I went to Catholic schools for twelve years but I never fasted. All I knew was that people used to fast. Once upon a time it was custom for Catholics to fast from midnight Sunday until mass the next morning. In 1964 Pope Paul VI changed this to a one hour fast before receiving communion. Which, assuming communion is towards the end of mass, means that you can’t eat for, like, fifteen minutes before church.
My question is: when did we (Catholics) lose the ability for communal fasting?
My question is: are we really that hungry?
Anne Foster 