Difficulties receiving on the tongue

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Student09

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Since my reception into the Church a few months ago I have wanted to receive Communion on the tongue, but every time I attempt this, it doesn’t go very well and I end up reverting to receiving in the hand. The first time, the EMHC touched my tongue with her hand. :eek: My latest attempt resulted in the EMHC (a different one) hitting me in the mouth. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I have practiced in the mirror to make sure I’m opening my mouth wide enough and sticking out my tongue enough (looks rather silly, but anyway) but I always feel rushed when receiving Communion and so I’m not really sure if I’m doing it right then. 😊 Advice?
 
You’re doing it correctly. Not everyone giving communion has “good aim”; not much you can do about it except realize that this is the reality.

Open mouth wide, stick out tongue (downward) is about the best one can do.

Other than that, you can bring this to the attention of the priest or deacon, and they can pass that along to the EMHCs if they’re used in your parish.
 
Whenever receiving on the tongue, I always go to the priest. In fact, in my parish those that receive on the tongue are specially instructed to receive from the priest or deacon as they are more experienced.
 
One priest in our Parish always, ALWAYS touches my tongue or my mouth in some way when distributing Communion to me. It’s so weird, I rarely have problems with other people. When I DO have problems, if it’s an EMHC, I figure it’s because they don’t distribute Communion this way very often, when it’s a priest or deacon, I figure it’s my fault and try to open my mouth wider (which I do with this one priest, but for some reason…:rolleyes:🤷).

Anyway, even when a hand touches my tongue or mouth, it doesn’t really bother me that much. The person would have to be seriously ill or VERY dirty for it to affect me in any way as I don’t have a low immune system. I say, don’t worry about it unless you’re concerned about dropping the host. Which, I have never had happen, or almost happen even. A finger touching your tongue is odd, but try to change your focus to Who you are receiving and focus on Him and on Him on the Crucifix. 🙂
 
Sounds like you are doing everything correctly and it is the Extraordinary Minister who needs some instruction. I recently began receiving on the tongue again after many years of receiving in the hand. While both are correct in the United States, various articles I had read on the topic led me to opt for receiving on the tongue as reflective of a more reverential posture for me (and I’m not criticizing anyone who chooses to receive in the hand, by the way).

Anyways, the point I wanted to make was that I always make sure that my hands are down and folded together as I approach the EM so there is no misinterpretation of the way I choose to receive. This is also a help to me as I approach the EM in keeping me from automatically raising and cupping my hands out of ingrained habit without thinking as it was previously the way I received for so many years.
Peace.
All creation gives praise to God simply by being what the Creator intended. :harp:
 
priests also have some complaints

i heard some priests in the past that they were getting bitten at the tip of their fingers

go with what has been suggested. receive from the priest. generally they are better trained for this.
 
I have difficulty saying “Amen” and opening my mouth for receiving. If my Amen is not super fast, I frequently get hit in the mouth with the Host. Obviously it is no problem to say Amen and receive on in the hand even at the same time. I alway receive on the tongue.
 
choy said:
go with what has been suggested. receive from the priest. generally they are better trained for this.
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In order to receive from the priest, I would need to sit on the other side of the church, away from the tabernacle. 😦 So I guess I need to decide whether to sit where I can see the tabernacle or where I can receive on the tongue. Hm.
 
Student09 said:
In order to receive from the priest, I would need to sit on the other side of the church, away from the tabernacle. 😦 So I guess I need to decide whether to sit where I can see the tabernacle or where I can receive on the tongue. Hm.
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you don’t have to follow your communioin line. just wait for the pews that go to the priest to line up and finish, and go to the back of the line so as you won’t be cutting anyone off. sit at the edge of your pew so you wouldn’t have to disturb people who are kneeling when you have to get out and queue up
 
Student09 said:
In order to receive from the priest, I would need to sit on the other side of the church, away from the tabernacle. 😦 So I guess I need to decide whether to sit where I can see the tabernacle or where I can receive on the tongue. Hm.
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Do you have to get the same queue as your pew? When I’ve been on the side that goes to an EMHC, I’ve walked around the back of the church to get in the other line. You’ve got to do it very subtly so people don’t notice, but it might be an option.
 
Student09 said:
Since my reception into the Church a few months ago I have wanted to receive Communion on the tongue, but every time I attempt this, it doesn’t go very well and I end up reverting to receiving in the hand. The first time, the EMHC touched my tongue with her hand. :eek: My latest attempt resulted in the EMHC (a different one) hitting me in the mouth. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I have practiced in the mirror to make sure I’m opening my mouth wide enough and sticking out my tongue enough (looks rather silly, but anyway) but I always feel rushed when receiving Communion and so I’m not really sure if I’m doing it right then. 😊 Advice?
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I think your parish needs to use the same solution as we have in mine.
Precious Body - Distributed ONLY by the ordinary ministers of Holy Comunion: The Clergy (Bishop/Priest/Deacon)

Precious Blood - Distributed by extraordinary ministers, IF there aren’t enough ordinary ministers. (eg, at a ordination, or large diocesan mass with many priests, priests and deacons would be the only ones to distribute, with no lay people)
 
Student09 said:
Since my reception into the Church a few months ago I have wanted to receive Communion on the tongue, but every time I attempt this, it doesn’t go very well and I end up reverting to receiving in the hand. The first time, the EMHC touched my tongue with her hand. :eek: My latest attempt resulted in the EMHC (a different one) hitting me in the mouth. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I have practiced in the mirror to make sure I’m opening my mouth wide enough and sticking out my tongue enough (looks rather silly, but anyway) but I always feel rushed when receiving Communion and so I’m not really sure if I’m doing it right then. 😊 Advice?
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I don’t know why you should feel rushed but you are probably not doing anything wrong, as long as you are opening your mouth wide and tilting your head at an angle that takes into account your relative heights (think dentist office). It is far more likely the EMHCs in your parish have not been properly trained to do this, which is why I don’t even try anymore unless it is a priest or deacon I know. Younger priests are actually better than this and don’t give people a hard time about it.
 
Catholicben said:
I think your parish needs to use the same solution as we have in mine.
Precious Body - Distributed ONLY by the ordinary ministers of Holy Comunion: The Clergy (Bishop/Priest/Deacon)

Precious Blood - Distributed by extraordinary ministers, IF there aren’t enough ordinary ministers. (eg, at a ordination, or large diocesan mass with many priests, priests and deacons would be the only ones to distribute, with no lay people)
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you have to know what the situation is in their parish. if their parish is like mine, we only have one priest

it would be great if small parishes like mine have two priests who can distribute Holy Communion, or bigger parishes with 4 or more priests. but thats not the case today

better yet, the priest can improve his training of his EMHCs
 
Receiving from a priest is no panacea, particularly with an aging priesthood. We have more and more clerics with unsteady hands due to age.
 
Catholicben said:
I think your parish needs to use the same solution as we have in mine.
Precious Body - Distributed ONLY by the ordinary ministers of Holy Comunion: The Clergy (Bishop/Priest/Deacon)

Precious Blood - Distributed by extraordinary ministers, IF there aren’t enough ordinary ministers. (eg, at a ordination, or large diocesan mass with many priests, priests and deacons would be the only ones to distribute, with no lay people)
Click to expand...
That’s really no solution. Two of the four priests at my parish do not distribute at all because their hands shake so much due to advanced age.

Of the two remaining priests, I’m sure that I and other EMsHC are better at distributing COT simply due to younger age and better eye/hand coordination. It takes some practice but it’s not a skill that gets demonstrably better/easier over the years or many thousands of communicants.

I personally think that ALL EMsHC should have the intrinsic ability to distribute COT and they should be well enough trained to do it with great confidence or they have no business being EMsHC.
 
ProVobis said:
The whole idea of having EMHC’s in the first place is to speed it up. 🙂
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And yet the altar rail still can get things done faster. Not to mention the laity have a much more important role in the TLM (altar boys! the professional choir!) Always the contradiction with these reformers… sigh
 
ljubim said:
And yet the altar rail still can get things done faster. Not to mention the laity have a much more important role in the TLM (altar boys! the professional choir!) Always the contradiction with these reformers… sigh
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The processing of a queued line is faster…

And no, altar boys and choirs do not necessarily have a “much more important role” in the EF.
 
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