The Memorare

[the_rev]

Something that has been bothering me is I usually add The Memore to my daily rosary. The part that bothers me is the Hear and answer me.

Wouldn't it be appropriet to say hear and pray for me. Because I have been taught, mary can't answer prayer, so why would we say answer me in this prayer?

If you could provide elinghtenment that would be great!!!!!!!!!

The questions

1. Why is it hear and answer me.

2. Is it appropriete to change it to pray for me.

Thanks for the answers!

[Adeodatus]

Dear the_rev,

Here's the Memorare, with the best English translation of it I've come across. The one that I learnt as a child was slightly different, but this one's better.

Memorare, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a sæculo, quemquam ad tua currentem præsidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego, tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo virginum, Mater, curro; ad te venio; coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere, sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.

Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of, that any one ever had recourse to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled, therefore, with confidence in thy goodness, I fly to thee, Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee I come; before thee I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise not my words, O Mother of the Word, but graciously hear and grant my prayer. Amen.

If I'm not mistaken, the last line in Latin "sed audi propitia et exaudi" literally translates as "but mercifully hear and answer". The English words 'my prayer' must be supplied to make sense of the sentence. So you could take it to mean "mercifully hear and answer [me]" if you prefer.

I think we ought to distinguish the uses of the word 'pray'. In modern English we tend to use it for addressing God, and so 'pray' has suffered that same narrowing of meaning that the word 'worship' has. 'Pray' does have the wider sense of 'ask' or 'please', e.g. "I pray thee..." or "Pray do not do this..." It's root in French still works in these two ways: 'prier' can mean 'to pray to God' or 'to ask someone'.

I think we should take 'hear my prayer' in this latter sense. We're not 'praying' to Mary like she's a deity, but we mean that we're 'asking' her to pray for us.

So a possible solution is: (in order of my preference)

1. You now don't mind the traditional phraseology;

2. You say it in Latin instead;

3. Say it literally as "graciously/mercifully hear and answer [me]".