Our priest said "No Gum"

[Walking_Home]

I just don’t know what to think anymore. What is right by the Church.

ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=444940&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2005&Author=&Keyword=chew&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=2&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start_at=

Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 09-12-2005:
While water does not break the Eucharistic fast, to routinely take it into the chapel without necessity (such as a choir member might have) seems self-absorbed - an affectation, not a need. Food and drink should be left at the door, otherwise the we devalue the sacredness of the church. Is it prohibited? Not directly, except by common sense. (This can be distinguished, by the way, from someone walking home from the store who pops in for a visit to Our Lord.)
Coffee does break the Eucharistic fast, except for a priest who must celebrate multiple Masses, in which case he may drink something between them.

Chewing gum, per se, doesn’t break the fast, but bring your spittoon, as swallowing the juices, whether laden with sugar or artificial sweetener, is eating, just as drinking a sugary sports drink would be. Yes, the pastor should inform his people that fasting for one hour is not, after all, so rigorous, that a person in ordinary health can’t do it.

By the way, in the Catholic moral theology tradition, a person who breaks the fast, even accidentally, may not receive Holy Communion. A priest could dispense on a case by case basis, but telling a whole parish they may do so routinely is not a dispensation, it is changing the law of the fast for that parish.

 

[Karin]

food- *any substance that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue *

gum*-*a gum prepared for chewing; sweetened and flavored

sugar- *a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative *

carbohydrate:* an essential structural component of living cells and source of energy for animals; Sugars and starches that are the most efficient source of food energy. Stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen and in the blood as glucose*.

Now we all know that gum contains sugar…since sugar is a food …gum is a food smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_1_200.gif

smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb113&pp=ZN

 

[lizaanne]

I have never seen anything so nit-picked to death in my whole life! For cryin’ out loud people! Keep it out of your mouth before HOLY Communion!!! Why in the world does it have to be more complicated than that?

Honestly! If you were a guest at someone’s dinner table, would you go to the table with a hunk of gum in your mouth? It’s just plain rude and disrespectful.

And as for the bad breath argument, I’m not buying it. You are there to receive Christ, not kiss the guy next to you. Christ doesn’t mind, and the guy next to you would rather not be kissed anyway, so it really doesn’t matter. (and if the guy is your husband he will understand why you didn’t “freshen up” before mass)

Get over it. Be responsible, don’t eat before mass, and turn off your darn cell phone.

My goodness - you would like this was complicated or something!

~Liza

 

[Karin]

I have never seen anything so nit-picked to death in my whole life! For cryin’ out loud people! Keep it out of your mouth before HOLY Communion!!! Why in the world does it have to be more complicated than that?

Honestly! If you were a guest at someone’s dinner table, would you go to the table with a hunk of gum in your mouth? It’s just plain rude and disrespectful.

And as for the bad breath argument, I’m not buying it. You are there to receive Christ, not kiss the guy next to you. Christ doesn’t mind, and the guy next to you would rather not be kissed anyway, so it really doesn’t matter. (and if the guy is your husband he will understand why you didn’t “freshen up” before mass)

Get over it. Be responsible, don’t eat before mass, and turn off your darn cell phone.

My goodness - you would like this was complicated or something!

~Liza

so simply stated…thank you!

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

It was so nice to see. Our priest, before the confession of faith stopped for a minute and said he noticed several people were chewing gum during mass. He asked that before receiving communion, that they please get rid of their gum. He said, “The Lord is more deserving of more than our Juicy Fruit.”
I wanted to run up their and high 5 him, but I kept my seat and prayed for the ignorant.

Instead of bickering over the minute details of the Law. Why don’t we all just take the position that because of the awesomeness of Holy Communion that we will not put anything unnecessary in our mouths for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Problem solved.

 

[paramedicgirl]

True medicine and water do not break the fast. It is a fast from food and drink, not a fast from nutritionally balanced meals. If it’s food or drink, diet or otherwise, makes no difference!

Exactly. That is why gum, diet soda and cough drops do break the fast. People need to remind themselves to abstain from communion if they haven’t kept the fast. Communion is a privelege, not a right.

 

[paramedicgirl]

I have never seen anything so nit-picked to death in my whole life! For cryin’ out loud people! Keep it out of your mouth before HOLY Communion!!! Why in the world does it have to be more complicated than that?

