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Peace and good!
Today's questions was: what can be an obstacle in receiving the sacraments?
And can a person living with such an obstacle, and not being able to participate fully in the Church life, belong to some parish groups?
For example, some prayer groups, the Oasis Movement or the Secular Franciscan Order.
The most crucial thing to do here is to check whether this obstacle cannot be removed.
And the most obvious obstacle in receiving sacraments is a mortal sin.
(A lot of mosquitoes here)
So we can remove this sin if we go to confession and change the way we live.
This allows us to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and the Eucharist and so that would be the best solution.
But unfortunately there are cases in which somebody's life situation is actually irreversible and cannot be changed easily.
For example, a person lives in a non-sacramental relationship with somebody and they have children so this family cannot be destroyed.
And can such a person praticipate in the Church life?
We must point out that the author of this question treated all parish groups equally, namely the Oasis Movement, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Third Order.
And the Third Order of St. Francis cannot be treated the same as the other groups.
The form of life offered by this order entails making religious vows and a public profession.
If somebody lives with a mortal sin, he cannot make such a profession. So such a person cannot belong to the Third Order.
Moreover, there are other duties conncected with belonging to the community of the Secular Franciscan Order, which involve receiving the sacraments.
But belonging to some other parish group is not forbidden for such a person.
There are also parish groups created specially for couples living in non-sacramental relationships.
These people know that they cannot fully participate in the Eucharist but can take part in adoration, retreat, prayer, spiritual Holy Communion.
One can still form himself even though he does not receive the Holy Communion. However, this does not mean that such a person can fully receive the sacraments.
Such people who live with an obstacle which does not allow them to receive the sacraments are not excluded from the community of the Church.
They are excluded from the sacramental community, cannot receive the Holy Communion but the Church does not exclude them. Just the opposite, it cares for them a lot and respects them.
Just like father Leonard said, they can take part in retreat, contemplation days, etc. They have the right to live in the Church and must try to be saint.
It's the duty of each of us. Trying to be perfect and developing spiritually.
They can also belong to these parish groups which do not require sacramental life.
Coming back to what can be an obstacle in our life which does not allow us to receive the sacraments. The way of life, living in a non-sacramental relationship.
People living like that say: what can we do since we live together? But this situation can still be changed. It does not have to be like that forever.
You can break with the sin. You must try to change your life for better.
And if you can't, try to do everything to be perfect and to be saint.
Peace and good!