On Prayer - Page 2© Michael P. Spencer
Page 2
Aug 22, 1999
Anglicans use something called a "Cycle of Prayer" to remember all of our Anglican sisters and brothers all over the world and to help us remember to pray for them regularly. Many dioceses have a similar instrument, and I've seen parishes do the same thing so that each member is prayed for regularly by the entire parish. I went one step further a few years ago and created a personal cycle of prayer. There are people in my life like great-aunts and uncles in whose lives I am not closely involved but whom I want to offer a general prayer of well-being for on a regular basis. These people used to escape my thoughts when it came time to pray for my loved ones, but now I regularly offer a simple prayer for them even if I haven't been in touch enough to know their immediate needs. I even have my closest friends and family on the cycle just to make sure no one is ever left out.
Only in the last two years have I been experimenting with deeper forms of prayer like wordless and centering prayer. My understanding is that it may take decades to become proficient at these levels of spiritual communion. I do think that I am making progress in this area. One of the techniques I like right now is repetition. My aunt gave me a Roman rosary about a year ago, and I find that the beads give me a physical object to focus on, keeping my distraction to a minimum. I don't always follow the Roman Catholic formula for the rosary, but I am one of those Episcopalians who finds nothing threatening about Marian devotion, and I have been known to say a Hail Mary or two. When I go to Mass at the Roman cathedral downtown I usually go early to say the Rosary with the early birds. I am not qualified to give any commentary on the importance or role of prayer in the life of spiritual persons. My favorite definition is the title of a much-loved book on my shelf, "The Gift of Prayer." I can't think of any better way to describe it. Interesting Links Awakening to Prayer is a great introduction to the practice of Lectio divina, translated as "sacred reading." The Rosary Center is a Roman Catholic organization devoted to the Rosary. Oremus includes the daily office, an appointed reading, a psalm, a hymn, and prayers from the Anglican Cycle of Prayer.
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