When did the practice of administration of Holy Communion to the faithful on daily basis originate?
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Fr. Pietro Lombardi, S.J. wrote
The way Pier Giorgio’s daily communions began is really strange. He came to the Sociale Middle School and right away agreed with my suggestion to receive Holy Communion every day. But he astounded me when asked if this would be religiously and morally possible. When I said it would be, he followed the example of many other students and began to come to Holy Communion every day. Some days passed, when one fine morning I saw coming toward me Mrs. Adelaide Frassati. In my opinion her religious practice was a bit too formal, and not very profound. She was stubbornly opposed to daily Communion and she argued unsuccessfully against it, while trying at the same time to understand its advantages... I had to give in on the matter of daily Communion, which she feared would become merely a habit for Pier Giorgio but not a sincere religious practice. In conclusion, the whole situation calmed down and became less of a problem. Evidently she didn’t know her son, and I had to agree that I would restrict him to one Communion per week. However, I said to myself: “This will do for now.” In fact, only four days later I heard a banging on my door: it was Pier Giorgio, jumping for joy to tell me, “Father, I’ve won!” I asked, “Whatever have you won that’s made you so happy? Have you hit the jackpot in the lottery?” And he shot back, “Hey, Father, you know very well what I’ve won – I can receive Communion every day. I just insisted on it!
This would indicate a kind of generational difference in attitude with respect to daily Communion, and that at this time it was not universal.
According to the Decree on Frequent & Daily Reception of Holy Communion
The Holy Council of Trent[...] makes the following declaration: "The Holy Council wishes indeed that at each Mass the faithful who are present should communicate, not only in spiritual desire, but sacramentally, by the actual reception of the Eucharist." These words declare plainly enough the wish of the Church that all Christians should be daily nourished by this heavenly banquet and should derive therefrom more abundant fruit for their sanctification.
The decree goes on to describe how Jansenism resulted in many taking the position against frequent communion, and others still taking the other extreme that one should Communicate every day. The Church responded in Cum ad aures on February 12, 1679.
So it seems that frequent Communion could be best said to have been encouraged at least as early as Trent. And it seems to have finally become a constant practice with St. Pius X. He also lowered the age of first Communion.
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When did the practice of administration of Holy Communion to the faithful on daily basis originate?
The idea of frequent or daily communion is something that real started in the Early Church.
Over the centuries, the idea of frequent or daily communion came and went several times throughout the history of the Church.
In the early Church at Jerusalem the faithful received every day (Acts 2:46). Later on, however, we read that St. Paul remained at Troas for seven days, and it was only "on the first day of the week" that the faithful "assembled to break bread" (Acts 20:6-11; cf. 1 Corinthians 16:2). According to the "Didache" the breaking of bread took place on "the Lord's day" (kata kyriaken, c. xiv). Pliny says that the Christians assembled "on a fixed day" (Ep. x); and St. Justin, "on the day called Sunday" (te tou heliou legomene hemera, Apol., I, lxvii, 3, 7). It is in Tertullian that we first read of the Liturgy being celebrated on any other day besides Sunday (On Prayer 19; De Corona, c. iii). Daily reception is mentioned by St. Cyprian (De Orat. Domin., c. xviii in P.L., IV, 531); St. Jerome (Ep. ad Damasum); St. John Chrysostom (Hom., iii in Eph.); St. Ambrose (in Ps. cxviii, viii, 26, 28 in P.L., XV, 1461, 1462); and the author of the "De Sacramentis" (V, iv, 25; P.L., XVI, 452).
It should be noted that in the early Church and in the patristic ages, the faithful communicated, or at any rate were expected to communicate, as often as the Holy Eucharist was celebrated (St. John Chrysostom loc. cit.; Apostolic canons, X; St. Gregory the Great, Dial. II, 23). They received even oftener, since it was the custom to carry away the Sacred Elements and communicate at home (St. Justin, loc. cit.; Tertullian, "Ad Uxorem", II, v; Euseb., Church History VI.44). This was done especially by hermits, by dwellers in monasteries without priests, and by those who lived at a distance from any church. On the other hand, we find that practice fell far short of precept, and that the faithful were frequently rebuked for so seldom receiving the Holy Communion (see especially St. John Chrysostom, loc. cit., and St. Ambrose, loc. cit.). St. Augustine sums up the matter thus: "Some receive the Body and Blood of the Lord every day; others on certain days; in some places there is no day on which the Sacrifice is not offered; in others on Saturday and Sunday only; in others on Sunday alone" (Ep. liv in P.L., XXXIII, 200 sqq.). Whether it was advisable for the faithful, especially those living in matrimony, to receive daily, was a question on which the Fathers were not agreed. St. Jerome is aware of this custom at Rome, but he says: "Of this I neither approve nor disapprove; let each abound in his own sense" (Ep. xlviii in P.L., XXII, 505 — 6; Ep. lxxi in P.L., XXII, 672). St. Augustine discusses the question at length, and comes to the conclusion, that there is much to be said on both sides (Ep. liv in P.L., XXXIII, 200 sqq.).
Strange to say, it was in the Middle Ages, "the Ages of Faith", that Communion was less frequent than at any other period of the Church's history. The Fourth Lateran Council compelled the faithful, under pain of excommunication, to receive at least once a year (c. Omnis utriusque sexus).
The Congregation of the Council (1587) forbade any general restriction, and ordered that no one should be repelled from the Sacred Banquet, even if he approached daily. In 1643, Arnauld's "Frequent Communion" appeared, in which he required, for worthy reception, severe penance for past sins and most pure love of God. The Congregation of the Council was once more appealed to, and decided (1679) that though universal daily Communion was not advisable, no one should be repelled, even if he approached daily; parish priests and confessors should decide how often, but they should take care that all scandal and irreverence should be avoided (see Denzinger, "Enchiridion", 10th ed., n. 1148)...This practice, too, was warmly recommended by Pius IX and Leo XIII, and finally received official approval from Pius X. - Frequent Communion
Daily communion as we understand it now was reintroduced by Pope St. Pius X on December 20, 1905: Sacrosancta Tridentina Synodus.
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