Ask Father: Are you allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist more than once a day?

Ask Father: Are you allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist more than once a day?

Dear friend in Christ,

Yes, on certain occasions. The Code of Canon Law states:

“One who received the blessed Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only within a eucharistic celebration in which that person participates, without prejudice to the provision of Canon 921 [Viaticum or Holy Communion received because of danger of death].” - Canon 917

What this means is that the normal manner of receiving the Eucharist is once a day at daily Mass. Of course, one is always allowed to receive the Eucharist in danger of death.

However, if, for some reason, a person had to two opportunities to receive the Eucharist on the same day (say if you went to daily Mass in the morning and had a wedding Mass in the afternoon or if you went to a funeral Mass in the morning and then a parish liturgy in the evening, for example), that would be permitted. Receiving the Eucharist more than once a day is allowed in special circumstances but not normative.