What do You think about a 3 hour fast before Communion

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jasny
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jasny

Guest
I think a 3 hour fast before Communion would help people who are not in Sanctifying Grace an excuse not to go to Communion, without the Embarressment of sitting there and people thinking they should go to confession. Also it would give the Priest the Opportunity to say it before Communion and give some people a way out.
 
40.png
Jasny:
I think a 3 hour fast before Communion would help people who are not in Sanctifying Grace an excuse not to go to Communion, without the Embarressment of sitting there and people thinking they should go to confession. Also it would give the Priest the Opportunity to say it before Communion and give some people a way out.
Click to expand...
Given the fact that JP2 went to confession 3 times a week and Mother Theresa went to confession EVERY day and looking at the confession line and looking at the communion line, I think that a lot of people who are going to communion should look at themselves and not at others who are not going to receive.

I also think that the priest should remind people that receiving communion is a double-edge sword – those who receive it worthily, help contribute to their eternal salvation while those who receive unworthily, help contribute to their eternal damnation.
 
For 1900 years people did not eat after MIDNIGHT on Saturday untill AFTER Sunday Mass. That is STILL the practice of the Orthodox. In the Latin West that TRADITIONAL Fast was reduced to 3 hours by Pius XII I think, not 100% sure because of WWII. It should have been just temporary and the traditional fast should have been retored. Then with the advent of the Novus Ordo Paul VI reduced it to 1 Hr. which mean you can eat up to 15 min before mass because by the time communion time comes it’s almost an hour.

A bit of a joke calling this a FAST.

I try to adhere to the traditional (apostolic) custom as much as possible. Somtimes I don’t and my excuse to myself is “I only have to fast for an Hr b4 mass so eat something”.
 
And to add one extra detail to Mezmer’s post: water broke the midnight fast!

It goes without saying that such a practice would be quite beneficial to souls in today’s age. The only related issue is dealing with the faithful who cling to evening Masses.

For everyone here who will adamently deplore this practice, think about this: the current fasting regulations would allow a family to stop at Denny’s before Mass, order the Grand Slam, and then go off to Mass and receive the Bread of Angels without delay. Doesn’t seem right.

Now, I’m not calling into question the Church’s ability to modify this aspect of disciplinary law, but rather Her prudence in doing so. Of course, anyone could follow the more strict rules, but as St. Thomas indicates, there is greater virtue in doing an act under obedience [to Church Law] than on one’s own will.
 
I think it’s an excellent idea! The only thing I would like too also see is that if a person has a legitimate reason to make an exception or they simply forget on occasion, they would not have to have scruples that it is a sin. I.e. it would be a sin to ignore the practice habitually but not to make a very occasional exception.

For example, I would not want someone to arrive at mass and realize they accidentally ate something a half hour too late and then decide they must go to a later mass.
 
If there was a longer eucharistic fast, I would obey it and i think you all would too. But I dont think it should be used as a way to scold people or to give those not in the state of grace an “out” rather, the clergy should (with our support) proclaim the truth about sacrelige and we, the lay, should observe it and not make excuses for ourselves.

on a tangential note, and i am merely curious and have no rhetorical purpose here, wasnt there a church father who advocated that people come to mass after having eaten, or at least not hungry if possible, so that they wouldnt just eat the eucharist for sustainence.
 
I do think it could possibly be slightly problematic depending on the time of Mass. But 3 hours before communion would surely be doable for the majority of people.

However, when I was a child I was mistakenly taught that the fast was an hour before the START of Mass, and I still pretty much adhere to this, as I don’t think it’s appropriate to walk into church having just eaten. Makes the difference even less.
 
40.png
MezmerTheMage:
For 1900 years people did not eat after MIDNIGHT on Saturday untill AFTER Sunday Mass. That is STILL the practice of the Orthodox. In the Latin West that TRADITIONAL Fast was reduced to 3 hours by Pius XII I think, not 100% sure because of WWII. It should have been just temporary and the traditional fast should have been retored. ".
Click to expand...
the change was made in the mid-1950s as part of the liturgical reforms initiated by Pope Pius XII well before Vatican II was a gleam in the papal eye. the discipline was not monolithic for 1900 years but varied in time, place and circumstance. Midnight was the norm since the Tridentine reforms.

do I think a 3 hour fast would be better? at least it would be a fast, one hour hardly counts.
 
