The One Hour Rule before Communion

[otjm]

I disagree, especially given the history of the fast being more than just an hour. The Eucharistic fast takes advantage of the physical effects of fasting to bring about a spiritual effect. This is related to the “preparation and awareness” which you mentioned.

Actually, most people have a 4 to 5 hour spread between meals, and that “feeling hungry” won’t occur 3 hours after eating for most.

 

[ProVobis]

Was the Fast reduced to three hours because of evening Masses?

Probably for the later morning Masses as well. Those who received at the 6am or 7am or even the 9am Masses essentially fasted from midnight anyway. And the fast was three hours for solids, one hour for liquids (other than water) before Mass started, much longer than the current one hour for solids and liquids just before reception of the sacrament.

Also in the pre-Vatican II days, there was a required 15-minute fast AFTER communion as well.

 

[Joan_M]

Actually, during the 60’s there were Masses in most churches until 12:00 noon and, in one particular church in Dublin, Ireland, one at 1:00 pm (known as the drunks’ Mass). The fast was from midnight.

In my youth (I was born in 1943) my family usually went to a 9:00 am Mass every Sunday. We lived about a 10 minutes walk away from the Cathedral, so by the time breakfast was cooked we were well ready for it!

There were times when I went to the “drunks’ Mass” when I was an Air Hostess with Aer Lingus - mostly when I had worked an early flight between Dublin and one of the UK airports. A quick bus ride into the city and a 10 minute walk to the church (I do not remember the official name, but it was known as Adam & Eve’s). There were, indeed, a number of “stale drunks” there, with their heads resting on the back of the pew in front of them!!

 

[patsydtr]

Even though the one hour fast is permitted by Mother Church, I have stuck to what I learned as a child. I fast from midnight, until after mass, however I now brush my teeth! Fasting is wonderful and you can do it without anyone knowing about it! I do it as a small sacrifice for Our Lord. It doesn’t hurt to feel and hear our tummies growl, now and then.

 

[daeve]

This is what I remember. I started first grade in September of 1957. The fast was 3 hours for food and 1 hour for water at that time. I’m not a fast starter in the morning, so I wasn’t going to eat before leaving home anyway. We attended Mass every school day, and receieved First Communion in the sprin of first grade. The school children were expected to be at the 10:15 Mass, and very few exceptions were acceptable. My mother wasn’t a fast starter either, and I got a lot of grief for attending the wrong Mass. There were kids at school who remembered that the water fountains would be wrapped in burlap bags before Mass, so the midnight fast must have been in effect at that time. Many kids brough cold scrambled egg sandwiches of soggy toast. I was more of a donut or Twinkies girl myself.

There were no Mass after the 11:30 Mass. And no music. The 10:15 was the big guns and it was pretty long.

In eight grade we moved, and the new parish had Mass as late as noon. Other parishes around us had a Mass at 5pm. And yes, that’s where we tended to go. My father worked a different shift every week, and I’m sure this is why we didn’t do well with schedules.

[edited]

I’m almost 60, and I still fast from midnight. I get to church about 8:30 to practice for the 9am, and we usually practice again until about 10:45, so I don’t eat until about 11 am. My dad and I go out for breakfast most Sundays. I’m diabetic, and this is not a problem for me, not even really hard to do. One hour is all that’s required, but you can certainly do a little more if you choose. I do drink water, lots of it. I definitely brush my teeth, and nobody ever said I shouldn’t back in grade school. A little longer fast is kind of like not eating meat on Friday. It’s no longer required, but it’s not a big deal, just a little something extra. Once in a while it’s inconvenient, but never more than that.

 

[MarkThompson]

Sometime in my high school years, the parishes around us got very crowded. We had Mass in the church, Mass in the cafeteria and Mass on Saturday evening. I’m not sure why they did this, but when you walked in the door, there would be a bowl of hosts, and if you were planning to receive Communion, you put one in a basket. There were little tongs to do this, but people just picked them up anyway. I don’t know when that stopped.

This would be so that the right number of hosts were consecrated. Too few, and they have to be broken on-the-fly or else some people won’t be able to receive; too many, and there is a danger that they may go stale before they can be used at a subsequent Mass.

 

[daeve]

This would be so that the right number of hosts were consecrated. Too few, and they have to be broken on-the-fly or else some people won’t be able to receive; too many, and there is a danger that they may go stale before they can be used at a subsequent Mass.

That sounds right, but it seemed kind of unsanitary at the time…all those hands dipping in the bowl. The Masses were packed with people standing the aisles, sort of like Christmas or Easter every week. We had two Masses going at once on Sundays. I guess it’s not a concern anymore since our 9am Mass is generally half empty.

 

[mick321]

Our priest teaches the concept of fasting in the classic Catholic sense. Fasting is a disciplining of the flesh and a spiritual necessity. The Faithful practice it as a means of humbling one’s pride, atoning for sin, and defending against the carnal excesses that separate us from God. Through hunger, we learn to master our unruly carnal appetites.

When done properly, fasting, like physical conditioning, will produce discomfort. The benefit is the strengthening of oneself against the temptations of Satan and the Modern world. It is in fact a gift - given to us by our Holy Church - like a free health club membership. It is ultimately up to us to use it or lose it.

With full knowledge of the one-hour “rule”, our TLM community is encouraged to begin our Eucharistic fast before midnight if we wish to receive Holy Communion at 7am Sunday High Mass.

 

[Phemie]

I’m not sure why they did this, but when you walked in the door, there would be a bowl of hosts, and if you were planning to receive Communion, you put one in a basket. There were little tongs to do this, but people just picked them up anyway. I don’t know when that stopped.

I know in my present parish it stopped around 2001.

 

[daeve]

I know in my present parish it stopped around 2001.

We weren’t doing it in Brooklyn in the 80s, even though we had a huge parish and a ton of people every weekend. Neither of the parishes I attended when we moved back to St. Louis were doing it as of 1988. I mostly remember it from the 1960s.