Eucharist more than once a weekend

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Imiquimod

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I am music minister. I was always taught that you were only supposed to go to Communion once per liturgy. I could possibly go twice on Saturday if I played a wedding then played at Sat evening Mass. I often play 3 Masses on a weekend. The nun at our church receives communion at each Mass. Is there a definite rule or is it left to the individual?
 
Can.* 917 A person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 921, §2.
 
One may receive Holy Communion a Second time in a 24 hour day (Midnight to Midnight) if the Second Communion is during a Mass you participate in (not Communion outside of Mass or not say one just comes to Mass at Communion time or is walking through the Church at that time…but rather a Mass one participates in).

Once the clock strikes 12 – the counting begins again.

So it is possible for a person to attend two Masses on Saturday and two Masses on Sunday and receive at all the Masses.

But it is not possible say for you to go to Mass Saturday Morning…and Mass in the Afternoon and then again Mass that evening and receive at each.

(though I will note that a person who is dying can receive a third time --even if they have received 2 times earlier – as viaticum)
 
Thanks for your reply. I followed your train of thought untill the second to last sentence.
But it is not possible say for you to go to Mass Saturday Morning…and Mass in the Afternoon and then again Mass that evening and receive at each.

It seems to contradict the one right before it.
 
Imiquimod said:
Thanks for your reply. I followed your train of thought untill the second to last sentence.
But it is not possible say for you to go to Mass Saturday Morning…and Mass in the Afternoon and then again Mass that evening and receive at each.

It seems to contradict the one right before it.
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It is according to the clock. Midnight to Midnight.

When you get up in the morning – you can receive Holy Communion at two Masses that you participate in that day – up until Midnight.

(the second Communion must be at a Mass on participates in…not communion outside of Mass)

If you go to a third Mass before Midnight (or a second Mass having received Communion outside of Mass and received again at a Mass) (even the Sunday vigil) you may not receive.

But once Midnight strikes – the count begins again.

(I will note that the first communion in the 24 hour day (midnight to midnight) can be inside or outside of a Mass --even one you only happened to discover in progress)
Saturday from midnight to midnight – two Communions -the second must be at Mass one participates in.

Sunday from midnight to midnight - two Communions -the second must be at Mass one participates in.
 
Bookcat said:
It is according to the clock. Midnight to Midnight.

When you get up in the morning – you can receive Holy Communion at two Masses that you participate in that day – up until Midnight.

(the second Communion must be at a Mass on participates in…not communion outside of Mass)

If you go to a third Mass before Midnight (or a second Mass having received Communion outside of Mass and received again at a Mass) (even the Sunday vigil) you may not receive.

But once Midnight strikes – the count begins again.

(I will note that the first communion in the 24 hour day (midnight to midnight) can be inside or outside of a Mass --even one you only happened to discover in progress)
Saturday from midnight to midnight – two Communions -the second must be at Mass one participates in.

Sunday from midnight to midnight - two Communions -the second must be at Mass one participates in.
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Not doubting your claim, just want to learn…I’ve had a priest explain, as was posted by someone else, it was okay, as long as with a pure heart and participating in the liturgy…but the 12 o’clock to 12 o’clock I’ve never heard before…is there a reference>

Pax
 
Neofight said:
but the 12 o’clock to 12 o’clock I’ve never heard before…is there a reference>
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Yes, canon law:

Can. 202 §1. In law, a day is understood as a period consisting of 24 continuous hours and begins at midnight unless other provision is expressly made
 
Based on my original post,the priest that told me that it depended upon the liturgy was expressing his opinion and not Cannon law. For the past twenty years I’ve been denying myself the Holy Eucharist because of an opinion. Very sad. I’ve also been telling others.
Thank you for setting me straight. !
 
I’m glad I found this discussion - next Sunday one of my grandchildren will be making his First Communion at the evening Mass in his parish - and I always attend a Latin Mass in another parish. I wasn’t absolutely sure that I could receive Communion at BOTH Masses .
I’m happy to learn that I can,because otherwise I would have had to have missed the Latin Mass on that special day.
 
bluecake said:
I’m glad I found this discussion - next Sunday one of my grandchildren will be making his First Communion at the evening Mass in his parish - and I always attend a Latin Mass in another parish. I wasn’t absolutely sure that I could receive Communion at BOTH Masses .
I’m happy to learn that I can,because otherwise I would have had to have missed the Latin Mass on that special day.
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Reception of the Blessed Sacrament is not mandatory, it is not something that “we have to do”, and should be especially avoided if done only for the benefit of how others will see us.

It is not underscored enough that reception of the Body of Christ is a mystical union between Christ the Bridegroom and us, the Bride, the Church. Thus many a saint have rightfully referred to the Blessed Sacrament as their Sponsa Mystica.

Participation to the Holy Mass can be happily done without receiving the Bread of Life, and it is already a marvelous blessing, one that nobody will ever fully understand in this life.

If Holy Church has mandated that the Eucharist be received only once per day - twice in extraordinary situations and only during the same Holy Mass - we ought to listen to our shepherd and offer our longing for the Eucharist as a spiritual sacrifice. Spiritual communion is always advised.

