Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Holy Day Of Obligation - Ash Wednesday


penguin

Recommended Posts

penguin Community Regular

So it's Ash Wednesday, and as much as I'm an admitted CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Catholic, I do try to observe the big days of obligation. It's my plan to go to mass today, but I can't take communion, right? There's wheat in the wafers?

And fasting? Am I required to fast? I have some trouble with hypoglycemia, I've fasted before OK, but I don't know how my body is going to react since gluten free.

Any thoughts on this? I think the priest in my parish is probably busy today...


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Lollie Enthusiast

I have had this type of discussion already! Search for communion. I think you might find the past lines interesting and helpful.

Your right that you can't take the wafer. It is most definantly wheat- depending on how your parish does it, you might be able to take the wine only....if they do not dip the wafers. But, on the bright side, you can get your ashes....free of gluten! :D HaHa!!!!!! About fasting, that's a little tricky but from what I understand, you chose a fast of something....not everything, ie no meat.

Hopefully some others will post, but that is what I know! I hope that it helps you!

Have a blessed day!

Lollie

ravenwoodglass Mentor
So it's Ash Wednesday, and as much as I'm an admitted CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Catholic, I do try to observe the big days of obligation. It's my plan to go to mass today, but I can't take communion, right? There's wheat in the wafers?

And fasting? Am I required to fast? I have some trouble with hypoglycemia, I've fasted before OK, but I don't know how my body is going to react since gluten free.

Any thoughts on this? I think the priest in my parish is probably busy today...

If you are not recieving communion you are not required to fast. The fast is intended to keep you 'pure' until you had recieved the host - if my memory for catachism is correct. I am assuming you are catholic and as the other poster said the wafer is not safe for you. You may want to contact your parish priest on another day and see if they accept a gluten-free alternative but if you do a search for communion like the other poster said you may find your answers. I would go to the service anyway if I wanted to, personally I believe God understands.

penguin Community Regular

I've been fasting and I feel sick, in spite of the protein shake I'm drinking. I think I fall into the sick category for now, which means I'm not subject to fasting, either.

On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday you're supposed to fast all day, with one modest meal with no meat.

On normal mass days, you are supposed to fast until communion.

jerseyangel Proficient

All the ins and outs of fasting are here--

Open Original Shared Link

penguin Community Regular

I found this on a blog out there in cyberspace:

In the end, taking any form of communion at all is a grave risk to his health. I can only imagine what the Last Supper would have been like if one of the Apostles had Celiac’s Disease.

“Do this in memory of Me.”

“But Lord, I can’t eat wheat. It makes me flatulent at best, and at worst it perforates my intestines.”

“Well James, I’m afraid you just don’t get any. Now go take your rice crackers and play with the Buddhists instead. Even the Protestants won’t touch that stuff.”

“Um, Jesus, any chance we could get a dispensation for goose barnacles during Lent?”

“Sure thing, man. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.“

“So goose barnacles are okay?”

“Completely. And puffins too. And capybaras, and if you happen to live in Ireland…”

Pretty much.

Here's a link to that: Open Original Shared Link disease=1

Susan123 Rookie

These are the rules from my church. If you are under 17 or over 50 something you don't have to fast. If you fall in the age range fasting is 2 small meals and one regular meal no snacking in between.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



killernj13 Enthusiast

I always thought if you had a medical condition which could be affected by fasting you were obsolved from doing it. Isn't that the reason they but an age limit on it. I think we fall under that category. Again, this is everyone's own personal decision.

lorka150 Collaborator

Somewhat of a sidenote:

My Polish family breaks communion and says a prayer before dinner every Christmas Eve. This year, I was very sad that it wasn't going to happen.

Anyway, so I baked up nine gingerbread men, labelled them per person, and we broke those instead. A little silly, maybe, but a new tradition that we all loved.

It is the prayer that is important, anyway.

debmidge Rising Star

I think I also understood the fasting rules - that if you have a medical condition where fasting would interfere with your health, whether blood sugar or any other disease you are exempt.

tarnalberry Community Regular

if you opt to try fasting, make sure to 'wean' down your carbs before hand - have plenty of protein and fat the days before, and no single meals high in carbs. but I do believe there are medical 'exemptions' to the fast.

Jnkmnky Collaborator

Ash wednesday is not a holy day of obligation. Fasting is not a commandment, just tradition. I am really having problems with the Catholic church lately. I can't stand all the hoops they put up for us to jump through. If you want to follow all of the rules, then do your best. If not, don't imagine God's up there checking off all the "disappointing" things you fail to do that arise from Catholic Tradition. It's really so sad that the leadership of the Catholic church has it's members so nervous about "failing" all these traditions.

Lollie Enthusiast

I just wanted to add my own interpretation:

I believe that all of this is symbolic, I know that isn't particularly Catholic.....

I think that what the importance of communion is the REMEMBERENCE part, not the bread or the wine. The importance of the day Ash wednesday, is the rememberence of what the ashes represent. The importance of the fast is that everytime you think of food, or what evere you have given up, you remember the great price Christ gave for us. It's all about remeberence. That's my thoughts!

Lollie

Jen H Contributor

Hi ChelsE,

I think you need to do what feels comfortable for you. I have fasted in the past, but due to various health issues, I don't fast now. I know that sacrifice is part of the Lenten season, so I hope God will understand my choice. I just show my sacrifices in other ways.

penguin Community Regular

I decided not to fast today, I was feeling too sick to do it. My blood sugar doesn't handle it well.

