Is Fasting Before Mass Still a Thing? 

Please pray for me, as I try to turn away from repetitive sin. I will also pray for all viewers and you father Casey.

Love being a Catholic & the consecration of the Eucharist is beautiful.

I don’t eat or drink on Sundays mornings until I receive the Eucharist. It’s nice to know the history behind this.

I once fasted when I was a teenager and serving at mass. Outcome: I stood up too quickly, my blood sugar was low and I lost consciousness in front of the whole community. My head fell on the hard stone floor and 911 had to be dialed. Yikes. 😅 Now I attend evening masses and I only fast three hours before and one after Eucharist.

I strongly wish this was emphasised more.

The Eastern Orthodox Church still has the original fast. There are exceptions for people who need to take medicine in the morning, but healthy parishioners are expected to abstain from water and food from 12am till communion.

Interesting topic. Yes, today everyone should be able to fast at least one hour. After all, the Eucharist is given 45 minutes into Mass, so this is definitely doable for everyone.

You are so gifted for this.. What a wonderful spokesperson for our faith. God Bless you.. I have learned so much from your segments..

God bless you Father Casey.

In the Orthodox Church, we still require fasting from the night before, but allow pastoral discretion for things like age, medicine, pregnancy, etc. In my experience as a priest, it's very much something that most people practice without an issue and those who have a medical or other need go with the minimum needed. It's not a heavy burden but is very useful for preparing for receiving Christ.

I always followed the one hour rule. Thanks for this topic. I will share this.

Wow! Just yesterday, I Googled “why did Catholic fasting practices change?” 😂 Thank you! Slightly off topic, but it would be great to see a video about traditional fasting practices - Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and especially Lent, as we’re getting close! The only explanatory videos I’ve found, in regard to the specific rules/practice have been on Orthodox channels. Thanks for another great video!

Fantastic video, great insight as always

Love your work, Fr Casey

Father Cassey can you make a video about fasting as an spiritual practice and spiritual weapon, against gluttony and other sins regarding the concupiscence of the flesh. Your videos are really interesting and help me grow in the knowledge of this beautiful church, thank you for spreading our catholic faith and evangelizing through this ministry. 😊🙏🏽

So informative, thank you!

Thank you for your videos.

Good to know. I plan to start going to mass on Saturday nights.

This was something I was wondering about. I haven't received Communion in many years, and I'm looking forward to again soon.

Thank you for giving us the history on fasting. Would you please clarify the rules for Lenten fasting?

Based! I’m doing this. I didn’t even know. I feel like there’s so many things in Catholicism I didn’t know that are super cool. The Church needs to teach this stuff more. More fasting. More praying. More Latin. Less electric guitars. Thank you.

Thank you...

Great topic - thanks for presenting it! I must take medication four times daily. Although I have been assured by my confessor that a sip of water and medication are allowable, I still feel terrible guilt. Thats my burden to carry, I suppose! To me, nothing in this world should be more important than receiving Holy Communion. Also, Father Casey, thank you for this channel. It's nice to have a place where I can learn the opinions of others and at the same time express my own without being bullied! God bless and be well! 😍😍😍

I follow the one hour rule because I have to have medication first thing in the morning. But I know my friend who gives me a lift to church does not have anything after 8p.m. and she's over eighty.

I’d never heard that water wasn’t allowed. Thank you for the video.

It’s interesting how current research has found that fasting is incredibly good for you, especially for the sick. It’s difficult for the mind to fast, but not the body.

Apparently Our Lady appeared to a lady named Ida Pederman in the late 1940 to 1950's. I think asking her to send the message to the Pope about fasting with the times needing to be changed to allow as many Catholics as possible to be able to receive Our Lord. It is very important in these times that we strive for daily Mass and Holy Eucharist daily as per Pope St Pious X wished for the faithful.

I am in awe that I found this! Yet, what states here is true!

