[Salvation]

For continued discussion...............

When people answer with anything else than the "Amen" has always been one of my pet peeves when I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

[Salvation]

Oops, I see that I copied the link into the title space. Hopefully it can get fixed right away.

[Claud]

I sometimes worry about forgetting to say "Amen" when I receive at the Novus Ordo...at the Latin Mass we don't respond at all.

Frankly, I didn't know there were other answers floating around out there.

[NYer]

When people answer with anything else than the "Amen" has always been one of my pet peeves when I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

Do you correct them?

And ... just curious ... does your pastor allow EMHCs to "bless" children in the communion line?

[A CA Guy]

Why would anyone want to say anything else?
Seems that would be a form of humanism they would be practicing in doing so.

[Coleus]

many of the people to whom I distribute say absolutely nothing. some will say "hello", and I notice some take a bite out of the host and palm the rest and walk out of the church with the Eucharist in hand.

[siunevada]

If a person says, “I am,” we ought to lock him in the tabernacle.

LOL!

[Straight Vermonter]

I have been an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion for just a few months now. I am very surprised by the number of people who don't say amen. Often, I will hesitate in handing them the Eucharist or the cup and then I will hear a belated amen.

So apparently they know what to say and are not saying it. Very strange.

[Frank Sheed]

At Mass two Sundays ago, our aged Associate Pastor (73 years old) chewed out the entire congregation. After Communion and a period of silent reflection, he said, "You'd think after 40 years, everyone would be on the same page! When you receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, you are to respond, 'Amen!' I don't think more than half the people who just received responded at all!" He then made us practice out loud at least 5 times, responding each time, "I can't hear you!" He sure got the point across and I had a smile from ear to ear. The voice level the following week was really an improvement. I should mention that only priests administer the Eucharist at our Church Masses and the Blood of Christ is not offered. Both priests attend to distribute Communion.

Finally, the majority of folks in my Church respond, "Amen" using the Latin pronunciation (Ahh'-men). Father told us a while back how "AYE-Men" crept into the Church after the movie "The Lilies of the Field" introduced that pronunciation. I thought about it and he is right. Back to Catholic pronunciations!

F

[RKBA Democrat]

"When people answer with anything else than the "Amen" has always been one of my pet peeves when I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion."

The semantics of how we take Eucharist in certain of the eastern churches makes it tough to say amen right at the point of receiving the precious Body. In my church, the precious Body is served with a golden spoon and is actually placed in the mouth. Saying amen at the point of taking Eucharist would likely cause you to choke.

I do say amen, but I make sure and wait a few seconds.

[ovrtaxt]

Ay MEEE-yun, bruth'r.

[Cvengr]

I understood the meaning of AMEN from the Hebrew referred to the phrase "I believe it" or identifying the thought with truth or trustworthiness, or faithfulness. Accordingly, I would consider the response to be more faithful than rote mumbling of AMEN as though it were a mechanic.