Fasting before Mass wisdom teeth

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crisscross

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Hello everyone,

Last week I had just gotten my wisdom teeth out and I had not eaten anything all day so I decided to grab a snack before I went to 5:30 pm Mass.

Technically I was aware that you were not supposed to eat an hour prior to Mass but I did so anyways only because I was taking tons of heavy painkillers and antibiotics and I needed some sort of food in my stomach. I am now worried I am in a state of mortal sin and cannot go to confession because everything is closed— or am I dispensed from that because I was technically sick during this time?
 
For one, the fast is an hour before communion, not an hour before Mass.

Second, this is a legitimate medical purpose, so the fast wouldn’t bind you.

Third, mortal sin is impossible if you were not aware that something was grave matter. It doesn’t seem you were.

-Fr ACEGC
 
Fasting is for an hour before receiving communion, not an hour before going to Mass. Unless you were eating on your way in the church door, you probably met the fasting requirement anyway.

Second, the requirement for fasting before communion doesn’t apply to “the infirm.” I’ll leave it to your conscience to determine if it applies to you:
§3. The elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have eaten something within the preceding hour.
Click to expand...
Finally, should you have doubts in the future about whether you’ve fasted long enough, you can choose not to receive communion. There’s no requirement to receive at every Mass.
 
It’s not really an either/or though. The fast is done so as to highlight the importance of the Eucharist.
 
I think you had a legitimate reason to eat, under those circumstances. God isn’t unreasonable. And, as others have point out here, the fast applies before receiving the Eucharist, not before going to Mass.

You have a responsibility to keep yourself healthy, and that you tried to do. Don’t worry about it.
 
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