Eating After Mass

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Meggie

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Almost all of the Catholics I know hold fast to the belief of fasting before Mass. Some fast an hour, some fast from the night before. The time of fasting before Mass is constantly debated on this board and others like it.

Everyone I know goes strait home after Mass and chows down. Nomatter their perspective on the whole fasting thing. Depending on the end of Mass and where they live this is as little as ten minutes after Communion.

I can’t bring myself to eat after Mass anymore, for atleast 1 hour.

I just feel like it isn’t right to consume Jesus and then go eat a Egg Mc Sanwitch.

Does anyone else ever feel like this?
Is there any rule about this?
 
I think they’re probably hungry, and since there is no specific rule, it’s okay. Not everyone is as spiritual as you probably. 🙂
 
I’m glad you asked this question, though I think it’s thought that it takes 10 to 15 min. for the Host to be absorbed, I feel like I should wait as well… In Christ, Annunciata:)
 
You mean no one ever thought of this before?

I don’t want to be overly spiritual…I really like rules. I like that I have to sacrifice in order to recieve Jesus. I don’t understand why it dosn’t work the same way. I love Jesus a whole lot. I want to do what He likes best.
 
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Annunciata:
I’m glad you asked this question, though I think it’s thought that it takes 10 to 15 min. for the Host to be absorbed, I feel like I should wait as well… In Christ, Annunciata:)
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There are many people who remain after Mass for a few minutes of prayer and meditation or as I have been known to type “medication”.

But if you think about it. It is at least 10 minutes after receiving until the time you actually leave the church(maybe longer if the priest and deacon purify the chalices, another 10 minutes getting out of the parking lot and another 10 - 15 before getting to a place to eat. Then maybe even another 10 minutes getting waited on?
 
Dear Br Rich,
Now there’s a practical answer. Unless, of course, the church has a donut/coffee hour in the basement after Mass! 😃
 
Br. Rich SFO:
There are many people who remain after Mass for a few minutes of prayer and meditation or as I have been known to type “medication”.

But if you think about it. It is at least 10 minutes after receiving until the time you actually leave the church(maybe longer if the priest and deacon purify the chalices, another 10 minutes getting out of the parking lot and another 10 - 15 before getting to a place to eat. Then maybe even another 10 minutes getting waited on?
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Br.Rich,
This is only my opinion, please don’t think I implying it was the norm…Time was when I could stay for up to1/2 hour after Mass in “Medication”, I like that! Unfortunately, my husband likes to exit ASAP…and that’s my ride home… In my former life, I lived next door to my parish…and was in heaven! I just like to be alone with HIM for as long as I can, so I like to wait a bit before I think of eating.
Then, as Whitedove pointed out, Coffee & Donuts in Church Hall following Mass can mess things up for me…oh well, just my:twocents: In Christ, Annunciata
 
another consideration - the mass is called a ‘feast’ of sorts. so it could be considered inconsistent to take part in a feast, and then go right out and tackle a big mac.

i think a big part of the answer to your question lies in the ‘medication’ prescribed above. spending time in silent prayer, perhaps a rosary, after mass is a great way to maintain consistency with the idea of a feast, and is a great grace that many (if not most) of us routinely ignore - to our own detriment.
 
I think the best thing, since there is not a hard and fast rule, is to let each person approach the matter depending on their individual circumstances and inclinations, without anyone feeling like they are spiritually superiour to any one else for what they choose. How about that for a change??? :rolleyes:
 
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WhiteDove:
Dear Br Rich,
Now there’s a practical answer. Unless, of course, the church has a donut/coffee hour in the basement after Mass! 😃
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I have a list for when I travel! lol
 
We do our Holy Hour after Mass. My husband who fasts from midnight until after our Holy Hour, which ends at one p.m.is the strongest one of all of us. Due to medical conditions, I am unable to fast…puts me on a fast track for a migraine that knocks me out for at least two days, but I do fast starting at ten a.m. until one p.m.

Our Lord in the Eucharist is indeed a meal…but that does not mean that we cannot partake in earthly food after receiving Him.

