Scrupulous - mint before Communion?

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marypar

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I go to Daily Mass and receive Communion, but this week, two days in a row, I was coughing on the subway and had to take a tic-tac. This was one hour before I would receive. I decided both days to forego receiving Communcion. Is that being more scrupulous than I already am? What would you do? I would say 30 minutes or so before.
thanks,
maryann
 
I would say that consuming anything for medical reasons would not count as breaking the one hour fast.

I know pregnant ladies are allowed a cracker to over come morning sickness.

Diabetics are allowed to consume whatever is necessary to maintain their blood sugar at a proper level.

So to suppress a couch, a couch drop, Tic Tac or what ever should be acceptable.
 
marypar said:
I go to Daily Mass and receive Communion, but this week, two days in a row, I was coughing on the subway and had to take a tic-tac. This was one hour before I would receive. I decided both days to forego receiving Communcion. Is that being more scrupulous than I already am? What would you do? I would say 30 minutes or so before.
thanks,
maryann
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Just by that alone, you are fine, you consumed the tic-tac an hour before Communion.
 
My two cents:
  1. As mentioned, it is permissible to consume medicine (and water) within the 1-hour Eucharistic fast.
  2. I don’t know if “suppressing a cough” is a legitimate reason for considering a tic-tac to be “medicine.” After all, if I were in Mass and began to cough and all I had was a bag of Skittles, I would not be able to justify consuming the Skittles as “medicine.” That being said, I would also note that, while receiving Communion is certainly a blessing, you are not required to receive Communion at every Mass you attend. Therefore, if I were put in a situation where I had to consume something (aside from legitimate medication), I would simply not receive Communion and instead make an act of Spiritual Communion.
 
I have a similar problem with a cough now-and-again . . . and use peppermint lozenges to control the cough . . . and I checked with our wonderful elder Deacon about it since sometimes I need to use a lozenge during Mass to control the cough . . . he said that it was definitly permitted because it was for a medical problem . . . and shared that a priest he knew well used lemon drops to keep his throat from getting too dry and causing him to cough during celebration of the Holy Mass . . .

Take a moment out to make a phone call to your priest and get permission if you are still concerned . . . your soul is under his spiritual authority . . . and his permission would be all you would need to keep “kosher” in this area . . .

God bless . . .

. . . all for Jesus+​
 
I actually took the tic tac on the subway and it was about 30-45 minutes before I would be receiving Communion. I feel like I missed not receiving, but I stress about confession and by not receiving, I don’t need to confess anything. It was a weekday.
 
marypar said:
I go to Daily Mass and receive Communion, but this week, two days in a row, I was coughing on the subway and had to take a tic-tac. This was one hour before I would receive. I decided both days to forego receiving Communcion. Is that being more scrupulous than I already am? What would you do? I would say 30 minutes or so before.
thanks,
maryann
Click to expand...

In those circumstances, I would not receive. I’m not scrupulous, but any length of time that is not appreciably over one hour, does not STM to be an hour; and to receive 61 or so minutes before, would strike me as legalism. The time-limit is set for the sake of things far more important than time; to fast is a sign of reverence: the inward disposition of reverence for holy things is the only justification for all the fuss about time 🙂 Without the reverence, keeping the fast is - a waste of time.​

Please pardon my ignorance - but, how is a tic-tac medicinal ? Personally, ISTM to be rather a stretch to call that, or toothpaste, or mouth-wash, or vitamin supplements, or quite a few other things, medicinal. Ventolin is medicinal, as is Mogadon: so ingesting them would not break the fast; but are tic-tacs the same kind of thing 🤷 ? BTW - ingesting blood breaks the fast; if it’s from outside the mouth anyway; if from the gums, it might not, because it would be in the mouth already. Now that is legalism 😉
 
You must fast an hour before receiving period. You were being a bit scrupulous but that’s OK.
 
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