Catechism: A Quick Fast

by Rev. David Petersen

Jesus promises to be present for us in the Sacrament of the Altar. We eat His body and drink His blood. He forgives our sins and joins us to Himself. That union is not to be entered into lightly, for even though Jesus gives us this for our good, it can be rejected. The body and blood of Jesus are harmful to the soul if taken without discernment. St. Paul writes that whosoever “eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:27–29 ESV).

This is why we prepare ourselves for Holy Communion. To be truly worthy and well-prepared is to have faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” God gives us faith in these words through these words. We hear them, and by God’s grace, we believe them.We trust them. These words prepare us to receive the body and blood of Jesus. Thus prepared we receive what He has promised and what He wants to give: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

The main preparation for Communion is done in the worship service. The most essential preparation is to hear the Words of Institution. No one should receive the body and blood without first hearing these words. If you get to church so late that you walk in during the distribution, don’t go to Communion. But what if you get there just a little late so that you miss the opening hymn and the general Confession and Absolution? Some would abstain from Communion because of this. It is not necessary; you may decide to wait. It is up to you. As valuable as Confession and Absolution are for Communion, they are not the essential thing. The essential thing for preparation is the words of Jesus: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

Not everything in the worship service is essential or absolutely necessary to prepare for Communion. Neither is there any preparation done outside of worship that is essential or absolutely necessary. Nonetheless Luther teaches us that fasting and bodily preparation are a fine outward training. St. Paul knew this. He wrote that he disciplined his body to keep it under control (1 Corinthians 9:27). Jesus seems to expect that Christians will fast. He said, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face” (Matthew 6:16–17 ESV).

Fasting and bodily preparation are not necessary for a worthy Communion. All that is necessary is faith, but fasting and bodily preparation can be helpful. Faith does not live silently in the heart. “With the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10 ESV). Faith lives and moves and confesses. Faith rules the lips and the body and brings it into control. What happens to the body affects faith. Fasting before receiving Communion is meant to discipline our hungers and to remind ourselves of our frailty. What we need is not food for the stomach but food for the soul. What we need is Jesus, the bread of life, who gives Himself to us for food in the Holy Communion.

Rev. David Petersen is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is also on the Higher Things editorial board. His e-mail address is David.H.Petersen@att.net.

Who receives this sacrament worthily?

Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared,for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe.

-Luther’s Small Catechism

How do you fast?

Fasting means not to eat. It is normally done by skipping meals. Some Christians will fast during Advent or Lent by skipping lunch and spending the time they would normally eat in prayer and study. When they feel the mild hunger pains of the afternoon, it reminds them to thank God for all He has done for them in Jesus Christ. Many Christians will also fast in some small way before receiving Holy Communion. This can be as simple as skipping breakfast on Sunday morning so that your first food of the week is the Body and Blood of Jesus.