Stopping by the Church on a Saturday Evening

Expecting no one to be there, we stopped by the church to run an errand. There were a dozen cars in the parking lot. We had forgotten that Saturday evening services had started.

We could hear the priest saying, "The Gifts of God for the people of God." The ministration of the bread and wine was about to begin. The youngster asked if he could take Communion "so he didn't have to go on Sunday."

I shook my head. In order to take Communion one had to be there for the confession [approximately halfway through the service], at least that's what my Sunday School teacher said. Was she correct?

Catholic theologians "shy away from such exactitude."

To say that there is a particular moment before or after which we are either "out" or "safe," so to speak, is to give the wrong message and hint that, in the long run, some parts of the Mass are really not all that important.

I should have expected that---in Christianity there are no loopholes, except a few big ones like all our sins being forgiven---but I like my Sunday School teacher's answer better.