Eastern Oklahoma Catholic July/August 2010 : Page 12
i n t h e k n o w w i t h F r . J o e A: Q: So, why can’t I go to Communion if I have committed a mortal sin? This one is a follow-up to a recent column where I explained what a mortal sin is and emphasized that we should not go to Communion without confession if we’ve committed a mortal sin. So, now we hit the why. One of the many ways we describe Communion is “the source and sign of our unity with God.” We’re going to take that statement apart piece by piece and show how it answers our question. First, Communion is the source of our unity: St. Augustine (my favorite) wrote A LOT about this. When we eceive the Body of Christ it engthens us to be the Body of Christ. It is a spiritual gift, a miracle, if you will, that God provides us with the strength to be in unity with Him and His people. Communion is the sign of our unity with each other:When we make the bread that will be consecrated, we are thering together all sorts elements and bringing hem into one. Many grains f wheat are brought in d crushed into one reality. time you are at Mass, take ment and look around. at all the different people red together to celebrate: d anything but Jesus have ht us together? All our nd talents merged into one munity, united by God for urpose of loving and serving – wow! mmunion is the source sign of our unity with The Eucharist is a sign of nity with God. In all things, Dear Fr. Joe Why can’t I go to Communion if I’ve committed a mortal sin? but particularly in Communion, God shares Himself with us, holding nothing back. The Eucharist is a sign of that. God made, and makes, Himself small so that we can receive Him. That in itself is part of the reason it’s the source of our unity with God. It’s the spiritual, mystical reality that changes our souls when we receive Communion. An early saint whose name eludes me describes being in the presence of the Eucharist as being similar to working in the sun: We generally can’t feel the changes happening inside and outside of our body, but others sure can. So, when we look at these things, we begin to see why we can’t go to Communion if we have committed mortal sin. When we commit a mortal sin, we quite literally offend God. Not only that, but we attack both our own ability to connect with God and receive what we need to be healed of our sin and the damage it does to us. Because of that, we say we aren’t “in communion” with God. The catechism tells us that the damage a mortal sin inflicts is so extensive that it requires a special grace to fix it. And … our sins affect the Body of Christ, as well. We wound the community of Christians around the world when we sin. This is the easiest thing to prove, really: How many times has someone else’s sin messed with you? Our sin is a communal event – every time. A mortal sin damages the community in such a way that it requires a special grace to fix it. So, when we commit a mortal sin, we are not only out of communion with God and each other, but we’ve actually wounded our ability to receive what is needed to restore those relationships. This is where the Sacrament of Reconciliation comes in. Through this amazing sacrament, God gives us the grace and mercy we need to repair the damage that we have done. The priest is in the confessional in the Person of Christ, the head of the Mystical Body, the Church. Enjoy another day in God’s presence! What did the astronaut think of the restaurant on the moon? He thought the food was fine, but there wasn’t much of an atmosphere. Father Joe Krupp is a former comedy writer for FOX Television. Send your questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe,” 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906 Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com Eastern Oklahoma Catholic 12 July/August 2010 | www.dioceseoftulsa.org St. Stephen of Hungary, Aug. 16 | St. John Eudes, priest Aug. 19 | St. Bernard,
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