ for granted and adds the sin of sacrilege because we desecrate the sacrament. We must go to Confession first and receive forgiveness from the Church before we receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament from the Church.
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This is an excellent analogy… thank you for sharing it.

I’m a convert so there’s still a LOT for me to learn…
 
I’ve been a serious Catholic for 17 years and I still have lots to learn. The Faith is as deep as you want to go.
 
Alright, so let’s be honest… how many people out there are taking communion that shouldn’t be? We’re all sinners, we hear that all the time. 99% of people that are going up for communion probably need to be crossing their arms and taking a blessing, not taking the Eucharist.

I used to all the time, though I guess I didn’t fully understand the Church’s teaching on this concept. Now, I go up and cross my arms to receive a blessing, unless I’ve attended mass just after confession.

Be honest, how often do you take the Eucharist when you’re not supposed to?
 
smorin1487 said:
Alright, so let’s be honest… how many people out there are taking communion that shouldn’t be? We’re all sinners, we hear that all the time. 99% of people that are going up for communion probably need to be crossing their arms and taking a blessing, not taking the Eucharist.

I used to all the time, though I guess I didn’t fully understand the Church’s teaching on this concept. Now, I go up and cross my arms to receive a blessing, unless I’ve attended mass just after confession.

Be honest, how often do you take the Eucharist when you’re not supposed to?
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99% 😉
 
taking the Eucharist, is saying youre in communion w His Bride. when you are in a state of mortal sin, you are not in communion w His Bride, the Church.
 
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