Convert's 1st communion, kneeling? on tongue?

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D0UBTFIRE

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I’m preparing to be welcomed into the Church this Easter and I was doing a little reading about receiving communion on the hand. I’ve very drawn towards traditionalism (generically, I don’t mean any specific ideology by that word) but my parish is very liberal. If I wanted to receive communion on the tongue, or whilst kneeling, should I just do it? Any tips on how I should do it? Or should I speak to the priest about it first? This will be my first communion, so I’m nervous to begin with. The idea of doing it differently than everyone else makes me even more nervous…advice?
 
I hope it helps you feel at ease knowing I attended daily mass this morning (the ordinary from) and a woman in front of me received communion on the tongue. It was perfectly natural and the priest did not even seem to notice nor did anyone look like anything out of the ordinary took place. Don’t read too deep into that good forum people, I simply mean everyone was perfectly at ease about it 😉
 
D0UBTFIRE said:
I’m preparing to be welcomed into the Church this Easter and I was doing a little reading about receiving communion on the hand. I’ve very drawn towards traditionalism (generically, I don’t mean any specific ideology by that word) but my parish is very liberal. If I wanted to receive communion on the tongue, or whilst kneeling, should I just do it? Any tips on how I should do it? Or should I speak to the priest about it first? This will be my first communion, so I’m nervous to begin with. The idea of doing it differently than everyone else makes me even more nervous…advice?
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Talk to your priest and be honest with him concerning your feelings about reception of Holy Communion on the tongue instead of the hand.

Recently Pope Benedict XVI has made it the rule that if you are going to recieve communion from him, you will be kneeling and it will be on the tongue.

That’s just information for you to have so you know that you are not alone in your thoughts and feelings.

If your priest makes a big deal about it, then just go ahead and do it the way you are told being that its the first time. Afterwards, you can choose to recieve on the tongue.

Hope this helps. Congratulations!!
 
speak to the priest beforehand and ask him how to receive properly on the tongue–he is required to honor your choice. He cannot deny anyone who kneels, either, but if he asks you to stand for the sake of uniformity, humility and obedience are the greater virtues.
 
Receiving on the tongue is supposed to be the normal way of receiving communion. I never receive communion in the hand, and I never will.

I would encourage you to receive on the tongue. Pope Benedict always distributes communion in this manner at his Masses.

To receive on the tongue, all you have to do is hold your hands in the prayer position. Tilt your head back slightly and stick your tongue out. Make sure you extend your tongue far enough because it can be difficult for the priest if you don’t. Don’t be embarrassed to do this.
 
I think kneeling and on the tongue ought to be the norm (as in the past), but when i make my first Communion at the Vigil, I intend to receive standing and on the tongue. Many people at our parish receive on the tongue, which is simple and unobtrusive. But no one ever kneels to receive, and I feel that doing so, for me in this setting, would seem a holier-than-thou type of thing to do.

I am not saying that anyone shouldn’t receive while kneeling. I am saying that I don’t want to appear showy, and feel that to receive this way in this setting would be showy and prideful for me. As in, it’s a personal decision to receive reverently without receiving pridefully. It’s about fighting down my own prideful attitude, not about what others think (hopefully).

If you can receive kneeling at your parish without being prideful or feeling showy about it, good for you! And congratulations on entering the Church, it’s exciting, isn’t it!
 
To all those who mention that kneeling might not be the best choice (ex. if the priest requests standing then obediance is preferable and the problem of showiness and pride) I have a question. My reason for wanting to kneel is because I believe it shows reverance. Standing shows none. If I’m going to geneflect beforehand to show reverence and then receive communion standing - well, why get down on my knees to then get up again??? I don’t see the logic in that option. So my question is, if my consciounce tells me I need to show reverence (by kneeling), is it really better to show obedience to the priest if he asks me not to kneel? Obediance before reverence? Really? And on the issue of pride/showiness…I’ve thought about this because obviously I’m afraid of sticking out, but my motives are not to stick out, so am I really supposed to be concerned about sticking out? If I derive any sinful/prideful thoughts from kneeling, isn’t it better to pray for humility than to eliminate an act motivated by reverence??
 
Receiving the Holy Eucharist on the tongue is the only way I have ever received it and I would never receive the Host in my hand.

But, kneeling - that is a problem. If I knelt (other than at an altar rail) I wouldn’t get up again without lots of help, so I stand to receive.😊

If receiving in the hand is the norm for your church then you should speak to your Priest about your decision. As to kneeling, you should abide by his decision. It is not irreverent to receive standing so I believe obedience should come before your definition of irreverent.

I like the way the Friars on EWTN receive. They kneel on one knee and it appears very easy for them to then stand up (of course, they are also young men).:rolleyes:

:blessyou:
 
puzzleannie said:
speak to the priest beforehand and ask him how to receive properly on the tongue–he is required to honor your choice. He cannot deny anyone who kneels, either, but if he asks you to stand for the sake of uniformity, humility and obedience are the greater virtues.
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This is very good advice, humility and obedience. If I may ask, I believe the norm is to bow for the receiving of Communion,but I have always felt compelled to genuflect. What is your opinion, in accord with uniformity,all other in my parish simple bow?
 
shepgard, puzzleannie generally comes up with the proper response and I agree with her here; but, in answer to your question - if you watch the Daily Mass on EWTN you will see that most everyone genuflects; but some, depending on their age, will bow.