Honestly! If you were a guest at someone’s dinner table, would you go to the table with a hunk of gum in your mouth? It’s just plain rude and disrespectful.

And as for the bad breath argument, I’m not buying it. You are there to receive Christ, not kiss the guy next to you. Christ doesn’t mind, and the guy next to you would rather not be kissed anyway, so it really doesn’t matter. (and if the guy is your husband he will understand why you didn’t “freshen up” before mass)

Get over it. Be responsible, don’t eat before mass, and turn off your darn cell phone.

My goodness - you would like this was complicated or something!

~Liza

Very good rant! I like it.

 

[baltobetsy]

Very good rant! I like it.

Me, too. And might I add that one will never be wrong by NOT chewing gum. Are you so attached to this habit that you can’t give it up for an hour?

Betsy

 

[jmcrae]

Isn’t gum sold in the candy aisles at grocery stores?

Obviously, someone outside the Church thinks it’s a kind of food ( a kind of candy, to be precise).

After all, it’s not sold in the pharmacy (not like a medicine), or in the personal hygiene department (not like a breath freshener) nor in the beauty aisle (not like lipstick).

 

[Karin]

Isn’t gum sold in the candy aisles at grocery stores?

Obviously, someone outside the Church thinks it’s a kind of food ( a kind of candy, to be precise).

After all, it’s not sold in the pharmacy (not like a medicine), or in the personal hygiene department (not like a breath freshener) nor in the beauty aisle (not like lipstick).

yup…look at post #82:wink:

 

[DiscerningDave]

This is ridiculous!!! I posted this thread just to boast about a priest standing up for what is right and protecting the sacrament of the Eucharist. Not to start a debate on what the FDA considers as food.

If you were on a deserted island, and all you had were crates of gum. You could survive for longer by only eating gum versus eating nothing, so yes, gum is food. Rat posion is not. Light bulbs are not. Anything you put in your mouth to create a flavorful wonderland of bliss is food. Pop Rocks are food.

Just don’t consume anything an hour before receiving communion. It is sooooooooooooo simple.

Peace

 

[anamchara]

This is ridiculous!!! I posted this thread just to boast about a priest standing up for what is right and protecting the sacrament of the Eucharist. Not to start a debate on what the FDA considers as food.

If you were on a deserted island, and all you had were crates of gum. You could survive for longer by only eating gum versus eating nothing, so yes, gum is food. Rat posion is not. Light bulbs are not. Anything you put in your mouth to create a flavorful wonderland of bliss is food. Pop Rocks are food.

Just don’t consume anything an hour before receiving communion. It is sooooooooooooo simple.

Peace

I’m sorry Dave, I’m not laughing at you but this thread. I can’t believe it’s lasted this long over a stick on gum! I agree with you! it’s all so simple and for the most part why in heavens name would anyone go to church smackin’ gum? That doesn’t even seem very reverent to me.

So, don’t chew gum before entering said Church as it smacks (pun intended hehe) of disrespect for our Lord and on top of that we are to fast at least one hour before!

Chewing gum for me would be distracting.

 

[lak611]

For all who are interested, check out Ask an Apologist for the answer to this thread. I think we can probably settle the matter finally.

 

[JezuUfamTobie]

For all who are interested, check out Ask an Apologist for the answer to this thread. I think we can probably settle the matter finally.

Thanks. That was very helpful.

To the rest of you: I do believe that the details and nuances of any law (including Canon Law) are important. I think they’re vital to its correct interpretation. If you are not interested in those details, there is no need to be insulting toward those who have such interests.

We should never spread our own personal interpretation of Canon Law under the guise of a moral imperative. Express your opinion, sure. But it’s dangerous ground to disagree with the experts and then tell everybody they’re sinning if they don’t listen to you.

 

[DiscerningDave]

Thanks. That was very helpful.

To the rest of you: I do believe that the details and nuances of any law (including Canon Law) are important. I think they’re vital to its correct interpretation. If you are not interested in those details, there is no need to be insulting toward those who have such interests.

We should never spread our own personal interpretation of Canon Law under the guise of a moral imperative. Express your opinion, sure. But it’s dangerous ground to disagree with the experts and then tell everybody they’re sinning if they don’t listen to you.

