eucharist, church attendence, and mortal sin

[dairygirl4u2c]

:ph34r:

keeping in mind that some say that going to eucharist would increase your strength and not going to church would only allow you to be preyed on by wolves.

Edited February 2, 2005 by dairygirl4u2c

[Mrs. Bro. Adam]

That question made no sense.


Facts:
[list]
[*] 1. It is sacrilege to receive the Eucharist if you have mortal sin upon your soul.
[*] 2. It is a mortal sin to miss Mass if you can make it.
[*] 3. No one is going to wonder why a person isn't receiving the Blessed Eucharist.
[*] 4. People will abstain from receiving the Eucharist so that they can redevlope the longing they used to have to receive the Eucharist.
[/list]
I fail to see what point you're trying to get at, other than trying to trap us by your questions.

God sees the heart. If you're a dedicated Catholic, you're not going to estrange your relationship with God more than you have already. In fact, I know people who long, such as I do, to go to confession as much as possible.

[StColette]

Your question isn't really that clear but umm..

If someone is in a crisis of faith they definitely should not pull themselves away from the Church and God even more by not attending Mass.

If one is in the state of mortal sin, they should not receive Holy Communion because as Teresa pointed out that would be sacrilege, and even worsen the crisis the person is going through

----------------

The Church sets out specific guidelines regarding how we should prepare ourselves to receive the Lord’s body and blood in Communion. To receive Communion worthily, you must be in a state of grace, have made a good confession since your last mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, observe the Eucharistic fast, and, finally, not be under an ecclesiastical censure such as excommunication.

First, you must be in a state of grace. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Cor. 11:27–28). This is an absolute requirement which can never be dispensed. To receive the Eucharist without sanctifying grace in your soul profanes the Eucharist in the most grievous manner.

A mortal sin is any sin whose matter is grave and which has been committed willfully and with knowledge of its seriousness. Grave matter includes, but is not limited to, murder, receiving or participating in an abortion, homosexual acts, having sexual intercourse outside of marriage or in an invalid marriage, and deliberately engaging in impure thoughts (Matt. 5:28–29). Scripture contains lists of mortal sins (for example, 1 Cor. 6:9–10 and Gal. 5:19–21). For further information on what constitutes a mortal sin, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Out of habit and out of fear of what those around them will think if they do not receive Communion, some Catholics, in a state of mortal sin, choose to go forward and offend God rather than stay in the pew while others receive the Eucharist. The Church’s ancient teaching on this particular matter is expressed in the Didache, an early Christian document written around A.D. 70, which states: "Whosoever is holy [i.e., in a state of sanctifying grace], let him approach. Whosoever is not, let him repent" (Didache 10).

Second, you must have been to confession since your last mortal sin. The Didache witnesses to this practice of the early Church. "But first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one" (Didache 14).

The 1983 Code of Canon Law indicates that the same requirement applies today. "A person who is conscious of a grave sin is not to . . . receive the body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession unless a grave reason is present and there is no opportunity of confessing; in this case the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible" (CIC 916).

The requirement for sacramental confession can be dispensed if four conditions are fulfilled: (1) there must be a grave reason to receive Communion (for example, danger of death), (2) it must be physically or morally impossible to go to confession first, (3) the person must already be in a state of grace through perfect contrition, and (4) he must resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

Third, you must believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation. "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Cor. 11:29). Transubstantiation means more than the Real Presence. According to transubstantiation, the bread and wine are actually transformed into the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, with only the appearances of bread and wine remaining. This is why, at the Last Supper, Jesus held what appeared to be bread and wine, yet said: "This is my body. . . . This is my blood" (Mark 14:22-24, cf. Luke 22:14-20). If Christ were merely present along side bread and wine, he would have said "This contains my body. . . . This contains my blood," which he did not say.

Fourth, you must observe the Eucharistic fast. Canon law states, "One who is to receive the most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion" (CIC 919 §1). Elderly people, those who are ill, and their caretakers are excused from the Eucharistic fast (CIC 191 §3). Priests and deacons may not dispense one obligated by the Eucharistic fast unless the bishop has expressly granted such power to them (cf. CIC 89).

Finally, one must not be under an ecclesiastical censure. Canon law mandates, "Those who are excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion" (CIC 915).

Provided they are in a state of grace and have met the above requirements, Catholics should receive the Eucharist frequently (cic 898).

Edited February 2, 2005 by StColette

[Benedict]

The question is poorly worded, I agree.

Now, if we ask which is an objectively worse sin, deliberately not attending Sunday mass or deliberately receiving the Eucharist unworthily, I would say that receiving unworthily is the objectively worse sin. However, I cannot think of a situation in which one could be forced to choose between these two, so there is no point to the question.

[Mary's Knight, La]

as far as i understand doing either is a deliberate mortal sin dont' bother comparing the two they both send you to hell.

considerations:
1. you still get grace out of the mass whether you receive or not
2. you should not care what others think of you especially not so that
you profane the Body just to avoid condemnation by others.
3. Confession could possibly not only cure the sin but also the crisis of
faith

It is never a good idea to sin again because you sinned once.

[Mrs. Bro. Adam]

Well stated,Mary's Knight, La!

[curtins]

yeah its pretty simple- go to mass just dont recieve Communion and get to confession asap

[crusader1234]

Since the question is 'lesser of two evils' I'd personally rather not go to Church. If you [b]know[/b] that you have a mortal sin on your soul, and you take the Eucharist its the equivalent of @#$*&ing all over Christ (in my opinion). I'd rather have one mortal sin than make all my others exponentially worse and bring Christ into that situation.