Sticking Out the Tongue

[Augustine]

Today the priest dropped the Precious Body when trying to give me Holy Communion and then he asked me to stick out my tongue, something that I’ve failed to do.

I’d appreciate some specific recommendations, preferably by an ordinary and extraordinary MHC, about how much to open my mouth wide and how much of the tongue I should stick out.

Forgive the engineer in me for asking such a question.

 

[IrishAm]

Tip your head back a little, open your mouth about half way, put your tongue out about half way. Even an engineer can do it!

 

[rwoehmke]

Don’t pucker and don’t curl your tongue, open wide almost like at the dentist.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

The most important part is that the priest can place the Host on your tongue, so there needs to be enough tongue exposed for the Host to stick to. I recommend a length of approximately 1 cm. (± 3 mm) beyond the lower lip, which provides surface area to accommodate a sufficient portion of a standard-sized Host that the danger of a vertical gravitationally-induced loss of altitude may be avoided by the adhesive properties of saliva and a porous Substance that, until recently, had been unleavened bread.

I used to translate Engineer into English for my former boss.

 

[puzzleannie]

tilt your head back slightly (depending on the relative height of you to the priest) and open wide,like at the dentist (without the aaahh) stick the tongue out as if you were being examined for sore throat.

 

[LilyM]

One reason I don’t like communion on the tongue - I can’t help but feel it’s a bit disresepectful to be showing the priest my fillings (not to mention my tonsils) and blasting him with my bad breath!

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

One reason I don’t like communion on the tongue - I can’t help but feel it’s a bit disresepectful to be showing the priest my fillings (not to mention my tonsils) and blasting him with my bad breath!

As an instituted acolyte and frequent Extraordinary Minister, I have never smelled anyone’s breath nor seen their fillings when they came up to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. The only problems I have are with people who don’t stick their tongue out at all, or pull it in before the Host is fully in contact with it. If you’re concerned about this, the use of Listerine before Mass will not break your fast.

What bothers me is the way some people receive in the hand, as if I were handing out food samples at Safeway. I would personally love to see this practice ended.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I remember in second grade the nuns told us to stick our tongues waaaay out so the priest had a good place to put the host. And the complaint I’ve heard from my pastor is that people pull their tongue back in before he can really put the host on it so he’s aiming at a moving target. Stick it out and leave it out. Or else make a throne of your hands and receive communion that way.

 

[EasterJoy]

I remember in second grade the nuns told us to stick our tongues waaaay out so the priest had a good place to put the host. And the complaint I’ve heard from my pastor is that people pull their tongue back in before he can really put the host on it so he’s aiming at a moving target. Stick it out and leave it out. Or else make a throne of your hands and receive communion that way.

Try it in the mirror. Then you’ll get a feel for how to do it and how it feels when you have your mouth and tongue in a convenient position for placing the host.

Yes, don’t close your mouth until you’re quite sure that his hand is out of the way! I know a priest who used to have a term for women wearing lipstick who received on the tongue and shut their mouths too quickly: red snappers!

 

[muffinmojo]

What bothers me is the way some people receive in the hand, as if I were handing out food samples at Safeway. I would personally love to see this practice ended.

Yes…as an alter sever who regularly holds the paten, it pains me immensly to see the way many people recieve…hold out one hand casually, barely facing the minister, and then pop it in their mouth with less regard than a potato chip. Some people do reverantly receive in the hand, but very few…I think most people should not recieve at every Mass, people associate Mass with receiving Communion every time- not good. Even last sunday, after father’s long homily about the nature of Holy Communion, it’s substance, divinity, and sacredness, many people looked distracted and hurried through the line…

sigh…

However, as to receiving on the togue, I think most people here have covered it pretty good. Pretty much any distance over your lip will give the priest enough space to place on, just try not to bring your tongue back in too quickly, wait until his hand has started to move away or until you get the hang of it.

More evidence that no matter WHAT way you recieve, we need patens. Not a matter of traditional vs modern, just a matter of respect vs disrespect.

 

[maherite1977]

As an instituted acolyte and frequent Extraordinary Minister, I have never smelled anyone’s breath nor seen their fillings when they came up to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. The only problems I have are with people who don’t stick their tongue out at all, or pull it in before the Host is fully in contact with it.

Agreed - besides, that is the LAST thing I am thinking of or trying to see when I am distributing the Precious Body is someone’s breath or dental work.

 

[ac_claire]

This isn’t an engineering reply, but:

It’s always weird and takes some adjustment time when you go from receiving in the hand to on the tongue. My cousin was an EMHC and she said she disliked giving communion on the tongue because some people could be too self-conscious…They wouldn’t open their mouths wide enough or for long enough to receive the host correctly.

