Number of times you can receive communion in one day

[faithfulservant]

communion 3 times on All Souls day??? http://forums.catholic-convert.com/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif http://forums.catholic-convert.com/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif http://forums.catholic-convert.com/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif

i have a friend who swears that it is valid to do this… that All Souls day is the only day that you can receive communion at 3 different Masses the same day…

anyone able to confirm or deny… he said he spoke with the Monsignor at his parish (very orthodox and obedient) and it was confirmed…so i’m tending to believe him… so what is the reason for the validity of multiple communions on this day?

i was always under the impression that twice in one day was the most one could validly receive%between%

 

[SaintJVMan]

Well while I’m not absolutely sure about this (I’ve never had any reason to attend 3 masses in a single day), I think that you can receive as many times as you wish as long as you attend the full mass each time you receive.

 

[Marauder]

Unless you are a priest saying multiple Masses or in danger of death, you are only allowed to receive communion twice in one day. If you receive a second time in one day, the second time you receive must be at a Mass that you attend.

For the purpose of this requirement a day is defined as a calendar day, not Vigil to Vigil day.

If you go to two Masses on the same day you can receive at both. If you go to three, you are not supposed to receive communion at the third.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Oh really? Any reason why All Soul’s Day is the “one day”? I suspect it’s the sort of “gospel- true tradition” that has existed “forever” for this person because it happens to suit him/ her–however it is WRONG.

From EWTN:

One of the significant changes for the faithful in the Code of Canon Law which was promulgated in 1983 was the permission to receive Holy Communion more than once per day. In the past the law set certain conditions, such as participation in a funeral, marriage or ordination Mass. The new canon, however, simply states,

c.917 A person who has received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again (iterum) on the same day only during the celebration of the Eucharist in which the person participates, with due regard for the prescription of can. 921, part 2.

What it is saying is that if one attends a Mass after receiving Holy Communion previously that day, one may receive it again. If it is not a Mass, but a Communion Service for example, one may not receive again.

However, since the Church encourages the full participation of the laity in the Masses they attend, including Holy Communion (if they are worthy), the question arose whether this canon might not permit Holy Communion in any Mass, regardless of the number of times one attended per day. After numerous bishops asked this question of the Holy See, the Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of Legislative texts gave the following authentic interpretation, approved by Pope John Paul II,

Doubt: Whether, according to canon 917, one who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only a second time, or as often as one participates in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Response: Affirmative to the first; negative to the second. [AAS 76, (1984) 746]

In the accompanying commentary it was explained that the meaning of again (iterum) was to allow a second time, but not a third, fourth etc… The exception to this is the one given in the law itself, canon 921, 2.

2. Even if they have received Communion in the same day, those who are in danger of death are strongly urged to receive again.

Thus, Communion given as Viaticum may be received at any time.

One final note, this law applies to Latin Rite Catholics. Iin the Eastern Catholic Churches the practice of frequent daily Divine Liturgy (Mass) is not found, and so the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches is silent on this matter.

 

[Gratias_Grace]

I’m not sure if there is allowed an extra Holy Communion on All Saints day. I have never heard about it! It sounds strange!

Twice a day is what is usually permitted!

G.G.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Our church missalette says that a Catholic free of mortal sin can receive communion at every Mass that they participate in.

 

[faithfulservant]

thank you TE… this was indeed what i was looking for … and i had always operated under the assumption that the second time had to be like a wedding or funeral …

SK, therein lies the problem … your interpretation (forgive me if this is not “your interpretaion”) of what it says in the missalette would allow anyone to receive as often as they wished, as long as it was in the context of a Mass and the recipient were in a state of grace…

TE’s reply clearly tells us what is actually meant by that statement… when Rome speaks, we should listen… and be obedient to what is given … Redemptionis Sacramentum anyone?

