Ideas for memorizing

[MadeleineAndMe]

i want to memorize the normal Catholic things that people all know. the rosary, act of contrition. prayers like this and others that people know. the responses at Mass. the creed.

a problem is that i can not memorize easily. i remember for a short time and then i forget. i am at Mass every week for more than two years. i still can not remember the responses all the way. today was some thing new that i have not heard before. i do not know what people were saying. i need to read it. there was no missal. i do not know what i missed. i am lost when it is like this.

the creed is starting to stay in my head. i remember better what we sing. we sing the Sanctus in English. i do not know it in Latin. i remember the English Sanctus when i sing it in my head. i remember Ave Maria because i can sing it. the rosary that starts hail holy queen. leaves me. i can not remember this no matter what i do.

it is part of why i do not pray a rosary. i can not remember all the parts. to read and pray and count beads at the same time i get like i want to throw the beads. i have to many things to do that are not praying. i need to memorize it all.

all this to ask. how do people memorize? ways that work for you. i would like to try ideas. thank you.

 

[Eucharisted]

Studying works for me

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html#APPENDIX

 

[Luke65]

i need to read it.

I think that is your answer. And you can find all these prayers online, and print them out. Or you can buy the booklets, and they’re cheap.

 

[MadeleineAndMe]

Studying works for me

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html#APPENDIX

did you memorize the catechism? i read it.

 

[MadeleineAndMe]

I think that is your answer. And you can find all these prayers online, and print them out. Or you can buy the booklets, and they’re cheap.

i read them. i have a book for the rosary. i think a problem is that i study and i can not stay to it. i can keep trying.

 

[Rawb]

I have this book on order right now:

amazon.com/Memorize-Faith-Most-Anything-Else/dp/1933184175

People sing it’s praises in the review section. Maybe it could help?

 

[MarieVeronica]

Hi Madeleine. I find a Missal very helpful, during Mass. I long ago, gave up the idea of memorizing and remembering all the responses. Even though most of them… are engrained in my memory… still, I find that the older I get… the more easily distracted. The Missal is greatly helpful, to me.

I would recommend that you get hold of a good Sunday-Weekday Missal, and carry it with you to Mass.

I use books for many prayers I say, as well… the Rosary, included. God bless.

 

[MadeleineAndMe]

I have this book on order right now:

amazon.com/Memorize-Faith-Most-Anything-Else/dp/1933184175

People sing it’s praises in the review section. Maybe it could help?

this looks good to try. thank you.

 

[MadeleineAndMe]

Hi Madeleine. I find a Missal very helpful, during Mass. I long ago, gave up the idea of memorizing and remembering all the responses. Even though most of them… are engrained in my memory… still, I find that the older I get… the more easily distracted. The Missal is greatly helpful, to me.

I would recommend that you get hold of a good Sunday-Weekday Missal, and carry it with you to Mass.

I use books for many prayers I say, as well… the Rosary, included. God bless.

i can get a missal at a Catholic store. thank you

 

[mkingdomlvr]

I find that memorizing comes from doing it over and over and over. Back in the Dark Ages when we had to memorize responses for Religion class I simply said the question and the answer over and over and over until I could do it in my sleep. My parents used to help me by randomly asking me a question and seeing how quickly I could respond. (they did that with the times tables too! )

As for the Rosary, starting young helped, but again repetition is the key. If you say your Rosary every day, eventually you will no longer need to read the prayers.

 

[adowcday]

I agree with the posts suggesting that you buy your own missal. They are quite inexpensive and are good for preparing for mass by reading the readings for the liturgy and other prayers.

I’m pretty good at memorizing, but I don’t use any tricks other than repetition. I have memorized some Psalms and other parts of scripture by writing them out on 3" x 5" cards and keeping them with me. I once tried to memorize the Book of Ephesians – only six chapters! Well, I would memorize one chapter, and by the time I moved on to the next chapter, I forgot the first, and so on. I must’ve spent six months trying. However, I had some wonderful prayer times reciting and reflecting on the words – a wonderful form of prayer.

Don’t beat yourself up: you will gain a great deal of good by repeating a prayer and thinking about its meaning and how it applies to your life. That’s the heart of Christian meditation. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination!