Problem receiving Eucharist on the tongue

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sugarmouse

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This is an odd question, but please bear with me!

The last few times I’ve received communion on the tongue, I’ve noticed that the EMHC’s finger ends up touching my tongue. Now, the first time it happened, I thought, “Okay, I just need to stick my tongue out a little more to prevent that happening.” But today especially, I stuck my tongue out as far as I physically could, and it still happened.

The problem I think that’s happening is simply that I can’t really stick my tongue out very far. I’ve got a slight “tongue tie”, where the little ligament under my tongue is too short - I literally can’t stick my tongue out any more than about level with my bottom lip.

(Here’s the Wikipedia page, in case anyone’s confused. The pictures are of a very severe tongue-tie, but it gives you an idea what the issue is.)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankyloglossia

So my question is firstly, is this a problem with me or with the EMHC? How far do you have to stick your tongue out to receive communion properly, and if you can’t extend your tongue further than your bottom lip, is that a problem? What can I do if I physically can’t receive communion on the tongue (or at least, without licking the EMHC 😃 )?

Secondly, just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I wonder because I remember when I was younger, and my friends noticed that I couldn’t stick my tongue out and made out that it was really weird. I’m not sure how common it is.
 
There is a technique for how to hold the host when placing it on the communicant’s tongue to prevent this from happening.
 
People have been receiving on the tongue for centuries. Surely some of them had ankyloglossia.
 
I’ve always received on the tongue. I’d say 90% of the time the priest has touched my tongue.
I don’t give it much thought, really. 🤷
 
truetofaith said:
Maybe you’re not opening your mouth wide enough.
Click to expand...
true. When we have the children receiving First Communion, it takes LOTS of practice to het them to even attempt to stick their tongue out enough. People THINK they are sticking it way out…they are not.
Do it in a mirror to gauge what is happening.
 
I’d say the priest touches my tongue 90% of the time, too.
I never gave it much thought or concern.
 
truetofaith said:
Maybe you’re not opening your mouth wide enough.
Click to expand...
Or maybe they’re just making the hosts bigger these days. There are times when they barely fit inside my mouth. I can only imagine what kids have to go through.

Perhaps practice with a quarter-sized Polish oplatek or larger.
 
ProVobis said:
Or maybe they’re just making the hosts bigger these days. There are times when they barely fit inside my mouth. I can only imagine what kids have to go through.

Perhaps practice with a quarter-sized Polish oplatek or larger.
Click to expand...
When we were kids we practiced on the playground with Necco wafers. 😃
 
Try going to the priest’s line. It might still happen but at least he has a better idea of what he’s doing.
 
My very large pastor has very large fingers, and they inevitably end up on my tongue. I don’t even know if he is aware of it. Happens all the time.
 
I notice quite often my priest’s finger touching my tongue, so a week or two ago I went up to him and asked him if it was just me, or does he end up touching people’s tongues very often. He said not very often, and I even mentioned that, whoops, looks like I need to do a better job of sticking my tongue out. But then he said he hasn’t ever noticed touching my tongue. Which I find interesting. So yeah, maybe the priest doesn’t even notice a lot of the time when he touches the tongue.
 
Depending on the priest it may just be a matter of going to him instead of a EMHC. Proper training would all but eliminate this from happening. But some priests also have not been properly trained. I would suggest perhaps asking the person who is in charge of training the EMHCs.
 
Most of the time it is due to not opening your mouth wide enough.
 
Windmill said:
Most of the time it is due to not opening your mouth wide enough.
Click to expand...
True, that’s one of the problems.

Another problem, people move their heads. You must stick your tongue out, and don’t move. Let the priest or EMHC move to you.
 
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