What is with people bringing bottles of water into Mass?

[Zooey]

The last time I passed out from dehydration was in the library, not church, but: I had had 14 glasses of water (plus juice, tea, & more water to wash down meds) that day. The last glass was about 15 minutes prior to passing out. It was below freezing outside, & not over warm inside.** I was dehydrated. I had to be rehydrated in the emergency room. **
All this, when I had been drinking more fluids than most people would even think of…Would you like to imagine how I am when I do not drink enough???
I sing in the choir. I consume, on average, 40 to 60 ounces of water while in the choir loft, in order to be able to remain in my place without becoming ill. I have still become dangerously ill in church.
I have seen a good many people taken ill in churches . The majority of them were fine after being given fluids.
I hope & pray that you who object never develop any illness which requires extra fluids, because you are really going to create problems for other worshippers when you collapse , babbling & suffering from spastic motions caused by loss of blood circulation (from lack of serum volume)–& cell phone calls for the ambulance,CPR by first aiders, sirens,flashing lights, the ambulance crew , carrying oxygen masks & canisters. Yes, all this can& has happened.
Or, you could carry water. Your choice.

 

[CatholicCid]

Pariah Pirana:

I know what you mean. We used to lose two or three dozen each summer. Ever since the water bottle craze took hold (1989-1990?) we haven’t lost a single individual per Msgr. Zwebxyz

If all goes well we’ll be hanging I-V “bananna bags” on those who request them this summer.

So you prefer death over having needed drinking water?
May you be the next faithful to dehydrate.

Down in Appalachia, they hold snake charming events… You might be interested… If your bitten by the deadly snakes over your body, your faith was weak.

 

[robertaf]

I look very healthy, not at all infirm.

However, last year I lost part of my right lung to lung cancer and went through 7 weeks, 5 days a week of Radiation Therapy. My esophagus and lung was deeply burned by the radiation leaving me with a wheeze and some breathing difficulties. I carry a bottle of water in my purse because I get very dry. I seem to require a lot more fluids now than before my surgery. I have also been advised to drink as much as I need.

I hardly think God or my Pastor cares if I do take a sip if I need it.

If they don’t care, frankly, I refuse to sweat the small stuff. Part of that is folks who continually find fault with others.

I know for sure that those who find fault have plenty faults of their own that other folks are putting up with.

 

[Zooey]

CatholicCid:

So you prefer death over having needed drinking water?May you be the next faithful to dehydrate.
Down in Appalachia, they hold snake charming events… You might be interested… If your bitten by the deadly snakes over your body, your faith was weak.

Good one!!!

Also, though, let us not forget the :whacky: people who carry blazing pots of fire…They often have low attendance, due to the great, ummm…burning… interest in :bigyikes: snake handlers.

 

[netmilsmom]

Zooey:

The last time I passed out from dehydration was in the library, not church, but: I had had 14 glasses of water (plus juice, tea, & more water to wash down meds) that day. The last glass was about 15 minutes prior to passing out. It was below freezing outside, & not over warm inside.** I was dehydrated. I had to be rehydrated in the emergency room. **
All this, when I had been drinking more fluids than most people would even think of…Would you like to imagine how I am when I do not drink enough???
I sing in the choir. I consume, on average, 40 to 60 ounces of water while in the choir loft, in order to be able to remain in my place without becoming ill. I have still become dangerously ill in church.
I have seen a good many people taken ill in churches . The majority of them were fine after being given fluids.
I hope & pray that you who object never develop any illness which requires extra fluids, because you are really going to create problems for other worshippers when you collapse , babbling & suffering from spastic motions caused by loss of blood circulation (from lack of serum volume)–& cell phone calls for the ambulance,CPR by first aiders, sirens,flashing lights, the ambulance crew , carrying oxygen masks & canisters. Yes, all this can& has happened.
Or, you could carry water. Your choice.

You and those with medical problems are acceptions to the rule.
Again, is there a good chance that 75% of the people at a mass in a modern parish have a medical problem???
Odds are no. Using the small amount of people with medical problems to excuse the poor behavior of a large group. Hmmmm.

 

[netmilsmom]

Zooey:

Good one!!!

Also, though, let us not forget the :whacky: people who carry blazing pots of fire…They often have low attendance, due to the great, ummm…burning… interest in :bigyikes: snake handlers.

Funny but when I watched a two hour service from Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, no one there had water bottles.

I guess the Protestants are just more hydrated than the Catholics.

 

[Katie1723]

Pariah Pirana:

…
Maybe those who can’t go 50-60 minutes without a sip should drink a cup, pint or quart of water BEFORE the entering the church?

Then there would be a line up for the bathroom. Personally I find the constant chatter far more distracting than a water bottle.
~ Kathy ~

 

[pnewton]

I hardly see where the issue is. I guess since it is offensive to some that it could be a problem. We surely do not need more distractions, but I personally have no problem with it.

 

[Edward_Pothier]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

Funny but when I watched a two hour service from Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, no one there had water bottles.

I guess the Protestants are just more hydrated than the Catholics.

[joke]

Of course! More of them use full immersion for Baptism, not just pouring.

Also, those who complain about people bringing coffee should consider that those coffee-bringers may know something about the homily and are taking precautions against falling asleep and disturbing people with their snoring. But remember that falling asleep during a sermon is an ancient apostolic tradition, see Acts 20:7ff.

[/joke]

Edward Pothier

 

[mercygate]

Scout:

However, last week I got a terrible cold and couldn’t go longer than two minutes without coughing. I asked one of the Deacons if it was all right if I brought some hard candy into Mass with me. He said it was fine because my intent wasn’t so that I could eat, but so that I would not disturb anyone else with my coughing.

