Fasting before mass

[yesukristus]

The one-hour-fast before mass is not explicitly enforced in my diocese (at least not in my knowledge). I’ve attended Catholic seminars where refreshments (cookies, drinks, etc) were served half an hour before mass (and there were priests in the organizing committee). In fact a priest once told me that if push comes to shove the one-hour fast can be one hour from receiving communion instead of one hour before mass begins. And since the Liturgy of the Eucharist is often half an hour after the beginning of the mass…
So what do you guys think? Is this lax attitude permissible?

 

[LilyM]

The one-hour-fast before mass is not explicitly enforced in my diocese (at least not in my knowledge). I’ve attended Catholic seminars where refreshments (cookies, drinks, etc) were served half an hour before mass (and there were priests in the organizing committee). In fact a priest once told me that if push comes to shove the one-hour fast can be one hour from receiving communion instead of one hour before mass begins. And since the Liturgy of the Eucharist is often half an hour after the beginning of the mass…
So what do you guys think? Is this lax attitude permissible?

It is not a lax attitude at all - the fast is indeed one hour before Communion, not one hour before Mass. From the Code of Canon Law:

“Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.”

 

[tobinatorstark]

Always go by the Code of Canon Law, in which LilyM posted or the GIRM.

 

[jmcrae]

The one-hour-fast before mass is not explicitly enforced in my diocese (at least not in my knowledge). I’ve attended Catholic seminars where refreshments (cookies, drinks, etc) were served half an hour before mass (and there were priests in the organizing committee). In fact a priest once told me that if push comes to shove the one-hour fast can be one hour from receiving communion instead of one hour before mass begins. And since the Liturgy of the Eucharist is often half an hour after the beginning of the mass…
So what do you guys think? Is this lax attitude permissible?

Even though the fast is actually supposed to be from one hour before receiving Holy Communion, it still seems a bit reckless to be serving food half an hour before Mass begins, unless they are completely sure that the Consecration will not take place for at least an hour after everyone has finished eating.

 

[saieditor]

So what do you guys think? Is this lax attitude permissible?

It ain’t lax, its the law.

 

[LilyM]

Even though the fast is actually supposed to be from one hour before receiving Holy Communion, it still seems a bit reckless to be serving food half an hour before Mass begins, unless they are completely sure that the Consecration will not take place for at least an hour after everyone has finished eating.

True, it IS cutting it fine. If the efreshments are just quick eats like cookies and drink or the like, as the OP said, and it’s a well-attended Mass then they should be OK.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

It is not a lax attitude at all - the fast is indeed one hour before Communion, not one hour before Mass. From the Code of Canon Law:

“Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.”

And, of course, you can always do more than the minimum.

 

[LilyM]

And, of course, you can always do more than the minimum.

Naturally.

If you are so moved you can practice the 3-hour fast of the 1950s or the midnight-onwards (assuming you’re going to a morning Mass) fast from before then.

 

[yesukristus]

So technically if you are going to one of those long masses where there is a very high chance the liturgy of the Eucharist will occur more than half an hour after the mass begins, you don’t need to fast at all (assuming you don’t eat and drink during mass, that is). Interesting…

 

[jmcrae]

So technically if you are going to one of those long masses where there is a very high chance the liturgy of the Eucharist will occur more than half an hour after the mass begins, you don’t need to fast at all (assuming you don’t eat and drink during mass, that is). Interesting…

Well, and also assuming that you don’t eat or drink anything on the car ride over, and that the drive is about half an hour or so. The fast itself is a minimum of one full hour.

If they are eating and drinking right before Mass, it must be because they are assuming that the preaching will be long.

 

[LilyM]

So technically if you are going to one of those long masses where there is a very high chance the liturgy of the Eucharist will occur more than half an hour after the mass begins, you don’t need to fast at all (assuming you don’t eat and drink during mass, that is). Interesting…

Same thing would go for the three-hour rule if you were to attend something like a fully-sung Easter Vigil (with all the reception of new converts etc) - some of them potentially take three hours.