Friend not observing 1hr fast before Eucharist

  • Thread starter Thread starter Flopfoot
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
How does this sound? I know I have to fix my phrasing and stuff but I reckon she needs to fix her head. Anyway, what do you think?
Click to expand...
Flopfoot…try to remember with what judgment you meet out it shall be meeted out to you! In other words, this person knows the rule…try minding your own business and if you think that is so serious, have mercy by praying for her instead of being so quick to condemn…sounds more like self-righteousness than charity.

God bless.
 
There is a “danger” to getting upset over someone drinking soda before Mass.

The danger is this … what are you going to do when you are confronted the other thousand issues that violate some other Church rule or canon law or Commandment.

When you are walking past a construction site and the workers are taking God’s name in vain.

When people don’t go to Mass at all.

When you learn that people are committing adultery.

When you pick up a newspaper and there are bankrobbers and kidnappers and murderers and rapists and people who assault or batter others or commit rape.

Are you prepared to go insane?

All that sin.

Read St. Pau’s letters… he got upset, but he knew when to stop.
 
One observation to start…God does not grade on a curve. Just because there are worse sins out there, it does NOT mean smaller sins will be glossed over or are less important.

It seems that the arguments in this thread are of two camps, one that favors loving correction and one that does not favor correction because of the possible charge of self-righteousness.

I have found in my life that when this situation occurs, my response is dictated by the extent of the relationship I have with the person. If I don’t know the person (for example if I hear someone in a restaurant swearing at a nearby table) I would not insert myself. If, however, my wife is doing the SAME thing, I would certainly gently say something to remind her how we behave. Other people are someplace inbetween.

If you can, WITHIN THE RELATIONSHIP, gently correct the person, we should do so. If the relationship is not quite so strong, then perhaps you should back off and work on strengthening the relationship. The reason to do this is that we affect people the most for good or evil by the WAY we behave. We set a good example and people will see.

It may be that the friend will not respond to a correction, but will watch YOU and respond. It depends on the person and your relationship.

We are the Body. What you do impacts all of us.
 
40.png
Tonks40:
I’m a singer, I’ve been a singer for many years, and a diet soda is definately NOT one of the best things to drink before you sing. Besides the additives, the caffeine can dry you out a bit.

Rather than drinking a soda…suggest that she drink water. It’s better for her voice…and permissable!
Click to expand...
Any good vocal coach would have grabbed the soda out of her hand! Water - not cold water either - is best for the ole’ vocal cords.
 
40.png
jpusateri:
One observation to start…God does not grade on a curve. Just because there are worse sins out there, it does NOT mean smaller sins will be glossed over or are less important.

It seems that the arguments in this thread are of two camps, one that favors loving correction and one that does not favor correction because of the possible charge of self-righteousness.

I have found in my life that when this situation occurs, my response is dictated by the extent of the relationship I have with the person. If I don’t know the person (for example if I hear someone in a restaurant swearing at a nearby table) I would not insert myself. If, however, my wife is doing the SAME thing, I would certainly gently say something to remind her how we behave. Other people are someplace inbetween.

If you can, WITHIN THE RELATIONSHIP, gently correct the person, we should do so. If the relationship is not quite so strong, then perhaps you should back off and work on strengthening the relationship. The reason to do this is that we affect people the most for good or evil by the WAY we behave. We set a good example and people will see.

It may be that the friend will not respond to a correction, but will watch YOU and respond. It depends on the person and your relationship.

We are the Body. What you do impacts all of us.
Click to expand...
excellent reply and very practical
thank you!
 
40.png
m134e5:
Sacrilige against the Eucharist is no “minor regulation”. It is tempting to think the crimes we can see with our own eyes are more serious than those we can’t, but it is not so. The Mass is a the most important thing we have. There are millions of suffering souls who do not have what we have- we should be eternally greatful for this awesome gift, and we are rightfully angry when someone is indifferent towards it- especially if they have as visible a role as the cantor.

Now I would never tell the person to her face how ungreatful she is, or that she is going to hell. That is what St. James was saying when he told us not to judge others. Instructing the ignorant and admonishing the sinner are spiritual works of mercy. We have a duty to follow through with that.
Click to expand...
sacrilege,mortal sin crime.all terms used for not keeping the hour fast rule! can anyone PROVE any of these judgemental statements?
 
40.png
Flopfoot:
I saw my friend drinking diet coke just before mass began yesterday, so I told her she isn’t supposed to eat or drink except water for 1hr before recieving the Eucharist.
Click to expand...
If a 1 hour fast helps you to hold the Eucharist in more reverence, fantastic. However, I would be extremely careful that you are not causing this practice to become a stumbling block to your friend. Instead of telling her what she is or is not supposed to do, share with her how the 1 hour fast helps you to hold the Eucharist in more reverence.

