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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Fulfilling Sunday Obligation	George	Saturday, June 6, 2015
Question: Hi, Brother Ignatius - I hope you are well. I am physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair, and my health is slowly deteriorating. Sometimes, due to fatigue, I simply can't physically attend Mass on Sundays. I love Mass dearly, and am not departing from the Catholic Faith in any way. However, sometimes I just can't make it. When this occurs, I watch (and pray) the Sunday Mass with all my heart via TV/internet, and a friend of mine (my carer) brings me Holy Communion from the Mass she attends. My concern, though, is that she is not an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion (and doesn't know what to do)! She simply has the consecrated Host placed in my pyx, she returns the Host to me, and I give myself Holy Communion. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is indeed Jesus, and I am very reverent indeed (and, of course, I don't treat our Lord in a sacrilegious way). In no way do I intend committing a grave sin, and I want to avoid doing anything that is inappropriate. And yet, somehow I don't feel at peace - is it because my friend (and carer) who is not an extraordinary minister, is bringing me the Host when she shouldn't? Every time I receive our Lord in the Eucharist, I want to go to confession beforehand because I dread the thought of receiving Him even with venial sin on my soul. I find it hard to do this because priests in our diocese (by and large) do not want to hear confessions and avail themselves. There is a severe shortage of priests in our diocese, and so priests are unwilling at times to visit the home to hear confessions, give Communion, etc. So, I am loathe to ring and ask. I have to be content, quite often, in having my friend bring me the Eucharist when I'm not able to physically make it to Mass. In light of the above, am I committing a grave sin by either (a) missing Mass on Sundays, (b) allowing my friend who is not an extraordinary minister to bring me the Host, or (c) not being able to get to a priest to hear my confession before receiving Communion - or do you think I might be unnecessarily scrupulous? Please get back to me with your thoughts about this.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear George: Sorry about the long delay in answering. To answer your questions: (a) We commit no sin if we miss Sunday Mass because of illness or infirmity. (b) Your caregiver should not be taking the Host out of the Church without permission. It is not a big deal for her to a be commissioned as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in order to properly bring the Eucharist to you. Just ask her to go to the priest and ask for this. You are committing no sin be her doing this. This is her act, not yours. For her this is also not grave sin as her intention is good, just misguided. (c) The only time you need Confession before receiving the Eucharist is when you commit a grave sin. Venial sins are forgiven by a simple asking God's forgiveness. The Eucharist itself absolves you of venial sin. Should you commit a grave sin, then ask your friend not to bring the Eucharist to you that Sunday. As for finding a priest who will come to your house to give you the Sacrament of Confession, I do not know what to tell you. It is a scandal if no priest is willing to do this. Should this be a recurring and regular problem, perhaps writing a letter to the bishop letting him know of your difficulties in this matter. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Fulfilling Sunday Obligation

George

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Question:

Hi, Brother Ignatius - I hope you are well. I am physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair, and my health is slowly deteriorating. Sometimes, due to fatigue, I simply can't physically attend Mass on Sundays. I love Mass dearly, and am not departing from the Catholic Faith in any way. However, sometimes I just can't make it. When this occurs, I watch (and pray) the Sunday Mass with all my heart via TV/internet, and a friend of mine (my carer) brings me Holy Communion from the Mass she attends.

My concern, though, is that she is not an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion (and doesn't know what to do)! She simply has the consecrated Host placed in my pyx, she returns the Host to me, and I give myself Holy Communion. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is indeed Jesus, and I am very reverent indeed (and, of course, I don't treat our Lord in a sacrilegious way).

In no way do I intend committing a grave sin, and I want to avoid doing anything that is inappropriate. And yet, somehow I don't feel at peace - is it because my friend (and carer) who is not an extraordinary minister, is bringing me the Host when she shouldn't?

Every time I receive our Lord in the Eucharist, I want to go to confession beforehand because I dread the thought of receiving Him even with venial sin on my soul. I find it hard to do this because priests in our diocese (by and large) do not want to hear confessions and avail themselves. There is a severe shortage of priests in our diocese, and so priests are unwilling at times to visit the home to hear confessions, give Communion, etc. So, I am loathe to ring and ask. I have to be content, quite often, in having my friend bring me the Eucharist when I'm not able to physically make it to Mass.

In light of the above, am I committing a grave sin by either (a) missing Mass on Sundays, (b) allowing my friend who is not an extraordinary minister to bring me the Host, or (c) not being able to get to a priest to hear my confession before receiving Communion - or do you think I might be unnecessarily scrupulous? Please get back to me with your thoughts about this.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear George:

Sorry about the long delay in answering.

To answer your questions:

(a) We commit no sin if we miss Sunday Mass because of illness or infirmity.

(b) Your caregiver should not be taking the Host out of the Church without permission. It is not a big deal for her to a be commissioned as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in order to properly bring the Eucharist to you. Just ask her to go to the priest and ask for this.

You are committing no sin be her doing this. This is her act, not yours. For her this is also not grave sin as her intention is good, just misguided.

(c) The only time you need Confession before receiving the Eucharist is when you commit a grave sin. Venial sins are forgiven by a simple asking God's forgiveness. The Eucharist itself absolves you of venial sin.

Should you commit a grave sin, then ask your friend not to bring the Eucharist to you that Sunday.

As for finding a priest who will come to your house to give you the Sacrament of Confession, I do not know what to tell you. It is a scandal if no priest is willing to do this. Should this be a recurring and regular problem, perhaps writing a letter to the bishop letting him know of your difficulties in this matter.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum