Why do we fast for nine hours before Communion when nowhere in the Bible does it say that taking a sip of water after midnight makes me unworthy of Communion?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The practice of fasting prior to receiving Holy Communion—and specifically the period of nine hours—is rooted in Holy Apostolic Tradition, the canonical order of the Church, and profound theological symbolism.

1. Scripture and Holy Apostolic Tradition

Protestants and sectarians often demand explicit chapter-and-verse proof texts for every liturgical regulation, rejecting the fullness of Christian revelation. In the Orthodox Church, Holy Scripture and Holy Apostolic Tradition form a single, unified deposit of faith.

The Holy Scriptures themselves witness that not every liturgical rule was written down in the epistles. When St. Paul addressed the abuses of the Holy Eucharist in the church of Corinth, he gave specific corrections regarding self-examination and reverence, concluding with:

"And the rest I will set in order when I come." (1 Corinthians 11:34)

The regulation of the Eucharistic fast is precisely part of that apostolic ordering. St. Augustine of Hippo (4th century) explains this plainly:

"It is beyond doubt that when the disciples first received the Body and Blood of the Lord, they did not receive fasting. But should anyone on that account accuse the universal Church because it is always received fasting? For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit that, for the honor of so great a Sacrament, the Body of the Lord should enter the mouth of a Christian before any other food; that is why this custom is observed throughout the whole world." (Letter 54 to Januarius)

The early Church confirmed this canonically, such as at the Council of Carthage (Canon 29), decreeing that the Holy Mysteries must be received by those who are fasting from all food and drink.

2. Why Specifically Nine Hours?

The nine-hour fast before receiving the Holy Mysteries is deeply linked to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ:

• The Nine Hours of the Passion: On Good Friday, the period of Christ’s suffering began at the third hour of the day (9:00 AM) when He was condemned and led away to be crucified (Mark 15:25). He hung upon the Cross until His death at the ninth hour (3:00 PM), and He was laid in the tomb before the twelfth hour (6:00 PM). This entire span of His acute suffering and burial constitutes nine hours.
• Spiritual Participation: We abstain from all food and drink for nine hours to remember and honor the nine hours our Savior suffered for our salvation. It aligns our bodily senses with His sacrifice, so that we approach the altar conscious of the price paid for the Holy Body and Blood offered to us.

For a standard morning Divine Liturgy where Communion is distributed around 9:00 AM, the fast canonically begins at midnight (12:00 AM), which amounts to nine hours. During afternoon Liturgies—such as those celebrated during Great Lent or Jonah's Fast—the Church requires fasting from midnight the night before.

The Church, in her maternal discretion, makes pastoral allowances:

• School-aged children fast for six hours.
• Weaning infants fast for three hours (the typical nursing interval).
• Those with critical medical conditions receive dispensations through their spiritual father of confession.

3. Does a Sip of Water Make You "Unworthy"?

A sip of water does not alter your spiritual worthiness in an ontological sense, because no human being is ever truly worthy to partake of the Creator.

In 1 Corinthians 11:27–29, St. Paul warns against partaking in an "unworthy manner" (anaxios). In its core theological meaning, unworthiness means approaching the Holy Mysteries:

• Without repentance and confession.
• Harboring bitterness, a grudge, or hatred against a brother.
• Not discerning the Lord's Body (treating the Eucharist as common bread or a mere symbol rather than the true, living Body and Blood of God the Word).

However, the Eucharistic fast is an act of sanctification, reverence, and obedience:

1. Reverence for the Heavenly Food: The Lord's Body and Blood must be the first nourishment to enter the mouth and digestive tract. By abstaining completely from food and water, we testify that the Bread of Life is our true sustenance.
2. Obedience to the Body of Christ: If an individual intentionally takes a sip of water after midnight out of carelessness, compromise, or lack of discipline, the issue is not the physical water itself; the issue is willful disobedience and a lack of holy fear before the awesome Mystery of the altar.

If someone accidentally swallows water while brushing their teeth or rinsing their mouth, this is an accident, not an intentional breaking of the fast. In such cases, one simply confesses the incident to the officiating priest or their father of confession, who exercises the proper pastoral judgment.

Fasting does not make us worthy of Communion, but it prepares our soul and body to receive the Holy Mysteries with vigilance, awe, and submission to the Church's ancient apostolic order.