Communion After Drinking Alcohol

[stavros388]

Hi. Please forgive my ignorance, but in the Catholic Church, is it acceptable to partake of communion if one drank alcohol the night before? I was out and had a few beers, and so didn’t stay home properly preparing myself for communion. Would it be wrong of me to approach the Mysteries today?

Thanks kindly in advance.

 

[DaveBj]

“Da Rulz” state that one has to abstain from all food and drink, except for water and medicine, for one hour prior to actually receiving communion. Having a few beers the night before puts you well outside that hour. I have never seen anything forbidding the receiving Holy Communion while “buzzed,” but here again I think that any buzz would have worn off during the intervening time. Likewise, I have never seen anything about receiving Holy Communion while hung over

Without knowing how many beers you consumed, I am going to refrain from commenting on whether or not your level of consumption put you in mortal sin.

 

[stavros388]

“Da Rulz” state that one has to abstain from all food and drink, except for water and medicine, for one hour prior to actually receiving communion. Having a few beers the night before puts you well outside that hour. I have never seen anything forbidding the receiving Holy Communion while “buzzed,” but here again I think that any buzz would have worn off during the intervening time. Likewise, I have never seen anything about receiving Holy Communion while hung over

Without knowing how many beers you consumed, I am going to refrain from commenting on whether or not your level of consumption put you in mortal sin.

Thanks, Dave. Yes, I feel mildly hungover, but certainly not “buzzed”. I had six drinks over a period of about six hours. But I did not know that drinking alcohol can itself be a mortal sin. How much is enough to push it into mortal sin territory?

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Thanks, Dave. Yes, I feel mildly hungover, but certainly not “buzzed”. I had six drinks over a period of about six hours. But I did not know that drinking alcohol can itself be a mortal sin. How much is enough to push it into mortal sin territory?

From what I understand, it isn’t how much you drink, but how it affects you. I could drink 6 beers in 6 hours and not even feel mildly hungover. Drinking becomes a mortal sin when you drink excessively. Like, getting sloppy drunk, not a buzz.

 

[Duane1966]

From what I understand, it isn’t how much you drink, but how it affects you. I could drink 6 beers in 6 hours and not even feel mildly hungover. Drinking becomes a mortal sin when you drink excessively. Like, getting sloppy drunk, not a buzz.

Correct.

 

[DaveBj]

From what I understand, it isn’t how much you drink, but how it affects you. I could drink 6 beers in 6 hours and not even feel mildly hungover. Drinking becomes a mortal sin when you drink excessively. Like, getting sloppy drunk, not a buzz.

Kendra pretty well nailed it. Add doing something dangerous (like driving) while under any influence at all, and that covers it. Your six drinks over six hours shouldn’t be a problem. It wouldn’t be a problem for me, and I have a low tolerance for alcohol.

 

[JackVk]

Last night: two beers and a glass of wine. Last Saturday night: two glasses of whiskey and a couple beers.

Aquinas says that drinking becomes sinful when it causes you to lose control of your faculties. I get a mild buzz most weekend nights. But I think sinfully drunk is when you’re near falling over.

 

[otjm]

Last night: two beers and a glass of wine. Last Saturday night: two glasses of whiskey and a couple beers.

Aquinas says that drinking becomes sinful when it causes you to lose control of your faculties. I get a mild buzz most weekend nights. But I think sinfully drunk is when you’re near falling over.

Intent still has something to do with the level of sinfulness.

 

[SuperLuigi]

“Da Rulz” state that one has to abstain from all food and drink, except for water and medicine, for one hour prior to actually receiving communion. Having a few beers the night before puts you well outside that hour. I have never seen anything forbidding the receiving Holy Communion while “buzzed,” but here again I think that any buzz would have worn off during the intervening time. Likewise, I have never seen anything about receiving Holy Communion while hung over

Without knowing how many beers you consumed, I am going to refrain from commenting on whether or not your level of consumption put you in mortal sin.

If you feel “buzzed” at Communion, it would be good to try and fight through that and focus on receiving the Eucharist.

Really put some effort into this, folks!