Why have we abandoned our fast before mass?

[Chatter163]

The fast from midnight (which included water) was replaced in 1953 by a three-hour fast (which did not include water), as permission was being given at that time for afternoon and evening Masses.

The three-hour fast was replaced in 1966 by the one-hour fast. To me, this seems to involve very little effort or sacrifice.

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

hilde the dog:

And CarolAnn where was the cop at the bakery or Church. We still have police directing traffic at the end of Mass. Its always heartening that the parking lots could be expanded and the police are needed at Church.

The cop was at the church (the bakery had traffic signals; it didn’t need a traffic cop. ) We don’t need a cop where I live now – I’m in the city – many people can walk to church, and many more park in the side streets – you don’t have the whole congregation bunched up in one parking lot the way it is in the suburbs.
hilde the dog:

You were allowed to go to a bakery on Sunday?

The grownups went; we kids were just along for the ride.

I guess going to the bakery was OK because it was just getting breakfast (where I lived, Sunday was by far the bakery’s biggest day). Not too much else was open on Sunday, even given the fact that my town was probably no more than 50% Christian).

Crazy Internet Junkies Society
Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag

 

[puzzleannie]

not all of us have abandoned the fast before Mass. while some of us are content with the bare minimum sacrifice of at least one hour before receiving communion, others fast for 3 hours or longer, and some of us (if we go to an early Mass) do not take breakfast until after Mass. There is no law that says you can only fast for an hour, no longer. There is also no law that says you can’t abstain from meat on Friday all year round, or observe the traditional fast on the weekdays of Lent, or do any other penance, or go to Mass on the calendar day of a holy day that does not have an obligation attached in your diocese.

 

[jimmy]

puzzleannie:

not all of us have abandoned the fast before Mass. while some of us are content with the bare minimum sacrifice of at least one hour before receiving communion, others fast for 3 hours or longer, and some of us (if we go to an early Mass) do not take breakfast until after Mass. There is no law that says you can only fast for an hour, no longer. There is also no law that says you can’t abstain from meat on Friday all year round, or observe the traditional fast on the weekdays of Lent, or do any other penance, or go to Mass on the calendar day of a holy day that does not have an obligation attached in your diocese.

puzzleannie, what is the traditional fast for weekdays of Lent? I may consider doing it if you will tell me what it is.

I am not concerned about the exception. I am happy there are people who follow the old fasts. What I am concerned about is the Church as a whole. If the bishops are relaxing fasts, holy days of obligation, and everything else it is not a good thing. It hurts the Church when the leaders won’t lead.

 

[ddimitro]

jimmy:

puzzleannie, what is the traditional fast for weekdays of Lent? I may consider doing it if you will tell me what it is.

I’m not Puzzleannie, but I can answer your question.

Traditionally, beginning with Ash Wednesday and continuing until Holy Saturday, Catholics were required to fast Monday through Saturday. Additionally, there was the abstinence requirement on Fridays, plus partial abstinence (until noon) on Holy Saturday.

 

[Kathrin]

Formerly, the fast was from everything from midnight until one received the Eucharist. You must be a kid!

water and medication too?

 

[Kathrin]

IThe Eucharist is usually distributed probably around 10:40 to 10:50. This means that if you fast for 10 minutes before mass then you have satisfied the fast. What is the point of this fast, to keep people from eating their breakfast in mass?

Actually for example weekday masses are often much shorter. I often have to watch that I don’t eat an hour before communion.

 

[nickybr38]

Am I the only Catholic in the universe that isn’t comfortable receiving the Eucharist frequently? I think I must be…

That said, I fast an hour before Mass. Those who will only do the bare minimum will fast 10 minutes before Mass. Those who seek more will do more. Not to say those who seek the minimum are better Catholics or those who seek more are… it’s just that we each approach our God differently and He loves us each and will work within us each in His own way.

 

[LilyM]

Encourage more people to recieve communion. Try this “give a decent sermon on the sacrement of reconciliation”.

The two may be related to each other but neither is related to the fast. In what parallel universe would fasting for an extra two hours inspire anyone to rush to the confessional?

It might possibly inspire them to sin less and think more before they commune, which of course is an excellent thing. But except for a slight possibility in those fortunate but very rare cases where a parish has confessions directly prior to Sunday Mass, Joe or Jane Pewsitter is far more likely to do what he or she did last time the three hour fast was the norm - not commune. A longer fast offers a ready-made excuse (‘oops, broke the fast, can’t have communion’) so it’s not like embarrassment at not receiving would make them rush to confession.

What we really need sermons on is mortal sin - and what behaviours are considered grave matter and why.

 

[nickybr38]

The fast from midnight (which included water) was replaced in 1953 by a three-hour fast (which did not include water), as permission was being given at that time for afternoon and evening Masses.

The three-hour fast was replaced in 1966 by the one-hour fast. To me, this seems to involve very little effort or sacrifice.

What time was Mass when the fast was three hours or more before? Because a fast from midnight to 9AM wouldn’t feel like a big deal. Nor would midnight to 10AM. But these days we don’t receive until near noon (in some parishes). In those cases a midnight to mass fast seems quite extreme.

Just a thought.