This one made me laugh, thank you, dear Fr Casey. The Fast only became a real 'problem' when the link between Communion and Confession was broken in the Catholic conscience .. once very few souls dared to receive Holy Communion in a state of impenitent mortal sin (a reality long since cast aside by most 'Catholics', clergy and laity alike). Going to the Holy Sacrifice did not - and still does not - require physical communion at the Eucharist for the laity, it was (and is) a privilege, not a right. Indeed, for the vast majority of working people not eating or drinking (anything, even medicines) between midnight and first morning Mass, at dawn, was (and is to this day) the norm of ordinary life .. even working as missionary priests and hospital carers; yet being tied to rolling shift work, especially during war-time and its incessant demands for increased industrial output, made the old-time fasting rules impractical for vast numbers of factory workers .. constantly in danger of being bombed into kingdom-come. Thus far from being harsh, merciless, unforgiving and legalistic - the pastors of the time recognised the need, and Ven Pius XII happily permitted extended exemptions to the rule (thus, btw, proving it); none of which properly applied to the Americas (before AD 1941 in the US of A) or neutral states even in Europe. The idea of going to Mass (let alone Communion) after mid-day (12 PM/ 1 PM) was most unusual, other than in areas where Penal Laws made any Mass a perilous business; again, the harsh conditions of a 20th-century total-war economy made the exceptions both a temporary and an expedient necessity (in a few places); afternoon and evening Services, if any, tended to be devotions like Benediction, Sunday Vespers, etc. And what have all the exceptions and exemptions, and mitigations and changes to the 'rule' of an altogether ordinary fasting time achieved since the revisions under Ven Pius XII (1953) and St Paul VI (1964) ...? 'Mortification aims at the liberation of man, who often finds himself, because of concupiscence, almost chained by his own senses. Through corporal fasting man regains strength, and the wound inflicted on the dignity of our nature by intemperance is cured by the medicine of a salutary abstinence.' St Paul VI, Paenitmini (1966). P.S. Some medical tests require such fasting even now, often around ten or twelve hours. Staggeringly few souls suffer any lasting - or even temporary - ill-effects from this occasional mortification. True, elderly or ill priests walking many miles between weekly/ monthly Mass stops could suffer greatly - or perhaps irrevocably - and, sadly, there are rather few sturdy, indeed, strapping young fellow-me-lads like Fr Casey to take up the hard work cases (even as a mortification); but then there are loads of Extra-ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to do the donkey work (without the sacrifice or the Holy Mass).

I've been skipping breakfast and lunch for awhile now. I can no longer take on this sacrifice I took on, on my own. I still fast until I receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

whoops, just finished RCIA and it never covered this, I will now correct this.

Just because the rules are more flexible now doesn't mean you can receive Communion if you haven't fasted for a hour and are well

I wanted to work out after mass, so I made myself some breakfast, but then I heard this. I'll eat after mass.

Topic suggestion: Vigil Mass, or why Catholics go to Sunday Mass on Saturday. You could compare the Mass of anticipation vs. true vigil Masses (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost), and why does it always seem to be at 4:00? I know it won’t be too much later than that, owing to Saturday evening weddings. I’m in New Orleans-a HUGE Catholic city-and just about every parish has their vigil at 4:00.

4:16 TOTALLY

I do but as one who is 79 I don’t count. I have noticed 30’s or so taking about meeting for breakfast before mass. Weird

I drink water, tea or juice if mass is before noon. I do not eat unless I'm taking medication or sick. When I truly understood why we fasted before mass, I decided not to chew anything before I received the best meal.

“...except for only water and medicine.” (6:30) That answers my question about coffee! Thanks, Father 😃

This interesting

At the Mass of St. Peter conducted by the SSPX we follow the 3 hour rule.

“Fasting is important but it should never be a reason to skip communion” YESS I love that! You explained this so well

I was taught that no food, water or medicine 1 hour prior to communion.

How about rules for fasting during Lent? Is no meat on Fridays still a thing? Full fast on Good Friday?

We need to start being better voices in our community, and I say community because we are all one in Christ. My message is to not be afraid of confronting a priest on what they allow, now a priest can't force the people to fast before communion but I've seen priest allow ridiculous things during adoration. I once went to a Advent adoration party and they had a Christian pop band playing music on the PFLC's stage, with the lyrics on a huge screen in the background, radiating the energy of a sing-along kids' bop music video. Then they placed the monstrance with Christ contained, on the stage. No wonder Catholics don't believe in transubstantiation. All I'm saying is when I'm a priest, I won't allow things like this. God bless

Why is this never mentioned before the mass, before communion, in catechism or in church at all. Canon laws like this that can be broken easily should be reinforced and reminded either in bulleten literature, before mass or during announcements. Some people dont even know this exists.

I never knew this. So if I'm right before receiving the Eucharist we have to be fasting for one hour ?

Glad they've changed it to 1 hour before, as I know that I'd not be able to last too long without drinking water (at the very least).

I don't get it. The first Eucharist happened right after supper!

They should fast at least one hour before the mass starts. One hour before communion is not really fasting. We really should go back to start fasting before you go to bed.

I fast everyday. From 5pm to 1 or 2 pm next day

can I ask what is Jansenism and how it affect the church?

@ Father Jim Baron >> 5:42

Bienvenidos

I was taught this way. Only 1 hour before mass seems ridicculous.

Breakfast aka breaking the fast

🙏🙇‍♂🙏.

dose christians fast? there is a time or day for it?

My problem is it's gotten to the point you're practically ok unless you are eating in church

What's lost in this presentation is that 'going to Mass' is not the same as 'receiving the Eucharist'. The Churches current laws on fasting, especially before receiving the Eucharist are laughably easy - not much of a sacrafice at all. Adjusting the law for priests doing kultiple Masses makes a lot of sense. But how can this priest say in one breath that "no one should ever miss out on the Eucharist because of a fasting issue" AND "that fasting is an indispensable part of our tradition"?