I am sorry, but I do not necessarily agree with the apologist. I have a feeling this is the type of topic that you would get varying different answers from varying “experts.”
I sent a pm asking to please be directed to the document that states this information. I am not saying she is wrong, I just do not always accept answers for face value…unless of course, it is from the Pope.
I agree with a previous poster that you are forming a “kool-aide” type liquid you are swallowing, which then, would not be water. Her reason that gum was not breaking the fast is because you are not swalowing it. So, with that reasoning, I guess you could chew anything, devour the juices, but not swallow the substance in which you are chewing.

 

[JezuUfamTobie]

I agree with a previous poster that you are forming a “kool-aide” type liquid you are swallowing, which then, would not be water. Her reason that gum was not breaking the fast is because you are not swalowing it. So, with that reasoning, I guess you could chew anything, devour the juices, but not swallow the substance in which you are chewing.

I understand where you’re coming from. My conscience definitely wouldn’t allow me to chew a big, juicy hunk of wildberry flavored BubbleYum during the communion fast, either. Clearly the chief aim in chewing something like that is to experience something yummy and food-like. It might be compared to indulging in a premium Alaskan King Salmon fillet at a five star restaurant on a Lenten Friday–obeying the letter of the law (which allows for fish), but ignoring the spirit of self-denial.

However, Ms. Arnold’s definition does conform to the standard dictionary definitions of “food” that are applicable in this instance. To me it appears that a broader definition of “food” isn’t possible in the case of the communion fast, because to use such a definition would prohibit anything at all with the slightest caloric value. (Which would put us back at the lipstick/dental floss issue.)

You’re definitely right in that two equally orthodox experts could disagree here. That’s why I think we have a little wiggle room to follow our consciences on the issue.

 

[Walking_Home]

For goodness sakes. Is that how far down we are going. Looking for wiggle room—to put our conscience at ease. For one hr. --we cannot focus on He who is greater than ourselves–our Lord, our God.

What next. When our loved ones are sick—we hand them a piece of gum.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

For goodness sakes. Is that how far down we are going. Looking for wiggle room—to put our conscience at ease. For one hr. --we cannot focus on He who is greater than ourselves–our Lord, our God.

What next. When our loved ones are sick—we hand them a piece of gum.

Walking_Home,

As a reader of this thread, I was following with interest and really felt that gum did not break the eucharistic fast. I am not “looking for wiggle room to put my conscience at ease.” I don’t even chew gum! I think it is unfair for you to judge participants on this thread as having such motives as searching for “wiggle room.”

I don’t see how chewing gum means that we cannot focus on God for the hour preceeding the Eucharist. I usually drive to Mass within that hour, and driving in Boston is far more distracting than chewing gum. (Though it often prompts a lot of prayer. Haha.)

Anyway, I am confused by your last sentence and do not understand what this has to do with giving gum to ill loved ones. Could you please clarify for me? Thanks.

God bless.

 

[Walking_Home]

Walking_Home,

As a reader of this thread, I was following with interest and really felt that gum did not break the eucharistic fast. I am not “looking for wiggle room to put my conscience at ease.” I don’t even chew gum! I think it is unfair for you to judge participants on this thread as having such motives as searching for “wiggle room.”

I don’t see how chewing gum means that we cannot focus on God for the hour preceeding the Eucharist. I usually drive to Mass within that hour, and driving in Boston is far more distracting than chewing gum. (Though it often prompts a lot of prayer. Haha.)

Anyway, I am confused by your last sentence and do not understand what this has to do with giving gum to ill loved ones. Could you please clarify for me? Thanks.

God bless.

---

That is just the point. For that one hr.—we need to concentrate our disposition on meeting and facing our Lord. Unless for some reason—one needs medicine or water–abstaining from everything else–means we are in a disposition to leave ourselves behind and draw ever closer to our Lord.

The last sentence. It is based on the “with the sole exception of medicine and water” in canon 919. If gum is not considered a food by some—then it falls within ----the sole exception of medicine and water. If a loved one is sick—instead of giving medicine—give them a piece of gum.

Ps. To me gum is more of a drink. Since we do not chew to swallow the gum ----but we do swallow the juices.

 

[DiscerningDave]

In 1939 under the Food and Drug administration and Cosmetic Act, GUM WAS CLASSIFIED AS A FOOD! Which is the entire basis for the apologist’s answer. She states the reason gum is allowed is because it is not food. The FDA begs to differ.

Read this:

kosherquest.org/bookhtml/CHEWING_GUM.htm