As a non-Catholic, this is the first time I have ever heard of the 1 hour fast. I would be puzzled if breaking this fast (in and of itself) was considered a grave matter. The first Eucharist happened during a meal. The participants were eating right up to the time when the sacrament was instituted. I can’t imagine where anyone would get the idea that a 1 hour fast was an absolute requirement. If it helps, great! But don’t allow this rule to trip anyone up.
 
From the CCC.
  1. Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions,…Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us.
  2. To prepare for the worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the fast required in their Church…
(In the Latin rite, it is 1 hr.)

Now for anyone not to consider Holy Communion important enought to abstain, because they are going to sing, this is treating unworthily.
 
Hi, there’s been so much going around in this thread I didn’t know quite how to respond… I’ll try to put a few things out here…

1 thing that no one has addressed that I was trying to convey was that this one instance of her sinning was part of a much bigger problem, that she doesn’t respect the Church like she should, it’s as if she wants to ‘pick and choose’ what teachings to follow like a ‘cafeteria’ Catholic. The number of times she has said something along the lines of ‘just because the Church teaches it doesn’t make it true’… thing is that this case particularly made me mad because it was as if she was taking advantage of the Church, it’s as if she was like ‘oh, I need the Church for the Eucharist but I don’t need to follow their rules…’

She is not ‘all bad’, in fact she is pro-life and interested in using her talents to serve God and also likes to help other people grow in faith…
Someone mentioned that I would go mad if I wanted to go around trying to fix every sin. Thing is when I heard construction workers take the Lord’s name in vain, well there’s nothing I can do about it and anyway why should they know any better, since they’re likely not to be Catholic and aren’t “expected” to know that it is wrong? But this girl is supposed to be a Catholic, well she is a Catholic and she comes from a good family (alright, they are a bit liberal but doesn’t totally explain the way she turned out). And she genuinely does want to do the will of God. So I figure that she should know better, that she needs to learn that God wants her to follow the teachings of the Church, and heck, why not start off with having proper respect for the Eucharist?

For those telling me not to judge or bringing up the splinter/log - I have respect for the Eucharist and I try to follow the rules. I don’t think it’s wrong for me to be telling others what is, after all, the truth.

Puzzleannie makes a good point about what can I do once I’ve got her answer, but like I say this is a deeper problem than just a case of soda before the Eucharist.
 
Flopfoot,

Those people that throw “judgmental”, “log in ones eye”, are misrepresenting what we do, when we affirm the teachings of the Church.

We are not judging peoples souls, we are not sending them to hell. What we are trying to correct their actions, based on the teachings of the Church, which can make their judgement from God easier. This is what our Lord would expect from anyone that says they follow Him. We are our brothers keeper.

We cannot make anyone obey the Church, that will be their decision, but at least we tried.

When we ourselves are before our Lord for judgement, at least this will not be one thing to be answerable for- that we knew and did nothing.
 
I was reading a Benedictine homily by an abbess some time ago but unfortunatley cannot find it…but I recall the gist of it and that is that there are those who may upset and try one in a particular area…but to remember that that person is probably the person that perhaps is most helpful and willing to help around the place…or some other virtue. And before condemning that person for what she does do that upsets and trys one to remember first one’s own faults and failings.

Another point that I recall from some other homily is that a monk in a monastery had done something particularly bad and the council decided that he would be banned from chapel for a certain span of time. When the abbot did not show up in chapel either, the monks wondered if he was ok. His reply was “Yes I am ok, but I am a sinner too”.

Certainly personally I am loyal to the Church and I think in all matters, just absolutely hesitant to point the finger at another because I too am a sinner and the splinter in my neighbour’s eye reminds me of the log in my own. I too am a sinner. A personal held point of view.

Barb:)
 
40.png
BarbaraTherese:
I was reading a Benedictine homily by an abbess some time ago but unfortunatley cannot find it…but I recall the gist of it and that is that there are those who may upset and try one in a particular area…but to remember that that person is probably the person that perhaps is most helpful and willing to help around the place…or some other virtue. And before condemning that person for what she does do that upsets and trys one to remember first one’s own faults and failings.

Another point that I recall from some other homily is that a monk in a monastery had done something particularly bad and the council decided that he would be banned from chapel for a certain span of time. When the abbot did not show up in chapel either, the monks wondered if he was ok. His reply was “Yes I am ok, but I am a sinner too”.

Certainly personally I am loyal to the Church and I think in all matters, just absolutely hesitant to point the finger at another because I too am a sinner and the splinter in my neighbour’s eye reminds me of the log in my own. I too am a sinner. A personal held point of view.

Barb:)
Click to expand...
I guess to all of you who think this way, then what the bishops who protected the child abusers, did just right.

I mean really, It would be “judgemental” to correct them. How could they turn the abusers in, if the bishops had this huge log in their eye.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top