Yeah, I forgot it's not a day of obligation.

The communion thing is wigging me out, I'm going to have to talk to a priest about it. :unsure:

Thanks everybody!

NikkiLynn Newbie

About not taking the wafer. A lot of the local catholic churches around me have been offering gluten-free rice wafers. You have to call or contact them before going though. Here is a link to a website that one of the churches sent me about the gluten-free wafers.

Open Original Shared Link

Jnkmnky Collaborator
About not taking the wafer. A lot of the local catholic churches around me have been offering gluten-free rice wafers. You have to call or contact them before going though. Here is a link to a website that one of the churches sent me about the gluten-free wafers.

Open Original Shared Link

These aren't gluten free. They're low gluten. Great link though. Thanks. I printed it out for my priest if this is the route we go. Has anyone found a study that confirms no villi damage as a result of consuming these hosts? I'd love to see a study where a low gluten host consumer was biopsied and showed no villi damage. Thanks.

Deaconron Newbie
So it's Ash Wednesday, and as much as I'm an admitted CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Catholic, I do try to observe the big days of obligation. It's my plan to go to mass today, but I can't take communion, right? There's wheat in the wafers?

And fasting? Am I required to fast? I have some trouble with hypoglycemia, I've fasted before OK, but I don't know how my body is going to react since gluten free.

Any thoughts on this? I think the priest in my parish is probably busy today...

CheleE,

I would like to commend you for your concern about taking communion even though it be only three times a year. The option I recommend, the one I use is to receive only from the cup - the precious blood - this has been working for me for the past two years. Our Archbishop told me that he has a friend, who is a bishop who also has celiac so they are aware of the problem and he and the other bishops and priests understand. I would most certainly talk to your pastor about your concerns and I am sure that he will understand and encourage you, as I do, to attend Mass regularly.

penguin Community Regular
CheleE,

I would like to commend you for your concern about taking communion even though it be only three times a year. The option I recommend, the one I use is to receive only from the cup - the precious blood - this has been working for me for the past two years. Our Archbishop told me that he has a friend, who is a bishop who also has celiac so they are aware of the problem and he and the other bishops and priests understand. I would most certainly talk to your pastor about your concerns and I am sure that he will understand and encourage you, as I do, to attend Mass regularly.

I do go to church more than what I say, but I'm not the regular attendee I should be. Trying to go regularly opens up a whole other can of worms that I just can't deal with right now. I'm glad the Church will understand about the wafers. Thanks for your help :)

teankerbell Apprentice

I thought the same thing that Killrn said, if you have a med. condition, you are absolved from having to follow it. Call the rectory to be sure.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,756
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Lisa W.
    Newest Member
    Lisa W.
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • DebJ14
      As my doctor said, you don't have to eat breakfast food for breakfast.  I may have a leftover piece of chicken and left over squash or eggs or I am actually more likely to skip breakfast as I do intermittent fasting.  In that case I eat lunch around 11:30 and have some guacamole and a salad with chicken or tuna.  For dinner I have pork, shrimp, chicken, lamb, or turkey with half a baked sweet potato and some broccoli, green beans, beets, carrots or cauliflower.  I do not eat any grains on the advice of my doctor.  I do not eat commercially processed products, even if they say they are gluten-free.  I make Warrior Bread every few weeks.  It has no yeast and contains almond flour and dried sweet potato.  Very tasty too.  A good book to help in this regard is No Grain, No Pain by Peter Osborne.  Thankfully, I can eat coconut and nuts and use those flours in baking and also use nut milks in cooking.  Since I am allergic to chocolate and vanilla, lemon is my go to flavor for something sweet.  My migraines totally disappeared once I went gluten and casein free.  I can occasionally eat certain high fat cheeses that are low in casein, as well as grass fed butter.  I use lots of Organic Olive and Avocado oil. The problems I thought I had with nightshades went away when I went fully organic.  And, the rest of my issues went away by avoiding the foods I tested positive to as well as avoiding all grains. I will be the first one to say that it is a very expensive way of eating, but thankfully we can afford to eat that way.  The good news is that I take no prescription meds at age 72.  At 54 before diagnosis, I was a mess and on a boatload of pharmaceuticals.  
    • lmemsm
      With that many foods removed from your diet, what do you eat?  I also have histamine issues and migraines so that takes out certain trigger foods and high histamine vegetables.  Have allergies to coconut and issues with nuts so those are out.  I'm beginning to think I may have to remove dairy and some of the grains beyond wheat to get allergies under control.  Just having so many issues figuring out what to make at meal times.  What's a typical breakfast look like for you?  Thanks.
    • knitty kitty
      @Healthforme, No prescription needed for thiamine hydrochloride, Benfotiamine, and TTFD (Tetrahydrofurfuryl Disulfide).  They are available over the counter.   Thiamine Mononitrate is not recommended because the body doesn't absorb or utilize it well.  
    • knitty kitty
      @Zuma888,  I'm so happy you're feeling better!   Thanks for letting us know of your improvement!
    • RMJ
      HLA-DQ2 is NOT a continuum 2.01 to 2.99, but I don’t understand HLA genetics well enough to explain it further.  It is not just one gene that is either this or that.
×
×
  • Create New...