On Prayer Books.
A good friend of mine who is a protestant has often debated with me on the subject of prayer books. He says that he prefers for his prayer to be spontaneous and personal, rather than from a book that someone else has written. While I completely agree that prayer is a very personal act, and there is nothing wrong with spontaneous prayer, I believe the use of a prayer book, or memorized prayer such as the Rosary, to be an excellent tool for spiritual development.
One of the greatest complaints about standardized prayers, especially the Rosary, is that they are overly redundant, saying the same prayers over and over again. This may be true, for within one 5 mystery Rosary, one says the Hail Mary 53 times, the Our Father 7 times and the Glory Be 7 times. This seems like much repetition if one is used to praying in their own words. However, it seems that we in this modern society have lost sight of the very valuable tool that repetition is. The Chinese have a very wise saying about repetition. "Ten thousand strokes to mastery." Whether leaning calligraphy or training in a martial art, one must practice the same stroke over and over again until it becomes so natural to them that they needn't even think about it. It is the same way with prayer, for we are not sitting down to just say our prayer quota for the day, rather we are training ourselves towards a life of prayer.
Also, use of memorized or written prayers allows one to really focus on the meaning behind the words, rather than putting their energy into thinking up the words. Often when listening to a person pray spontaneously before a group, the prayer is filled with "uh", "um", "Dear Lord" and pauses where they are unnecessary, not to mention distracting. However, in reciting a prayer that you know by heart, you can venture past the words and truly meditate on the spirit of the prayer. It eases nervousness, centers one's focus, and allows for a deeper connection to God. That is not to say that every prayer one offers is to be pre-memorized. Such prayers are just springboards to set us on the path of living a prayer-filled life. In between the Daily Offices (Matins and Vespers, as well as several other Hours) one's mind is distracted with the work of the day, but needn't be too distracted for prayer. We can pray constantly throughout the day, which is what the Daily Offices are teaching us to do. It is the sitting down with a prayer book or Rosary that brings one's prayers into sharper focus, thereby intensifying the meditation and closeness with God.
While made up prayers are a wonderful expression of the innermost yearnings of our hearts, few of us, if we are honest, can claim to have the spiritual discipline required to prayer intently all day. This is why prayer books and other prayer exercises are spiritual gifts, given to us by God through scripture and His saints.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore. Amen.
Vincent Christian
One of the greatest complaints about standardized prayers, especially the Rosary, is that they are overly redundant, saying the same prayers over and over again. This may be true, for within one 5 mystery Rosary, one says the Hail Mary 53 times, the Our Father 7 times and the Glory Be 7 times. This seems like much repetition if one is used to praying in their own words. However, it seems that we in this modern society have lost sight of the very valuable tool that repetition is. The Chinese have a very wise saying about repetition. "Ten thousand strokes to mastery." Whether leaning calligraphy or training in a martial art, one must practice the same stroke over and over again until it becomes so natural to them that they needn't even think about it. It is the same way with prayer, for we are not sitting down to just say our prayer quota for the day, rather we are training ourselves towards a life of prayer.
Also, use of memorized or written prayers allows one to really focus on the meaning behind the words, rather than putting their energy into thinking up the words. Often when listening to a person pray spontaneously before a group, the prayer is filled with "uh", "um", "Dear Lord" and pauses where they are unnecessary, not to mention distracting. However, in reciting a prayer that you know by heart, you can venture past the words and truly meditate on the spirit of the prayer. It eases nervousness, centers one's focus, and allows for a deeper connection to God. That is not to say that every prayer one offers is to be pre-memorized. Such prayers are just springboards to set us on the path of living a prayer-filled life. In between the Daily Offices (Matins and Vespers, as well as several other Hours) one's mind is distracted with the work of the day, but needn't be too distracted for prayer. We can pray constantly throughout the day, which is what the Daily Offices are teaching us to do. It is the sitting down with a prayer book or Rosary that brings one's prayers into sharper focus, thereby intensifying the meditation and closeness with God.
While made up prayers are a wonderful expression of the innermost yearnings of our hearts, few of us, if we are honest, can claim to have the spiritual discipline required to prayer intently all day. This is why prayer books and other prayer exercises are spiritual gifts, given to us by God through scripture and His saints.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore. Amen.
Vincent Christian
posted by Vincent Christian | 2:31 PM
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