To receive or not to receive...

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

It would be refreshing if we could find candidates whose records, party
platforms, and personal commitments embody the full range of the Church's
social teaching, reasonable as that teaching is. Unfortunately that seldom
happens. That is why we must have a well-formed conscience capable of giving
each issue its proper moral weight and making other important distinctions
and judgments. For example, a Catholic may never vote for candidates
precisely because they advocate and advance intrinsic moral evils like
abortion; to do so is to cooperate formally (intentionally) with a grave
evil. And while Faithful Citizenship acknowledges that one may vote for a
politician who supports pro-abortion policies "only for truly grave moral
reasons," a conscientious voter must question what grave moral issue rises
to the level of nearly 49 million lives lost to the evil of abortion.

In Scranton, Pa., every Catholic attending Mass this weekend will hear a
special homily about the election next month: Bishop Joseph Martino has
ordered every priest in the diocese to read a letter warning that voting for
a supporter of abortion rights amounts to endorsing "homicide." "Being
`right' on taxes, education, health care, immigration and the economy fails
to make up for the error of disregarding the value of a human life," the
bishop wrote. "It is a tragic irony that `pro-choice' candidates have come
to support homicide " the gravest injustice a society can tolerate " in the
name of 'social justice.' " --- 5/Oct/2008

So, from Holy Scripture and from church statements it is apparent that those
who promote, support or vote for a politician who is pro- abortion are in a
state of grave sin and should not receive the Lord in the Eucharist. Some
Catholics however disagree with this and do not accept what the church says
or what is said in the Holy Word of God. Some say it is their right to
receive communion, however receiving The Lord is not a right but a privilege
that God offers people in His love. This privilege should not be abused for
as St. Paul states there are serious consequences for doing so. Those who
are in a state of grave sin must have a good confession before receiving The
Lord and must, after that confession, not return to their old ways. To go to
confession with the intention of once having confessed to continue the bad
behaviour or beliefs does not make the confession valid. Some cannot accept
this and in their pride believe they know better than
the church and the Word of God not seeing that this arrogance is a serious
sin in itself as the person is placing their will before that of the will of
God and the will of His holy church. The person is saying that their
knowledge is greater than that of the church and the person is rejecting the
commandment of God 'Thou shalt not kill' and saying that they or those they
support or follow can decide if life is valuable or not and that God has no
say in this. Today many Catholics demand their rights which in truth are
their wrongs but they are so blind they cannot see this as they believe more
in the word of the world instead of The Word of God.

To come to communion in a state of grave sin makes true union with God
impossible as the person holds on to a barrier between them and God which
blocks unity with Christ, Our Lord. To be one with Him means to be one in
the truth of His love, to be obedient to His will and to reject all sin.
While the world and people's pride may make many arguments against this none
of them change this eternal truth. People should think about how it hurts
Our Lord, that those who profess to love Him, come with that on their hearts
which is of the dark and not of the light of His love. No Catholic in a
state of grave sin should ever consider partaking of The Body, Blood, Soul
and Divinity of The Lord, Jesus, in the Eucharist for doing so in itself is
an insult to God and to all those who live or have lived as God asks. It is
time for those who support abortion in any way to realize the wrong they
embrace excludes them from receiving The Divine Lord, Jesus, in the
Eucharist and in humility confess their wrong and reject it from then on
and in true love come and be one with and in Him in communion in the state
of grace they are supposed to be in.

God bless,

Alan Ames