Do you pray the Anglican Rosary?

Do you pray the Anglican Rosary?

If yes, how does this help your prayer life?

If no, why not?

Looking forward to your comments,

 

I struggle with some kinds of meditative prayer like that. I hope I'm using that term properly; the line between meditative and contemplative is somewhat fuzzy to me. When I went through my "I'm joining Rome" phase, they taught me their traditional Rosary; and it wasn't for me. It wasn't a problem of attention or distraction; it was more that I didn't "connect" with it. The Anglican Rosary is certainly interesting, but it too is probably not something I will adopt in the near future. Perhaps it would be beneficial at some later time. I have nothing against it, nor do I have a problem with repetitive prayers at all. We all can benefit from different devotional practices. However, I tend to do better with fewer & deeper prayers (such as Psalms or Collects). By "deeper," I mean more complex. I like to set a quiet & peaceful mood when I go to pray (which would seem to favor something like a Rosary), but fewer words and more listening & pondering benefits me most.

 

Adam,
Very interesting thoughts. I know what you mean about meditative/contemplative prayer. I also seem to do better with the Psalms and Collects. My goal is to become faithful to the Daily Office. Though, the Anglican Rosary has some appeal, especially in times when I am so weary. I would love to pray prayers that are familiar. In times of utter despair, I have prayed, "Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy." I prayed this over and over again, pouring out my heart through this simple prayer.

I do think we must be careful in meditative/contemplative prayer. Some strive to empty the mind completely. This is fine, if we are open only to the Holy Spirit and listening for that still small voice of God. However, I think in emptying one's mind; there is a risk that evil may find its way in.

 

As a baby Anglican, I have no familiarity with an Anglican Rosary. Before I decided on Canterbury, I had more than a passing interest in Constantinople. I completely wore out my chotki saying the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me a sinner."

 

Yes I use it as a form of contemplative prayer each evening I have been using it in different forms for many years.

 

seeking.IAM,

I was Confirmed in 2011 after attending the Episcopal Church for a little over a year. So, I'm a baby Anglican too.

Our Rector often incorporates Eastern Orthodox prayers into his lessons. Actually, I had to do a search for "chotki." I didn't realize it was a Byzantine prayer rope. I did some reading. Very interesting.

 

Gordon,
How do you choose the prayers?

Also, would you describe what contemplative prayer is for you?

Just wondering. . . .

 

These days I use the Anglican Prayer beads (details here http://www.franciscan.org.au/anglican-rosary/ )

I start with the Our Father and Glory to the Father.... on the cross.
on the Invitatory O Lord, open thou my lips and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
1st cruciform - Prayer such as Guide me in waking oh Lord and guard me in sleeping. That when I am awake I may watch with Christ and when I am asleep I may rest in peace.
On each of the weeks I use the Hail Mary as this helps me find that place of knowing and peace
I follow the cruciforms and weeks in that pattern sometimes around the beads three times and finish with the Lords Prayer on the cross once more.

To me contemplative prayers is using chants or the rosary to enter a place of knowing similar to meditative state.
I do that at least once a day.

Blessings, Gordon

 

Gordon,
The link gave an excellent history and explanation of how to use the Rosary. I've read other articles, but I think this one is the best.

It's also interesting that you pray the Hail Mary to "find that place of knowing and peace."

Thank you so much for your comments--greatly appreciated.

 

I pray the Anglican Rosary and find it to be a great help with my prayer/devotional life. It does take some getting use to, some say up to 6 months. What I like about the Anglican Rosary is the freedom you have when using it. You can use prayers that are already in use, use a combination of prayers, or you can completely make up your own prayers.

Here are some great resources for learning how to pray the Anglican Rosary:

http://www.giftsofaith.com/Files/ChristianPrayerBeads.pdf

http://www.kingofpeace.org/prayerbeads.htm

 

Sean,
Thanks so much for the links. I've added them to my list of resources, along with Gordon's link.

