Receiving Communion on Tongue PROPERLY

Following, curious if it's different from ours.

I just stick out my tongue and the priest or deacon puts the host on there and I let it dissolve and swallow. Usually, I wash it down with some blood.

RileyG said:

Hello all!!

99% of the time, I receive Holy Communion on my tongue, however, I am scared to death I am not doing it right.

Can someone do a step-by-step guide? I just want some clarification.

P.S. Please do NOT turn this into a debate on hand vs tongue. This is not the place for that.

Thanks

God Bless

Click to expand...

The finer points of the ceremony are not as important as the state of your heart toward God as you receive it.

RileyG

No need to panic

Open your mouth widely, stick your tongue out and let it rest on your lip. The priest /Deacon/ EMHC will then place the Host - The Body and Blood of Our Lord God and Saviour - on your tongue . DO NOT CLOSE YOUR MOUTH AT THAT POINT.

Then bring your tongue back in , curl it upwards slightly and then close your mouth.

~Anastasia~ said:

Following, curious if it's different from ours.

Click to expand...

Very different from us Anastasia - with us the problem is do you , or do you not , close your mouth on the spoon - Greeks do , some Slavs do , some Slavs do not .

Me - for EC n00bs, my explanation was always - think of how the mother bird feeds her nestlings - they are in the nest - she approaches , they look up at her , open their beaks wide with their heads tilted slightly back , Mama bird drops the food in , baby bird closes beak and they have been fed

Anhelyna said:

Very different from us Anastasia - with us the problem is do you , or do you not , close your mouth on the spoon - Greeks do , some Slavs do , some Slavs do not .

Me - for EC n00bs, my explanation was always - think of how the mother bird feeds her nestlings - they are in the nest - she approaches , they look up at her , open their beaks wide with their heads tilted slightly back , Mama bird drops the food in , baby bird closes beak and they have been fed

Click to expand...

Yes, in reading the responses, I realized it is TOTALLY different from ours, lol.

Funny, I've often thought of it as a baby-bird imitation too.

That may be why Father stands on the solea, and we come up to it, so we are one step below, plus he's much taller than I. So it works.

Anhelyna said:

RileyG

No need to panic

Open your mouth widely, stick your tongue out and let it rest on your lip. The priest /Deacon/ EMHC will then place the Host - The Body and Blood of Our Lord God and Saviour - on your tongue . DO NOT CLOSE YOUR MOUTH AT THAT POINT.

Then bring your tongue back in , curl it upwards slightly and then close your mouth.

Click to expand...

Nicely explained, Anhelyna. Doing that will keep anyone from looking foolish or making some kind of mistake.

Don't just stick out the tip of your tongue, Riley, and do keep your mouth open until the host is in your mouth. Then, do not bite or chew it, but just swallow the host.

<<Then, do not bite or chew it, but just swallow the host.>>

Depending on how the Host has been made - some are much thicker and larger than others - he may well have to chew it or at least break it up with his teeth [ in his closed mouth ]

Anhelyna said:

<<Then, do not bite or chew it, but just swallow the host.>>

Depending on how the Host has been made - some are much thicker and larger than others - he may well have to chew it or at least break it up with his teeth [ in his closed mouth ]

Click to expand...

I don't think I've ever encountered that in a (Roman) Catholic church, however; and I doubt that Riley is dealing with that situation in his local parish church. But yes, just as with leavened bread when used in Communion, if it is necessary to chew, there is no disgrace in doing so if it is done discretely.

RileyG said:

Hello all!!

99% of the time, I receive Holy Communion on my tongue, however, I am scared to death I am not doing it right.

Can someone do a step-by-step guide? I just want some clarification.

P.S. Please do NOT turn this into a debate on hand vs tongue. This is not the place for that.

Thanks

God Bless

Click to expand...

I only receive on the tongue as well. When I was Confirmed our priest made a pastoral decision that our first communion be received on the tongue by everyone regardless of preference, and I stuck with it. Plus, even though my parish doesn't have a Latin Mass, I try to do my part as a layman as close to how I would in a TLM as possible.

But I digress.

Are you asking about the actual mechanics of it? If so, when I receive, I get in line and approach the front, then:

1. I bow as the person in front of me is receiving.

2. I step forward close enough for the priest or deacon to reach me without getting so close that it's awkward or crowded.

3. The priest or deacon holds up the Blessed Sacrament, saying "the body of Christ"

4. I say "Amen" and open my mouth with my tongue slightly forward.

5. Once I have the host in my mouth I side-step, cross myself, and chew as I return to my pew.


When I was in RCIA they showed us this video which was informative, albeit a bit silly:

I always genuflect as the person in front of me is receiving. Personal choice.

RileyG said:

Yes. Very different. The priest (or EMHC) will say "The Body of Christ," and the communicant responds "Amen." I have never been to a RC Mass where inticition was involved. (Having the Body and Blood mingled together). Usually, sometimes not, the precious blood is offered in a separate chalice. Then, most will bow before Holy Communion and make the sign of the cross afterwards.

Click to expand...

Yes, I'm seeing now that it couldn't possibly even be the same because of the elements. It was an interesting education. Thank you.