Three hour Eucharistic fast

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There was always an exception for medication. The fast was from food and water from midnight until communion. Mass was early, so in practice it meant that you had breakfast after Mass rather than before. I can’t recall anyone ever passing out.
 
The Easter Vigil wasn’t early…and this after fasting on Good Friday.
 
ae22 said:
A question about when the Eucharistic fast was three hours.

Was there an exception for medication? I know no food and water was allowed, but am not sure whether someone could take their medication within the three hours. I am voluntarily observing this fast, and so, if there is no exception for medication, I’ll just make spiritual communions if I have taken my medication within three hours.
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Midnight

Before 1953 - abstain from food from midnight, one hour for non-alcoholic liquids. In the 1891 Baltimore Catechism (revised 1941):Q. 607. Give an example of the “right dispositions” for Penance and for the Holy Eucharist.
A. The right dispositions for Penance are: 1. To confess all our mortal sins as we know them; 2. To be sorry for them, and 3. To have the determination never to commit them or others again. The right dispositions for the Holy Eucharist are: 1. To know what the Holy Eucharist is; 2. To be in a state of grace, and 3. – except in special cases of sickness – to be fasting from midnight.

baltimore-catechism.com/lesson13.htm

Three Hours

January 6 1953 - Apostolic Constitution Christus Dominus - to allow the celebration of Mass and distribution of Holy Communion in early evening hours:
a) afternoon fast shortened to to three hours for solid food and to one hour for non-alcoholic liquids.
b) the sick could, on the advice of a confessor, take something in the form of beverage or medicine, but not alcoholic beverages.

March 19, 1957 - Motu Proprio Sacram Communionem - to authorize them to allow daily celebration of Mass in the afternoon hours:
a) morning fast shortened to three hours from solid foods and alcoholic liquids, for one hour from non- alcoholic liquids, and water did not break the fast.
b) the infirm could take nonalcoholic liquids and medicine without any time limit.

One Hour

November 21, 1964
a) abstain for at least one hour before holy communion, from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.
b) the elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them are not required to keep a communion fast.
 
ae22 said:
The Easter Vigil wasn’t early…and this after fasting on Good Friday.
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I recall a time at my old parish when both the Easter Vigil Mass and the Christmas Eve Mass *began *at midnight! So a fast from midnight was pretty short. The hard part was staying awake until 3am.
 
Didn’t they used to fast from 3PM on Good Friday until sunrise on Easter Sunday in the early Church? I think I remember reading that somewhere.
 
phil19034 said:
As an aside:

According to my Monsignor the reason it was changed from 12 hours to 3 hours and then finally to 1 hour is because worldwide, people kept passing out from low body sugar. Especially when people would eat breakfast after Mass.

God Bless.
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Umm, no, the change in the fast was due to the concurrent legislation that permitted afternoon and evening Masses. Prior to 1953, all Masses were to be celebrated between the wee hours of the morning and noontime. The reduction of the fast by Pius XII took this into account. ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/p12chdom.htm
 
ae22 said:
The Easter Vigil wasn’t early…and this after fasting on Good Friday.
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In the years before the Vigil as we know it today (after dark on Holy Saturday everning, which has only been in effect since the 50s) the Vigil was celebrated on Holy Saturday morning. I have no idea when that practice started.
 
Phemie said:
In the years before the Vigil as we know it today (after dark on Holy Saturday everning, which has only been in effect since the 50s) the Vigil was celebrated on Holy Saturday morning. I have no idea when that practice started.
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The morning celebration was used from the twelfth century. (Per Hugh of St. Victor.) *

Before the beginning of the 5th century there was no Mass on the day of Holy Saturday and offices did not begin before none (about 3 p.m.), and vigil was kept until Midnight Mass.

In 1951, The Easter Vigil time was *restored *from the morning of Holy Saturday to the evening experimentally by Pope Pius XII (De Solemni Vigilia Paschali Instauranda) but promulgated in 1955 and required to be used from Palm Sunday 1956.
  • See p. 206: The sacramentals of the holy Catholic Church By Andrew Arnold Lambing
 
Vico said:
The morning celebration was used from the twelfth century. (Per Hugh of St. Victor.) *

Before the beginning of the 5th century there was no Mass on the day of Holy Saturday and offices did not begin before none (about 3 p.m.), and vigil was kept until Midnight Mass.

In 1951, The Easter Vigil time was *restored *from the morning of Holy Saturday to the evening experimentally by Pope Pius XII (De Solemni Vigilia Paschali Instauranda) but promulgated in 1955 and required to be used from Palm Sunday 1956.
  • See p. 206: The sacramentals of the holy Catholic Church By Andrew Arnold Lambing
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I know that in 1953 my twin cousins became the first babies to be baptized at the Easter Vigil.
 
Hmm. Interesting stuff. I was born in '87, so I definitely don’t remember when it was like that. My Nana would remember, but she’s no longer with us.
 
The idea of fasting from 3pm on Good Friday until dawn on Easter Sunday…I might do that next year. That actually seems like a really good idea.
 
ae22 said:
The idea of fasting from 3pm on Good Friday until dawn on Easter Sunday…I might do that next year. That actually seems like a really good idea.
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Fasting as in (1) total abstinence from food or (2) only one full meal, etc.?
 
An interesting contrast between the Latin Catholic and the Byzantine Catholic is that on Holy Saturday evening, about sunset, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil is celebrated combined with (and after) Vespers. The baptisms occur prior to the Liturgy of the Word in the Divine Liturgy. The traditional fast on Holy Saturday is from midnight until the reception of the Holy Eucharist.

During the Liturgy of the Word, there is a change from the dark vestments and altar coverings to the light vestments and altar coverings.

Then, well after sunset on Saturday night the Paschal Matins may occur (liturgically it is the anticipated Paschal Matins) followed by the Paschal Divine Liturgy.
 
ProVobis said:
Fasting as in (1) total abstinence from food or (2) only one full meal, etc.?
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Total abstinence from food and liquids (excepting, of course, reception of Holy Communion). I’ll have my one full meal for Good Friday around 2 PM, and eat again on Easter morning.

When Christ is in the tomb…it’s important to keep that at the absolute forefront of one’s mind, and for me, a complete fast seems like a really good way to do that. I’m gonna try, anyway.
 
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