the Body and Blood of Our Lord?
There has been a bit of a flurry in the past few days over mention of a possible return to the 3 hour fast before Holy Communion as documented by the FIUV.
Australia Incognita, Fr Ray, Mulier Fortis and Joseph Shaw all remarked on the matter and there was some discussion about those who showed outrage at this Draconian approach that will return us to the Dark Ages.
Well, the normal politician's wheeze aimed at getting approval from whatever committee they might be attempting to bring round to their own point of view, is to first suggest a drastic solution.
In this case it could have been a return to the Midnight Fast - aaargh!
Those outraged faithful in Tonbridge Wells, and Fitzroy would have gone apoplectic.
And then....in you come with the fall-back solution of a return to the 3 hour fast which all, greatly relieved that they are not going to be asked to go without their Sunday fry ups, accept as a good compromise.
There are, of course, many from the traditional part of HMC who already observe the 3 hour rule....is smugness a sin? I think so.
But....I well recall the days of the Midnight fast and how, as an altar server at the 10.30am Sung Mass, along with my fellow servers, we used to count the crashes throughout Mass as members of the congregation fainted.
There were normally at least two or three; sometimes more if there was a long sermon.
Ah......the good old days.
The core position paper is well worth reading.
ReplyDeleteRichard!
ReplyDeleteThose faintings.
I'd forgotten all about them. Wow! they used to be quite spectacular especially when the unfortunate lady was carried out, unintentionally losing her dignity with her legs akimbo and her skirts riding up. Mum whispered to me once that I was to promise not to let her be carried out in that manner.
Who the heck could eat that amount of food before Mass anyway or would even want to?
The young, the elderly, and the sick are of course exempt, and someone who thinks he might get a bit wobbly might want to modify, but otherwise a three-hour fast is hardly a burden. I'm certainly undisciplined in nibbling throughout the day; a bit of denial would do me good.
ReplyDelete- Mack in Texas
"Eeeeek! Ze flashing robots!"
ReplyDeleteSorry. I've been watching 'ALLO! 'ALLO! reruns!
- Mack in Texas
These fasting posts have been extremely interesting this week.
ReplyDeleteI will as a result be extending my pre-communion fast until midnight (I should have been doing it anyway).
However, I may very well be permanently doing this as a result of changing to Latin Mass at Brigg. It is further to travel, but I think the time as come.
Just to keep you up to date with the Brigg situation there were 35 in attendance last Sunday and a mantilla count of 4. I know you like to be kept abreast of the situation in the shires ;)
ReplyDeleteOPN - a congregation of 35 is v. good in West Wales terms, excellent. More mantillas will come in time. God bless. Richard
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine, I must do more reading. Momangelica.....you are surely too young to remember the old fast (creep), Mack, welcome as always, thank you.