fasting before communion

[SAHmommy]

Is it true that the communion fast is now one hour prior to receiving communion? Why and when was this changed? I remember growing up that we had to fast from the night before.

SAHmommy

 

[SMHW]

I made my First Communion in 1966. At that point the fast was only one hour.

A few years before that the fast was for three hours. (The sisters that taught me seemed to have been subject to the three hour fast.) And prior to that it was from midnight.

Someone here probably knows that exact years.

 

[SAHmommy]

Ok, then I guess it was just my mom who insisted that we fast overnight. I was born in 1973, so I guess it’s always been 1 hour in my lifetime.

SAHmommy

 

[Melanie01]

Going to mass with nanna when I was a litlle fella and had not made my first communion involved an early start, a longish walk, Mass, a gallop home dragging nanna as fast as our little legs could hurry us to pop who had the sunday pancakes cooking…We all had fasted and broke our fast with protestant pops magical pancakes…

 

[Catholic2003]

From the CLSA’s New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law (canon 919):

The traditional total fast from midnight, prescribed in the 1917 code (CIC 808, 858), was reduced to a three-hour fast in 1957 (footnote 88) and to a one-hour fast in 1964 (footnote 89).

(88) Pius XII, mp Sacram communionem, March 19, 1957, AAS 49 (1957) 177; CLD 4, 286.

(89) Paul VI, decr, November 21, 1964, AAS 57 (1964) 186; CLD 6, 566; DOL 272.

 

[Digitonomy]

I assume we are generally talking about the fast before Sunday morning mass.

However, how did things work in the old days with regard to the anticipated or vigil mass (did they even have those, other than Christmas/Easter?), or Sunday evening mass, or noon or evening mass on a weekday?

And just to get a little perspective on this, what rules prevail in the Eastern churches?

 

[wannabee]

Digitonomy:

I assume we are generally talking about the fast before Sunday morning mass.

…

And just to get a little perspective on this, what rules prevail in the Eastern churches?

Well this EC fasts from Midnight Rules actually are as for the RC Church well we are catholics after all ] but the actual practice does vary and one is ALWAYS guided by one’s Spiritual Father.

Orthodox Christians fast from Midnight - no option BUT again their Spiritual Father will vary this IF there is good reason diabetics etc]

But Preparation for Communion involves far more than just the Fast - there is Spiritual Preparation as well - and this takes more than just a few moments before Liturgy starts.

Actually this is a topic on its own - Preparation for Communion I mean - and not really what was asked for here

 

[GoLatin]

Digitonomy:

I assume we are generally talking about the fast before Sunday morning mass.

However, how did things work in the old days with regard to the anticipated or vigil mass (did they even have those, other than Christmas/Easter?), or Sunday evening mass, or noon or evening mass on a weekday?

And just to get a little perspective on this, what rules prevail in the Eastern churches?

For a Christmas Midnight Mass, I remember reading somewhere that in the “old days”, fasting was four hours before.

I have also heard of fasting from before noon before a Midnight Mass.

 

[GoLatin]

I would encourage everyone to fast from midnight if they are able.