God Bless -
 
This past Lent, we had an early morning daily Mass. Our priest made it a point to but donuts for those going to work right after Mass. People literaly got the donuts going out the door. Mass attendance increased 4 fold for Lent and we seldom had left overs. If the church does not have a problem with it, I do not.
 
thanks for the neat picture, but that does not look a bit like Mary Magdelene. We teach in first communion class that the Real Presence of Jesus persists only as long as the host remains in the identifiable accidents of bread and wine in the body, which is only momentarily in the case of the Precious Blood, and only a few minutes, in the case of the very thin hosts that are used for the Body. By the time Mass is over, you stand for the entire recessional, find the baby’s lost shoe, and stand in line for donuts, you’re good to go. If you are going to Luby’s or your mother-in-law’s house, just the time getting out of the parking lot should do it.

Seriously, I think it is a lovely thing if you are able to spend time in meditation after Mass, and the discipline of the midnight fast and holy hour is excellent. It is not an option for most with families, although parents would do well to spend a little time, maybe the night before in preparing for Mass, maybe reading the gospel, and discussing the readings or sermon in the car, or while scarfing down chicken nuggets at Micky D’s
 
Sundays are feast days, so it is appropriate to celebrate them with a feast after Mass, especially if you’ve fasted during the week. I’m about to leave for Mass and my husband and I will go out for brunch afterwards, and then I’m making meatloaf for dinner tonight - yum!
 
i sometimes wish that the mass itself would be a feast of the food kind again - like in the early church. it would be problematic, i know. but it would be really cool, i think.
 
It would be nice to spend some time after mass for thanksgiving and prayer but it is not always possible. I know a convent of religious sisters which after holy mass in the evening go immediately in the dining room. They told me that in the past they has a time of “fasting” after mass, but not today. I think the problem is not the eating after mass but the lack of understanding for time to say thank you to our Lord for the grace of communion.
 
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Meggie:
You mean no one ever thought of this before?

I don’t want to be overly spiritual…I really like rules. I like that I have to sacrifice in order to recieve Jesus. I don’t understand why it dosn’t work the same way. I love Jesus a whole lot. I want to do what He likes best.
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I agree with Br. Rich mostly.
I was also told by a priest that Jesus remains with us for about 10-15 minutes after we recieve Holy Communion.
One day when I got home from church I was hungry and I hadn’t eaten since the night before, so I went to my fridge and warmed up some leftover pizza really quick and drenched it in hot sauce and then chowed down before I left again…By this time, it was past the 15 minutes but I still thought it a little odd because it is like I totally was forgetting about Jesus and putting my mind on something else too quickly.
I think it is best to spend time after Mass in reflection and thanksgiving for the Eucharist even if it is only a couple minutes…I wouldn’t worry about going to get donuts right away, usually there will still be several left when you get there anyway. Relax and realize that you just recieved Jesus and then after you reflect, it is okay to go eat I imagine and I would even think it nice to wait 15 minutes exactly if you want because picking up habits like this can be a constant reminder that Jesus is Really Present and that you want to reflect upon Him as long as you can while he dwells within you…
I wouldn’t worry about being too spiritual either…if we all thought like that, we may not have some of the saints…there is nothing wrong with going above and beyond and God will take notice of it…why settle for the bare minimum???👍
 
We go to breakfast after Mass…by the time we get to the restaurant and order, its about 45 -50 minutes since Mass elapsed before we eat.
 
In the Byzantine Church things are a bit more reverant.
Once the Liturgy is over, we are encouraged to come up for a blesssing (either its to kiss the holy hand cross or receive blessed oil on our foreheads in honor of a major feast day that took place during the past week). We also are to take a cube of bread which is blessed. The tradition is that when you eat food after you receive the precious Body and Blood of Christ, the NEXT item in your mouth should be something blessed as well.
The cube of bread is blessed not consecrated like the bread used during Liturgy. (the bread after Liturgy which is blessed is actually what was left over and not consecrated during the Liturgy).

go with God!
Edwin
 
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