Amen is a Hebrew word that indicates the strengthening or confirmation of a statement. It means “so be it” or “absolutely”.
Jesus often stressed the truth of his teaching by saying, “Amen, Amen I say to you.”
Amen is one of the few Hebrew words that has been adopted into the Catholic liturgy without being changed.
At the end of the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, Catholics respond with a “great Amen” which indicates that they agree with all that the priest has just prayed.
Amen is said at the end of a prayer or may be said several times within a single prayer to affirm the message of that prayer.
When the priest offers Holy Communion by saying, “The Body of Christ” Catholics respond by saying “Amen” indicating that they believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.
Amen is a Hebrew word rooted in strength and truth:
In Hebrew, amen comes from the same root as the word “believe.” This root expresses solidity, trustworthiness, faithfulness. And so we can understand why “Amen” may express both God’s faithfulness towards us and our trust in him.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1062
Saying “Amen” indicates that you believe:
Amen emphasizes what Jesus taught and affirms that we believe:
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
John 6: 53-56
Saying “Amen” at Mass affirms our belief:
The Great Amen at Mass is the “people’s signature”:
At the end of the reading, “Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered: ‘Amen, Amen’”. This great “Amen” is echoed at every Mass when, at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, we offer glory and honor to the Father through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. With this “Amen” the whole community acknowledges the real presence on the Altar of Jesus Christ, the living and eternal Word of the Father. In the spirit of this great “Amen”, all of us gathered here in Giants Stadium praise Jesus Christ for the newness of life which he gives us in the Holy Spirit! Praised be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Pope John Paul II, Homily, October 5, 1995
Amen is not “the end”:
Amen in word and deed:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
We trust Jesus and the Church that He founded:
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