Often forget to say "Amen" at end of Our Father

[Maxirad]

I have often forgotten to say “Amen” at the end of the Our Father. Is this a particularly bad thing?

 

[Thomas_White]

I have often forgotten to say “Amen” at the end of the Our Father. Is this a particularly bad thing?

No, it is just a habit you have developed. It can be unlearned.

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

Whether you say it only really matters if you are saying it with others IMO.

If you are praying by yourself, there is no “wrong” way to pray so it’s a matter of preference.

If you want to say it automatically, just do it consciously until it becomes a habit like the other poster wrote.

Or if you remember it a couple seconds later go ahead and say it anyway, and next time your mind will perhaps anticipate the experience of the added word.

Or if it’s more stubborn, maybe you can actually write it out or print it out and read it when you pray it, and if necessary keep a pointer where you are reading so you don’t miss it. Or write it out with the Amen a few times.

Anything that makes your brain “process” the connection, using the “levels of processing” approach to memory retrieval, is likely to help.

 

[Bookcat]

The Our Father scborromeo.org/ccc/p4s2.htm

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html#The%20Lord%E2%80%99s%20Prayer:%20%E2%80%9COur%20Father%E2%80%9D

In the Liturgy - the Amen comes after the Priest prayer after the Our Father. I do not see it in right after the Our Father.

And I would not want to say that one “must” say “Amen” each time outside of Liturgy (it is not part of the prayer per se)…but it is quite fitting.

Amen scborromeo.org/ccc/p4s2a4.htm#2856

 

[DelsonJacobs]

It should be noted that Jews never say “Amen” to their own prayers, only in response to the prayer of others.

The reason is that the word “amen” literally means “so be it,” as in “I agree with what has been said [by another].” It is not clear how “amen” got to be used by Christians after every prayer, including their own, since the “amen” has been adopted from Jewish liturgical use. Theoretically the reason might be found in the fact that Catholics offer many prayers by rote based on memorization of Scripture and are saying “amen” to what has been written by the hand of another in such a case.

Whatever the origin of the Christian practice, in light of this there is never a need to say “amen” to your own prayer if you want to be technical about it. You are stating it, it is coming from you, so of course you agree to it.

 

[PietroPaolo]

Not a bad thing, but it wouldn’t hurt to try to remember to start saying it. My wife converted from Protestantism last year and she struggles to not add “for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever” as if it was part of the prayer. That’s not a bad thing either, as long as you don’t do it at Mass

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

I have often forgotten to say “Amen” at the end of the Our Father. Is this a particularly bad thing?

I smell heresy. BURN HIM!

Just kidding. It’s an honest mistake I myself often make.

 

[captainrick]

I have often forgotten to say “Amen” at the end of the Our Father. Is this a particularly bad thing?

I do the same thing occasionally. It’s no big deal - but I often find myself repeating the whole prayer (which is a bit scrupulous of me).

 

[seagal]

I’ve found lately (in the past year or 2) when I’m with a group and we pray the Our Father, often there are only 1 or 2 voices saying Amen at the end. I’m always one of them Not even all priests say it. I wonder if it’s a habit developed from not saying Amen during mass? I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all. It’s not the important part after all.

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

It should be noted that Jews never say “Amen” to their own prayers, only in response to the prayer of others.

The reason is that the word “amen” literally means “so be it,” as in “I agree with what has been said [by another].” It is not clear how “amen” got to be used by Christians after every prayer, including their own, since the “amen” has been adopted from Jewish liturgical use. Theoretically the reason might be found in the fact that Catholics offer many prayers by rote based on memorization of Scripture and are saying “amen” to what has been written by the hand of another in such a case.

Whatever the origin of the Christian practice, in light of this there is never a need to say “amen” to your own prayer if you want to be technical about it. You are stating it, it is coming from you, so of course you agree to it.