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| Prayers, formal and spontaneous | |
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| Topic Started: Saturday, 12. May 2012, 18:23 (160 Views) | |
| Rose of York | Saturday, 12. May 2012, 18:23 Post #1 |
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Formal prayers in churches became less common when Evening Masses were introduced. As a child I never actually prayed when we said the Litany to Our Lady. http://sio.midco.net/felix/litany.html Many of her titles meant nothing to me. Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Spiritual vessel, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical rose, Tower of David, Tower of ivory, House of gold, Ark of the Covenant, Gate of heaven, Morning star, were beyond the comprehension of a child. The Litany of the Saints consisted of a list of saints about whom I knew nothing. Who were they? What had they done to be saints? Why did they have funny names like Gervase and Protase? In other words my thoughts were on nothing spiritual. http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/qt/Litany_Saints.htm We never heard people praying spontaneously, with requests, praise or repentance. I did hear it when I lived in a parish with a priest involved in Charismatic Renewal. There should be room in every parish and every Catholic group or community, for a variety of styles of prayer. I would be interested to hear the views of members. |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| pat | Saturday, 12. May 2012, 21:53 Post #2 |
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I'm very fond of the litany of Our Lady, having been first introduced to it via Palestrina's setting of it to the most glorious music. That was way back when I was an atheist, but i fell in love with the beautiful singing and loved the sound of the words, even though I didn't know any Latin at the time. I rather like the titles such as seat of wisdom, cause of our joy, mirror of justice etc. - they seem quirky and I have no idea what some of them mean, though. My own personal prayer is a mixture of formal prayers I have learned off by heart, and a sort of conversational interior monologue (dialogue?) a bit like keeping a radio channel open to talk to God throughout the day. I've just done a bit of googling and found that the Palestrina I fell in love with was the Kings College Choir record of 1963, with Roy Goodman singing Allegri's Miserere. |
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| Rose of York | Saturday, 12. May 2012, 22:14 Post #3 |
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Same here. I love praying Compline, and I like to have a chat with three persons who are good listeners and I am sure, put the right ideas into my head when needed. They are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I just sort of talk things over with them, and if I'm feeling fed up or happy about something I tell them. I think it is a shame it is so rare for Catholics to sit together in a group, each one who wants to saying their own spontaneous prayers in the hearing of the others. |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Home in Rome | Saturday, 12. May 2012, 22:31 Post #4 |
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Having endured hours of 'open prayer' in my Evangelical youth, it's nice to be freed from the cringe-worthiness of some spontaneous prayers and just pray the liturgy as a Catholic. But open prayer in small measure - as it's done during offices in a religious community or during weekday Masses in my parish - is fine and helpful. |
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| Josephine | Saturday, 12. May 2012, 22:53 Post #5 |
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I'll second that, Rome bound. I really like the formal prayers with a small measure of the spontaneous type. Does anyone else offer a short prayer when one of the emergency services goes whizzing past on urgent business? This was the practice at a Catholic school where I worked years ago and I have kept on doing it ever since. I pray for those in the vehicle making all the racket and for those to whom they are going. |
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| pat | Sunday, 13. May 2012, 01:51 Post #6 |
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Where I live in inner London there is a constant background wail of sirens, but if I see an ambulance or fire engine I offer up a quick prayer. too often though I tune the sirens out! I used to belong to a Christian Fellowship group connected to college and was the only Catholic there. I was never asked to lead the prayers, and found the spontaneous prayers led by the other a bit annoying as they were so long and waffly. How I longed for an Our Father and a Glory Be! |
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| valleyboy | Sunday, 13. May 2012, 07:16 Post #7 |
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I agree. The formality of prayers like the rosary is a comfort but spontaneous prayers have their place. I'm not sure catholics are very good at spontaneity and such prayers often emerge as egotistical or a bit wet. If I attend events with primitive baptists on the other hand, their unrehearsed prayers seem heartfelt and deeply moving. It probably goes back to the extent to which the clergy are in charge of prayer, and the confidence the individual has in their efficacy. |
| Liberal, ecumenical, universal and it's my church too. | |
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| Gerard | Sunday, 13. May 2012, 08:53 Post #8 |
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Spontaneous prayers can be wordy, showing off, egocentric, trivial or just plain embarassing. They can also be simple, genuine, heartfelt, and facilitate shared prayer and the presence of Jesus. Scripture encourages them. Formal prayers can be, dull, boring, repetitive, rushed, dragedd out, showing off, meaningless or justa retreat into safety and banality. They can also be simple, genuine, heartfelt, and facilitate shared prayer and the presence of Jesus. Scripture encourages them. Gerry |
| "The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998). | |
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| Rose of York | Sunday, 13. May 2012, 11:40 Post #9 |
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The rosary, said by a group, is formal, each decade taking a couple of minutes. When I say it privately my prayer is spontaneous, it is not necessary to stop thinking about the Mystery once the tenth Hail Mary has been said. The mind can wonder to the emotional aspects of Joseph thinking the woman he loved being pregnant when he knew he was not the father, Jesus begging his friends to give him some emotional support, and the wimps went back to sleep leaving him to get on with it. We are not! I am at ease with private spontaneous prayer but cannot bring myself to do it out loud in a group. |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Derekap | Sunday, 13. May 2012, 17:55 Post #10 |
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I agree with all the sentiments expressed. |
| Derekap | |
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| Derekap | Sunday, 13. May 2012, 18:08 Post #11 |
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Josephine wrote: "Does anyone else offer a short prayer when one of the emergency services goes whizzing past on urgent business?" I do!!!! Also - I had just finished watching the latest episode of Neighbours, went to the toilet then returned to see the screen showing a live picture of the WTC building with thick smoking pouring out of the middle of it. How many Christians must have been praying for the trapped, escaping, the fire and rescue services people and also for the naturally concerned and anxious of all the relatives and friends. Thanks to TV. |
| Derekap | |
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| Anne-Marie | Tuesday, 15. May 2012, 08:31 Post #12 |
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Formal prayers during Mass and other services is fine for me, though my own prayers are always informal, spontaneous and direct with God. A priest once told me I should sit in silence before the Blessed Sacrament and give God the chance to get a word in! I've always thought that excellent advice - we can talk at God and never listen to Him! Yes, I always do. Though I sometimes get a little cynical when I see the siren and lights turned off after they've rushed through a traffic jam! I always say a silent prayer when passing a church, though only openly make a Sign of the Cross when abroad. I always make a point of using the holy water, genuflecting and kneeling in prayer in a church as a tourist, seeing almost no-one else doing so: Some of them are surely Catholic??? |
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Anne-Marie FIAT VOLUNTAS DEI | |
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