When you pray a series of prayers like in the Rosary, do you say amen after each one?

[caroljm36]

I’ve noticed that others don’t always say amen after the Our Father but always after a Hail Mary…is there some sort of protocol for this?

 

[Br.Dan_OCD]

Dear caroljm36,

I’ve been told that it is best to say “amen” at the end of the Our Father when saying it outside of Mass since, at those times, the prayer is concluded with “deliver us from evil.” and there is no further prayer as in the Mass-- “Deliver us, Lord, from every evil…For the Kingdom, the power,… Amen.” At Mass, there is a concuding “amen” later on but not outside of Mass. There is no real “protocol” as far as i know…just suggestions.

 

[Timidity]

It seems to me that some people use “amen” as if it meant “over and out”, which it most certainly does not.

In my opinion, I find the word to be generally overused, and I don’t see its point in private prayer. It makes sense in a Mass setting where the leader says the prayer, and the people affirm their personal assent with it. But privately it’s a meaningless redundancy.

YMMV.

 

[FrankR]

Consider that each of the 53 Hail Mary prayers, 6 Our Father’s and 5 Gloria prayers is an opportunity for a unique prayer request of the Father. As such each one is deserving of an Amen.

Read more about Amen here newadvent.org/cathen/01407b.htm

I think the use though, is anything but redundant.

 

[Fitz]

Yes, I do and it is out of habbit. I can’t say a Hail Mary without adding it. I tried. My mind races to it and says it.

 

[Augustine]

Timidity:

But privately it’s a meaningless redundancy.

Privately or not, it’s only as meaningless as the person saying ignores its meaning.

Amen means “let it be so”, thus it’s far from a redundancy and is actually a fine way to end every prayer, which, by the way, means “asking”.

God bless.

 

[Timidity]

Augustine:

Amen means “let it be so”, thus it’s far from a redundancy and is actually a fine way to end every prayer, which, by the way, means “asking”.

That’s exactly the meaning in which I find it redundant. I mean the whole purpose of a intercessory prayer is so that “it” will be. You’ve already asked for “it” in the prayer, so to add another “let it be so” is, by defintion, redundant. For example, “Dear Lord, please give me a new shiney red bicycle. Let it be so.” You’re saying the same thing twice.

In a prayer of thanksgiving, well, you’ve already espressed your thanks. So “it” already is. “Dear Lord, thank you for my new shiney red bicycle. Let it be so.”

In a prayer of praise you’ve already acknowledged that all glory, honor, power, and praise belong to Him. So it’s redundant to say “let it be so” because “it” already is–you’ve just acknowledged the fact the your previous words.

So, I find it redundant.

But, as I said.  YMMV.  I'm not trying to "convert" anyone; I'm just explaining how I see it.

 

[Augustine]

Timidity:

That’s exactly the meaning in which I find it redundant.

Are you an economist?

Repetition has an use in both the spoken and the written word for emphasis. Specificaly in prayer it has a purpose which is to repeat the intention of the prayer again. A deeper purpose is acknowledging the primacy of God’s will, which you ask to coincide with your prayer.

These are just a couple of brief reflections on the word “amen”. But just wonder why saints and Jesus said it so often…

God bless you.

 

[Timidity]

Augustine:

Are you an economist?

When it comes to prayer, yes.

I firmly believe that Jesus told us that when we pray we should, in effect, shut up and get to the point, so that’s what I do.

But, again, I’m not trying to “push” this on anyone else. I don’t think poorly of anyone who interprets that scripture differently.

 

[whit]

Timidity:

When it comes to prayer, yes.

I firmly believe that Jesus told us that when we pray we should, in effect, shut up and get to the point, so that’s what I do.

But, again, I’m not trying to “push” this on anyone else. I don’t think poorly of anyone who interprets that scripture differently.

