Breaking the Eucharistic Fast

[cricket36]

Suppose a person without thinking, finishes a cup of coffee before going to Church for Mass. A few minutes later, the person realizes that they will no longer have an hour of fasting before they want to receive Communion.

I am assuming that even though it was inadvertant, the person is still bound by the hour fast and thus will not be able to receive Communion. Am I right?

Or is receiving Communion more important than the hour fast under the conditions described.

 

[LilyM]

You didn’t knowingly break the fast, but nonetheless you are not properly prepared for Communion, and should abstain. If you were about to receive Communion suddenly realised, say, that as a non-Catholic you shouldn’t be receiving Communion, hopefully you’d have the grace and good sense to abstain.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

I once accidentally had breakfast too close to the Eucharist and so broke the Eucharistic fast. I asked the priest if I could still receive Communion, and he said that because it had been an accident, there was no fault in me and therefore I could.

The man I talked to was a kind of liberal priest, though, so you may want to ask your own local priest.

 

[diggerdomer]

Suppose a person without thinking, finishes a cup of coffee before going to Church for Mass. A few minutes later, the person realizes that they will no longer have an hour of fasting before they want to receive Communion.

I am assuming that even though it was inadvertant, the person is still bound by the hour fast and thus will not be able to receive Communion. Am I right?

Or is receiving Communion more important than the hour fast under the conditions described.

What’s better…observing human laws or receiving the grace of the Eucharist?

The Sabbath was made for “man” not “man” for the Sabbath. Come on, let’s be serious…in this case…by all means go to Communion.

 

[LilyM]

What’s better…observing human laws or receiving the grace of the Eucharist?

The Sabbath was made for “man” not “man” for the Sabbath. Come on, let’s be serious…in this case…by all means go to Communion.

Human laws? Jesus gave the Church the power to bind and loose, and He wasn’t just talking about dogma. Disciplines such as the Eucharistic fast must also be assented to and obeyed. It’s a little concept called ‘disciplinary infallibility’ - read up on it some time.

Which is better - to get to the Pearly Gates and find out that by disrespecting that ‘human law’ (as if any law of Christ’s Church is mere human law) you’re guilty of the grave sin of disobedience and that you received unworthily as a result, and received the Eucharist to your condemnation rather than your salvation?

Or to refrain and find out that no, you wouldn’t have been condemned for receiving communion, but that by exercising the high virtue of obedience you received great graces nonetheless?

 

[diggerdomer]

Human laws? Jesus gave the Church the power to bind and loose, and He wasn’t just talking about dogma. Disciplines such as the Eucharistic fast must also be assented to and obeyed. It’s a little concept called ‘disciplinary infallibility’ - read up on it some time.

Which is better - to get to the Pearly Gates and find out that by disrespecting that ‘human law’ (as if any law of Christ’s Church is mere human law) you’re guilty of the grave sin of disobedience and that you received unworthily as a result, and received the Eucharist to your condemnation rather than your salvation?

Or to refrain and find out that no, you wouldn’t have been condemned for receiving communion, but that by exercising the high virtue of obedience you received great graces nonetheless?

The OP clearly, as I read it, shared a case of an inadvertent mistake. That hardly warrants skipping communion. This was as I read it not a case of willful disobedience or disregard of the Church laws as I read it. I give the OP the benefit of the doubt. I think the Church would too.

Yes, human laws. The fasting rules used to be different, the Church can change them.

Never heard of “disciplinary infallibility”–please help me find some info on it?

 

[hilde_the_dog]

I have asked two priest this question one regarding coffee and one a piece of candy. The reason is at 12:10pm weekday mass is offered near my office. Both priests told me that if it was not my intent to break the rule and was an accident to receive and that I did not have to confess it (as I was in confession prior to the masses).