Mass twice in a day

[ajg]

My “Sunday’s” are on Wednesday’s due to my work schedule. I typically wake up early and go to mass. Well next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. My wife mentioned that she wanted to go to see what Ash Wednesday is all about. Is there anything saying I shouldn’t receive communion twice in the same day?

Also, can a Protestant participate in the ashes on the forehead?

 

[Maximilian75]

no. twice is the maximum a lay person can reccieve in a day.

AFAIK, anyone can reccieve ashes.

 

[Fauken]

I would add to this that one of those times must be during Mass.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Yes, a Catholic can receive Communion twice in one day provided that the second time is during a Mass.

Yes, non-Catholics can receive the ashes blessing.

 

[Augustinian]

Also, can a Protestant participate in the ashes on the forehead?

Yes, and some actually do.

 

[jas84173]

Yah. Protestants have no problem w Ash Wednesday. In fact many Protestants give out ashes on street corners on Ash Wednesday. Not sure If that’s really appropriate but the heart is in the right place. I actually don’t know if getting ashes has to be done by a Catholic priest to be valid for Catholics. Like if I got them from some Protestant minster on the street would it be just as valid?

 

[jas84173]

Yah true. Though I personally prefer getting communion by a priest.
I actually stopped being a Eucharistic Minister because I really don’t believe in it so I felt like a hippocrite.
Eucharistic ministers were only according to the GIRM of the Mass of Paul Vl supposed to be for extremely extraordinary circumstances.

Of course this is just my view and I know it’s basically fine by bishops. Just my preference. Not looking to argue with you. Though I do learn much from you haha

 

[FrDavid96]

… Like if I got them from some Protestant minster on the street would it be just as valid?

No. Sacramentals are acts of the Church.

Valid, however, would not be the best word-choice. Efficacious (effectiveness) would be better.

 

[FrDavid96]

It’s called “equivocation” meaning that they take a word that can have 2 different definitions and apply the wrong definition of the word to the matter at-hand.

Extraordinary minister means “not the usual.” There’s no doubt about it. Claiming that it means “non-ordained” is simply equivocation—nothing more.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass

Liturgy Guides

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass
General Principles

In every celebration of the Eucharist, there should be a sufficient number of ministers of Holy Communion so that it may be distributed in a reverent and orderly manner. Bishops, priests and deacons distribute Holy Communion in virtue of their office as ordinary ministers of the Body and Blood of the Lord. When the size of the congregation or the incapacity of the bishop, priest, or deacon requires it, the celebrant may be assisted by other bishops, priests, or deacons. If such ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are not present, "the priest may call upon extraordinary ministers to assist him, i.e., duly instituted acolytes or even other faithful who have been deputed for this purpose. In case of necessity, the priest may also depute suitable faithful for this single occasion (GIRM 162)."

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should receive sufficient spiritual, theological, and practical preparation to fulfill their role with knowledge and reverence. In all matters they should follow the guidance of the diocesan bishop ( Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds for the Dioceses of the United States of America, NDRHC, no. 28). When recourse is had to Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, especially in the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds, their number should not be increased beyond what is required for the orderly and reverent distribution of the Body and Blood of the Lord. In all matters such Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should follow the guidance of the diocesan bishop (IBID).

All ministers of Holy Communion should show the greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist by their demeanor, their attire, and the manner in which they handle the consecrated bread or wine. Should there be any mishap–as when, for example, the consecrated wine is spilled from the chalice–then the affected “area . . . should be washed and the water poured into the sacrarium [ GIRM, 280].” (NDRHC, 29).

Liturgy of the Eucharist

As the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God is begun, the Bishop or priest alone, or with the assistance of the deacon, and if necessary of concelebrating priests, breaks the eucharistic bread. /.../

If extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are required by pastoral need, they should not approach the altar before the priest has received Communion. After the priest has concluded his own Communion, he distributes Communion to the extraordinary ministers, assisted by the deacon, and then hands the sacred vessels to them for distribution of Holy Communion to the people.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

cont’d

All receive Holy Communion in the manner described by the General Instruction to the Roman Missal, whether priest concelebrants (cf. GIRM, nos. 159, 242, 243, 246), deacons (cf. GIRM, nos. 182, 244, 246), or Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (cf. GIRM, no. 284). Neither deacons nor lay ministers may ever receive Holy Communion in the manner of a concelebrating priest. The practice of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion waiting to receive Holy Communion until after the distribution of Holy Communion is not in accord with liturgical law. (NDRHC, 39; GIRM, 160).

After all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion have received the Eucharist, the bishop or priest celebrant reverently hands vessels containing the Body or the Blood of the Lord to the deacons or extraordinary ministers who will assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. The deacon may assist the priest in handing the vessels containing the Body and Blood of the Lord to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. (NDRHC, 40).

The proper and only permissible form for distributing Holy Communion is to offer the consecrated bread by saying, "The Body of Christ" and to offer the consecrated wine by saying, "The Blood of Christ." No other words or names should be added; and the formula should not be edited in any way. (Cf. GIRM, 161; 284-287).

If the Eucharistic bread or some particle of it falls, it should be picked up reverently by the minister. The consecrated bread may be consumed or completely dissolved in water before being poured down the sacrarium.

Should there be any mishap, for example, if the consecrated wine is spilled from the chalice, the area should be washed and the water poured into the sacrarium.

