Ate food before mass because I thought I might get sick. Was this a sin?

[waytogo1984]

I ate my pills before mass without thinking very much just because I wanted to take them early, but they can make me feel sick at my stomach and throw up if I do not have food in my stomach. I guess I thought I could take it this time, but I started to feel my stomach. I got scared that I might have to throw up during mass or feel sick, so I ate a banana right before mass. Was this a sin? Should I confess it? Thanks for the help.

 

[1ke]

It isn’t a sin to eat before Mass.

Well, you left out a few important details.

The Church requires a Eucharistic fast of one hour. So, you should not consume food for one hour before receiving the Eucharist. You don’t say (a) how long before Mass started, and therefore how long before reception of the Eucharist, you ate nor (b) whether or not you abstained from the Eucharist.

The Church also makes provisions that the elderly and infirm can receive even if they’ve eaten within the hour. So, it’s a judgment call as to whether or not you are infirm and whether or not you should have abstained from the Eucharist. It’s something to discuss with your priest, and perhaps to plan better for in the future.

Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.

§2. A priest who celebrates the Most Holy Eucharist two or three times on the same day can take something before the second or third celebration even if there is less than one hour between them.

§3. The elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have eaten something within the preceding hour.

 

[Orleans_Attny]

I ate my pills before mass without thinking very much just because I wanted to take them early, but they can make me feel sick at my stomach and throw up if I do not have food in my stomach. I guess I thought I could take it this time, but I started to feel my stomach. I got scared that I might have to throw up during mass or feel sick, so I ate a banana right before mass. Was this a sin? Should I confess it? Thanks for the help.

There isn’t a requirement to fast before attending mass. The requirement is to fast before receiving communion.

Did you receive? If so: How long after you ate?

Pax,
OA

PS: When I was a merchant mariner, every ship had standing orders. And every set of standing orders said, “When in doubt, call the Master.” It seems that these is-it-a-sin threads could do with a similar admonishment: When in doubt, ask your priest.

 

[waytogo1984]

I am not at all elderly or infirm, and I received communion less than an hour after eating, but I want you to make a judgement based on my circumstances.

 

[the_phoenix]

The Church also makes provisions that the elderly and infirm can receive even if they’ve eaten within the hour. So, it’s a judgment call as to whether or not you are infirm and whether or not you should have abstained from the Eucharist. It’s something to discuss with your priest, and perhaps to plan better for in the future.

Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.

…

§3. The elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have eaten something within the preceding hour.

Thanks for posting. You’ve just taught me something.

 

[waytogo1984]

I don’t feel like I’ve received an adequate answer. Did I sin by eating less than an hour before communion if I did it so I would not feel sick at my stomach? The truth is I thought of this right when my confessor was giving me a penance and told me to say the act of contrition, and I thought that he wanted to move it along, so I didn’t back track to bring this situation up. Should I have or am I fine?

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I am not at all elderly or infirm, and I received communion less than an hour after eating, but I want you to make a judgement based on my circumstances.

But we are not priests.

Ask the Master!

 

[Joe_Kelley]

. . .

PS: When I was a merchant mariner, every ship had standing orders. And every set of standing orders said, “When in doubt, call the Master.” It seems that these is-it-a-sin threads could do with a similar admonishment: When in doubt, ask your priest.

I agree. We can quote Church teaching for general guidance, but specific cases of sin, or for annulments, depend on details which you don’t want to put on the web, and need an expert judgment. That is why the priest is there in the Confessional, to give you an answer on these things.

Also, when in doubt confess it. There is no penalty for confessing a non-sin.

 

[RSD]

I don’t feel like I’ve received an adequate answer. Did I sin by eating less than an hour before communion if I did it so I would not feel sick at my stomach? The truth is I thought of this right when my confessor was giving me a penance and told me to say the act of contrition, and I thought that he wanted to move it along, so I didn’t back track to bring this situation up. Should I have or am I fine?

First of all, please pay attention to the advice of asking your own confessor. These “is it a sin” threads are all right for hypothetical questions and discussions of related issues, but for real life particular incidents, you need someone to talk to directly.

Second: if there were a sin, it would not be eating before Mass. It might be a sin to receive communion too soon after eating, in violation of the rule of the communion fast, but the sin does not occur at the time that you ate. It might be poor judgement. If you eat less than one hour before receiving communion, and you firmly resolve to go ahead and receive communion, knowing that you are in violation of the Church’s teaching I would think that somewhere in that process you would have sinned, but it is not in the eating.

Third, you said that you are not elderly or infirm. I think that in this context, even a temporary illness might be considered an infirmity. When I was pregnant the first time I discovered (as have many before me) that I would feel much better during the morning if I ate something as soon as I got up. Because of my schedule, if I wanted to go to weekday morning Mass, I would be receiving communion less than one hour after eating. I asked my pastor for a dispensation for the duration of my pregnancy. He basically said that I did not need a special dispensation, that the “infirmity” clause was meant to cover that sort of situation.

Fourth: If you are wondering if you need to confess something, and you are there in the confessional with the priest, that really is the ideal time to ask. That is what he is there for. Really. There are lots of interesting stories about the lengths to which a good priest will go if someone is in need of the sacrament of penance. If he is already IN THE CONFESSIONAL and you just want him to stay a few seconds longer to answer this question, really, that is what he is there for. Ask him. Not that people here are unwilling to try to answer you- as you can easily tell. But the priest probably has the best answer.

