Say Amen when receiving on the tongue?

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JeraldW

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Hello my brothers and sisters!

This past Sunday at my local OF parish, I went up to receive our Lord. I have for the past year received on the tongue. This time though when I came up and prepared to receive, my priest said to me “amen”, in the context like I should say Amen. From my understanding when you receive on the tongue, your posture itself is a living way of saying amen. I could be wrong though. I just know when I go to the EF, (which everyone receives in this most venerable fashion) I have never heard any one of my brothers and sisters say amen before or after me.
My priest came up to me after Mass and told me I should always say Amen before receiving, I tried asking him why I do not hear anybody say Amen at EF masses, and he bluntly and scoldingly says, “Don’t go all Traditional on me!” He says he said Amen when he was young before VII.

So I am very confused. Obviously I should obey my priest, but I just want to have things cleared up in my own head.

Thanks in advance
Pax

Jerry
 
My understanding is that in the EF the priest says the Amen for you whereas in the OF you say it, regardless of posture.
 
Quite simply, both Masses (EF and OF) are different and have different rubrics.

In the EF Mass, we, the laity, are not required to give any response before receiving Holy Communion. In the OF Mass, it states quite clearly that the person (priest or EMHC) giving Communion says “The Body of Christ” (or “The Blood of Christ” when offering the chalice) and the person receiving responds “Amen.” Receiving in the hand or on the tongue makes no difference.
 
When you receive in the OF, the priest says “The Body of Christ” to which you state, “Amen” as in “Yes, I believe.” You’re making an affirmation that what you’re about to receive is the Body of Christ.

In the EF, the priest says, May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” in that he is praying for the communicant in such a way that it’s a mini benediction.

OF, say Amen
EF, don’t say Amen.

Posture doesn’t matter for the Amen
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
When you receive in the OF, the priest says “The Body of Christ” to which you state, “Amen” as in “Yes, I believe.” You’re making an affirmation that what you’re about to receive is the Body of Christ.

In the EF, the priest says, May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” in that he is praying for the communicant in such a way that it’s a mini benediction.

OF, say Amen
EF, don’t say Amen.

Posture doesn’t matter for the Amen
Click to expand...
👍 Spot on. Just because something happens in the EF, does not make that particular thing proper or fitting for the OF. Obey your priest.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
When you receive in the OF, the priest says “The Body of Christ” to which you state, “Amen” as in “Yes, I believe.” You’re making an affirmation that what you’re about to receive is the Body of Christ.

In the EF, the priest says, May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” in that he is praying for the communicant in such a way that it’s a mini benediction.

OF, say Amen
EF, don’t say Amen.

Posture doesn’t matter for the Amen
Click to expand...
Makes perfect sense! Thank you very much everyone. Mini Benediction, wow, never thought of it as such. Obedience is key. Pax
 
The rubrics of the OF is that you must say Amen regardless of how you receive. The kneeling would be the gesture of reverence prior to receiving, which can also be a bow or a genuflection (in the US its prescribed to be a bow when standing), which is also in the rubrics and separate from the response of “Amen”.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
When you receive in the OF, the priest says “The Body of Christ” to which you state, “Amen” as in “Yes, I believe.” You’re making an affirmation that what you’re about to receive is the Body of Christ.

In the EF, the priest says, May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” in that he is praying for the communicant in such a way that it’s a mini benediction.

OF, say Amen
EF, don’t say Amen.

Posture doesn’t matter for the Amen
Click to expand...
Interesting to note that the EF practice is very similar to ECC Byzantine practice. 👍

This is what the priest says …

The servant of God N . . ., partakes of the precious, most holy and most pure Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ for the remission of his (her) sins and for life everlasting. Amen.

If the priest knows your name, he puts it where the “N” is. We cross our arms over our chests (in the shape of the Greek letter X, for Christ) when receiving.
 
I have only attended OF Mass. I was told that our response of “Amen” was our acknowledgement of the Body or the Blood. Interesting difference between EF and OF.
 
Newsy said:
I have only attended OF Mass. I was told that our response of “Amen” was our acknowledgement of the Body or the Blood. Interesting difference between EF and OF.
Click to expand...
In the EF, the kneeling and offering the tongue is just as powerful an “acknowledgement,” IMO, as verbally saying the word “Amen.”

Certainly, the verbal response was used in antiquity, but the EF practice is ancient as well. Both forms, in different ways, acknowledge the Real Presence.
 
In 1964, the Communion formula was changed from

Corpus Domini nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam Amen. said entirely by the priest to

Corpus Christi (“Body of Christ,” “ciało Chrystusa,” “el Cuerpo de Cristo” ) and requiring the communicant to respond “Amen.”

So, if the 62 Missal is used, there is no requirement to respond “Amen,” although a few do respond.
 
When I switched from CITH to COTT, first Mass was Ash Wed and I went to the Cathedral. The Bishop was the celebrant and I was in his line. I was soooooooooo nervous, I kept repeating in my head “stick out your tongue and open your mouth”. I walked up, bowed, stuck out my tongue and opened my mouth - - - His Excellency said “Body of Christ” and I forgot to take in my tongue and said “ABEN”. :o
 
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