Music: Manoling Francisco, SJ
Arrangement: Palan Reyes 

The Great Amen is the people's response to the concluding doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer. We shout with joy our affirmation to the divine story retold, to the intercessions made for the living and the dead, and to the lifting up of the bread of life and the cup of salvation in commemoration of Christ's paschal mystery.

In the liturgy, the Great Amen serves many purposes: 1. to signify that the Eucharistic Prayer is finished; Saint Augustine adds that the Amen "puts our signature to the Eucharistic Prayer;" 2. to assent and make the Eucharistic Prayer as our own (MCW No. 58); to conform or agree or affirm to all that priest has said and done because the priest is the one who speaks in the name of the assembly. The whole congregation, as a priestly people, acclaims Amen as a sign of support and adherence; 3. to prepare ourselves for Holy Communion; and 4. to show our unity in remembering, praising and glorifying the greatness of God.

The congregational response "Amen" is assigned to the entire liturgical assembly (GIRM No. 79 h, STTL No. 180). It is inappropriate for servers or music ministers to make the response "on behalf of" the congregation. The worshippers assent to the Eucharistic Prayer and make it their own in the Great Amen. The Great Amen is a small or short word packed with power, a word full of majesty and glory. This word is an affirmation in the sense of "It is so" and a prayer in the sense of "So be it".

DoxologyIf music must faithfully serve the liturgical text, the melodies used for the Amen must communicate glory, power, and majesty. Musically, this is one of the most important acclamations of the entire liturgy, and should always be sung.