Water bottles, cups of coffee, juice boxes at Mass. What's next...beer?

[Lepanto]

Am I the only one who sees these things at Mass? (And I’m not talking about milk bottles for the babies.)

This is another abuse that was UNTHINKABLE just a few years ago, but now it’s almost commonplace.

I saw a woman just this morning with a large Starbucks cup (Grande Mocha?) sitting in the fourth pew just slirping away like she was at the theater or something. And forget about the whole communion fast thing… Perhaps she used it to wash the host down too…I don’t know.

I’m all for downing a cold one myself, but can’t it wait? Sheesh!

 

[pnewton]

Not a problem for me. I always keep my beer in a paper bag when inside the Church.

Seriously, our priest spoke on this during the summer. All drinks, food and gum are totally banned under penalty of scraping gum off the pews. I lead the singing and keep a few lonzenges stashed for emergencies, but that’s it. I find it far more effective than water anyway.

 

[1ke]

No I have never seen anything of this sort in any parish I have attended.

Baby bottles-- yes.

Water bottles occasionally for those with a bad cough or other medical condition-- yes-- but that does not break the fast.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

Coffee cups, juice boxes, etc. should not be in the Church. And I think that if the Priest sees that, it could be grounds for that Priest to refuse Communion, since the person isn’t properly disposed (breaking the fast). Pastorally, this should be handled probably by allowing it the first time, but after Mass instructing the individual privately that it was not proper and then possibly denying them after that. If it is a widespread problem, then the Priest could mention it during the homily that this was not allowable.

As for water bottles. Water doesn’t break the fast, so there is no problem. Just be sure to not slurp too loud. In fact, I take a bottle of water with me when I go to Mass (I have a medical reason). I do my best to not distract others by it - I keep the bottle out of sight and do my best to drink (when the need arises) without calling attention to myself.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

I have only did the water bottle once and that is because I was getting over bronchitis and needed to keep from coughing.

 

[Lepanto]

I have only did the water bottle once and that is because I was getting over bronchitis and needed to keep from coughing.

Agreed that water does not break the fast and that it is certainly acceptable for medical reasons, but it does give the wrong perception and idea to those who don’t know this.

However, most of those whom I see with water bottles “appear” to be perfectly healthy.

 

[dbacks5439]

What would be worse is if a person runs out of water and goes to the holy water fountain to refill…during Mass

 

[ThuribleGuy45]

I completely agree with the OP. That said, I was recently browsing through an old copy of the Roman Ritual I found in the sacristy…and found a special blessing for beer! (And one for locomotives, and one for dynamos…lots of interesting stuff.)

 

[pnewton]

Hello,

Coffee cups, juice boxes, etc. should not be in the Church. And I think that if the Priest sees that, it could be grounds for that Priest to refuse Communion, since the person isn’t properly disposed (breaking the fast).

Surely it is not a mortal sin. Isn’t that the only reason the Holy Sacrament can be denied a Catholic?

 

[jmcrae]

Surely it is not a mortal sin. Isn’t that the only reason the Holy Sacrament can be denied a Catholic?

No. Being improperly disposed is also a good reason to be denied a Sacrament. For example, this morning at the first Mass I attended, I was improperly disposed to receive Holy Communion because I arrived late, due to circumstances outside of my control.

Arriving late is obviously not a mortal sin, but I missed the readings and most of the homily, meaning that I was not fully prepared for that day’s Eucharist (hearing the readings and the homily is part of our preparation to receive) - so I stayed for the second Mass.

Fasting is another part of our preparation to receive Holy Communion, and so, if we have not fasted for the full hour, then we are not ready to receive, even though we are not in a state of mortal sin.

 

[jmcrae]

Not a problem for me. I always keep my beer in a paper bag when inside the Church.

Seriously, our priest spoke on this during the summer. All drinks, food and gum are totally banned under penalty of scraping gum off the pews.

Good for him!!

Most priests are too shy to bring up the subject.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

No I have never seen anything of this sort in any parish I have attended.

Baby bottles-- yes.

Water bottles occasionally for those with a bad cough or other medical condition-- yes-- but that does not break the fast.

Exactly. This is muchado about nothing. A couple isolated incidents do not make an widespread outbreak.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

Surely it is not a mortal sin. Isn’t that the only reason the Holy Sacrament can be denied a Catholic?

No. Being improperly disposed is also a good reason to be denied a Sacrament. For example, this morning at the first Mass I attended, I was improperly disposed to receive Holy Communion because I arrived late, due to circumstances outside of my control.

Arriving late is obviously not a mortal sin, but I missed the readings and most of the homily, meaning that I was not fully prepared for that day’s Eucharist (hearing the readings and the homily is part of our preparation to receive) - so I stayed for the second Mass.

Fasting is another part of our preparation to receive Holy Communion, and so, if we have not fasted for the full hour, then we are not ready to receive, even though we are not in a state of mortal sin.

