Amen after receiving Holy Communion

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donanobis

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Stated in a 1941 missal, which I own, when “going to the Communion rail, the priest administers Holy Communion, saying to each communicant, 'May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve they soul unto life everlasting. Amen”

Does anyone know the reason why this prayer was shortened to just Amen?

Would it be a sin to say a different short interjection? like just saying “Jesus” instead of “Amen” (which seems so impersonal)?

Thanks,
Dona
 
“Amen” is the communicant’s response to the priest’s (or deacon’s or extraordinary minister’s) declaration, “The Body of Christ.”

“Amen” is an agreement; an act of faith; a statement that you do indeed believe that you are receiving the Body of Christ. Nothing impersonal about it!

I don’t think it would be right to say out loud something other than “Amen.” But you could certainly add another response silently in your heart.

By the way, the title of your thread, “Amen after receiving Holy Communion,” suggests you may be doing this at the wrong time. You say “Amen” after the minister says “The Body of Christ,” but BEFORE you receive the Host. Lots of people make this mistake. But really it is better to make your act of faith BEFORE you receive. I have this problem especially when I bring Communion to elderly patients in nursing homes. If they don’t say “Amen,” I have to somehow ascertain that they understand Whom they are receiving.
 
The formula for administration of holy communion was revised in 1964. The old form is still used at EF Masses.
 
Chatter163 said:
The formula for administration of holy communion was revised in 1964. The old form is still used at EF Masses.
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Correct and in the older form the communicant did not respond at all. The entire invocation, including the “Amen,” was said by the priest alone prior to distributing the host.
 
Chatter163 said:
The formula for administration of holy communion was revised in 1964. The old form is still used at EF Masses.
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Please, I am not familiar. What is an EF Mass?? thanks, Dona

Also I misspoke my question as I know the response comes before receiving Jesus. OOPS,
 
donanobis said:
Please, I am not familiar. What is an EF Mass?? thanks, Dona

Also I misspoke my question as I know the response comes before receiving Jesus. OOPS,
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The EF is the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, what had been commonly referred to as the TLM. The OF is the Ordinary Form of the Mass, commonly known as the NO.

These terms are used by the Holy See, specifically, Pope Benedict XVI, in his MP liberalizing the use of the Mass in the EF.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the one Latin Rite that exists in two different forms, the Ordinary (NO) and the Extraordinary (EF).
 
donanobis said:
Stated in a 1941 missal, which I own, when “going to the Communion rail, the priest administers Holy Communion, saying to each communicant, 'May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve they soul unto life everlasting. Amen”

Does anyone know the reason why this prayer was shortened to just Amen?

Would it be a sin to say a different short interjection? like just saying “Jesus” instead of “Amen” (which seems so impersonal)?

Thanks,
Dona
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Do you understand what the “amen” means? It means" I believe". “It is true”. How is it impersonal to be making a public vow that you believe in the Eucharist and The Catholic Church? We are required to follow the rubrics of the church. The church has told us to say “amen” and we should do that. I think it illustrates our communion in the mystical body of Christ when we all pray that way.

saintsbystudents.com/SpecialInterest/SundayGospelReflections/John06_51-58B09.htm
 
Corki said:
Correct and in the older form the communicant did not respond at all. The entire invocation, including the “Amen,” was said by the priest alone prior to distributing the host.
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In practice he said it contiuously while giving the hosts. It got said once for every two or three communicants. 😦
 
Seatuck said:
Do you understand what the “amen” means? It means" I believe". “It is true”. How is it impersonal to be making a public vow that you believe in the Eucharist and The Catholic Church? We are required to follow the rubrics of the church. The church has told us to say “amen” and we should do that.
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There’s another thread in this forum as to whether to say AH-men or AY-men. I don’t think it’s been established.
 
ProVobis said:
There’s another thread in this forum as to whether to say AH-men or AY-men. I don’t think it’s been established.
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I didn’t say anything about pronunciation. Don’t really see how it fits into this discussion.
 
