Isn't a one hour fast before Communion a bit redundant?

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PazzoGrande said:
And yes I know that one is free to do more. Nevertheless, to make it a rule seems redundant because you’d be fasting an hour before Communion anyway.

Typically people only receive Communion on Sunday Mass (going to the shorter daily Mass or receiving out of Mass is rather atypical). Mass is typically about an hour long, and Eucharist is received right at the end. Since you don’t eat anything during Mass till then, isn’t this required fast something that people do by default anyway? Ergo it isn’t really much of a sacrificial fast.
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If you think about it, at the Last Supper they had a full course meal with 3 cups of wine right before receiving Communion.
 
Although we’re no longer required in the US to abstain on all Fridays throughout the year, the USCCB allows subsitution with some sort of sacrifice or act of charity.

As such, even though the requirement is only to fast an hour before Eucharist, does the Church likewise recommend formally in writing that people volunteer to do more than an hour?
 
PazzoGrande said:
Although we’re no longer required in the US to abstain on all Fridays throughout the year, the USCCB allows subsitution with some sort of sacrifice or act of charity.

As such, even though the requirement is only to fast an hour before Eucharist, does the Church likewise recommend formally in writing that people volunteer to do more than an hour?
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The church sets the minimum - a penitential act of some kind must be done on Fridays. It doesn’t formally recommend anyone to do more than this by way of penance AFAIK - eg to add Wednesdays as well or something.

I don’t think there is anything officially recommending more than the bare minimum in regard any discipline, although St Pius X recommended, as a private individual, frequent confession and communion.
 
tradcathusa said:
(note: traditional catholics are those in summorum pontificum parishes like FSSP, ICKSP etc., our parishes actually have a decree setting us up to operate in this way)
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I don’t know if you mean the decree only applies to traditional Catholics in parishes run by the FSSP, ICKSP, etc, but there are traditional Catholics in parishes with diocesan EFs too - what they used to call “indult” masses.
 
PazzoGrande said:
Although we’re no longer required in the US to abstain on all Fridays throughout the year, the USCCB allows subsitution with some sort of sacrifice or act of charity.

As such, even though the requirement is only to fast an hour before Eucharist, does the Church likewise recommend formally in writing that people volunteer to do more than an hour?
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We are still required to abstain on Fridays in the US, unless an individual wishes to replace this with some other penance. If you don’t replace it with something else, you must abstain.
 
I remember my first communion teacher, little old Sr. Mary Carol, telling us that we were only allowed to have a sip of water the morning before mass. I’m in the clear anyway because I Don’t eat breakfast. And if go to 5 pm mass, I eat dinner out afterwards.

Last Saturday the women who sits in front of me at mass put a cinnamon candy in her mouth half way through the mass. I was pretty shocked
 
PazzoGrande said:
And yes I know that one is free to do more. Nevertheless, to make it a rule seems redundant because you’d be fasting an hour before Communion anyway.

Typically people only receive Communion on Sunday Mass (going to the shorter daily Mass or receiving out of Mass is rather atypical). Mass is typically about an hour long, and Eucharist is received right at the end. Since you don’t eat anything during Mass till then, isn’t this required fast something that people do by default anyway? Ergo it isn’t really much of a sacrificial fast.
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When I was in RCIA a few years ago, our instructor told us that the one-hour fast meant one hour before Mass began, not one hour before actually receiving the Eucharist. So if Mass begins at 11:00, I shouldn’t eat anything after 10:00. It’s still minimal and easy to follow, but to me it makes more sense than the hour-before-receiving idea.
 
AlwaysCurious said:
When I was in RCIA a few years ago, our instructor told us that the one-hour fast meant one hour before Mass began, not one hour before actually receiving the Eucharist. So if Mass begins at 11:00, I shouldn’t eat anything after 10:00. It’s still minimal and easy to follow, but to me it makes more sense than the hour-before-receiving idea.
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Not so. Canon Law is very specific that the fast is for one hour before recevine communion, not one hour before Mass. Perhaps an honest mistake to say an hour before Mass, but still a mistake.

However much sense it makes, It is still wrong to let people think that they cannot receive when in fact they can.
 
