Amen and amen

Q Why do we say  ‘Amen’ at the end of prayers? 
A The word “amen” means “surely,” “truly,” and “so be it.”  When we say this, we are agreeing with the thoughts and intentions of our prayers.  
Many times, Jesus actually used the word “amen” at the beginning of some of his discussions to signify the importance of what he was saying.  “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life”  (Jn 6:47-48).  
The fact that he stated “amen” twice indicated that what he was saying was very important.  He was indicating that his thoughts, his words were absolutely true.  He was telling us that if you believe in him and follow his teachings, you will gain heaven.
While Jesus used “amen” to signify “listen up, otherwise you will miss something that is very important,” we use the word “amen” to end our prayers.  But too often we do not think about what we are saying.  “Amen” has simply become a word to end our prayers.  We just automatically repeat it without thinking.  But it should be more than that.  It is not a supernatural word to make sure that God listened to us.  It is not meant to tell God that our prayer is finished; he knows that.  It is a statement of sure hope that we believe that God hears us.  We are stating that what we have just said is true, and we agree with it.  We know that God knows what is best for us, and he will take care of us, so we say “so be it.”  We are indicating our trust in God.  
Q Sometimes, we end our prayers with “in Jesus’ name, amen.”  Why do we say “in Jesus’ name”?  
A In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus says “whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the father may be glorified in the son” (Jn 14:13).  Jesus is telling us we have access to God the Father through him because of his righteousness, not ours.  Because of our sins, we do not deserve to be heard by God the Father but Jesus does.  So Jesus tells us to ask the father in his name.
Praying in the “name of Jesus” reflects two primary truths:
Jesus is our intercessor – Jesus came into this world to open up the gates of heaven for us.  He became our intercessor, our source to God the Father. We acknowledge that our standing before God is based on what Jesus did when he suffered and died for us, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven; not anything that we did.
We submit to his will – Bishop Robert Barron in discussing the Gospel of Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter (Jn 16:20-23) stated “invoking the name of Jesus is an effective way to monitor the quality and to shape the content of our prayer … it is altogether consistent to pray in the name of Jesus for peace, for justice, for the forgiveness of our enemies, for greater faith, or for the health of those we love.  Those are all goods that Jesus would want.  But how anomalous (irregular) it would be to pray for vengeance against our enemies in Jesus’ name, or for a Maserati through Christ our Lord!”  Our prayer needs to be in union with Christ.
So, when you end your prayer with “in the name of Jesus, amen” make sure you are praying for something that Jesus would also want.  Then, the father will hear that prayer and answer it in his time and in a way that is best for you. 
Deacon Hooper  is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at [email protected].