Mr. Timididididididdityyyyyy,

If I remember your tagline correctly it states something to the effect of “I’ve been wrong before, I’ll be wrong again, and I’m probably wrong this time too.” Well, you’re right. You’re wrong.
*[Don’t get upset about the above. I’m just teasin’ you.]
*
Per the Modern Catholic Dictionary
edited by John A. Hardon SJ

***Amen - Solemn prayerful affirmation, taken over by the Christians from from the synagogue for scriptural and liturgical use in apostolic times. It was often spoken by Christ, and is given as one of his names (Revelation 3:14). Now used as an acclamation of assent or religious confirmation of the speaker’s own thoughts. [Etym. - Latinamen ; Greek **amen, verily ; Hebrew ***amen verily, sobeit; from *aman, to confirm.]
**
Now remember that when you receive the Eucharist you are supposed to say AMEN after the priest says “Body of Christ” and/or “Blood of Christ” in affirmation and/or confirmation that YOU AGREE with the priest’s statement as to what you are receiving, the actual Body and/or Blood of Christ Himself.

Also, remember that the Hail Mary is a suggested prayer. You don’t have to ever say it if you don’t want to. And if you don’t want to put the Amen at the end of it you don’t have to either. The pattern of the Rosary is a suggested pattern as is the Rosary itself. You don’t ever have to say the Rosary. It’s up to you. You don’t have to say the Our Father outside of Mass either if you don’t want to or put the Amen at the end of it if you don’t want to.

But the Rosary was given to us in it’s various forms by the Blessed Mother herself and it’s prayer to her does include the Amen. I don’t know why you would want to change it or not say it.

And the Our Father, the Pater Noster, was given to us by Christ Himself and is a part of the Mass and it has been used since the time of Christ and the apostles, I don’'t know why you would want to ignore it and not use the confirming word given you at the end of the prayer to tell God that you believe what you have just said.

Well, anyway. God bless,
pax et bonum
Whit (sfo)**

 

[Annunciata]

Yup… I always say an amen after each Our Father, Glory Be and Hail Mary…that’s how I learned it over 40 years ago and that’s how I’m going to continue to pray my Rosary.:twocents:

 

[BayCityRickL]

I say “Amen.”

I am trying to practice charity.

Who did you hear saying “Amen” and who did you hear NOT saying “Amen” and why is this a problem? Do you have cable TV and EWTN? The rosary is broadcast a couple times a day, and there’s only one way I’ve personally ever heard it, Amen.

It’s also so automatic, I have to really think about it. The congregation always gets to say Amen at Mass, too, after the prayers. It’s our big moment. I wouldn’t forego the opportunity.

 

[BayCityRickL]

I think there should be a forum for nit picking, for questions like this. C’mon.

 

[BayCityRickL]

In a “series of prayers” Amen becomes like a conjunction, that tells you where one prayer ends and another begins.

 

[Timidity]

whit:

If I remember your tagline correctly it states something to the effect of “I’ve been wrong before, I’ll be wrong again, and I’m probably wrong this time too.” Well, you’re right. You’re wrong.
[Don’t get upset about the above. I’m just teasin’ you.]

Heheheh. That was cute

whit:

But the Rosary was given to us in it’s various forms by the Blessed Mother herself and it’s prayer to her does include the Amen. I don’t know why you would want to change it or not say it.

Actually, when I pray the rosary, I do say it. As near as I can tell the “Amen” was tacked onto the Hail Mary by the Council of Trent when they added the whole “Holy Mary…” part, and I’m not in the habit of knowingly disagreeing Church Councils.

whit:

And the Our Father, the Pater Noster, was given to us by Christ Himself …

And, you’ve just made my point, thank you. You’ll notice that He didn’t trail it with an “Amen”. Don’t take my word for it, look it up. So I don’t know why you would think that the way Jesus taught us to pray wasn’t good enough, and you would want to change it.

whit:

I don’t know why you would … not use the confirming word given you at the end of the prayer to tell God that you believe what you have just said.

Maybe that’s the difference. I don’t say things to God that I don’t believe. Maybe those who do use the “Amen” as a cue to God to separate the things they really believe and the things they’re lying about! (That of course, is just word play. I don’t really think anyone is doing that.)

 

[ThornGenX]

I say the “amen” too. Like many others in this thread, that’s the way I learned it too from Catholic Media on TV and radio and the parish groups I would say the rosary with.