In those instances when there remains more consecrated wine than was necessary, if needs dictate, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may consume what remains of the Precious Blood from their cup of distribution with the permission of the diocesan bishop. The sacred vessles are to be purified by the priest, the deacon or an instituted acolyte. The amount of wine to be consecrated should be carefully measured before the celebration so that none remains afterward. It is strictly forbidden to pour the Precious Blood into the ground or into the sacrarium. (NDRHC, 51-55).

Similarly, "consecrated hosts are to be reserved in a ciborium or vessel in sufficient quantity for the needs of the faithful; they are to be frequently renewed and the old hosts properly consumed" (Code of Canon Law, no. 939). Burying hosts or consecrated Eucharistic bread is strictly forbidden.

Notes

Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds for the Dioceses of the United States of America [NDRHC] (August, 2002), no. 26 and cf. GIRM no. 162 and NRHC, no. 28

You may feel free to download and reproduce these materials in any form which you find meets the needs of your diocese or parish, provided that the materials are not sold in any form. If you reproduce any of the materials as they are, you include the citation: "2010, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

The Diocese of Little Rock in the United States has policies that reflect the practice in my own diocese in Europe…

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Requirements

Although the ordinary ministers of the Eucharist are priests and deacons, lay people may be commissioned to assist in the distribution of Communion. Originally intended for extraordinary circumstances, this has now become a common pastoral practice in the United States. (See General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 162.) For more information, see EMHC Policies and Guidelines Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC), both men and women, should:

**Reflect the cultural diversity of their parish community**
Be living in harmony with the teachings of the Catholic Church
Be confirmed
Be at least 16 years old
Be of sufficient maturity

Mandates

Each EMHC must be **mandated by the Bishop** of Little Rock.
**Requests for mandates are administered by the Chancery Office.**
Mandates are granted to EMHC to distribute Communion at Mass and to the sick. A person may serve in both ministries but should be mandated for each ministry.
EMHC to the sick are also issued an I.D. card.
EMHC mandates are issued for three years **and can be renewed indefinitely**.
The Application Form for Extraordinary Minister of Communion should be signed by the pastor before being submitted to the Chancery Office.

Thus our laity and Religious can fulfil this critical ministry across decades.

 

[Augustinian]

Originally intended for extraordinary circumstances, this has now become a common pastoral practice in the United States

I agree that this is the key phrase of this document.

If people weren’t cool with the EM ministry as it is currently constituted, the people wouldn’t sign on to be part of it. The men and women who are participating actively in the distribution of communion do so voluntarily, and have to be trained and formed for the task- they are among the more active/involved/committed Catholics.

if the faithful weren’t accepting of it, this ministry would collapse because of disinterest.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I agree that this is the key phrase of this document.

Frankly, I think an even finer point needs to be put upon this matter.

We have had non-ordained ministers of the Church distributing Eucharist, exposing the Blessed Sacrament, and visiting/providing pastoral care for the sick for more than 40 years in my diocese. And this form of ministry is expanding, not contracting.

There is no parish in my diocese – none – that does not have non-ordained ministers participating in the distribution or the handling of the Eucharist in one fashion or another.

Many of our Houses of Religious have at least one person designated for this ministry…whether they distribute the chalice while the Presider of their Eucharist distibutes the consecrated Hosts or because one of the Religious does the exposition of the Sacrament because they do not have a resident chaplain.

There is simply no sense in contending that something that has happened for 40 years is “unusual” or, worse, exceptional. Granted, my diocese happens to be hundreds of years old, so if one wants to go back to the founding of the diocese, one can say that events spanning a mere 40 years are but a small part of the grand scheme of things – but in any meaningful sense for human beings, that which spans 40 years of a lifespan that is of human duration is no longer “unusual” or “exceptional.”

One example I like to use involved a parish I would help out at in the United States, when my work took me there. Its capacity for seating was over 1800…and it was full for Sunday Masses. For large Masses, the normal ratio is two chalices to one ciborium. At this parish, I was assisted by 14 extraordinary ministers. I was the only cleric. There were 14 extraordinary ministers to 1 ordinary minister.

5 ciboria. 10 chalices. Even so, I myself was personally giving Communion to almost 400 people – in other words, it was a relatively long period required for Communion. Almost a quarter of an hour. This was not an “unusual” occurrence…it was the “usual” for Masses on Sunday, occurring across many years.

This is all a model that is still evolving in our renewed and reformed liturgy – and I expect that future documents from the Holy See will take a much more enlightened approach than what occurred in a certain span of years, some years ago, regarding non-ordained involvement in ecclesial ministry.

Lay Ecclesial Ministers will fill an ever broadening need – and will not be seen as somehow transitory or “ad tempus” but as the permanent and important fixture in the Church’s life that these lay ministers actually are.

The use of lay ministers is a great blessing to the Church and their use is to be made even broader and more extensive.

 

[Augustinian]

And this form of ministry is expanding, not contracting.

There is no parish in my diocese – none – that does not have non-ordained ministers participating in the distribution or the handling of the Eucharist in one fashion or another.

There is simply no sense in contending that something that has happened for 40 years is “unusual” or, worse, exceptional.

If there was a great difficulty in recruiting and forming people for this ministry, a different approach would have to be considered. At this point in time, its working fine, after as you point out 40 years- enough time for several generations of ministers to have come and gone.