Say a prayer beforehand for courage and that you’ll be given the grace to forget yourself and not be self-conscious.

 

[maherite1977]

However, as to receiving on the tongue, I think most people here have covered it pretty good. Pretty much any distance over your lip will give the priest enough space to place on, just try not to bring your tongue back in too quickly, wait until his hand has started to move away or until you get the hang of it.

More evidence that no matter WHAT way you receive, we need patens. Not a matter of traditional vs modern, just a matter of respect vs disrespect.

As someone who trains our Altar Servers…I try to stress the importance of a paten during Communion. I have personally managed to save three hosts from hitting the floor by my paten.

Even with those receiving by hand, there still is that chance that the person becomes distracted and drops the host.

I also teach the Servers to be conscious on WHERE they are standing when either the priest, deacon or EMHC is distributing Communion…be opposite their distributing hand. It saves on receiving an elbow from the person distributing, which in turn could cause the person to drop the host.

 

[Mintaka]

It’s not disrespectful to open your mouth to receive. It’s deeply humble.

You’re like a little baby bird pleading to be fed.

 

[Augustine]

Thank y’all for your kind answers. I’ll try to follow your advice tomorrow.

I just hope that you’re not trying to concoct a joke about how many EMHC with engineering degrees it takes…

 

[muffinmojo]

As someone who trains our Altar Servers…I try to stress the importance of a paten during Communion. I have personally managed to save three hosts from hitting the floor by my paten.

Even with those receiving by hand, there still is that chance that the person becomes distracted and drops the host.

I also teach the Servers to be conscious on WHERE they are standing when either the priest, deacon or EMHC is distributing Communion…be opposite their distributing hand. It saves on receiving an elbow from the person distributing, which in turn could cause the person to drop the host.

Yeah, in barely one month of serving, I saved a Host from hitting the ground…from a lady receiving in the hand. I’ve seen several stumbles with the hand, and none with receiving on the tongue…it’s just a far safer way of doing things.

 

[vocatio]

IF you receive on the tongue…PLEASE stick your tongue out. It is very frustrating to get a host in someones mouth that insists on barely opening their mouth and this bite the body of christ as if it were a cookie. It drives me crazy and NEVER cross your hands that can be folded correctly in a prayer form. It looks like you are saying I’m not receiving today. This happened in an entire family on mother’s day. And I dare not ask them if they were practicing Catholics at the time. They did the “right things” only very poorly.

Rant 2, if you receive on the hands. DO IT CORRECT. Everyone is taught this. Even the priest convers it form time to time after frustrating momoents. Hold your hand high enough to the EMHC or clergy’s. Don’t put a hand out waste high…how disrespectful and lazy can you get. This is the body of Christ. And PLEASE don’t gulp the blood of Christ either as if you needed an afternoon drink. This is one of the reasons I still believe the bishops should return to the rails and intinction at the rail by a cleric. I do this to discern my vocation and because I’ve seen some pretty needy EMHCs. I’m so paranoid of someone dropping a host or part of a host from the priest’s large broken host. I picked a spec the other day and was in an awkward position without glasses and dared not stick it in the ceborium, so I put it in my mouth and it turned out to be lent. I was embarrassed and discusted at the same time. People nearly pull and run when they receive.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ…Please take the time to receive correctly. Not only do you show respect to God, but you minister to me and my fellow extraordinary ministers of holy communion by setting such an inspiring example to us all. Most of the time people receive quite reverently and I am inspired by the love I see in your eyes. Thank you.

 

[tee_eff_em]

One more tip: It is more difficult to reach up and place the host on someone’s tounge. As a tall person (sometimes a head or more taller than the minister), I try to stoop a bit to give a “lower target”.

Yes, this would be simpler if it were easier to receive kneeling, but the norm in the US is to approach in procession and receive standing, and I feel no need to go outside that norm.

tee

 

[Augustine]

Thank y’all for your kind answers. I’ll try to follow your advice tomorrow.

And predictably so there were no problems today. I also noticed that the priest did it with more ease than at other times, so your advice has been spot on.

Thank y’all so much for your generous tips.

 

[Augustine]

One more tip: It is more difficult to reach up and place the host on someone’s tounge.

Ah, yes. I’m tall too and sometimes I notice that a short priest has bad shoulders and finds difficult to raise his arms, then I receive the Precious Body in my hand.

Another occasion when I receive His Body in my hand is when I notice that the priest has too many hosts and is distributing two per communicant.