When recieving communion, do you fast one hour before mass or just one hour before communion?

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Sarah_loves_God

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My mom says you need to fast one hour before communion, but my sunday school teachers have said it’s before mass. Which is it?
 
Trust your mom…if it takes about a half hour to get to church, your pretty safe not eating once you’ve left for mass!
 
Can. 919 Sec. 1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.

You can, of course, abstain for a longer period if you wish, but one hour before communion is the minimum the Church requires.
 
The fast is a communion fast. The purpose of it is to prepare you for communion, not Mass. So as others say the rule is one hour before receiving communion. And of course you don’t have to receive communion if you go to Mass or to benefit from participating.
 
I don’t see why people get so legalistic about the fast. When I go to daily Mass I have nothing but water before Mass. On Sunday Mass which is at 10:00 I will allow myself one cup of coffee before I getting ready to go. It as least 2 hours before I actually walk into the church.

While the rule is one hour before communion, who wants to be sitting there watching their watch to make sure it has been 60 minutes.
 
Make it generous, so you don’t have to be legalistic about it. Every minute is a personal self-sacrifice, which is all good in God’s eyes.
 
Some people may have a harder time than others. Don’t put burdens on them beyond what the Church requires. Those who have an easier time can fast longer and that’s laudable.
 
Of course I mean those who are able to fast, excluding those with valid reasons for not fasting.
 
Hello.

This is the answer Jim Blackburn gave under the topic of Ask an Apologist:

The Eucharistic fast is to be observed for one hour prior to the reception of the Eucharist, not prior to the beginning of Mass. Code of Canon Law (CIC) states, “A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine” (CIC 919 §1).
 
Sarah_loves_God said:
My mom says you need to fast one hour before communion, but my sunday school teachers have said it’s before mass. Which is it?
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Your mum is correct. As you know, people often receive communion outside of mass, it wouldn’t make sense to have a rule that wouldn’t apply to them.
 
Is an hour before communion. It used to be much longer.
My personal feeling is that it’s better to be hungry before mass. Less trying to digest the Eucharist with whatever is already in my stomach. Also good not to go binge right after mass.

But yeah, an hour before communion.
 
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