 

[Phemie]

Thanks for the compliment. I’m a 57 year old kid!!
I was previously a Methodist and converted to the catholic faith in 1991. As far as I know the one hour fasting rule has been the rule all of my “short” catholic life.

The fast was from everything from midnight on until 1953 when it was relaxed, in certain circumstances – mainly evening Masses, by Pius XII’s Apostolic Constitution [CHRISTUS DOMINUS](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/CHRISTUS DOMINUS Concerning The Discipline To Be Observed With Respect To The Eucharistic Fast Pope Pius XII) – Concerning The Discipline To Be Observed With Respect To The Eucharistic Fast**.

**It’s an interesting read that perfectly explains his rationale for doing so. That’s also the document that allowed Mass to be celebrated in the evening, and defined ‘evening’ as after 4 PM. Before that Mass had to be before noon although I’m not sure if that meant only that it had to start before noon or whether it had to be completed before noon.

With the 1957 Motu Proprio SACRAM COMMUNIONEM – On Laws Of Fasting And The Evening Mass he extended the 3 hour fast from food to all Masses.

It was again lowered to the hour-long fast we know today in 1964.

 

[Phemie]

Regarding the lowering of the fast to one hour, I found this footnote in the article "The Communion Fast: a Reconsideration by Edward N. Peters.

26

• *On 21 November 1964, at the close of the third session of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI declared: “In view of the difficulties felt in many countries concerning the Eucharistic fast, the Supreme Pontiff, graciously acceding to the petitions of the Bishops, grants that the fast from solid foods be reduced to one hour before Communion, for both priests and the faithful. In this grant is included also the use of alcoholic drinks, observing, however, due moderation.” See [P. Felici], “Tempus Eucharistici ieiunii servandi reducitur,” AAS 57 (1965) 186, trans. CLD VI:566. The text of this announcement appeared in L’Osservatore Romano (4 December 1964) 2, and stated that the provision was effective immediately, that is, without observance of a vacatio legis

 

[YoungTradCath]

I can go to a fast food restaurant on my way to Mass, have a full meal, and still make the fast. And I don’t even live far from my parish. In reality there is no canonical fast for me, practically speaking.

 

[LilyM]

I can go to a fast food restaurant on my way to Mass, have a full meal, and still make the fast. And I don’t even live far from my parish. In reality there is no canonical fast for me, practically speaking.

What point are you trying to make? I normally have my breakfast early - around 6am. Even on Sundays. And then usually don’t have anything further until maybe 11 am. So practically speaking, a 10am Mass with preceding three-hour fast would impose no burden on me either.

My father will normally have a coffee around 2pm and then nothing further till at least 6. So a 5pm Mass with 3 hour fast again would again impose no burden.

 

[otjm]

Memories sometimes play tricks on us. There was one High Mass each Sunday. Some parishes might have had it at different times; ours was at 10:45 on Sunday, with a Low Mass at 7, one at 8:15; one at 9:30 and one at 12.

 

[Kathrin]

Regarding the lowering of the fast to one hour, I found this footnote in the article "The Communion Fast: a Reconsideration by Edward N. Peters.

why does it mention “solid foods” and alcohol here? I thought the fast was from everything except water and medicine. Was that specified somewhere esle?

 

[otjm]

I can go to a fast food restaurant on my way to Mass, have a full meal, and still make the fast. And I don’t even live far from my parish. In reality there is no canonical fast for me, practically speaking.

Etiehr there is a cononical fast occuring in your example, or you need to go to confession for breaking it. The fast is 1 hour from Communion, That is the Church’s definition, not yours to make. You may not feel there is any fast occuring if you are sitting in Mass; the Church has ruled otherwise.

 

[otjm]

When we are in mortal sin we not only receive NO graces from receiving the Eucharist, we commit the sin of sacrilege! You are not denying yourself graces by not receiving the Eucharist when in mortal sin, you are preventing yourself from committing yet another mortal sin!

I think you need another Spiritual Director!

It is the priest’s decision as to the culpability of the poster. He said that it is a habitual sin, and he said what the priest told him.

Much more goes into a confession than a mere reciting of a few simple facts; it appears this is he regular confessor.

There can be just cause to be concerned if a priest is being lax; however, the alternative is to start walking down the path of scrupulosity. His regular confessor is in a far better position to determine if the habituality of the sin reduces culpability than we are. Your comment is well intentioned but may be overstepping.

 

[Phemie]

why does it mention “solid foods” and alcohol here? I thought the fast was from everything except water and medicine. Was that specified somewhere else?

When the fast was from Midnight, even water and medication were forbidden.

When it changed in 1953, mainly for priests and those who went to evening Masses, the fast imposed was 3 hours from food and alcohol but only 1 hour from liquids. Water & medication didn’t break the fast.

In 1964, the fast was changed to 1 hour from food and alcohol to match the fast from liquids.

 

[Phemie]

Memories sometimes play tricks on us. There was one High Mass each Sunday. Some parishes might have had it at different times; ours was at 10:45 on Sunday, with a Low Mass at 7, one at 8:15; one at 9:30 and one at 12.

Must have had a couple of priests in your parish?

With only one priest, we had a Low Mass at 8 a.m. and a High Mass at 10 a.m.