Catechetical Contest on Eucharist

(CateContest-124-137-AMEN)

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS :                                  To Contest Contents  To HomePage

Introduction: AMEN at different points of the Mass  Video-Introduction to Amen at different points of Mass

124 Q: Where does this word AMEN come from and what is its meaning?
                    A: CCC #1062 says: In Hebrew, AMEN comes from the same root as
                        the word "believe." This root expresses solidity, trustworthiness,
                        faithfulness.   Video 124-126

125 Q: The root of AMEN means "believe," solidity, trustworthiness, and
                        faithfulness. So, what does "Amen" express about God towards us
                        and about us toward God?
                    A: Amen expresses both God's faithfulness towards us and our trust
                        in Him.

126 Q: According to CCC #1061, what word concludes our Creed and the last
                        book of the Bible?  
                    A: According to CCC #1061, the Creed, like the last book of the
                        Bible, which is Revelation, ends with the Hebrew word AMEN.

127 Q: At the beginning of the Mass, while the Priest, facing the people, says:
                        In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
                        And the people reply: Amen. What is the meaning of this AMEN?

              A: At the beginning of the Mass, while the Priest, facing the
                   people, says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
                    of the Holy Spirit. And the people reply: Amen. This AMEN
                    means: we firmly believe that we are Christians, baptized in
                    the name of the Blessed Trinity, and gathered into God's
                    Family.  Video 127-128

128 Q: At the Communion, the Priest (or the minister of the Eucharist) raises
                        a host slightly and shows it to each of the communicants, saying:
                        The Body of Christ. The communicant replies: Amen. And
                        receives Holy Communion. What is the meaning of this AMEN?

                    A: At the Communion, the AMEN of the communicant means, at
                        least, "Yes, it is true!": I do believe that this white host, now, is
                        really the Body of my Lord Jesus Christ.

129 Q: Why the Church likes to end her prayers with "Amen."? And then,
                        what is the meaning of this Amen?   Video 129-131
                    A: The word AMEN frequently concludes prayers in the New
                        Testament. The Church likewise ends her prayers with "Amen",
                        that means "So be it!" 

130 Q: According to CCC #1063, Our Lord Jesus often used the word "Amen,"
                        sometimes repeated. Then, what did Jesus want to emphasize?
                    A: According to CCC #1063, Our Lord Jesus often used the word
                        "Amen," sometimes repeated, to emphasize the trustworthiness
                        of his teaching, his authority founded on God's truth.

131 Q: Because AMEN expresses FAITHFULNESS, and God the Father is
                        always faithful to His promises to us, can we, then, call Him
                        "God of The Amen"?
                    A: Yes. We can call God the Father "God of The Amen", as we read
                        in CCC #1063: In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we find the
                        expression "God of truth" (literally "God of the Amen"), that is,
                        the God who is faithful to his promises.

132 Q: If God the Father is God of the Amen because He is always faithful
                        to His promises to us, can we say the same thing about our Lord
                        Jesus?    Video 132-134
                    A: Yes. We can. Rev. 3:14, indeed, states Jesus Christ himself is
                        the "Amen." He is the definitive "Amen" of the Father's love for us.

133 Q: According to CCC #1348, all have their own active parts to play in the        
                        celebration, each in his own way: readers, those who bring up the
                        offerings, those who give communion. How then does the whole
                        people manifest their participation? 
                    A: The whole people manifests their participation by "Amen" .

134 Q: The participation of the faithful in the liturgy must be conscious, active,
                        and full. Where does this teaching come from?  
                    A: The Vatican 2, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
                        "Sacrosanctum Concilium", or SC for short, teaches that the
                        participation of the faithful in the liturgy must be conscious,
                        active, and full.

135 Q: In the Liturgy, if the whole people manifests their participation by
                        "Amen", and if this liturgical participation must be conscious,
                        active, and full, how should we say the AMEN at different
                        moments?    Video 135-137
                    A: In the Liturgy, because the whole people manifests their
                        participation by "Amen", and because our liturgical participation
                        must be conscious, active, and full, then, at different moments,
                        we should say the AMEN "consciously, actively, and fully".

136 Q: During the Mass, is there any moment when the whole assembly must
                        say AMEN together, loudly and solemnly?
                    A: During the Mass, the moment when the whole assembly must
                        say AMEN together, loudly and solemnly, is the end of the Final
                        Doxology, by which the glorification of God is expressed and is
                        confirmed and concluded by the people's acclamation, Amen. 

137 Q: Sometimes, how is called the Amen concluding the Final Doxology,
                        "Through him, and with him, and in him"?
                    A: Sometimes, the Amen concluding the Final Doxology is called
                        the Great Amen.

(end of 124-137)   To Contest Contents  To HomePage