95 AMEN EXPLANATION OF THE MOST COMMONLY USED WORD IN THE CHURCH O dear listeners, inasmuch as the ancient pagan peoples merited praise for this reason, that they invented many ways of pleasing, honoring and praising their gods by various festivities, how much more, having the orthodox faith as its foundation, the true Church ought most certainly to be praised on account of this: that for the sake of turning away the anger of the true God and for the sake of singing His glory, she introduced many hymns and prayers. For so zealously and with such consideration did she do this, that she recommended to her faithful the keeping of certain means of beseeching and praising God not only on certain days of the year, but on certain hours and times of the day. But nothing is able to be found that is more praiseworthy and fruitful as the unique word that finishes each prayer: amen. When I look at this more closely, I see that amen does not mean anything other than, “fiat (may it be so),” namely, when we state amen or fiat, we express the same thing. Now indeed, who would not see more clearly by the heavenly light, [that] by this word fiat, the desires of those who beseech God are presented to Him most ardently and that in general, this word adds ardor to prayer in the same way that blood does to the human body? Most ardent indeed must be that prayer, under which lie these burning coals: fiat, amen. We see the contrary take place, where we do not hear these ardent words. All vows grow cold, which are not warmed by the fervent stirring of desires, and this is entirely lacking where there amen
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