Seatuck said:
I didn’t say anything about pronunciation. Don’t really see how it fits into this discussion.
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Not important? There’s more than proununciation under that thread. Sorry to crash into THIS discussion.
 
Chatter163 said:
Depends on the priest–some yes, some no.
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Even once it was proper for the priest to say, “Corpus Christi,” or “Body of Christ,” and the communicant to respond, “Amen,” I knew a few priests who would walk along the communion rail saying, “Body of Christ, Body of Christ, Body of Christ…” and placing (for these priests it was more like “shoveling”) the hosts onto the tongues before the poor communicants could manage to get the the first syllable of the, “Amen,” out of their mouths.
 
SMHW said:
Even once it was proper for the priest to say, “Corpus Christi,” or “Body of Christ,” and the communicant to respond, “Amen,” I knew a few priests who would walk along the communion rail saying, “Body of Christ, Body of Christ, Body of Christ…” and placing (for these priests it was more like “shoveling”) the hosts onto the tongues before the poor communicants could manage to get the the first syllable of the, “Amen,” out of their mouths.
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That’s how I remember the ‘good old days’, too. Totally lacking in reverence a lot of the time.

One had to be constantly watching for a gap on the rail, and leap up pretty smartish once the priest had passed by so as not to be trodden on by others pressing forward to take their place.

IME, walking slowly and standing as an individual in front of the minister gives much more time for devotion.
 
I’d be interested in your opinions etc on the following: I have found myself often saying “My God & My All, Amen” when receiving. To dtae I have never been admonished for it & it certainly makes Christ’s presence truly profound to me.
Thanks,
 
Seatuck said:
Do you understand what the “amen” means? It means" I believe". “It is true”. How is it impersonal to be making a public vow that you believe in the Eucharist and The Catholic Church? We are required to follow the rubrics of the church. The church has told us to say “amen” and we should do that. I think it illustrates our communion in the mystical body of Christ when we all pray that way.

saintsbystudents.com/SpecialInterest/SundayGospelReflections/John06_51-58B09.htm
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A visiting priest refused Communion to an elder on Christmas day at a parish near mine because the person didn’t say Amen. There is a language barrier involved and in the local language they say something other than Amen. It has caused more than a little fuss.
 
It’s a teaching that goes back a long way in the church-
“When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we are assimilated into him.
We become
his Body, we take on his mind and heart, uniting ourselves to his love. When the host
is offered to us as “the Body of Christ,” and we open our hand to receive it and say,
“Amen,” we are saying yes not only to receiving Christ’s Body but to being his Body.
We are saying, in effect, “Amen, yes, I believe that this is the Body of Christ, and that
this is the Body I am called to be. I receive him to become him, to be Eucharist for
others.”
St. John Chrysostom (349-407)
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The Catechism quotes St. Augustine
**1396 **The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to form but one body.230 The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread:"231

If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. To that which you are you respond “Amen” (“yes, it is true!”) and by responding to it you assent to it. For you hear the words, “the Body of Christ” and respond “Amen.” Be then a member of the Body of Christ that your *Amen *may be true.232
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It’s interesting how people feel the need to express more.
I have enough trouble with people who stand there and say nothing to me when I serve as an EMOHC. 🤷
 
imkingdad said:
I’d be interested in your opinions etc on the following: I have found myself often saying “My God & My All, Amen” when receiving. To dtae I have never been admonished for it & it certainly makes Christ’s presence truly profound to me.
Thanks,
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It would be more appropriate for you to just say the “amen”, I would think. We’ve been instructed to not add to or take anything away from the Mass.
But at the elevation you might pray that quietly to yourself. What do you pray then?

I pray - My Lord and My God.

I wouldn’t expect an admonishment since you are just making a short ejaculation.
 
Seatuck said:
It’s interesting how people feel the need to express more.
I have enough trouble with people who stand there and say nothing to me when I serve as an EMOHC. 🤷
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Pastor told me yesterday he still has people who respond “Thank you, Father” to “The Body of Christ”
 
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