Can Receiving Communion "unsurely" be venial sin?

[Angel7]

Hello again everyone. The latest issue occured today during mass when I went to receive. Now I normally go to the 12:00 mass. However, I sometimes (usually) wake up late. I know that there is a 1 hour fasting period between meals, and the reception of Communion. Normally I have my watch with me so I can be positive its been an hour. Today, though, I left my watch at home. I was fairly certain that it had been an hour, but only became sure of it moments before receiving. I’m thinking it could be venial, since I didn’t intend to sin by purposefuly ignoring the 1 hour fast. Was it venial sin? And if it was, did the reception of Communion cleanse me of it?

Thank you!

 

[Callum]

I think it would be a greater shame not to receive the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ Our Savour, don’t you?

Whilst, yes, we ought to fast out of devotion to the Sacrament, provided that you aren’t in a state of mortal sin you should try to receive as often as possible. It doesn’t do to be too pharisaical about these things, otherwise you could end up trying to figure out whether the one hour starts from the moment you bit into something or trying to calculate its passage through your alimentary cnal.

 

[Wolniewicz]

Hello again everyone. The latest issue occured today during mass when I went to receive. Now I normally go to the 12:00 mass. However, I sometimes (usually) wake up late. I know that there is a 1 hour fasting period between meals, and the reception of Communion. Normally I have my watch with me so I can be positive its been an hour. Today, though, I left my watch at home. I was fairly certain that it had been an hour, but only became sure of it moments before receiving. I’m thinking it could be venial, since I didn’t intend to sin by purposefuly ignoring the 1 hour fast. Was it venial sin? And if it was, did the reception of Communion cleanse me of it?

Thank you!

As a heads up the hour of fasting is mean to be one hour before mass even begins. So you shouldn’t receive unless its been one whole hour before the beginning of mass. The idea is that you are meant to be preparing your self, body and mind to receive our lord. Communion gives graces (and much more!), confession removes sins, so I wouldn’t say you are cleansed of it. I’d just go to the next possible confession and you’ll be fine

 

[Wolniewicz]

I think it would be a greater shame not to receive the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ Our Savour, don’t you?

Whilst, yes, we ought to fast out of devotion to the Sacrament, provided that you aren’t in a state of mortal sin you should try to receive as often as possible. It doesn’t do to be too pharisaical about these things, otherwise you could end up trying to figure out whether the one hour starts from the moment you bit into something or trying to calculate its passage through your alimentary cnal.

This actually is a bigger deal than, just ‘not’ receiving our Lord. It is about showing respect, and it is disrespectful to receive in a mass that you ate within the hour before mass began. In RCIA they made sure we all knew and fully understood this, the fasting is part of respect, and if for some reason we can’t uphold the fast (Except for medical reasons), it is more respectful not to receive our Lord; I was taught that it can even be a sin if you receive and you know that you have eaten within the last hour.

The Lord deserves the most respect we can give him, and that includes showing him respect by not receiving if you have eaten within an hour before mass.

Also this is why the fast is meant to be an hour before mass begins, its showing respect to our Lord, and there is no question about if you have eaten an hour before receiving.

All in all, if you aren’t sure if it has been an hour or not, I would opt out of receiving and probably attend another later mass. Also we only are required to receive once a year, I highly recommend receiving as much as possible; but the Lord does deserve our respect. That respect goes beyond us being unsure if it has been an hour and receiving just because we want too. We are expected to carry our crosses, and holding the one hour fast in my opinion isn’t that much of a cross in order to be able to receive our Lord.

Saint Padre Pio did once say “Let’s approach Holy Communion with holy love and fear. May the entire day be preparation and thanksgiving for Holy Communion.”

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

As a heads up the hour of fasting is mean to be one hour before mass even begins. So you shouldn’t receive unless its been one whole hour before the beginning of mass. The idea is that you are meant to be preparing your self, body and mind to receive our lord. Communion gives graces (and much more!), confession removes sins, so I wouldn’t say you are cleansed of it. I’d just go to the next possible confession and you’ll be fine

Numerous posts on this topic have appeared to document that the fast is one hour before the actual receipt of Communion, not the beginning of Mass.