How many times a day can you receive the Eucharist?

[NotWorthy]

I’ve got a friend that is confused on this issue. How many times a day can you receive the Eucharist? He went to daily Mass, then attended a wedding that afternoon with a Mass. He then wanted to go to Mass that Saturday evening because he was going to be on the road all day Sunday. He asked a couple of priests who each gave him different answers.

Anyone have any knowledge of this?

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

This is what canon law says:

"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
…
Can. 921 §1. The Christian faithful who are in danger of death from any cause are to be nourished by holy communion in the form of Viaticum.

§2. Even if they have been nourished by holy communion on the same day, however, those in danger of death are strongly urged to receive communion again.

§3. While the danger of death lasts, it is recommended that holy communion be administered often, but on separate days."

It does not seem that one can recive 3 times in the same day, though (that is my personal interpretation from the above)

 

[Sam88]

I agree with lifeisbeautiful, except that I believe that the Saturday evening mass may not be considered to be on the same “day”. I’d have to refer to an expert, but for certain purposes a liturgical day is treated as beginning on the prior evening, which is of course the reason a Saturday evening mass can fulfill the obligation. I would follow the priest’s advice - or if still in doubt one can certainly attend without receiving.

As far as the obligation to attend the Sunday liturgy is concerned, it is still met even if you do not for some reason receive.

 

[carol_marie]

I agree with lifeisbeautiful, except that I believe that the Saturday evening mass may not be considered to be on the same “day”. I’d have to refer to an expert, but for certain purposes a liturgical day is treated as beginning on the prior evening, which is of course the reason a Saturday evening mass can fulfill the obligation. I would follow the priest’s advice - or if still in doubt one can certainly attend without receiving.

As far as the obligation to attend the Sunday liturgy is concerned, it is still met even if you do not for some reason receive.

I believe you are correct with regards to Saturday evening. It isn’t the same as Saturday AM since it’s a different gospel reading? I think your friend was OK with all three because the Saturday AM was fine - then the wedding - fine again - then Saturday evening which is the vigil isn’t it?

 

[leaner]

I had this question the other day – different situation; I went to morning mass, received communion, then they filed the school in for the first mass of the 40hrs of Adoration – I stayed since I was already there, and curious to hear the homily (it was great) but did not receive b/c I wasn’t sure…

 

[Catholic90]

Just what happens if someone does receive multiple times in one day?

What’s the problem? How can it be ‘sin’ to receive Jesus multiple times all within mass settings?

 

[jmcrae]

Just what happens if someone does receive multiple times in one day?

What’s the problem? How can it be ‘sin’ to receive Jesus multiple times all within mass settings?

From what I understand, the limit of twice a day with the second time has to be at Mass is the current discipline because apparently there are a significant number of people who would otherwise spend their entire day searching for Masses and other Eucharistic celebrations to attend in order to receive Holy Communion all day long, rather than getting their work done.

Priests can receive up to three times a day.

 

[LilyM]

Just what happens if someone does receive multiple times in one day?

What’s the problem? How can it be ‘sin’ to receive Jesus multiple times all within mass settings?

It may or may not be sinful, but it is certainly completely unnecessary for the vast majority of people. Even priests need special permission to celebrate more than three Masses in one day for this reason.

There’s a kind of law of (rapidly) diminishing returns that applies in addition to the other reasons given, since the Eucharist is so powerful and grace-giving that receiving once a day is in most cases more than sufficient.

And I second the concern of some people neglecting other (and very necessary and beneficial) duties and leisure activities and spending all their time in church. For that matter I could see myself quite possibly becoming one of them in certain circumstances

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

I agree with lifeisbeautiful, except that I believe that the Saturday evening mass may not be considered to be on the same “day”. I’d have to refer to an expert, but for certain purposes a liturgical day is treated as beginning on the prior evening, which is of course the reason a Saturday evening mass can fulfill the obligation. I would follow the priest’s advice - or if still in doubt one can certainly attend without receiving.

As far as the obligation to attend the Sunday liturgy is concerned, it is still met even if you do not for some reason receive.

While it is a commonplace that liturgical days extend from sundown to sundown (and, in fact, according to the office I think they do) this should not be automatically transferred to one’s interpretation of the canons. According to your logic of the liturgical day enabling anticipated Masses, after all, Sunday evening Masses would no longer fulfill the obligation - which of course they do; the Sunday obligation can be fulfilled during a period lasting ca. 32-36 hours depending on your canon law society. I think unless the law specifies otherwise it is referring to calendar days. Therefore, receiving 3 times on a Saturday would be illicit.

 

[DiscerningDave]

So…question. My church does not have saturday morning mass. So, say I go to the vigil mass on saturday and receive. Can I then go to sunday morning mass and receive, too? Even though it is the same readings?
I try to attend daily mass, but since there is no sat a.m. mass…???

