Do you have to receive Communion at Mass?
Do you have to receive Communion at Mass?
Question: Is it acceptable for a Catholic to participate in Mass while choosing not to partake in Communion? I have come across the comparison made “figuratively” that it might be akin to visiting a restaurant but not ordering food. Would such attendance be considered appropriate or inappropriate?
— K.J.F., Los Angeles, California
Answer: It would be appropriate and necessary. If an individual realizes that they are unable to partake in holy Communion due to unconfessed serious sin or ongoing disagreement with Church doctrine, they are still required to attend Mass. Therefore, they ought to go, as we are mandated to attend Mass every Sunday, although we are not required to receive holy Communion each Sunday. The analogy of visiting a restaurant without eating isn’t quite fitting. People visit a restaurant primarily to dine. However, one attends Mass primarily to honor God and fulfill a duty of gratitude and worship, which we owe out of justice.
At Mass, God imparts His word and grants numerous other gifts, particularly that of holy Communion. Yet, for certain individuals, their connection with the Lord may have been disrupted due to grave sin, or due to disagreements with the Lord’s teachings found in Scripture or with doctrinal beliefs that must be firmly held by the faithful. Although they remain obligated to participate in Mass, receiving holy Communion when such a connection has been damaged amounts to celebrating something that is false. The complete meaning of the “Amen” spoken by those taking holy Communion is: “I believe and uphold all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and professes to be revealed by God.” Therefore, faith in what is taught and a proper adherence to those beliefs, free from serious sin, are essential for holy Communion to be genuine. Accepting holy Communion in such a condition does not yield a blessing; rather, it results in condemnation. St. Paul cautions: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29).
Therefore, the Church appropriately instructs and cautions us to participate in Mass every Sunday to fulfill our obligation of gratitude to God, but also, if we are to partake in holy Communion, to do so in a worthy and sincere manner.
The ‘Glory Be’
Question: In the Glory Be prayer, I’m puzzled by two elements of the phrasing. The expression “As it was in the beginning” seems strange, as God is eternal and has no beginning. Additionally, the term “world without end” does not precisely convey the meaning from the Latin “in saecula saeculorum“It ought to be “for eternity and beyond.”
— Richard Moore, via email
Answer: The honor attributed to God in this context is not his inherent glory, to which we cannot add or subtract. Instead, the honor attributed to God here pertains to his extrinsic (or external) glory, which is revealed through creation. Thus, all of creation, particularly us, expresses God’s glory by perceiving and reflecting it. Although nothing can lessen God’s inherent glory, we as humans can tarnish and sully God’s external glory by exploiting it for sinful and unnatural ends. Therefore, the Glory Be invites us to acknowledge or declare and recognize God’s extrinsic glory displayed in creation (which did have a beginning) continuously and everywhere.
Regarding the phrase “world without end,” it is quite precise. The Latin term is “in saecula saeculorum,” which, if we are going to be precise, translates to “unto the ages of ages,” rather than your proposed: “for ever and ever.” The term saecula can signify age, era or globe (from which we derive the term “secular”). The classic English phrase “world without end” embodies some of the idea of “world” along with the notion of “eternity.” It is sufficient, albeit not a precise literal translation.
We must remember that language resembles reality, yet it cannot entirely encompass it. Therefore, we frequently employ words in a vague or conditional manner, rather than exclusively in a precise or strictly literal sense. The expression “world without end” is an idiomatic phrase. Idioms serve as a sort of abbreviated and commonplace means to convey more intricate ideas without needing to clarify them repeatedly. Trying to read or understand them literally may overlook the intended meaning.
Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C., and writes for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. at blog.adw.org. Send questions to msgrpope@osv.com.
