Communion on the tongue discouraged?

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Paul72

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Greetings in Christ,

I go to the Ordinary Form of the Mass and I reccieve Communion on the tounge. I am going to stop, however. The reason is because almsot every time I do, the Extraordinary Ministers give me nasty looks and even one of the priests makes a face at me.
I just want to know if you’d stop receiving on the tounge too. While I perfer to receive on the tongue, the ministers are making me feel very uncomfortable. I feel very awkard receiving from them in this way.

Thank you and God bless.
 
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Paul72 said:
The reason is because almsot every time I do, the Extraordinary Ministers gove me nasty looks and even one of the priests makes a face at me.
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I don’t understand why what other people do has any bearing on what you do.

First, the “he looked at me funny” stance could be in your head. Secondly, who cares? Receive communion any way you choose.
Paul72 said:
I just want to know if you’d stop receiving on the tounge too.
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No. I’m confident in who I am and I don’t really care what anyone else thinks. If I wanted to receive on the tongue, that’s exactly what I would do.
 
Paul72 said:
eccieve Communion on the tounge. I am going to stop
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I definitely wouldn’t! If I was in your place, I’d find another parish to attend Mass and support that parish with my time, treasure and talent!
 
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I would definitely not let anything influence your decision on how to receive the Eucharist. I used to receive in the hand but in the past year have felt a desire to receive on the tongue and that’s what I do.
 
I’m not catholic but from my understanding, you may receive as you prefer. If I felt I was being given crusty looks for on the tongue, I’d make an appointment with one giving me those looks and just ask him if you are imagining it or does he really not like it…and why if he doesn’t like it. Then you’d have enough information to know whether to switch parishes or not.

If I preferred on the tongue and in discussion he told me he didn’t like it and why, I would switch. If he exclaimed that he certainly didn’t mean to give disapproving looks, then I’d stay…no reason to switch.
 
When I receive, I’m generally too busy focusing on Jesus and making sure the Eucharist does not drop or spill so I don’t notice the expression on the priest or EMHC’s face. Even if they frowned I’d probably think they were concentrating or had a sudden pain in their knee.

I think you’re reading too much into somebody’s facial expression and you need to quit being self-conscious and receive how you want.
 
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That’s the same with me. I’m always afraid I’ll drop the host so all my concentration is on making sure it’s secure in my hands from when it’s handed to me until I put it in my mouth.
 
Me too, and even when I receive on the tongue (usually at Spanish Mass because everyone else does and I don’t want to interrupt the priest’s rhythm) I am concentrating on getting my mouth open wide enough and tongue out etc.
 
Paul72 said:
I just want to know if you’d stop receiving on the tounge too.
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Nope. Let 'em look cross-eyed at you (Isn’t that one of the Beatitudes?)

I actually had the opposite experience recently. I receive on the tongue and, because I am taller than most ministers, I usually stoop while doing so (not perhaps the most dignified posture, but the bishops of this country have asked us to stand rather than to kneel, so who am I to judge? Anyway) Recently the minister whispered “Thank you” as she placed the host on my tongue. 😛
 
Maybe double down and receive kneeling too?

But in all seriousness, don’t stop receiving on the tongue because you feel others would prefer you not to.
 
I receive only on the tongue, from a priest or deacon, only the Host.

One reason I left my previous parish, was because the pastor randomly selected the aisle at which he would administer communion (and would sometimes switch aisles while administering!), and there was no way ever to know which line he would serve. Changing lines was difficult as well, and as a result I rarely was able to receive communion — I just abstained rather than cause a scene. Even though I never had a problem receiving on the tongue, I would say that 98% of all communicants received in the hand.

My new parish across town is much better. EMHCs for the Host are used very sparingly (perhaps one Mass out of five or six), and there are only two lines. Receiving on the tongue is no problem and it probably breaks out about 75% CITH - 25% COTT. A few women veil, and kneeling in place (no communion rail) is not discouraged. I would kneel, but I have bad knees and back, and if I didn’t have a communion rail to hold onto, I couldn’t get back up and I’m not yet ready to carry a walking stick ☹️ This is the parish I should have gone to in the first place.
 
Paul72 said:
Greetings in Christ,

I go to the Ordinary Form of the Mass and I reccieve Communion on the tounge. I am going to stop, however. The reason is because almsot every time I do, the Extraordinary Ministers give me nasty looks and even one of the priests makes a face at me.
I just want to know if you’d stop receiving on the tounge too. While I perfer to receive on the tongue, the ministers are making me feel very uncomfortable. I feel very awkard receiving from them in this way.

Thank you and God bless.
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Honestly… No, I would not stop. And if anyone told me to stop, I’d be calling the pastor or bishop right away.

And if I didn’t have the bishop’s support for some reason, I’d move to another parish before allowing them to bully me into stopping.

God Bless
 
The universal law of the Church is receiving on your . . . on the tongue. . . . Communion on the hand is allowed as an exception (indult). . . .
 
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If they are giving you the stink eye, 🥴 but still giving you communion, don’t worry about it. It’s their problem, not yours.
 
Just a thought, though. As a EMHC, I am sure I sometimes involuntarily show unease, even disgust ,when administering to some tongue-receivers, when I get breath or worse, saliva on my fingers, due to the way they have their tongue not fully out. I have had to wipe my fingers on my jacket before now, and temporarily change to my other hand to give my fingers a chance to dry out.

Could that be the case here? Not so much the choice to receive on the tongue, but the way it is being done?
 
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It’s possible that those who have any knowledge of just how “germy” the tongue is are having a natural reaction to having to see and bring their fingers close. They might even be a little afraid of catching a virus or bacteria themselves, or of getting it on their fingers and then passing it to another parishioner.

Yes, hands are covered with bacteria, too–all body parts are. But the mouth and tongue are especially laden! Ick!

Now to alleviate fears, most of the oral flora and skin flora are non-pathogenic, although for someone who is immuno-compromised, ANY bacteria can be dangerous. Hopefully these people are taking precautions when it comes to receiving Holy Communion.
I’ve worked in a hospital microbiology lab for 36 years.
 
Paul72 said:
I feel very awkard receiving from them in this way.
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Keep receiving on the tongue and don’t let others dissuade you from doing what is right. You’ve stated that you receive dirty looks and you’ve noticed it on several occasions, so I doubt that you’re reading too much into it.

Don’t let the EMs fool you into thinking their approval is required.
 
You know it could have zero to do with you (unless it’s in your head). When I’ve distributed Communion in the past and someone presented themselves for reception by tongue, I’m sure I probably contorted my face, too — not in disapproval, but because that’s what I tend to do when I’m making a more focused, concentrated effort on a task like slipping a small Host into a very narrow opening like someone’s mouth that’s slightly open with tongue barely protruding. 🤷‍♂️ That happened far more than those who seemed like they knew how to properly receive on the tongue.
 
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