I cant receive the Eucharist ... but I still fast before mass

I understand and appreciate the need to make allowances in cases where there is genuine pastoral necessity. However, it seems to me that to reduce the fast to one hour prior to communion (that is, the moment of reception and not the commencement of the Mass), is essentially a way of removing the fast entirely without explicitly admitting that this is what is being done. In fact, it is so brazen that it would be hilarious if it weren't such a spiritually significant matter. I was raised Anglo-Catholic and the communion fast was just what we did. I have now been Orthodox for 15 years, where the communion fast is kept strictly. So this has been part of my discipline for my whole life. Looking back at all of the churches that I have attended regularly, I could have eaten a bacon sandwich as I was leaving the house to go to church on Sunday morning, and according to the 1-hour rule, I would have been considered to have kept the communion fast. In fact, I can think of some Masses I've been to where I could have had a burger during the opening hymn and still this would have satisfied the 1-hour rule. How can anybody call this a preparatory fast and expect to be taken seriously? Fr Casey, I have watched your videos for about 18 months now and I love the work you do, but the indefensible just cannot be defended.

In the Orthodox Church we still keep the old fast. But I have a question; Why were Christians of the first century eating before the Eucharist?

most people don't know this rule, let alone observe it, nor do they know the rules for Friday penance among many other things.....

It was when I was growing up into the Catholic faith,why should it not be now ? What was then shove now ?”ok”

Why is the picture of Hippolytus an icon of Jacob

But I though communion was not to be celebrated afternoon except for the midnight mass of Christmas and the Vigil of Easter anyway. Granted I am just a protestant and may be wrong.

Us Muslims still do this. From dawn till dusk for a month. Expections are women on their periods the terminally ill.and very old.

A friend of mine said she saw a person bring a starbucks in to mass

One debate I've always had with Catholics outside of my immediate family is over when to fast before Mass. The wording is "to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion," so I know many people who feel justified in eating up until about 15 minutes before the start of Mass and assume that they will receive Communion 45 minutes into the Mass. This has never made sense to me because Masses can vary in length depending on the length of the homily, if there's music, which version of the Eucharistic prayers are said, etc. Not only that, but no one actually brings food to eat in the middle of Mass anyway, so why should the majority of the Mass count toward the fast? Because of that, I begin my fast an hour before the start of Mass instead of an hour before when I think Communion might be. I don't usually say anything unless someone tries to get me to eat within that hour, and when I do people quickly tell me I'm wrong. What should I say in these situations? And was it actually okay that I got invited to a doughnut party for religion teachers immediately prior to a daily Mass?

by sick you meant physically sick, right? how about being sick because of psychological/emotional problems?

Is it 1 Hour before the exact time of Communion being given, or 1 Hour before the start of the Mass?

Fast at least an hour because when you are hungry, you long for the Lord.

I fast before mass, but by accident i dont even do it intentionally lol

Could you do a video on the Novous Ordo missae bring "illicit" and "valid"? It IS a NEW Mass right?

Sick people can benefit from fasting, perhaps more than any other group. I say this as someone who has experienced illness and the help a lengthy fast (in my case up to or more than a week) can provide. Fasting is good for you, quite apart from the reverence it can show for our Lord.

What about 1 Corinthians 11? This seems like y'all are putting unnecessary burdens on folk.

The Orthodox church still observes the midnight fast with the exception to the sick or permission from the priest. The video explained the challenges that some groups have with the fast but the Catholic solution seemed to be too extreme and disrespectful for the church tradition. Why remove the fast for the groups who had no problem with it? Just because it is hard? Well that’s the point. What I always admire about our Catholic brothers that they recognize problems and have ways to resolve but what I don’t like is that their solutions are always too extreme and relaxed which disregard the tradition. It is not a matter of sticking to the word of the law, but it is a matter that the benefit that law brings to the people when followed. I find the orthodox way is much more conservative to this.

Do Catholics believe that the Eucharist is Christ’s physical body or his spiritual body? Are we eating his flesh or his soul?

Boy that Catholic Church was sure burdensome, strict, and unreasonable before the 20th century.

Hello Father Casey, Jesus gave the church the authority just like in confession, they must use it for the goodness of the flock, who ever is in the authority. Lord Jesus love is sheep's and they follow him. Thanks!

Going to daily mass, especially after work or school would be largely impossible with the old fasting rules.

12am is experienced for 24 separate hours around the whole world, so basically you fast more than 24 hours. lol jk

All this absurdity for a man/god they cannot even prove was a real person.

Boy that Catholic Church was sure burdensome, strict, and unreasonable before the 20th century.