Is it a sin to go to Mass but miss taking the Eucharist?

Please comment,

Herman Uticks

No. 

Sincerely,

Rev. Know-It-All 
 

PS: Let me explain....  Were I your pastor and you asked me that question I would ask you the reason for not taking communion. 

Actually, it can be a sin to receive communion. To receive Holy Communion, you must be a Catholic who is, to the best of his or her knowledge, in the state of grace. Put more simply, you must be free of any unconfessed, mortal sins of which you are aware.

It is fascinating to me how wonderfully holy members of the church are in this day and age. Everybody goes to Holy Communion. That must mean no one is committing adultery, or in a civil or common law marriage. No one is getting drunk.  No one is stealing large amounts of money. What a wonderful age we live in!

As you may have guessed, I am being sarcastic. 

St. Paul goes so far as to say in his first letter to the Corinthians (Chap 11 v27) if someone receives the Eucharist without “discerning the body” which I take to mean without proper preparation and attention, he eats and drinks to condemnation. Jesus also says that if your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, and go, be reconciled to your brother. (Matt. 5:23)  

I have known people who did not receive because they were simply not ready to take Holy Communion because they were angry at someone. They were unaware of any mortal sin on their conscience, but they felt that they could not receive until peace had been made. In this kind of situation not receiving the Eucharist was perhaps an act of virtue! 

We are required to take Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season, but frequent, even daily reception is a good thing, provided we are in the state of grace, to the best of our knowledge.