Receiving the Blessed Eucharist twice at the same Mass?

[Lampo]

Our annual church picnic was yesterday afternoon. We had an outdoor Mass and after everyone received the blessed sacrament, the priest told anyone that wished to go back through the line and receive the Eucharist again, may do so because there was “an abundance left over.” Many did. Was this permissible?

 

[Lorrie]

I think we, as lay people, are allowed to receive the Eucharist twice in one day.

Just because there are “left-overs” doesn’t mean they need to be consumed. After communion at my parish the priest always places the extra hosts in the tabernacle and they’re used for the next Mass or for those taking communion to the sick/homebound.

Maybe because you guys were outside the priest didn’t have a place to keep them? I have no idea.

 

[DanB]

I would say your priest is totally incorrect. He should have a ceborium there and place it (blessed sacrament) in a secure place until it was returned to the tabernacle.

It is permissible to receive twice in a day, but not twice in the same mass.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I think someone needed to consume the extra hosts since this was outside and they couldn’t be placed in the tabernacle. (You wouldn’t want to leave them sitting on a table somewhere until they could be returned to the church.) Depending on the quantity this could be done by the priest alone, or the priest with additional people. I would consider it the equivalent of consuming the extra Precious Blood after Mass – you can’t reserve it so you must consume it.

 

[Mannyfit75]

Our annual church picnic was yesterday afternoon. We had an outdoor Mass and after everyone received the blessed sacrament, the priest told anyone that wished to go back through the line and receive the Eucharist again, may do so because there was “an abundance left over.” Many did. Was this permissible?

According to Canon Law, we are allowed to received Holy Communion twice. I do believe it is allowable, especially if there are left overs.

 

[bpbasilphx]

In my experience in the Episcopal church, if there was a large number of hosts left over, the servers would help the priest consume them.

 

[Sir_Knight]

According to Canon Law, we are allowed to received Holy Communion twice. I do believe it is allowable, especially if there are left overs.

The Code of Canon Law (#917) stipulates, “A person who has received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only during the celebration of the Eucharist in which the person participates."

 

[otjm]

The Code of Canon Law (#917) stipulates, “A person who has received the Most Holy Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only during the celebration of the Eucharist in which the person participates."

While that is the rule, it doesn’t really address the issue, as that is usually presumed to mean that the second reception must be at a Mass;it is not, however, clear that the second reception could be at the same Mass.

However, it is also not clear that the second reception could not be at the same Mass.

 

[Sr_Sally]

I think someone needed to consume the extra hosts since this was outside and they couldn’t be placed in the tabernacle. (You wouldn’t want to leave them sitting on a table somewhere until they could be returned to the church.) Depending on the quantity this could be done by the priest alone, or the priest with additional people. I would consider it the equivalent of consuming the extra Precious Blood after Mass – you can’t reserve it so you must consume it.

That has been my experience during a similar type of Mass. Although it wasn’t “lots” leftover. I would think that most priests develop an eye for how many hosts are needed for a certain sized crowd.

 

[Karl_M]

I am an EMHC, and the rules are different for receiving and consuming.

Receiving is when you go to Mass, go through the line, and receive the Eucharist. Consuming is just that-consuming the extras.

At my parish, the EMHC’s assist the Deacon to consume extra Hosts and Blood after the Mass is over.

However, what this priest apparently offered was a double reception. Yes, you can receive twice in one day, but not like that. I’m not sure if he did anything that was in violation of Canon Law, but it was a bad idea to do it.

It is his responsibility to consume extra Hosts and Blood. His EMHC’s should have helped him. Telling people to come back for seconds is not the way to handle it.

 

[mystified]

This was an outdoor Mass where there was no secure place close at hand. In reality, you were receiving the Sacrament only once since there is only One Body. You are not going to communion twice in the same Mass when you receive under both Species, and a priest I once worked with pointed out that one is receiving the fullness of the Sacrament with either or both.

 

[Sr_Sally]

You are right. I was an EMHC at the outdoor Mass I attended (a teen thing) so my expereince was different than that of an ordinary congregant.