So I’ve made some deeply personal decisions that I wanted to share with you. I have decided to abstain from the Eucharist except for the once a year Easter obligation. The reason for this is that I am a dissenter, I am very very pro LGTBQ rights. I am gay myself but choose to live a celibate life. another reason is that I have lived a very dissolute life and would like to take time to do penance for my sins. I was very, very public about my sins and public reception of the Eucharist could cause scandal (this is not an hypothesis, this happened in a parish for real) so I examined Canons 915 and 916 which concern dissenting Catholics and reception of the Eucharist, I also read up on Medieval Catholicism and feel good about my choice to remain Catholic, attend Mass, fast and pray, &tc but not participate in the Eucharist save once a year. I am also committing to a holy hour at minimum once a week before the tabernacle in my church after one of the daily masses. oddly after making all of these decisions I feel like a salve has been applied to my soul. I think I need time attending Mass and praying before the opinions I hold can be looked at in a new light. thanks for listening but please do pray for me.
I have prayed for you. Talk to your priest about the scandal you think you would cause. Perhaps a less attended weekday mass would allow you to take Communion more often. Your sins are forgiven though. Take comfort in that.
CFL, I wish to ask you a question, if you don't mind. Why did you decide to live a celibate life? Is it because you see homosexual acts as sinful, or because you think such acts are not sinful but you personally prefer celibacy, or is there some other reason altogether? When you say you are pro LGBTQ rights, are you speaking in terms of legality, morality, public perception and opinion, or what? AFAIK the law has already been settled in favor of LGBTQ legal rights, hasn't it? It's important for you to know that God loves you, and so do we. It is God's deep desire that you be in full fellowship with Him.
Well, for me personally I’ve had a sexual past that has put me in a place where I now feel called to celibacy. In other words, I’ve had all the sex I want or need at this point in my life and I want to place my energies elsewhere. for other people I feel the need to be a rabid supporter of gay rights. I’m very frightened under this current regime in the US for queer folk, especially trans folk. But I don’t really come here to talk politics so I’ll leave it at that. as far as being a communicant in the RCC I simply need to do penance before I go marching up to receive the Eucharist. After the life I’ve lived some reflection and prayer are in order before being fully in communion with ANY church. It is my understanding the Orthodox prescribe this sort of fast from the Eucharist on occasion. I have elected to confesses and receive on Easter, Whitsun, and Christmas-Epiphany. Three times a year. every Sunday in Catholic Churches people march up for communion, Sunday after Sunday, month after month, then year after year! And never go to confession! I think my decision is more sane at this point, at least for a time.