40.png
MezmerTheMage:
In the Latin West that TRADITIONAL Fast was reduced to 3 hours by Pius XII I think, not 100% sure because of WWII. It should have been just temporary and the traditional fast should have been retored.
Click to expand...
I believe the fast was reduced to 3 hours due to the fact that Pope Pius XII approved the indult of allowing Saturday-evening Masses sometime in the '50s. Thus, it would be extremely difficult for most Catholics to maintain the traditional fast period beginning at midnight.
 
40.png
Jasny:
I think a 3 hour fast before Communion would help people who are not in Sanctifying Grace an excuse not to go to Communion, without the Embarressment of sitting there and people thinking they should go to confession. Also it would give the Priest the Opportunity to say it before Communion and give some people a way out.
Click to expand...
A 3-hour fast for pious reasons is fine. For the reson you gave is silly.
 
Sir Knight:
…I think that a lot of people who are going to communion should look at themselves and not at others who are not going to receive
Click to expand...
Not a lot of people… everybody.
 
Also, consider the possibility that just as people approach communion when they might not be properly disposed to do so, they may also not keep the fast either.

I recall about a year ago seeing a man drinking a can of coke during mass and then get up to go to communion.
 
We have what we have. If you want to do three hours, fine, if someone wants to fast for an hour, fine.
It’s the Church and her Shepherds discretion, not ours. For us it’s individual piety only.
 
40.png
Timidity:
A 3-hour fast for pious reasons is fine. For the reson you gave is silly.
Click to expand...
I guess in your country it is silly but the Church is BIGGER than just the USA. There are still a lot of countries who take their religion seriously.
 
40.png
MezmerTheMage:
For 1900 years people did not eat after MIDNIGHT on Saturday untill AFTER Sunday Mass. That is STILL the practice of the Orthodox. In the Latin West that TRADITIONAL Fast was reduced to 3 hours by Pius XII I think, not 100% sure because of WWII. It should have been just temporary and the traditional fast should have been retored. Then with the advent of the Novus Ordo Paul VI reduced it to 1 Hr. which mean you can eat up to 15 min before mass because by the time communion time comes it’s almost an hour.

A bit of a joke calling this a FAST.

I try to adhere to the traditional (apostolic) custom as much as possible. Somtimes I don’t and my excuse to myself is “I only have to fast for an Hr b4 mass so eat something”.
Click to expand...
Please cite sources for your assertion that the fast (midnight until after Sunday Mass) was an Apostolic or Patristic custom.

I think a 3 hour fast is fine, if one chooses to do that. I think that if the Holy Father asked it of us, we should cheerfully and humbly obey. If someone practices this themselves and advertises the fact that they do, they’re acting like a Pharisee. If they try to browbeat others into doing so, absent a papal instruction, then they’re trying to be more Catholic than the Pope and there is nothing more tiresome and irritating than that.
 
40.png
Jasny:
I guess in your country it is silly but the Church is BIGGER than just the USA. There are still a lot of countries who take their religion seriously.
Click to expand...
What does nationalism have to do with it? It’s a bad idea that hasn’t been thought out. Has nothing to do with countries.

Afterall, if those countries are as serious about their religion as you claim, then they don’t need a three-hour fast to cut down on those receiving wrongly.

People who receive wrongly are going to receive wrongly regardless. To think that adding two hours to the fast will change their heart is silly.
 
I would have no problem if the Holy Father decided to make the fast 3 hours, if it wouldn’t apply to those with medical considerations (as I suppose it doesn’t now, either, with the one hour rule). For me the one hour rule works well since I am a diabetic. But, for those without any medical needs I would think 3 hours would not be too much to ask.
 
People are complaining when they have to fast and abstain on Ash Wed and the Fridays during Lent…adding more of a requirement, I can bet you would have people howling even louder.

Those who understand the piety and the graces received by these practices would obey and be grateful.
 
40.png
muledog:
I believe the fast was reduced to 3 hours due to the fact that Pope Pius XII approved the indult of allowing Saturday-evening Masses sometime in the '50s. Thus, it would be extremely difficult for most Catholics to maintain the traditional fast period beginning at midnight.
Click to expand...
Why? They don’t have to attend the vigil masses. They can still go on Sunday. I personally hope they do change the fasting laws.
 
Why? They don’t have to attend the vigil masses. They can still go on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Some people can’t because of work schedules or other things and some people go to Mass in the early evening. Not everyone can go to Mass at the crack of dawn.

The Church has decided that 1 hour is the amount of the fast before Communion, if you would like to do 3 or the old midnight one, then go ahead.

I think with any of these times, one shouldn’t be legalistic about it, i.e., eating one hour on the dot right before Communion. I personally do 1 hr. (or more, I often do the 3 hrs or more) and consider it before Mass starts.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top