Let’s say a person broke the one-hour fast rule–the person popping a cinnamon candy during Mass, as someone mentioned. Would this be a venial sin that was forgiven as soon as the Eucharist was received?
 
AlwaysCurious said:
Let’s say a person broke the one-hour fast rule–the person popping a cinnamon candy during Mass, as someone mentioned. Would this be a venial sin that was forgiven as soon as the Eucharist was received?
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It wouldn’t be a sin at all * if you refrain from receiving communion within the hour. 🙂
  • but not advisable.
 
AlwaysCurious said:
Let’s say a person broke the one-hour fast rule–the person popping a cinnamon candy during Mass, as someone mentioned. Would this be a venial sin that was forgiven as soon as the Eucharist was received?
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This needs to be answered by the person’s confessor. The reason why the person popped the candy needs to be factored in.

Peace
James
 
AlwaysCurious said:
Let’s say a person broke the one-hour fast rule–the person popping a cinnamon candy during Mass, as someone mentioned. Would this be a venial sin that was forgiven as soon as the Eucharist was received?
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If one is fully aware and gave full consent, and nevertheless decides to receive Holy Communion, then it would be a mortal sin.

If the person was doing it out of habit, or absent-mindedly, and received Holy Communion without catching himself, then it would likely be a venial sin. Venial sin, IMO, is much harder to define, however, than mortal sin.
 
YoungTradCath said:
If one is fully aware and gave full consent, and nevertheless decides to receive Holy Communion, then it would be a mortal sin.

If the person was doing it out of habit, or absent-mindedly, and received Holy Communion without catching himself, then it would likely be a venial sin. Venial sin, IMO, is much harder to define, however, than mortal sin.
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And if someone had a medical condition (sore throat, dry mouth reaction to meds, etc.), and the candy was a stand in for some other medicine, it may not be sinful at all.

This is why it is important for the person in question to be aware of their motives, which a discussion with his priest will uncover. In the meantime, the rest of us, seeing someone take a candy and then receive communion, cannot automatically assume that the person is sinning and instead we should assume the most charitable motive.

Our best response is to do our best to block out the actions of others at Mass (unless they are our own minor children climbing up the back of the pew. :p)
 
I cannot envisage God condemning to eternal damnation someone who eats a piece of candy a few minutes before receiving Communion .

What sort of image of God does one have to have to believe in such a thing ?

It hardly reflects the image of God revealed by Jesus .
 
arkwright said:
I cannot envisage God condemning to eternal damnation someone who eats a piece of candy a few minutes before receiving Communion .

What sort of image of God does one have to have to believe in such a thing ?

It hardly reflects the image of God revealed by Jesus .
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Amen…That is why we always must think and speak about “intent” in such matters. To do otherwise traps us in legalism…

Peace
James
 
Not at all. It was never intended that a person fast one hour before receiving. You are suppose to fast one hour before mass begins. That is why it is not redundant. However if you go by what most people observe in correctly then yes it would be.
 
It is very interesting when you hear so many different responses to fasting before mass. The one that strikes us in the heart the most is when a person comments that what image of God would we have if he condemns us for having a piece of candy before mass. You must attempt to realize that the food consumed is not the issue. Whether you have a tic tac or a Thanksgiving dinner is not the issue. It is your Love and reverence for God. You should actually fast completely before mass and do it with extreme joy! Many people comment my God is not like that. Well you are correct. However the God in the Bible is. I can prove it through Scripture.
 
chiroworks said:
Not at all. It was never intended that a person fast one hour before receiving. You are suppose to fast one hour before mass begins. That is why it is not redundant. However if you go by what most people observe in correctly then yes it would be.
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This is the second time an erroneous statement of the requirement has been given in this thread. To remove all doubt, from the Code of Canon Law:

“Canon 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.”

My bolding. The precept is that we are to fast for one hour BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION, NOT one hour before Mass.

This is per the highest authority on Church discipline, the Code of Canon Law, which should put the matter beyond dispute. I would love to know who is telling y’all that it is one hour before Mass, and where on earth they get such an idea from.
 
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