Is it necessary to memorize basic prayers?

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cause8191

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Should we know the fundamental Catholic prayers by heart, or is it fine if we have to consult a prayer book?
 
I had someone tell me when I first came into the Church.

Consult the prayer books, as you pray the prayers you will learn to memorize them. IN fact if you consult the prayer books you can focus more on the words and be more prayerful than wondering what word comes up. It just takes some tension out.

I have to consult the prayer books every now and then. I have been Catholic since 2003, and I still don’t know some of the prayers from memory, like the “O My Jesus.” Prayer. I just only recently learned the blessing of meals prayer and the Hail, Holy Queen.

God bless.
 
cause8191 said:
Should we know the fundamental Catholic prayers by heart, or is it fine if we have to consult a prayer book?
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Perfectly fine to use a book, but I think you will learn them over time.

Peace

Tim
 
Orogeny said:
Perfectly fine to use a book, but I think you will learn them over time.

Peace

Tim
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I think it’s great to memorize them, if you can. I’m learning the Anima Christi, which I find to be one of the most beautiful prayers ever. I say it during communion when I do my spiritual communion.

So now I read it but one day I hope to be able to close my eyes, and pray it with fervor. :signofcross:
 
This reminds me. You know how I memorized the Nicene Creed in English? I listened to it in Latin. 😛
 
I find when I have memorized a prayer I am more able to concentrate on the prayer than when I have to read it, I can close my eyes then, which I prefer.

You will probably find the prayers you pray often you will eventually memorize. That’s what I’ve found happening very slowly, and my memory is not particularly good!
 
How about when you’re trying to learn both the Latin and English at the same time.

So far all I know is:

Anima Christi, sanctifica me
Soul of Christ, sanctify me

Corpus Christi, salva me
Body of Christ, save me

🙂
 
I think it is important to learn a few because there are some that are written specifically to help in a particular situation, there are some that unite us all together for example the “Glory Be,” I think it is also important to pray and write your own prayers. The existing ones are great when you don’t know what to say or pray. Homemade ones are equally as special. It’s like comparing a store bought card vs a homemade card. God loves both cards because the heart is there but sometimes homemade is just a bit more special. I’m a writer so I tend to write my own.
 
I think the very basic ones you should know by heart are:

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Apostles Creed

Good ones to know

Hail Holy Queen
Nicene Creed
Fatima Prayer (Oh my Jesus)
St Michael Prayer
Anima Christi (just for you TrueLight) 🙂

Btw they sing Anima Christi in my parish at all masses after the Eucharist and I agree with you that it’s lovely!
 
stanncie said:
I think the very basic ones you should know by heart are:

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Apostles Creed

Good ones to know

Hail Holy Queen
Nicene Creed
Fatima Prayer (Oh my Jesus)
St Michael Prayer[/quoter]

Anima Christi (just for you TrueLight) 🙂
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I feel special!😃

I’m working on the Hail Holy Queen and the St Michael Prayer (I was kind of told to do it). I just learned the Apostle’s Creed and I’m afraid I’m going to get it all mixed up with the Nicean.
 
TrueLight said:
How about when you’re trying to learn both the Latin and English at the same time.
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Interlinear (or side by side) is good. At least for meanings sake, such as:
Pater noster, qui es in cælis,
Father our, Who are in Heaven,

sanctificetur nomen tuum:
may be sanctified name Your:

Adveniat regnum tuum:
May come reign Your:

Fiat voluntas tua sicut in cælo,
may be done will Your just as in heaven,

et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum
and on earth. Bread our daily

da nobis hodie:
give to us today:

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
And forgive us debts our,

sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
just as we forgive debtors our.

Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
And do not us lead into temptation.

Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
But free us from evil. Amen.​

Unfortunately most of us learned the old Anglican “hallowed” version which obviously is a little different. Some Protestant denominations use “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” which is actually truer to the Latin.
 
stanncie said:
I think the very basic ones you should know by heart are:

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Apostles Creed

Good ones to know

Hail Holy Queen
Nicene Creed
Fatima Prayer (Oh my Jesus)
St Michael Prayer
Anima Christi (just for you TrueLight) 🙂

Btw they sing Anima Christi in my parish at all masses after the Eucharist and I agree with you that it’s lovely!
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In grade school, we had to know the basic ones are you listed. They are the ones I immediately taught my daughter upon returning to the church. It makes me pleasantly content to hear her be able to say her prayers, with little help. Though, she is only still learning the Apostles Creed between going to church and myself. I couldn’t bring myself to add another prayer to her nightly routine, which is Now I lay me, Guardian Angel, Hail Mary, Oh my Jesus, Our Father and Glory be.

I myself still struggle with a word or two of Hail Holy Queen. Or at least I think I do. But I find when I hear it or if I read it, I can go a line ahead on my own. But no where near perfect or anything. Theres so much to remember, at best I try. Other times, I hope I am at least reverently reading my prayers when need be 😊
 
ProVobis said:
Facile.

Prex
Labor
Studium
Prex
Cibus
Prex
Somnus

🙂
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Okay, without looking up terms:
Labor- work
studium (could that be study? lol)
Somnus is like somnolent so that must mean sleep
Pres and Cibus - no idea.
 
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