I always bow before receiving - my days of genuflecting are over, I am sorry to say.😦

:harp:
 
D0UBTFIRE said:
To all those who mention that kneeling might not be the best choice (ex. if the priest requests standing then obediance is preferable and the problem of showiness and pride) I have a question. My reason for wanting to kneel is because I believe it shows reverance. Standing shows none. If I’m going to geneflect beforehand to show reverence and then receive communion standing - well, why get down on my knees to then get up again??? I don’t see the logic in that option. So my question is, if my consciounce tells me I need to show reverence (by kneeling), is it really better to show obedience to the priest if he asks me not to kneel? Obediance before reverence? Really? And on the issue of pride/showiness…I’ve thought about this because obviously I’m afraid of sticking out, but my motives are not to stick out, so am I really supposed to be concerned about sticking out? If I derive any sinful/prideful thoughts from kneeling, isn’t it better to pray for humility than to eliminate an act motivated by reverence??
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Yes, obedience is the best course. Disobedience is how several of the Church’s current problems have been created in the first place. Jesus knows that you would like to be kneeling, but He will treasure it more if you obey the priest’s wish for you to stand, purely out of obedience, than if you kneel when the priest has told you not to. Obedience, within the bounds of the Church’s teaching (which standing is) is reverence, so it’s not an issue of reverence. (I sympathize with you, I wish we didn’t have the standing, but we do and so under obedience we have to do it if told so.)
 
D0UBTFIRE said:
To all those who mention that kneeling might not be the best choice (ex. if the priest requests standing then obediance is preferable and the problem of showiness and pride) I have a question. My reason for wanting to kneel is because I believe it shows reverance. Standing shows none. If I’m going to geneflect beforehand to show reverence and then receive communion standing - well, why get down on my knees to then get up again??? I don’t see the logic in that option. So my question is, if my consciounce tells me I need to show reverence (by kneeling), is it really better to show obedience to the priest if he asks me not to kneel? Obediance before reverence? Really? And on the issue of pride/showiness…I’ve thought about this because obviously I’m afraid of sticking out, but my motives are not to stick out, so am I really supposed to be concerned about sticking out? If I derive any sinful/prideful thoughts from kneeling, isn’t it better to pray for humility than to eliminate an act motivated by reverence??
Click to expand...
In case this has anything to do with my previous post, I want to clarify that I am not saying that it is prideful or showy to kneel to receive. I simply meant that if I personally knelt to receive at a parish that doesn’t do that, my mind would be focused on kneeling and that fact that I was standing out, rather than being focused on receiving Christ. My own pride and self-consciousness is the issue here.
 
Okay, thank you all for your advice!

So definitely on the tongue. As for kneeling, obedience is best, so if I’m told not to, then oblige. There shouldn’t be any problem with geneflucting beforehand, right? I feel weird about bowing.
 
I just found this: Click here.

In which it says this:

“…while this Congregation gave the recognitio to the norm desired by the Bishops’ Conference of your country that people stand for Holy Communion, this was done on the condition that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds. Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon** nor accused of disobedience **and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion”.

So, according to Rome, it’s not disobediance to insist upon receiving while kneeling?
 
Doubtfire - why do you feel ‘weird’ by bowing? You should not be concentrating on whomever may be watching you. When you bow you are showing reverence, love, respect, etc. to our Blessed Lord.

You seem intent upon kneeling even if your Priest requests that you not kneel. You must examine your conscience and decide exactly why you are so insistent in this regard. Standing to receive the Holy Eucharist is not irreverent and it is the norm as decided by the officials of our Church.

Genuflect instead of bowing because you are obviously young enough to do it; but do not genuflect because you believe that others will think you more reverent than those of us who are now too old to genuflect.

Concentrate on why you are there, not who is watching you. :highprayer:

:blessyou:
 
D0UBTFIRE said:
I’m preparing to be welcomed into the Church this Easter and I was doing a little reading about receiving communion on the hand. I’ve very drawn towards traditionalism (generically, I don’t mean any specific ideology by that word) but my parish is very liberal. If I wanted to receive communion on the tongue, or whilst kneeling, should I just do it? Any tips on how I should do it? Or should I speak to the priest about it first? This will be my first communion, so I’m nervous to begin with. The idea of doing it differently than everyone else makes me even more nervous…advice?
Click to expand...
First of all - when we go to Church - we should never go for any other reason than to Worship and Adore Almighty GOD. Therefore - does it even matter what everyone else is doing? I would definitely tell the Priest how you want to recieve Our Lord beforehand. And if he tries to dissuade you , then I would have reservations about continuing to attend that Church. A Priest should be open to you recieving Our Lord kneeling. Only the most Liberal Priests object to this practise. The Pope himself prefers it. So it does come down your personal relationship with GOD and how you want to recieve him. No one else including the Priest should come between the Lord and you. The Priest is there to administer the Sacraments - not prohibit them.

Pax
 
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