Canonical Fast and Eastern Divine Liturgy and Roman Holy Mass

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ingdniartiisuhs

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Dear Friends in Christ,

May the grace of Jesus be with all of you on this forum! I pray you are all well. As a young Ukrainian Rite Catholic, I have a question regarding the pre-liturgy/commuion fast.

Perhaps this is bordering on some scrupulosity, but I’m wondering if any experts here would know how to act in this situation.

Two hypotheticals…

An Eastern Rite Catholic, whose sui iuris canons instruct a one hour fast before Liturgy begins, goes to Roman Mass. Does he or she abide by this fast or the Roman fast, one hour before receiving Holy Communion, since he or she will be celebrating in this right?

The same situation, conversely. Does a Roman Catholic going to Ukrainian Divine Liturgy incur the obligation of the one hour before Divine Litugy fast, or remain under his or her own proper canons even celebrating in another rite?
The simplest way to ask the question, it seems is: Do you always follow your rite’s own cannons even when celebrating within a different rite - or do you adapt to the cannons of the rite in which you will celebrate?

These questions coming from someone who dances between the two often. Thank you for your help and responses!
 
I am canonically Roman but celebrate most often with the Maronites…
In the situation you specifically describe, I have heard Roman Rite Catholics abide by a 1 hour before Mass or a 1 hour before Communion rule depending on their conscience and sensibilities, though the 1 hr before Communion is the true stipulation (as you note).
As for the larger question, I think your obligations are best met by where you feel you are best defined – when I was first looking at the Maronites, I felt it necessary to make it to Roman feast days not on the Maronite calendar (and sometimes didn’t know the difference anyway). Likewise, I wasn’t aware of Maronite fasting stipulations for Lent for a little while - I don’t think following the Roman regulations was wrong per se in that situation. Now, however, I figure my church is Maronite, I seek for my spirituality to grow as Maronite – and so, I follow the Maronite rules of fasting, the Maronite calendar, the Maronite traditions…
 
The one-hour “fast” before Communion is obligatory upon all Catholics.

But the Eastern Churches see this as a bare minimum. Longer fasts (even the original practice from midnight) are encouraged.

Obviously, this does NOT apply to an evening Divine Liturgy or Prescanctified Liturgy.
 
This is only my opinion, but I would recommend following your own particular spiritual practices even when you attend another Catholic Church that is not of your particular tradition.

The Church does not impose contradictory obligations on anyone, and all of the recent statements from Rome and our own Ukrainian Catholic Synod want us as to foster proper devotion and love for our own particular customs, practices and tradition.

In the case of the Latin coming to our Liturgy, unless he wants to experience our spiritual preparation, prayers, etc. (which he is always free to do) he can always follow his own Church’s prescriptions for receiving Communion. No Ukrainian Catholic priest will refuse him Communion if he has prepared according to Latin convention.

As a UGCC deacon I frequently attend Latin Masses during the week; I always try to follow my own Church’s traditions regarding preparation including fasting and the suggested prayer rule before receiving Communion.
 
I am quite sure that one is always bound by the canonical norms of his or her particular Church regardless of the liturgy you are assisting at. For example, as a Latin Catholic in Canada, I am bound to attend mass on January 1, the feast of Mary, Mother of God. If I regularly attended a Byzantine-Rite parish, I would still be bound by Latin canons and thus bound to assist at Mass on that day; however, as all Catholics are free to fulfill their obligations at any Catholic liturgy, I would still be free to attend liturgy at the Byzantine parish on January 1, satisfying my Latin obligation, even though the Byzantine parish wouldn’t actually be celebrating the Marian feast.
 