Pax Christi vobis
 
R_C said:
If Holy Church has mandated that the Eucharist be received only once per day - twice in extraordinary situations and only during the same Holy Mass - we ought to listen to our shepherd and offer our longing for the Eucharist as a spiritual sacrifice. Spiritual communion is always advised.

Pax Christi vobis
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It is to be noted that Holy Church has not mandated such.

Rather what we noted above is the what the Church states one may do or not do in terms of reception of Holy Communion in a day.
 
You are perfectly right, I expressed myself incorrectly. Thank you for pointing that out!

What I meant to express was that reception of the Holy Eucharist is a marvelous blessing worthy of our Lord’s infinite love for His Church, and debating whether a faithful may receive it once or twice a day, or how long is one day etc., seems to completely miss that point.

The desire for frequent reception out of sheer love for the Lord is a wonderful effect of the sanctifying grace…and more than once did the Lord praise such love by sending one of His angels to bring the Blessed Sacrament to some of His saints, when they could not attend Mass for some grave reason…such was the case of the blessed Emilia Bicchieri, of saint Agnes of Montepulcian, of saint Faustina Kowalska, just to mention a few prodigious communions acknowledged by the Church.

In the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas clearly points this out when he states (emphasis is mine):
"…*it is profitable to receive it daily *so as to receive its fruits daily…The second thing to be considered is on the part of the recipient, who is required to approach this sacrament with great reverence and devotion. Consequently, if anyone finds that he has these dispositions every day, he will do well to receive it daily.Hence, Augustine after saying, “Receive daily, that it may profit thee daily,” adds: “So live, as to deserve to receive it daily.” But because many persons are lacking in this devotion, on account of the many drawbacks both spiritual and corporal from which they suffer, it is not expedient for all to approach this sacrament every day; but they should do so as often as they find themselves properly disposed. "

In particular, the following point is worth recalling:
“Reverence for this sacrament consists in fear associated with love; because the desire of receiving arises from love, while the humility of reverence springs from fear. Consequently, each of these belongs to the reverence due to this sacrament; both as to receiving it daily, and as to refraining from it sometimes.”

As for receiving the Holy Eucharist more than once in the same day, it was St. Aquinas’ opinion that “Because our Lord said (Luke 11:3), “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are not on that account to communicate several times daily, for, by one daily communion the unity of Christ’s Passion is set forth.” However, Holy Church has allowed for exceptional circumstances in her Code of Canon Law, and we well know that what St. Peter binds on earth is bound in heaven.
 
R_C said:
However, Holy Church has allowed for exceptional circumstances in her Code of Canon Law, and we well know that what St. Peter binds on earth is bound in heaven.
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What Bookcat was saying is that Canon Law doesn’t ‘allow for exceptional circumstances’, it simply ‘allows’. There need not be any exceptional reason to receive a second time. Originally, when permission to communicate a second time was first allowed, yes, there had to be a special reason (a daily Mass and a Funeral or Wedding Mass for example). But since the promulgation of the new code in 1983 there is no such restriction.

Anyone who attends Mass and is properly disposed may receive Communion even if it is the second time that day and that, even if they are attending two Masses back to back for no other reason than they want to.
 
I understand.

However, it was for exceptional circumstances that the Church had allowed it.

The fact that the new Code does not explicitly mention it as such should not mean that we ought to receive the Holy Eucharist twice in the same day just because we want it to be so, even though we can - and yes, even though it is another Mass.

All I am trying to emphasize is that reception of the Blessed Sacrament requires that “proper disposition”, which may or may not be present if we chose to attend two Holy Eucharists back to back for no other reason that we want to.

After all, it is the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ that we are witnessing. Many a mystic saint have said that the Blessed Virgin and many angels are present at every Holy Mass, and the mystic Franciscan friar s. Pio suggested that we should assist to Holy Mass “like the Blessed Virgin; like the apostle John assisted to the eucharistic sacrifice and to the sacrifice on the cross”. That would be a proper disposition.
 
R_C said:
However, Holy Church has allowed for exceptional circumstances in her Code of Canon Law, and we well know that what St. Peter binds on earth is bound in heaven.
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Tis not an “exceptional circumstance”. No other circumstance is required except what is ordinary for being able to receive Holy Communion and that the second Communion be in a Mass one is participating in…

(or if one receives as viaticum on ones death bed…)
 
R_C said:
I understand.

However, it was for exceptional circumstances that the Church had allowed it.

The fact that the new Code does not explicitly mention it as such should not mean that we ought to receive the Holy Eucharist twice in the same day just because we want it to be so, even though we can - and yes, even though it is another Mass.

All I am trying to emphasize is that reception of the Blessed Sacrament requires that “proper disposition”, which may or may not be present if we chose to attend two Holy Eucharists back to back for no other reason that we want to.

After all, it is the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ that we are witnessing. Many a mystic saint have said that the Blessed Virgin and many angels are present at every Holy Mass, and the mystic Franciscan friar s. Pio suggested that we should assist to Holy Mass “like the Blessed Virgin; like the apostle John assisted to the eucharistic sacrifice and to the sacrifice on the cross”. That would be a proper disposition.
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You seem to be implying that anyone who wants to receive frequently cannot possibly have a “proper disposition”. Are you suggesting that anyone going to Mass and receiving daily is doing so just for show?
 
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