Communion on the tongue - technical question

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So, don’t want to start any arguments here, just looking for clarification! : )

I usually receive Communion on the tongue, but it seems more awkward than it has to be. It just seems to me, that rather than having a person “stick his tongue out”, it would actually be easier to have the communicant open his mouth, not having the tongue sticking out. Then the person giving Communion would just have to put the host in, kind of like a coin in a slot, rather than trying to balance it on the tongue (which seems like it normally has a downward arc to begin with). Then if the minister of Communion does touch the communicant’s mouth, it would be the lips, rather than the tongue (less gross, it would seem to me). Am I wrong? Maybe someone who is a minister of Communion (Ordinary, or Extraordinary!) could comment.
 
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This is how it’s done in Eastern Catholic Churches, except they use a spoon to drop it in.
 
What I was taught way back when I was preparing for First Communion…and what I’ve been told by priests more recently…is to open your mouth widely and stick your tongue out…waaaaaaaaay out…further out than you think is necessary. Don’t make them have to aim for a tiny space and hope to slip the host in.
 
The thing is, the priests complain of having accidentally touched someone’s tongue and then having to pick up the next host. WAYYYYYYYYYYYY OUT.

Way out.
I receive on the tongue and I have to stick my tongue WAAAAAAAAY OUT
 
How does one get over the feeling that it’s “inappropriate” to show your tongue? (ie. always thought of it in terms of indirectly “violating the 6th commandment” kind of thing.)

I receive on the tongue, but am so reluctant to stick it out any farther, even though I know I should.
 
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Also, be sure to tilt your head back when you stick your tongue out. This makes gravity work in your favor.
 
It’s utilitarian. I just was a eucharistic minister for the body for the first time this past Sunday. I ended up touching about 5 tongues. Part of it was my inexperience, but a large part of it is that very few did the 3 things (that I was taught in grade school in how to receive on the tongue. I rarely do it myself, but I remembered the teachings):
  1. Bend your head back, quite far, actually.
  2. Open your mouth wide.
  3. Stick your tongue out as far as possible, with a downward angle.
If your tall, then I’d recommend receiving on the hands (or making yourself shorter somehow) instead of forcing the eucharistic minister to reach up to you.
 
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The thing is, The Church has been doing this for 2000 year. She knows what works. 😀

The coin slot method assumes that the priest has steady hands and good aim, and can hit a (around) 2x2in slot.

In contrast, the tounge method is a (around) 3x3 area, and the host kind of sticks to a wet tounge, so its more forgiving.
 
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Interesting topic.

Personally I have always seen it as more practical and ‘hygienic’ if you like, to take communion in your hands as it avoids all sort of complications. I take it in the mouth though and know that taking it in the hands is frowned upon, mainly to prevent anyone desecrating the eucharist if I’m not mistaken.

I was taught to stick out my tongue a bit but not over the top as if I am sticking my tongue out at the priest, but this caused me complications as there were numerous occasions where the priest had little to go on and i had to push it in with my hand or suck it in as it was only just on my tongue and almost fell. I also think I used to try and close my mouth too quickly to avoid having to stick my tongue out at the priest too long and this also made it more difficult for the priest.

Now I stick it out a bit more and most of the time it is fine.
boclucky14 said:
If your tall, then I’d recommend receiving on the hands (or making yourself shorter somehow) instead of forcing the eucharistic minister to reach up to you.
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Pretty sure receiving on your hands is a no no in the Catholic church. I am very tall and there is no way I am making my self shorter. Im happy with every inch God gave me, haha. But on a serious note it isn’t an issue for the priest to have to aim his hand upwards a little [I never had a problem with it], just like sometimes he might have to aim it downwards, for children for example, unless you are very tall and the priest is very short, an vice versa.
 
A priest told me to stick your tongue way out and open your mouth wide. In fact I’d say he meant maximally open and wide. So he thought it easiest to have a wide open mouth and wide tongue. The trouble I have is having to genuflect, say amen, then open my mouth wide. It happens quickly and having to speak makes it more difficult to then properly open my mouth since it was just used for speaking.
Receiving from altar rails would make this easier!
 
This is the most reverent way to receive on the tongue. Approach the minister as usual, but when it’s your turn to receive next, turn to the person behind you. Signal to them not to move forward anymore, as this maneuver requires a lot of room. First, do a deep bow. Then genuflect as you would when when the Tabernacle is present. The next part is tricky, and not for the lukewarm Catholic, but it guarantees that the Eucharist will not be dropped or mishandled. You must go from the genuflecting position into a full body roll until you are lying on your back with your head towards the minister and your feet towards the person next in line. Open your mouth receive Communion. This method of receiving ensures that the Eucharist will never drop to the door, and avoids having to stick your tongue out at the minister. Good luck.
 
Well I would go as far as to say I am close to certain that there have been numerous Catholic sources encouraging not to take communion in your hand. I am not saying it isn’t allowed, but it isn’t encouraged. I can provide you with some links if you wish.
 
Polak said:
I take it in the mouth though and know that taking it in the hands is frowned upon, mainly to prevent anyone desecrating the eucharist if I’m not mistaken.
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Pretty sure receiving on your hands is a no no in the Catholic church.
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Polak said:
Well I would go as far as to say I am close to certain that there have been numerous Catholic sources encouraging not to take communion in your hand. I am not saying it isn’t allowed, but it isn’t encouraged. I can provide you with some links if you wish.
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I’m not sure what source you’re using. In my country, the USCCB is fine with either the hands or the tongue:
The General Instruction asks each country’s Conference of Bishops to determine the posture to be used for the reception of Communion and the act of reverence to be made by each person as he or she receives Communion. In the United States, the body of Bishops determined that Communion should be received standing, and that a bow is the act of reverence made by those receiving. These norms may require some adjustment on the part of those who have been used to other practices, however the significance of unity in posture and gesture as a symbol of our unity as members of the one body of Christ should be the governing factor in our own actions.
Those who receive Communion may receive either in the hand or on the tongue, and the decision should be that of the individual receiving, not of the person distributing Communion. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. If one is left-handed this is reversed. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing.
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(src: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...t/the-reception-of-holy-communion-at-mass.cfm)
 
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Where did you get THIS notion?
The Early church certainly did NOT receive on the tongue. That came along centuries later.
 
‘norms’ and ‘no-no’( aka a prohibition) are two very different things.

The establishment of a liturgical norm does not prohibit other options.
 
I didn’t mean to claim that.

I meant that “the Church has been dealing with logistical/liturgical problems such as the correct disposition for Comminion on the tounge (COTT) since its beginning, so she knows what works best, practically speaking”

Didnt mean to say COTT is 2,000 years old.
 
Good because it isn’t.
The history of Communion in the hand is often presented in certain quarters as follows: From the Last Supper on, Holy Communion was, as the norm, continually given in the hand. So it was during the age of the martyrs. And it continued to be so during that golden age of the Fathers and of the liturgy after the peace of Constantine in 313 A.D. And it continued to be the common practice until at least the tenth century.Thus for over half of the life of the Church it was the norm.
 
Tulitas said:
Where did you get THIS notion?

The Early church certainly did NOT receive on the tongue. That came along centuries later.
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Are you sure on this? Kneeling and receiving communion on the tongue dates back to Latin Mass, that was the first type of mass was it not? Since the Latin Mass was done away with, so was receiving communion on the tongue in some areas. I am reading now about how communion was taken on the tongue whilst kneeling until the 1960s, where people began to to take it in the hand.
 
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