Participating in the Sacrament of Holy Communion is the way that we show our faith as Christians and express our unity with the Church, the Body of Christ.
The Church, therefore, requires us to receive the Eucharist at least once per year.
While this is known as our "Easter Duty," we can perform it any time between Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost. Of course, before fulfilling our Easter Duty, it is a good idea go to Confession, too. Most parishes in the United States offer Confession on Saturday afternoons, making it convenient for parishioners to go to Confession before going to Mass on Sunday. While we are only required to go to Confession before Communion if we are conscious of having committed a mortal sin, frequent Confession, even of venial sins, is a very good practice. (And, at a minimum, the second of the Precepts of the Church requires us to go to Confession once per year, whether we have committed a mortal sin or not.)
(Pope Benedict XVI gives Polish President Lech Kaczynski (kneeling) Holy Communion during the Holy Mass at Pilsudski Square May 26, 2006, in Warsaw, Poland. Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
The Precepts of the Church:
- The Sunday Duty
- Confession
- The Easter Duty
- Fasting and Abstinence
- Supporting the Church
“While Catholics are only required to go to Confession when they are aware that they have committed a mortal sin, the Church urges the faithful to take advantage of the sacrament often.”
Recently I read an answer to the same question, which is worded differently, but I’m unsure if it isn’t saying the same thing.
Here it is : “According to Canon 989 of the Western Church’s CODE OF CANON LAW, ‘All the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins at least once a year’.”
Is this saying the same thing but in a different way? It seems confusing because it doesn’t take into account the
theoretical (but of course unlikely) possibility that you could be free of grave sin that year.
Assuming, however, it does take that theoretical possibility into account, it doesn’t seem to contradict what you say. But still I am uncertain. I hope you can clear this up. Thank you.
Who is Christine Gallagher..? Before reading your posts I was not aware of anybody that had been having visitations and conversations with our Blessed Mother? Can somebody explain? Some of the things said on Christine’s website relate to prayer houses, but I have no heard any of these warnings, predictions? I am concerned and confused?
Annie325, I do not know who Christine Gallagher is. Where did you see this information?
Are you sure about Trinity Sunday? It used to be then, but I think that has been changed to an earlier Sunday.
Am a single mother of three (my partner lives in another continent and comes over once or twice an year) Am Kenyan.I was informed that am not allowed to have confessions or partake in the holy communion .I stopped receiving holy communion when I was expectant with my last child in 2011 but continued to go for confession.However I was ‘ caught ‘ and the priest even threatened to have me ‘excommunicated’.Am still very bitter and I only started attending mass this lent after my partner convinced me but I still don’t understand why the double standards for men and women in the Catholic church….All my children are baptized but it was a tortuous journey to have this done.Kindly explain to me how this works….shouldn’t the church allow sinners like me to get redemption by confessing or am I wrong in my expectations?