Rather observe the fast than receive Communion?

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Alma

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Someone I know goes to 9am Mass.
She drinks a fruit juice at 8.30 or 8.40am which is her only breakfast.
If the priest distributes Communion at 8.20am should she abstain from receiving Communion in order to respect the one hour fast? :o

If she does not drink her fruit juice she would go without anything in her stomach for three or four hours more because after Mass she stays in Church for Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and afterwards she prays the Rosary.

She is thin and bordering anemia, not to mention she might develop an ulcer.:eek:

She wants to respect the fast but wants more to receive Communion. :gopray2::love:

What should I advice her? How strict should the observance of the one hour fast before Communion be? Is it necessary to keep it even if it means abstaining from Communion?:crying:

Thank you!

:blessyou:

Alma
 
No food or drink, except water or medicine, for one hour. I was taught that one does not need a stopwatch, but that an honest effort to fast for at least the full hour must be made.

If she can’t have breakfast earlier in the day, she might get one of those little bags that you can put a cold pack in, and have her juice (or whatever breakfast she needs) immediately after Mass.
 
Alma said:
Someone I know goes to 9am Mass.
She drinks a fruit juice at 8.30 or 8.40am which is her only breakfast.
If the priest distributes Communion at 8.20am should she abstain from receiving Communion in order to respect the one hour fast? :o

If she does not drink her fruit juice she would go without anything in her stomach for three or four hours more because after Mass she stays in Church for Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and afterwards she prays the Rosary.

She is thin and bordering anemia, not to mention she might develop an ulcer.:eek:

She wants to respect the fast but wants more to receive Communion. :gopray2::love:

What should I advice her? How strict should the observance of the one hour fast before Communion be? Is it necessary to keep it even if it means abstaining from Communion?:crying:

Thank you!

:blessyou:

Alma
Click to expand...
Any chance she can have her fruit juice a little earlier?
 
I think it is just a matter of working out a better timing. If she took the juice with her and kept it in her car (or in a bag if she does not drive to Mass) then she could easily drink it in a few spare minutes.

However… She really needs to eat a better breakfast. Juice is not a healthful meal by itself. Encourage her to add more nutrition. This is really important.

After all, if her mind and body are properly fueled, she can concentrate more on her devotions 🙂

Depending on how well you know her, you may wish to gently inquire about her unhealthy thinness. Obviously, if you are not close that might not be a good idea. But if you do feel close enough, then you may be able to help her see a doctor and get into better eating habits.
 
Alma said:
Someone I know goes to 9am Mass.
She drinks a fruit juice at 8.30 or 8.40am which is her only breakfast.
If the priest distributes Communion at 8.20am should she abstain from receiving Communion in order to respect the one hour fast? :o
Click to expand...
You meant 9:20 am of course. Again, she can simply have her juice a little earlier and she should be fine.
 
What should I advice her?

It’s not for your to advise her. She should discuss this matter with her confessor.
 
bpbasilphx said:
What should I advice her?

It’s not for your to advise her. She should discuss this matter with her confessor.
Click to expand...
It is clear that the OP knows what is happening - presumably the person told her, since no one would know at what time the person has her breakfast if they neither live with the person nor were told. If someone tells us they are doing something that we know is wrong, we have an obligation to practice Fraternal Correction. This should be done in a charitable manner, not accusatory. Just a simple “I would make sure that I have breakfast earlier so that I do not break the fast, or, if that was not possible, I would take my breakfast with me so that I could eat it before going on with other prayers.”

Quite simply, in a case where something is definitely wrong, we can and should correct if there is any chance of it being listened to.
 
Alma said:
She is thin and bordering anemia, not to mention she might develop an ulcer.

Alma
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well anybody might develop an ulcer, and fruit juice on an empty stomach just might do it. If she is really ill and the doctor has told her to eat or drink something first thing in the morning she is exempt from the fast in any case. Her other option is to eat or drink something one half hour earlier.
 
Alma said:
Someone I know goes to 9am Mass.
She drinks a fruit juice at 8.30 or 8.40am which is her only breakfast.
If the priest distributes Communion at 8.20am should she abstain from receiving Communion in order to respect the one hour fast? :o

If she does not drink her fruit juice she would go without anything in her stomach for three or four hours more because after Mass she stays in Church for Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and afterwards she prays the Rosary.

She is thin and bordering anemia, not to mention she might develop an ulcer.:eek:

She wants to respect the fast but wants more to receive Communion. :gopray2::love:

What should I advice her? How strict should the observance of the one hour fast before Communion be? Is it necessary to keep it even if it means abstaining from Communion?:crying:

Thank you!

:blessyou:

Alma
Click to expand...
A person is not required to receive Holy Communion at every Mass they attend. Only that they may if they are in a State of Grace and have observed the 1 hr fast.
 
**
Quote:
Originally Posted by bpbasilphx View Post
What should I advice her?

It’s not for your to advise her. She should discuss this matter with her confessor.
It is clear that the OP knows what is happening - presumably the person told her, since no one would know at what time the person has her breakfast if they neither live with the person nor were told.**

I’m going on the assumption that there is some medical reason for this person not being strict about the 1 hour fast and she’s drinking her juice because she HAS to.
 
Alma,

If a person has a medical condition requiring a certain eating schedule (diabetic, etc), taking medicine, etc, must eat because they are aged or infirm, they are exempt from the one hour fast.

But, the description you give is not of such a person-- now perhaps you have left out details. But based on what you actually wrote:

This person is choosing to have only juice for breakfast, they culd have food if they chose to. They are choosing to have that juice within the one hour. They are choosing to stay and pray afterwards. And they choose not to bring along anything in their car such as a zip-loc bag of cheerios and a bottle of water.

All of these are choices. And, since she chooses not to arrange her eating to observe the fast, she should not receive the Eucharist. She should reevaluate her choices regarding eating schedule and discuss the matter with her priest.
 
Tietjen: You are right, I meant 9.20 am :o
I forgot to mention she says this happens to her only on daily Mass and that she always keep the fast on Sundays.
I think there is no difference: the fast should be observed whether it is a weekday or Sunday.

Thank you all for your sound advices!
I feel she will appreciate my advise, so I will advice her what you suggest:
  1. First to talk to her priest; she might need to go to Confession since she knew about the fast and did not always keep it.
  2. To try to have a better and earlier breakfast, and if this is not possible, to bring with her something healthy she can drink and eat right after Mass and before her other devotions.
  3. To take proper care of her health.
Thanks again!

:blessyou:

Alma
 
All she has to do is get up 10 or15 minutes earlier, even if one were 90+ years old, that is not too much to ask to do for our Lord.
 
Alma, you sound very sweet. Your friend is lucky to have you in her life!
 
I take it that going back to the 3-hr fast is out of the question? 🙂
 
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