Weekly Encouragement November 1
Dear Friends,
As I've told you before, I am a huge movie fan, and I've written a lot about movies in various ways over the years. It has occurred to me lately that there are a lot of Halloween movies and a lot of Christmas movies, but not a lot of Thanksgiving movies. You may have noticed the same thing in retail stores: It's Halloween stuff from the end of the summer to the end of October, and then it's all about Christmas.
Most of us enjoy the food and fellowship of Thanksgiving; but in some ways, the idea of "thanksgiving" doesn't fit neatly into the world of entertainment and commerce. It's too complicated and therefore too wonderful. For example, it's not easy to tell the story of how our losses and our disappointments ultimately teach us lessons that make us better people. It's not easy to create a product that expresses something better than the dopamine hits of "scary" or "happy."
The Church - which exists for much more than entertainment or commerce - knows all about thanksgiving. It's our fundamental attitude, and therefore it's the name of our fundamental activity: Eucharist.
Keep reading below for a new reflection on abstaining from food and drink before Mass, as part of our ongoing participation in the Year of Eucharistic Revival.
God bless you all! I am thankful for you.
In Christ,
Andrew Petiprin
Director of Community Life
Christ the King Catholic Church
Today I want to share something practical - namely, I want to say something about abstaining from food immediately before Mass.
The Church's Code of Canon Law says that all Catholics except for "the elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them" are to abstain from food and drink for one hour before receiving holy communion, except for water or medicine.
Why?
First of all, it is noteworthy that there is no inherent theological reason why the rule of eucharistic abstinence has to be what it is. It is a matter of discipline, not doctrine. Nonetheless, it is something the Church has always done, and the discipline of abstaining from food before holy communion used to be a lot stricter than it is today. The Church rightly requires this discipline of us so that we fulfill our obligation to receive the Sacrament worthily and reverently. We're not just popping a grace pill.
As I said in a previous message, there is no such thing as communion without sacrifice. Christ gave us everything on the cross, and the Church prescribes for us all kinds of small and large ways that we give back to Christ in order to receive the precious gift of his body, blood, soul, and divinity.
The requirement of "one hour" helps us avoid the laziness of the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night when Jesus was betrayed. Finding his followers asleep, Jesus says to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:40-41).
The flesh is weak indeed. And the Devil and his servants prey on us in our weakness. But really, it's not a big deal to avoid food for a short time before communion. Instead of letting it feel like a drag, let it feel instead like a joy and a privilege. We can watch with Our Lord for one hour!
Prayer:
Father, cleanse my heart and mind to feast on the bread of heaven, your son, Jesus Christ. Give me patience and endurance as I await the gift of your grace, offered in abundance in the Sacrament of the altar. Make me grateful to receive you and eager to serve you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.