Communion Fast?

[TK421]

@Maximilian75 I think it is a universal rule that if there is anyway at all for something to be commercialized, it will happen. Of course, fish on Friday’s goes back to a time when Catholics universally abstained from meat on Friday’s.

I have mentioned before, that the lightness of certain Church laws today can - ironically - make it more difficult in certain ways. It is much easier to forget about a 1-hour fast than it is to forget a 3-hour fast, or a fast starting at midnight. It is also MUCH easier to forget about Friday abstinence when it is only observed on Lent and can be substituted for other penances outside of Lent. Where I live on the borderlands, you can add to the confusion that in Mexico, you are allowed to consume chicken on Fridays, and many Hispanics might continue that without realizing the difference in law.

As far as the fast, I think this is something that gradually changed because the Latin Church in general was moving towards the promotion of daily reception of the Holy Eucharist (promoted by Pope St Pius X in 1905 in
SACRA TRIDENTINA), and this is something the Church wanted to be more accessible for laity. While a person might theoretically fast for longer as a personal devotion, the canonical requirements were overtime made lighter.

 

[paperwight]

You should definitely bring it up in your next confession, then you can
feel better if you share your indiscression. there are rules and you just have
to learn to obey them. a little penance will do you good in learning to control yourself. we pray for you

Have you actually read all the posts on this thread?

 

[tafan2]

You came to a forum to ask if you should confess that you may have broken the Communion fast by about 5 minutes.

If that is not scrupulous behavior, I don’t know what is.

God is not standing there with a stopwatch, just waiting for us to screw up!

Not even close to scrupulous. When I go to 630am morning mass, I know within 5 minutes when communion is going to be given. I love my cup of coffee in the morning. I make sure I am not drinking coffee 5 minutes ahead of time to be safe. If I happened to lose track of time and drink a sip of coffee too late, I will likely not worry about it. But I certainly would not intentionally ever say, “oh well, I can keep drinking for 5 extra minutes and settle for a 55 minutes fast.”

 

[CilladeRoma]

But I certainly would not intentionally ever say, “oh well, I can keep drinking for 5 extra minutes and settle for a 55 minutes fast.”

And where did I say that this was OK?

I said that God is not standing over us with a stopwatch just waiting for us to screw up! To think so is to miss the point of the law, and of God’s mercy.

 

[tafan2]

You said worrying about 5 minutes was scrupulous. I worry about 5 minutes almost daily. I can assure you I am not a scrupulous person.

 

[CilladeRoma]

And it does borderline on scrupulous behavior.

The OP even said it could be a difference in the clock at home being slightly different than the clock at school.

I never said anything about not being obedient to the fast, I just said that this whole thread is bordering on the absurd, and to worry about this (which by the OP’s onw admission was NOT INTENTIONAL) is to not take God’s mercy at face value.

 

[tafan2]

I think this too many people on this forum just get in a habit of telling people they are being scrupulous. There was nothing in the OP to suggest being scrupulous, IMO. If I had been the OP, IF eating breakfast until 7:03 was done despite knowing communion is often before 8, I would not receive communion. Why? because when I was eating breakfast I consciously made a decision to keep eating despite the communion fast. If I was eating breakfast and looked down at my watch and realized it was 7:03 and immediately ended my breakfast, I would have received communion. The OP said nothing in his first post of which scenario it was. If the former, I understand his question completely. It is falls into neither the “scrupulous behavior, I don’t know what is” category nor the “borderline scrupulous” category.
A priest I know, who I respect a great deal, once told us in an adult education class on moral theology that people often talk about being scrupulous, but in all his years of being a priest he could count the instances of actual scrupulous people in confession on one hand. That might be an exaggeration. But it is closer to the truth than what I tend to see on this forum, where people chalk many things up to scrupulosity without near enough information. This is a case in point.

Oh, and the thread must not be absurd, since it educated at least one poster on the requirements of the fast (ie water only).

 

[lilypadrees]

In our parish, eating or drinking anything unless it is water with medicine means you shouldn’t receive. And if Father smells that coffee on your breath, he shouldn’t allow you to receive.

 

[Bluebright]

I wouldn’t have called you scrupulous either. I have also cut it fine before… not quite that fine. But as in 3 mins longer than the 1hr. I like you was concerned. I was at a homeless shift in my parish rooms and did not think I’d be released in time for mass and suddenly I was so I sat in mass thinking can I go forward for communion or not. I like you am a rules and obedience person (assuming you are) but also don’t consider myself scrupulous. I thought God’s mercy would be fine with it being so close and decided it was a lesson to me to always be aware of the possibility in that situation so in those future homeless help shifts I always wrapped the meal up and took it with me in case I was released in time for mass. So think of your near miss as a lesson, all good merciful God, probably has a chuckle at us but I like to think He likes that we take things seriously and are obedient to His churches rules. I don’t think it needs confessing, but it certainly can’t do any harm, it’s perfectly acceptable to confess or discuss your near misses with your priest. If for no other reason that to make sure you do know what you should do in future. That is as others have said, get up a little earlier/eat sooner or eat after mass.