Diak said:
As a UGCC deacon I frequently attend Latin Masses during the week; I always try to follow my own Church’s traditions regarding preparation including fasting and the suggested prayer rule before receiving Communion.
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Could you please tell me what the suggested prayer rule is. Thank you very much.:confused:
 
When my Filipina wife (Latin Rite) read this, she was surprised. She always understood the discipline to be “one hour before Mass,” not “one hour before communion.” I guess the Latin discipline is not ubiquitous, but can be different in different local Churches. I like brother Diak’s statement that “one hour before communion” is only regarded as the bare minimum.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
Is it even a sin to eat something before communion? Is it a sin in the Eastern Rite? I rarely wake up on time for breakfast so I generally don’t have the problem of eating something before communion on Sunday but once and a while I’ll grab a donut. The only time it is a concern would be for daily masses.
 
wjp984:
Yes, it is a grave sin of disobedience. If you were truly ignorance of the Church’s discipline on this matter, God understands and you are not in a state of mortal sin, but you must be careful in the future. Fasting and penance are necessary to overcome the sinful desires of the flesh in order to cooperate with God’s grace and become more and more like Christ (deification - or in Eastern terms, theosis)…in Holy Communion we truly receive Our Lord Jesus Himself and thus it is fitting and proper to prepare our bodies and souls for this monumental event!

In the past, in the Latin Church, it was necessary to fast from midnight until after Sunday mass. Few people received holy communion on a daily basis, but the same tradition would have been upheld. This is still the practice in many (all?) Eastern Churches, and is still practiced by many traditional Latin Catholics. Some Oriental traditions have even stricter practices, I believe, to prepare for the reception of Our Lord. Today, Latin Catholics are obliged to fast from all food and drink (except water) for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion (not before mass). Anything beyond that is between you and God.
 
I was riased in the Roman rite and was always taught fast for 1 hour before Mass, and now I am in the Maronite I do the same. I never thought to sit and try to time when I might recieve Communion. LOL, always figured better to err on the side of caution.

Have to agree with the above Maronite, it took me a couple Lents to get the Maronite fasting changes down and on Ash Wednesday I had shown up forgetting that it is Ash Monday. Also the Feast days I hop between the two churches, if a Roman Feast Day is special to me I go, the trade off is now I am Maronite I obey the Maronite feast Days (though I still get tripped up if I don’t check out the calendar, but since it is only my 3rd year I am doing better! :))
 
The actual rule is a fast from all foods (except in cases of the sick and/or pregnant) one hour before Communion, not from Mass. I know that it is hardly a sacrifice, but that is the rule.
Canon 919
  1. One who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion.
  2. A priest who celebrates the Most Holy Eucharist two or three times on the same day may take something before the second or third celebration even if the period of one hour does not intervene.
  3. Those who are advanced in age or who suffer from any infirmity, as well as those who take care of them, can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have taken something during the previous hour.
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twf said:
wjp984:
In the past, in the Latin Church, it was necessary to fast from midnight until after Sunday mass. Few people received holy communion on a daily basis, but the same tradition would have been upheld.** This is still the practice in many (all?) Eastern Churches, and is still practiced by many traditional Latin Catholics. **Some Oriental traditions have even stricter practices, I believe, to prepare for the reception of Our Lord. Today, Latin Catholics are obliged to fast from all food and drink (except water) for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion (not before mass). Anything beyond that is between you and God.
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Not all. Ruthenian Particular Law specifies an hour.
 
“Could you please tell me what the suggested prayer rule is. Thank you very much.”

The suggested prayer rule is the Canon for Holy Communion the evening before (this can be prayed with Compline as well) and a series of psalms and prayers on the day of the Divine Liturgy itself before receiving Holy Communion. They are all included in the Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship along with the post-Communion prayers. As mentioned this is only a suggested order; one’s spiritual father may also prescribe another.
 
Cluny said:
The one-hour “fast” before Communion is obligatory upon all Catholics.

But the Eastern Churches see this as a bare minimum. Longer fasts (even the original practice from midnight) are encouraged.

Obviously, this does NOT apply to an evening Divine Liturgy or Prescanctified Liturgy.
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We fast from 12:00 pm on the days when we have the Presanctified Liturgy.
This is fasting from food or drink. Exceptions are made for medical reasons, ie; health related.

For example when I woke up coughing and drank water to stop my cough or when I came back from a trip dehydrated. It was necessary for me to drink water so I could sing in the choir. 🙂

Of course there are those that might say I shouldn’t sing anyway…lol.
 
Catholic Tradition specifically excludes water and prescribed medicine from all fasts.

Including the pre-Communion fast, tho’ it is oft encouraged to schedule one’s meds so that one’s normal liturgy times are outside the medication times.
 
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