| I am a practising Catholic and have received all the sacraments of the church. I however do not fulfil the sacrament of reconciliation due to fear. I know this is a sin (not to go for confession). How do I overcome this fear and return to all sacraments? |
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| Why is the Eucharist so important to Catholics? |
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| What actually happens during the Eucharist? |
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| What are the main symbols used during the Eucharist? |
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| Can God still in today's world full of lawlessness and all human weakness intervene? Is this not the same God who spoke through the apostles ,the prophets and great saints in history,can he not understand our human existence? |
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| Why do Catholics celebrate the Eucharist? |
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| Is there a minimal age for one to become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion? What other criteria is there? |
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| Why do Catholics have a Saturday night Mass? |
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| Is there a Christian community I can join to strenghten my Christian walk? |
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| Is it biblical to venerate Mother Mary and why does the Catholic church emphasise on this more than the Protestant churches. Are we worshiping Mary and why do we present our petitions through her when the Bible says that Jesus is our High priest..... |
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| Is it wrong to carry the Blessed Sacrament from the church? |
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| Do you need to be baptised to receive communion during Mass? |
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| What other things will I need to do – to be baptised? |
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| How does the learning process begin….and end? (Becoming a Catholic) |
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| How do I find out some basic information? (Becoming a Catholic) |
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| How do I get started? (Becoming a Catholic) |
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| What does the Catholic Church claim to be? |
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| What steps do I need to make to become a Catholic? |
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| Q. How did the first Christians live Unity? |
| | The Acts of the Apostles stresses many times the unity lived in the early Church. The first Christians (Acts 2:42) were characterised by their fidelity to:
· The teaching of the apostles
· The fellowship
· The breaking of bread and prayer
These three elements help us understand the nature of unity in the Catholic Church. By examining them we can have some insight into who can receive Communion at Mass.
1.Teaching of the Apostles
The first Christians lived a unity in faith. To receive Holy Communion therefore implies at least a unity of belief about the Eucharist itself: that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary and that in Holy Communion we receive the Real Presence – Jesus Christ Himself – rather than a symbol or a sign of His presence. Catholics speak of transubstantiation or transformation of the whole substance of bread and wine into the living Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. Someone who does not accept the reality of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist would not be able to receive Communion in the Catholic Church.
Believing what the Church believes.
Of course unity in faith means more than just believing in the Real Presence. It means believing and professing “all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.” In exceptional circumstances a bishop may give permission for a non-Catholic to receive Holy Communion on a specific occasion basing that permission on unity of faith concerning the Real Presence. To receive Communion regularly, however, requires the wider unity in faith expressed through membership of the Catholic Church. The lack of unity in faith, and different beliefs about the Eucharist explain why Catholics are not allowed to take communion in non-Catholic Churches.
2. The Fellowship
While it is possible for the Bishop to give permission for a non-Catholic to receive Communion in certain limited circumstances, it would be clearly inappropriate for them to receive if they are living in a situation in which Catholics themselves would be excluded from Communion.
What breaks Unity?
Following Christ’s teaching that they would be known by the love they had for one another, the first Christians lived a life of mutual dedication or fellowship. Jesus summarises the Commandments as love of God and love of our neighbour. Our love for others is expressed in what we do. When we go against this love by committing a serious (or ‘mortal’) sin we break the unity that Christ calls us to live. In practice if we deliberately and consciously do something we know to be seriously wrong we cannot receive Communion without first being reconciled through the Sacrament of Confession.
For Catholics marriage is a particular expression of unity in love that Christ calls us to live. A married couple are invited to communicate God’s love to each other. The sign of this total, life-giving commitment is their sexual union.
If we are living in a state that does not correspond to the ideal of Christian life and love, for example by sleeping together outside of marriage, committing adultery, or being divorced and re-married, we would not receive Holy Communion at Mass.
3. Breaking of Bread and the Prayers
Hope is the virtue that allows us to put our trust in God’s providence and in the help of His Grace rather than in our own strength. The virtue of hope is expressed in prayer, and in a particular way when we come together as a Christian community to unite ourselves to the prayer of Christ at Mass.
We live out the virtue of hope when we pray and when we receive the Sacraments. Through these, God’s grace is communicated to us. We form a community of Hope when we unite with others who share our faith for prayer and sacramental life. Thus the third condition for receiving Holy Communion regularly is that we be people who are actively part of the praying and worshipping Christian community. In our parishes, the sick and house-bound remain united to the community by receiving Communion in their homes.
Actively practicing our Faith
A person who has habitually ignored God or excluded Him from their life should not receive Communion without first being reconciled in Confession. For example, a person who never prays, never thinks about their faith and never goes to Church should not receive Communion just because they happen to be at a wedding or funeral – unless of course they have been to confession first.
Catholics have a grave obligation to attend Mass on Sundays (or the vigil Mass on Saturday evenings). Someone who deliberately misses Holy Mass has chosen to put something before their unity with the Christian community and should not therefore receive communion without first seeking reconciliation.
The Eucharistic Fast
In order to make us aware of the greatness of the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist, the Church asks people to observe the Eucharistic Fast of one hour before receiving Communion. This fast includes all food and drink (except water and medication). In the case of the sick it is reduced to fifteen minutes.
Living our call to live in Unity
Of course we all commit sins and fall short of the ideal Christ puts before us. We are helped towards achieving that ideal by the grace of the Sacraments themselves, particularly Confession. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the pain of not being able to receive Communion can also be a salutary one: it may help remind us of the seriousness of our call to live in unity as God’s children.
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| Q. Who Can Receive Communion? Receiving Communion or not? |
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| Q. Is there a structure or program followed during the Mass? |
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| Q. So it sounds as if the Church can't do without the Mass? |
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| Q. It does seem a wonderful gift. Is it given only for ourselves? |
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| Q. So at Mass we offer ourselves to God – don’t we receive anything back? |
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| Q. You said the Last Supper took place just before Jesus died – Why is that significant? |
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| Q. Who invented the Mass? |
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| Q. What makes the Mass so important? (What Happens at Mass?) |
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