Anglican Prayer Beads or Anglican Rosary

I posted this on Kerry’s blog and thought I would put it here too!

The rosary is fairly new to the Anglican Church. It was created in the mid 1980’s by an Episcopal priest. It blends the Roman Catholic Rosary and the Orthodox Jesus Prayer rope in a form of contemplative prayer.

The rosary is rich with sacred symbolism

I have had my rosary for several years now. I routinely use it in the evening after my children go to bed – my only quiet time of the day! I find it a wonderful way to quiet my mind and remove the distractions of the day.

I must be a tactile person. I love the way the beads become warm in my hands as I pray. The warmer they get, the more I feel in the presence of the Lord.

The rosary lends itself to many types of prayer. I start with the Celtic Prayer, three times around the beads:

The Cross
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Cruciforms
Be the eye of God dwelling with me,
The foot of Christ in guidance with me,
The shower of the Spirit pouring on me,
Richly and generously

The Weeks
Pray each phrase on a separate bead.
I bow before the Father who made me,
I bow before the Son who saved me,
I bow before the Spirit who guides me,
In love and adoration.
I praise the Name of the one on high.
I bow before thee Sacred Three,
The ever One, the Trinity.

(Last time through)

Invitatory Bead

The Lord’s Prayer

Cross

Let us bless the Lord (or I bless the Lord)

Thanks be to God.

When I finish the Celtic Prayer, I then move into intercessory prayer. I am on the prayer team at my home church so my prayer list is quite large. I name a name and visualize a face if I know the person I am praying for with each bead.

Some people devote the weeks to a certain group like the hungry, those who are addicted, or those in prisons. I am thinking of using it in my times of self-examination and prayer of confession as I ask the Lord to make me new in Him.

I love praying with my hands. Homeschooling is a very task oriented lifestyle so I often find myself praying with my hands as I move through the day but praying the rosary is where I feel the Lord’s presence in my soul and all around me. This solitary time with the Lord is vital to the life I live today and brought me closer to Christ. I never leave home without it.