Peace,
Anna

 

I have gone through another set of Anglican rosary beads, they keep breaking on me... Anyway I find I can get rosary beads most anywhere and they tend to be well made, so now I just do my Anglican rosary using rosary beads made in the manner of those our Roman brothers and sisters use. Franciscans find it easy to adjust.....

 

Having prayed the Catholic rosary innumerable times, I am very familiar with the ideal of a contemplative/ascetic bead-prayer. At first I hated it, then quite liked it, and reacted sharply against it recently. All I focused on was the mysteries themselves, the prayers become heaped-up words. Eventually I just decided to meditate on the Incarnation of Christ every moment while looking around me, traveling in the world, and when going to bed. There is no need for prayers to "time" myself in such universal contemplation.

If it gives you peace and brings you closer to the Lord, continue praying the Anglican rosary! Of course, it might be better not to think of it as a 'rosary', because that name refers to its character of being a circle of roses offered as a bouquet to the blessed Virgin Mary (thus the Ave Maria decades), but the Anglican beads aren't really about her, from what I can tell. Wouldn't it make more sense to call it the Anglican Diadem, to give those pesky Franciscan Crown-users a run for their money?

(My best friends are Franciscan friars - don't kill me!)

 

LOL Franciscans are very easy to get on with - we talk to anyone who will listen and even those who don't listen...

 

The rosary I have I don't like. I rarely used it maybe once or twice, a concentration issue as well. I've been doing some studies into classical Christian readings, and I heard the idea is that your pray even when your distracted. It was not totally focused on the rosary, but on private prayer, the Office, and Mass in general. So I'm going to take it up again when my new rosary comes in the mail. I'll see how it goes from there.

 

Rosary beads a simply a thing that one can use to centre themselves for worship, honestly it doesn't matter whether you recite prayers with it or just contemplate your navel. I don't know that is a right or a wrong way to use your prayer beads.

 

I think its one of those things that may be different strokes for different strokes, but I have a feeling the rosary isn't something most people get immediately used to. I'll find out soon enough. It would be if anything healthy for my mind medically (ADD) and quite possibly spiritually too. I hope also to learn some discipline, but this I don't expect to be something that a rosary is going to altogether fix. Those are just my hopes.

 

I'm sure people could find wrong ways to use the rosary, but if your intentions are pure let be what God desires and what helps the individual spiritually.

 

I do not pray the Anglican Rosary (yet!), but I do use a Chotki 33-knot wrist prayer rope for reciting the following popular "breath prayer"

Jesus Prayer​

​

Lord Jesus (inhale)​

Son of God (exhale)​

Have mercy (inhale)​

On me (exhale)​

A sinner (inhale)​

[Silence] (exhale)​

​

I recite the Jesus Prayer with my thumb on a knot in the prayer rope. At the end of each recitation, I move my thumb to the next knot in the prayer rope. I have found this is a very effective way to stay focused on the prayer.

I use this technique for contemplation. Sometimes I enter the state of contemplation after the 9th or 10th recitation (knot). Sometimes on the 4th or 5th recitation (knot). Sometimes I go all the way through the 33 knots and I do not feel contemplation has come.

During contemplation, I try to keep my mind free of distractions for listening to God. If my mind begins to wander away, I go back to reciting and counting knots. Sometimes, not always, I have the sensation that God is speaking directly to me during contemplation, and sometimes new insights (dare I say visions?) enter my consciousness. At most times, contemplation brings peace to my soul.

At some of these times, the following description may seem appropriate.

I behold a light which the earth does not possess, glowing in my cell. I see it as I sit on the couch. Within my own being I gaze upon the Creator of the world, and I converse with him, love him and feed on him, nourished only by this vision of God. And uniting myself with him, I rise above the heavens. Where the body is at such a time I do not know.​

Hymns of Divine Love​

Symeon the New Theologian​

Byzantine Christian monk​

(949-1022 A.D.)​

​

*****

I am interested in learning if others use "breath prayers.".

...Scottish Monk

 

I take you mean that there may be inappropriate ways to use the rosary, it that is the case then the object in my opinion no longer is a rosary (prayer beads).