 

[ChristusDominus]

You are asking for our opinion assuming that most of us are laity. I am laity so I can only give you my opinion considering what I have learned through the course of a lifetime in the Catholic Church.

I assume you are under the supervision of a medical doctor since you require a daily dose of medication. You must have some sort of ailment that requires you to take these medicine on a daily basis for your physical well being. I would say that you are “fine” taking some sort of nourishment in order to prevent some sort of nauseous reaction. I do believe that you are dispensed from the fast due to your ailment.

But just in case, I would bring this up the next time you are in confession.

 

[1ke]

I don’t feel like I’ve received an adequate answer.

Well, you’ve been given all the facts of what the Church teaches. You know what the Church teaches and you know what you did and the circumstances and what knowledge you had of the situation at the time. It is for you to determine if you committed a sin.

Did I sin by eating less than an hour before communion if I did it so I would not feel sick at my stomach?

Talk to your priest in confession.

The truth is I thought of this right when my confessor was giving me a penance and told me to say the act of contrition, and I thought that he wanted to move it along, so I didn’t back track to bring this situation up. Should I have or am I fine?

I think you might have some scrupulosity going on. Talk to your priest.

 

[puzzleannie]

I ate my pills before mass without thinking very much just because I wanted to take them early, but they can make me feel sick at my stomach and throw up if I do not have food in my stomach. I guess I thought I could take it this time, but I started to feel my stomach. I got scared that I might have to throw up during mass or feel sick, so I ate a banana right before mass. Was this a sin? Should I confess it? Thanks for the help.

of course it is not a sin to eat before Mass at anytime, for anyone.
one must still observe the rules of fasting, but medicine does not count. If some meds (like mine) must be taken with food, eat, and simply refrain from receiving communion this time. If you are feeling queasy it is much better not to receive to avoid the possibility of an episode of vomiting that might profane the Eucharist.

 

[waytogo1984]

My medication does not require food. I just get sick at my stomach if I don’t have food with it sometimes. I should have taken the pills after mass, but I didn’t think about it long enough.

 

[EmeraldWings]

I don’t feel like I’ve received an adequate answer. Did I sin by eating less than an hour before communion if I did it so I would not feel sick at my stomach? The truth is I thought of this right when my confessor was giving me a penance and told me to say the act of contrition, and I thought that he wanted to move it along, so I didn’t back track to bring this situation up. Should I have or am I fine?

the answer is, because you did not know, you have not committed a serious sin, but yes it is a sin to receive the Eucharist while having eaten less than an hour beforehand for those who are not dangerously ill, the right thing to have done would be to just not receive,
if you are in doubt about whether or not you have committed a sin, the simple answer is, just confess it, don’t be afraid to go to Jesus to say you are sorry just because you are unsure, go anyways because His love is worth it.
the church also says, when in doubt, by all means confess.

but don’t worry, you wouldn’t have done it if you knew, right? that’s what makes the difference between mortal and venial sin, God is offended at our lack of caring, and not simply by the sin itself.
but for the future, keep in mind that if you are not sure about something being a sin, just don’t do it, that is the safest route you can take, and one which is encouraged by the church.

ok, hope this helps, take care.

 

[MikeDunphy]

I’m more inclined than some of the people in this thread to think it was sinful for you to receive Holy Communion less than an hour after eating. But I’ll echo them and say, “talk to your priest”. There is no harm and I’d say some good in mentioning it in your next confession.

Live and learn. You get my respect for taking the laws of the Church seriously.

 

[waytogo1984]

I thought that it might be bad, but I was planning on going to confession the next day. However, the other side of my head said, “Of course it isn’t wrong to take communion, you ate so you wouldn’t throw up, not just because you wanted to.” And now half of my brain is telling me that and half is telling me that I committed a sin in not caring enough.

 

[Jennifer_G]

I thought that it might be bad, but I was planning on going to confession the next day. However, the other side of my head said, “Of course it isn’t wrong to take communion, you ate so you wouldn’t throw up, not just because you wanted to.” And now half of my brain is telling me that and half is telling me that I committed a sin in not caring enough.

I think in this case, the banana is ‘medicine’ to prevent the side effect of neusea. You could still ask your priest for clarification.

 

[thistle]

My medication does not require food. I just get sick at my stomach if I don’t have food with it sometimes. I should have taken the pills after mass, but I didn’t think about it long enough.

As other posters have pointed out the one hour fasting requirement does not apply to Mass but to receiving Communion.
Secondly you are not required to receive Communion (requirement is once a year during Easter period).
In my layman’s opinion only, as you say you are not sick or elderly and if you knew about the one hour fasting rule and still went ahead and received then I would say that’s a sin.
Why did you receive Communion?

 

[EmeraldWings]

I thought that it might be bad, but I was planning on going to confession the next day. However, the other side of my head said, “Of course it isn’t wrong to take communion, you ate so you wouldn’t throw up, not just because you wanted to.” And now half of my brain is telling me that and half is telling me that I committed a sin in not caring enough.

hey, don’t be so unreasonable with yourself, God loves you so much, and does not want to see you stressed,

it is clear, by how much this is bothering you, that you do indeed care,
go to confession and clear your conscience, and then be glad that you won’t make this mistake again, because now you know, and before you did not.

just don’t worry, God is guiding you, He brought you here right? take the advice these nice people have given you.
God wants to see you happy, be glad that you have gotten your answer.