 

[LilyM]

So…question. My church does not have saturday morning mass. So, say I go to the vigil mass on saturday and receive. Can I then go to sunday morning mass and receive, too? Even though it is the same readings?
I try to attend daily mass, but since there is no sat a.m. mass…???

Twice in one day means twice in one day … whether or not Saturday evening is considered the same ‘day’ as Sunday morning, you would be fine

 

[MOMSLITTLELAMB]

I know that you can receive more than once a day if the readings are different. I am not sure that it is because of not getting your work done, but more from the lack of faith in the power of healing in receiving Jesus only once.

14 years ago I was attending daily mass at my regular morning mass church and the monsignor arrived early and said a mass prior to the regular mass. He announced that on this particular day you could attend as many masses as you desired and receive communion at each one. He was intending to say as many as he could.

Has anyone heard of this? And if so what day is it. I asked my priest this morning, but he had not heard of this.

 

[Phemie]

From what I understand, the limit of twice a day with the second time has to be at Mass is the current discipline because apparently there are a significant number of people who would otherwise spend their entire day searching for Masses and other Eucharistic celebrations to attend in order to receive Holy Communion all day long, rather than getting their work done.

Priests can receive up to three times a day.

I think priests can receive more often than that if they have to celebrate more than 3 Masses – as can happen at Christmas.

 

[dessert]

I’ve got a friend that is confused on this issue. How many times a day can you receive the Eucharist? He went to daily Mass, then attended a wedding that afternoon with a Mass. He then wanted to go to Mass that Saturday evening because he was going to be on the road all day Sunday. He asked a couple of priests who each gave him different answers.

Anyone have any knowledge of this?

Couldn’t he go to the evening and not recieve?

I usually just attend once unless there is a funeral which I try to get to but if I ate too late I don’t receive but still attend.
I think the answer is twice.

 

[Digitonomy]

I know that you can receive more than once a day if the readings are different.

The readings have nothing to do with it. You can attend the 8:30 mass and receive, then attend the 10:00 mass and receive again, same readings and all. The limitations are that you may not receive more than twice in a day, and if you receive a second time, it must be at a mass.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

14 years ago I was attending daily mass at my regular morning mass church and the monsignor arrived early and said a mass prior to the regular mass. He announced that on this particular day you could attend as many masses as you desired and receive communion at each one. He was intending to say as many as he could.

Has anyone heard of this? And if so what day is it. I asked my priest this morning, but he had not heard of this.

I don’t know about “as many as he could,” but I think priests are allowed to say an “extra” Mass on All Souls’ Day for the poor souls in Purgatory.

There’s a very good reason that there are limits to the number of times priests can say Mass in a day, and the number of times (two) that the faithful can receive Communion in a day. It is to prevent it from ever becoming routine or mechanical (perhaps a poor choice of words, but it’s all I could think of).

The following is an excerpt from a pastoral letter written by Bishop Joseph Martino to all the priests in the Diocese of Scranton:

It is the Church’s ancient discipline and practice that, except for very special occasions like Christmas and All Souls Day, her priests celebrate only one Mass a day. So august is God’s gift of the Eucharist, so important is the spiritual preparation for it, so careful and attentive must its celebration be, and so essential the thanksgiving to be made afterward as priests carry forth its grace to the rest of their ministry, that the multiplication of this central act in a priest’s daily life runs the risk of diminishing the value he places on it. Such a danger imperils the whole community of faith along with its priest. The law, therefore, is not an arbitrary one. It provides an essential means of fostering the holiness of the Church’s faithful.

I imagine that the lay faithful would run the same risk if they received Communion too many times each day. The rest of the letter can be read at http://www.dioceseofscranton.org/Bishop’s%20Pastoral%20Letters/MultipleMasses.asp

 

[chuck4010]

check out “the catechism of the catholic church” copyright 1994
entry 1388,page 350 and ref. to canon 917.
check it out !
quoting from it…“that the faithful may receive communion each time they participate in the mass”
…"is warmly recommended "
check it out !
make up your own mind with the above entries!
GOD BLESS EVERYONE

 

[MarkThompson]

check out “the catechism of the catholic church” copyright 1994
entry 1388,page 350 and ref. to canon 917.
check it out !
quoting from it…“that the faithful may receive communion each time they participate in the mass”
…"is warmly recommended "
check it out !
make up your own mind with the above entries!
GOD BLESS EVERYONE

No, don’t “make up your own mind.” The Church has determined for us what’s permitted, as the above posts have explained. Paragraph 1388 of the Catechism is intended to be a general statement about the value of having Communion offered to the faithful, not a specific regulation tailored for the unusual circumstance where someone goes to Mass three or more times a day. Even if it were, you left out the following: “… that the faithful, if they have the required dispositions, receive communion each time.”

 

[baltobetsy]

A day is 24 hours from midnight to midnight.
It has nothing to do with readings.
One may receive communion twice in a day, with the second time being at Mass.
One may receive a third time in danger of death.
This is an ancient thread which should be closed.