Eucharist & Fasting

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Daniel27

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So, I know that we are called to observe a 1 hour fast before and after receiving the Eucharist, but can someone elaborate a bit more on this? For example, what is the biblical basis? It is this discipline, dogma etc (ie how seriously is this upheld)? What are the exceptions?
 
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Thank you for your interesting question that I cannot answer. 😊 I will leave that for others who are better able to do so.

I just wanted to clarify one point, however: the Communion fast is one hour before reception. There is no requirement to fast after receiving.

God bless!
 
There doesn’t have to be a biblical reason for everything. The Church sets its disciplines as it sees fit. Over the years fasting was from midnight to whenever one received, then that was changed to three hours before receiving, and finally to what we have today, one hour fast before receiving.

The discipline is not binding on the sick or the elderly who may not be able to maintain the fast, or on those who care for them who may only be able to receive when a priest or EMHC brings Communion and who may not be fasting at that point.
 
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The fast is one hour before receiving the Eucharist (not one hour before Mass, as some mistakenly think). The only biblical precedent might be where St Paul advises everyone to receive worthily and in a serious manner because this isn’t an ordinary meal. I Corinthians 11 is a good reference chapter.

Health reasons, including medications and water, or even just water, do not break the fast. As pointed out above, there may also be exceptions for those ministering to others, especially the priest.
 
And one subtle point that was unclear to me until Patrick Madrid pointed it out… if you have medications that have to be taken with food, that is also acceptable. Health is important.

The Eucharistic Fast is a discipline as pointed out. Biblically, that can be correctly interpreted from “whatever you bind on earth…” statement. Not only does that refer to sins and confession, but to disciplines of the Church, and Church laws.
 
St Augustine of Hippo, in his Letter to Januarius (Letter 54, Chapter 6), written about the year 400, talked about a eucharistic fast as a custom so uniformly observed by the universal Church throughout the world that he believed it was of apostolic origin.

St Justin Martyr, in his First Apology (Chapter 61,65-67), written about the year 155, mentioned that when someone was baptized, the faithful fasted with them and then they celebrated the Eucharist.

Sacred Scripture, in Acts 14:23, does mention fasting before the reception of another sacrament, namely, before the ordination of church presbyters.
 
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Daniel27 said:
So, I know that we are called to observe a 1 hour fast before and after receiving the Eucharist, but can someone elaborate a bit more on this? For example, what is the biblical basis? It is this discipline, dogma etc (ie how seriously is this upheld)? What are the exceptions?
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It is not doctrine. It’s a discipline, which nevertheless has to be obeyed.
 
Cor_ad_Cor said:
The fast is one hour before receiving the Eucharist (not one hour before Mass, as some mistakenly think)
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So for Sunday Mass, where it take an hour between Mass start and when you receive the Eucharist, you can just eat right before Mass.
 
littlekitten said:
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Cor_ad_Cor:
The fast is one hour before receiving the Eucharist (not one hour before Mass, as some mistakenly think)
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So for Sunday Mass, where it take an hour between Mass start and when you receive the Eucharist, you can just eat right before Mass.
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It’s less than an hour in our parish. More like 45 minutes, maybe 50.

Does the Mass last more than an hour in your parish, then?
 
We need to observe what the Apostles did before the Last Supper. That is for Biblical references…
Otherwise, the rite of the Eucharist is arranged by the Church based on tradition and observation (of the effects the Eucharist has on certain cases; it has been observed that those taling it it lightly did not receive help but were otherwise tempted and challenged).
 
As everyone else said we only are required to fast one hour before receiving, not after.

That said I have heard priests suggest waiting about 15 minutes after receiving before eating. It is not required but a good suggestion.
 
Daniel27 said:
So, I know that we are called to observe a 1 hour fast before and after receiving the Eucharist, but can someone elaborate a bit more on this? For example, what is the biblical basis? It is this discipline, dogma etc (ie how seriously is this upheld)? What are the exceptions?
Click to expand...
It’s a discipline, which means it is something that can be changed and altered. The historical reasoning has been that fasting is a way to better prepare reception of Our Lord into ourselves. Fasting is observed in scripture during different instances but it has always been done as a way of better preparing our heart and minds for God.

It’s obligatory to follow. Obeying the Church is an extension of the 5th commandment, to honor your father and mother. People can use common sense as far as medical exceptions.
 
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