I sure hope you got the kind WITHOUT those cellophane wrappers that crackle for 20 endless seconds when you unwrap them.

 

[mercygate]

msproule:

I think Shinobu was referring to coffee, specifically. But then again, coffee is something like 99.95% water by volume…

It still breaks the fast. “Water” means that the beverage must be seen, perceived, and understood as water. Not tea. Not coffee. Not Sprite Zero . . .

 

[Scout]

mercygate:

I sure hope you got the kind WITHOUT those cellophane wrappers that crackle for 20 endless seconds when you unwrap them.

As I said, my intent was not keep from disturbing others, not to eat during Mass. So, yes, I was very careful about that.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[Scout]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

You and those with medical problems are acceptions to the rule.
Again, is there a good chance that 75% of the people at a mass in a modern parish have a medical problem???
Odds are no. Using the small amount of people with medical problems to excuse the poor behavior of a large group. Hmmmm.

Those with medical problems are the exception, but the point is that we can’t tell the difference just by looking at them. So, we should just mind our own business and pay attention to the Mass instead of what everyone else is doing around us. Maybe we should all start wearing blinders to Mass.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[netmilsmom]

Scout:

Those with medical problems are the exception, but the point is that we can’t tell the difference just by looking at them. So, we should just mind our own business and pay attention to the Mass instead of what everyone else is doing around us. Maybe we should all start wearing blinders to Mass.

Scout :tiphat:

Maybe blinders would be a good idea.Ear plugs too.
However this comes down to what is socially acceptable in Holy Mass. I think that if one can come up with a water bottle with a straw (so the cap doesn’t have to be taken off and lifted to drink) and one has a medical problem, that’s fine.
The subject here is bringing your sport bottle and chugging it during Holy Mass when it is not hot and one does not have a medical problem. That is pretty disturbing to those who are trying to pray.
If I’m in prayer, isn’t it disturbing to me to have someone slurping on a sport bottle? Where is the consideration for those who may be disturbed BY it?
It goes both ways.

 

[Lisa_N]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

Maybe blinders would be a good idea.Ear plugs too.
However this comes down to what is socially acceptable in Holy Mass. I think that if one can come up with a water bottle with a straw (so the cap doesn’t have to be taken off and lifted to drink) and one has a medical problem, that’s fine.
The subject here is bringing your sport bottle and chugging it during Holy Mass when it is not hot and one does not have a medical problem. That is pretty disturbing to those who are trying to pray.
If I’m in prayer, isn’t it disturbing to me to have someone slurping on a sport bottle? Where is the consideration for those who may be disturbed BY it?
It goes both ways.

Exactly. No one wants a fellow parishioner with a medical problem to suffer but quite honestly this ‘water bottle with me everywhere’ craze is pretty recent. It’s sorta like chapstick. If you keep using it you notice when you don’t have it and use more. If you have a habit of constantly sipping water, when ‘deprived’ for an hour, you feel thirsty. It can be a habit and a conditioned response.

Those with lung cancer or who will faint from dehydration are obviously exceptions. But I suspect it IS the exception and most people have just started hauling around the bottles to get in their 8 glasses a day or because it’s a habit. Regardless of the reason for the bottle, they need not be a problem. If the bottles weren’t distracting, people wouldn’t mention them would they? I don’t think people are so petty that they’d be offended by SEEING one. I think the real problem is using those sport bottles with the little plugs at the top because they ARE noisy. The tops pop, and you can’t help but hear that chugalug sound when someone is drinking. I bet the people who drag their bottle with them everywhere are completely unaware of the distraction. As to bringing in coffee

Lisa N

 

[Scout]

I agree that can be distracting. I also agree that if it isn’t medically necessary, then one shouldn’t bring it into Mass. All I’m saying is that we can’t tell, just by looking at a person, whether it’s medically necessary or not for them to have the water. If we can’t tell, we should just try to think the best of people-and that means believing that their motives good. I know this may sound silly to some people, but I would hope that others would grant me the same consideration. I think we should just cut them some slack and let it go.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[WhiteDove]

I’ve never ever seen this. Maybe it’s a regional thing?

BTW, if you have a terrible cold, maybe the Christian thing to do would be to stay home?

 

[WhiteDove]

Speaking as an R.N., I can’t think of a medical condition that requires one to constantly sip water, not being able to go 1 hour without.

But, remember, we are allowed to drink water right up until communion, so this is definately merely an etiquette issue, not a religious one.

 

[WhiteDove]

Of course, there is a rare person that is receiving radiation therapy to the neck/throat region. They probably got that cancer from using their cell phones constantly, what do you think???

 

[Detroit_Sue]

msproule:

I am sure there are legitimate reasons for needing water during Holy Mass. In my opinion, it is preferable to bring your own bottle and discretely sip than to get up constantly or cough incessantly. If it were me, I would not broadcast the fact that I had it, lest somebody with no legitimate reason should think it was a good idea for next Sunday.

Exactly. And choir members, too (as long as they’re in the loft and not in front of the congregation). If I have a cough, I always sit in the back so as not to disturb people If I use a cough drop or have to step out.

I am concerned about the poster who passed out in the library after drinking all that liquid. TOO MUCH water is bad - even 8 glasses a day is being re-thought. You flush out all of your electrolytes with that much fluid. Maybe that’s why you passed out. There was a woman who died here recently from drinking too much water.

My objection is to people who treat Mass like a sporting event. I am not such a hardnose to not realize that there are legitimate reasons. However those people should be considerate of the rest of the congregation and be discreet.