Marie Cleveland
wrote:
|
|
Hi, guys —
- May I receive the Holy Eucharist at the Christmas Vigil Mass, Christmas Eve Mass, and Christmas Day Mass?
Marie
|
|
{
May I receive the Eucharist at the Christmas Vigil, Christmas Eve Mass, and Christmas Day Mass? }
|
|
Eric replied:
|
Marie,
Latin Rite Catholics may receive the Eucharist twice in one calendar day, assuming that the second time is within the context of a Mass. So you would be able to receive at the Vigil Mass, Christmas Eve Mass, and Christmas day Mass.
Eric
|
Bob replied:
|
Marie,
The general rule is that you may only receive the Eucharist once a day, unless there is a distinction in community. So you can receive twice in a day as long as it isn't a duplicate Mass for the same group.
That said, you can you can receive at all those Masses, although the vigil and the night time Mass gets a little close, but not out of the question.
Merry Christmas!
Bob Kirby
|
Paul replied:
|
Hi, guys —
I had been under the impression that the canon meant a max. of two Communions per one liturgical day.
- If Christmas Eve Mass, Christmas Vigil Mass, and Mass on Christmas day, all celebrate the liturgical day of Christmas, wouldn't that be three times?
Paul
|
Eric replied:
|
Hi, Paul —
There is no indication that this is a liturgical day and my understanding is that it's always been understood as a calendar day.
Yesterday, I looked up this canon in a canon law commentary (Canon 917) and it reinforced my take on the question, i.e., as long as you participate in the second Mass, you can receive communion twice in one calendar day. However, I'm willing to defer to Bob's take on the question. He's obviously done more research than I have and I do not want to be a canon law fundamentalist.
Eric
|
Bob replied:
|
Hi, guys —
That would seem to be logical, but no one I know follows that. If that was what was intended I don't think they made it clear.
Eric said:
There is no indication that this is a liturgical day and my understanding is that it's always been understood as a calendar day.
I was referring to the liturgical verses calendar day so the bottom line is twice in a calendar day.
The nuance about the difference in (context/community/liturgical) occasion doesn't fundamentally change that number. I do know that a dispensation (from the Bishop) has to be obtained if a priest were to say more than (2) two Masses in a calendar day; even he must adhere to the twice in a day rule.
That is what the priests told me, but I don't know if it is always followed.
Bob
|
|
|