 

[Church_Militant]

faithfulservant:

communion 3 times on All Souls day??? http://forums.catholic-convert.com/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif http://forums.catholic-convert.com/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif http://forums.catholic-convert.com/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif

i have a friend who swears that it is valid to do this… that All Souls day is the only day that you can receive communion at 3 different Masses the same day…

anyone able to confirm or deny… he said he spoke with the Monsignor at his parish (very orthodox and obedient) and it was confirmed…so i’m tending to believe him… so what is the reason for the validity of multiple communions on this day?

i was always under the impression that twice in one day was the most one could validly receive%between%

I’ve studied this: Twice a day provided you participate in the Mass both times.
A third would only be valid if you were in danger of death and were given Viaticum.

 

[faithfulservant]

CM, i believe it is only the second time that you receive that you are required to be at Mass… a communion service or for example, if you were a caregiver at a hospital or nursing home in which communion was offered to the person you were there taking care of is also valid for the first reception****

 

[tulipelb]

well One communion per day is enough as when we take the Eucharist Jesus will stay insid eus for 24 hours, so we don’t need to have more than one comunion per day but of course we can attend mass as much as we want, but don’t need to have more than one comunion per day.

But Priest are allowed to have comuinion more than once per day as for church reason they will celebrate per day more than one mass.

JG

 

[Marauder]

tulipelb:

well One communion per day is enough as when we take the Eucharist Jesus will stay insid eus for 24 hours, so

Actually this question has already been answered and the answer is twice in the same calendar day as long as the second time you receive is during a Mass you attended. The only exception to twice is if you are in danger of death. See above posts for actual quotes from church doctrine and see the Ask an Apologist section where this was also just answered by an apologist.

I don’t know where you get your 24 hour number from, but the Church says that Jesus in the form of body, blood, soul, and divinity as it is contained in the Eucharist is only with us as long as the smallest portion of the Eucharist is discernable. Due to stomach acid, this is usually only about a 15 minute period. Of course Jesus is always with us in other forms but not in the form as it is contained in the Eucharist.

 

[Erich]

Tantum ergo:

From EWTN:

Doubt: Whether, according to canon 917, one who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only a second time, or as often as one participates in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Response: Affirmative to the first; negative to the second. [AAS 76, (1984) 746]

In the accompanying commentary it was explained that the meaning of again (iterum) was to allow a second time, but not a third, fourth etc… The exception to this is the one given in the law itself, canon 921, 2.

I grew up with the understanding that the main reason for allowing reception of the Eucharist twice in one day was to account for attendance at both a Saturday morning daily Mass and a Saturday evening vigil Mass. Two different sets of readings, two different Masses (“one for Saturday, one for Sunday”) so reception of the Eucharist at both Masses was OK.

Not trying to split hairs, but I’m genuinely curious about the following two cases (though the first one appears to already have been addressed):

1. I have on numerous occasions participated (as a member of the choir each time) in both a Saturday vigil Mass and a regular Sunday Mass. I knew that these two Masses fell on the same “vigil day” and were thus (except for the homily) identical Masses with identical readings, etc. – many times even identical music selections. The consensus opinion of the posters on this thread would lead me to conclude that reception of the Eucharist at the second Mass would have been ok, both because it was a Mass and because it was a different calendar day.
2. As a Scout leader and a member of our Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, I have attended weekend retreats (held at our local Scout camp) at which an outdoor Mass was celebrated. One year, the priest miscounted and ended up consecrating one- to two dozen more hosts than were needed; he ended up asking several of us, who happened to be sitting closest to the spot from which he was distributing the Eucharist, to help him consume these remaining hosts as there was obviously no tabernacle. If theoretically I had already attended an earlier Mass that day, and considering that I was not in danger of death, would this have “officially” counted as my third reception of the Eucharist, or part of my second?

 

[tulipelb]

Marauder:

.

I don’t know where you get your 24 hour number from, but the Church says that Jesus in the form of body, blood, soul, and divinity as it is contained in the Eucharist is only with us as long as the smallest portion of the Eucharist is discernable. Due to stomach acid, this is usually only about a 15 minute period. Of course Jesus is always with us in other forms but not in the form as it is contained in the Eucharist.

yess sure what i mean is when we receive the eucharist Jesus stay inside us 24 hours spiritually speaking so that’s why we don’t need to have more than once per day.
it doesn’t related to the acid of stomach or digestive things , it’s theology meaning!
jg