Right. That is why I put in parenthesis the reason that person would be not properly disposed. To be properly disposed means, among others things, to have fasted according to the law of the Church, which currently stipulates a fast of one hour (water and medicine does not break this fast). If a person breaks that fast by having a coffee break during the homily, then they are not properly disposed to receive communion - not because they have sinned, but because they haven’t fulfilled all the canonical rules for reception.

I hope that clarifies it for you.

 

[Bubble]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with toddlers (three and under) eating goldfish crackers or cheerios, etc., during Mass. And, what’s the big deal if they’re given a sippy cup instead of a bottle?

The people who are shocked by this are probably the same one’s complaining when the children cry and act up. Whatever keeps the children quiet at Mass – I’m all for it.

Adults are another matter.

A priest at my former parish would stand out in the hall, sipping coffee just before Mass began. He’d partake the Eucharist usually about 45 mintues later and not the required hour. BTW, he was and is a very traditional and most excellent priest. So, I really wondered about this one seeming discretion. A lot of people seem to think that coffee somehow on expempt status. Is it?

 

[palmas85]

Am I the only one who sees these things at Mass? (And I’m not talking about milk bottles for the babies.)

This is another abuse that was UNTHINKABLE just a few years ago, but now it’s almost commonplace.

I saw a woman just this morning with a large Starbucks cup (Grande Mocha?) sitting in the fourth pew just slirping away like she was at the theater or something. And forget about the whole communion fast thing… Perhaps she used it to wash the host down too…I don’t know.

I’m all for downing a cold one myself, but can’t it wait? Sheesh!

I think you are just being legalistic here. Come on now its a celebration right? Its a communal meal right? The whole thing is put on for our benefit right? So the lady needed a Starbucks. Big deal. Christ will surely understand and since it is from an eco- friendly company like Starbucks she might even get extra points, Besides that you know as well as I do that at times that Host can be mighty difficult to swallow. Nothing that a good double belt of a double latte frappucino wouldn’t take care of. Stop being a pharisee and relax dude. Its all good.

Remember its the new springtime!!!

 

[jmcrae]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with toddlers (three and under) eating goldfish crackers or cheerios, etc., during Mass. And, what’s the big deal if they’re given a sippy cup instead of a bottle?

The people who are shocked by this are probably the same one’s complaining when the children cry and act up. Whatever keeps the children quiet at Mass – I’m all for it.

Adults are another matter.

A priest at my former parish would stand out in the hall, sipping coffee just before Mass began. He’d partake the Eucharist usually about 45 mintues later and not the required hour. BTW, he was and is a very traditional and most excellent priest. So, I really wondered about this one seeming discretion. A lot of people seem to think that coffee somehow on expempt status. Is it?

Priests are exempt from the laws of fasting, if they have said Mass already on the same day. They are only bound to fast before the first one.

 

[THurifer2]

I have 4 well adjusted Catholic CHildren who often times pray the rosary and lead the rosary with the audults at our multi family rosary on Sunday Evenings. With all 4 of them it was forbidden to take Anything to Mass besides a Catholic childrens book…and yes that was from infancy to the Late gradschool to junior high age now.

4 suggestions for parents

1. Go to Mass as often as possible…if you are not working and there is a Mass availible and you have children then you should be there if you do not have an engagement…AND OF COURSE NEVER miss Mass on Sundays
2. Sit in the front Row or as far in the front as possible (you would be surprised at how much more even the little ones watch whats going on)
3. Try to sit in the same area (this provides a familiarity for children)
4. IMPORTANT Feed the children a big hearty breakfast…and I mean the Works eggs bacon cereal waffles juice etc etc…try to avoid sugary quick bkfsts.( I can almost guarantee this will make a quieter calmer child at Mass)

If you can do 2, 3 and 4 above consistently your children will be happy church goers If you can add #1 above to that list you will have Saints in the making.

 

[THurifer2]

Priests are exempt from the laws of fasting, if they have said Mass already on the same day. They are only bound to fast before the first one.

Yes this is true it is in the code…However the code has a Lacuna (hole or missing part ) and that is this dispensation allowed for priests is not mentioned for deacons…SO according to canon Law deacons cannot break the fast like priest if they are assisting at more than one Mass.

 

[Bubble]

JmCrae wrote,

Priests are exempt from the laws of fasting, if they have said Mass already on the same day. They are only bound to fast before the first one.

That made sense until THurifer2 said that this doesn’t hold true for deacons.

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

I was away from the Church for decades and much to my surprise one of the first things I see upon returning to Mass was a woman who brought a can of Pepsi to daily Mass one morning. I never saw her drink from it, but I was wondering why someone would bring a can of pop to Mass. I thought to myself…has the Church changed that much since I have been gone?

:heart:Blyss