Well, let me tell you about this thing, this… uh… Anglican prayer bead thing. It’s kinda like, you know, them rosary beads them Catholics use, but different, ya know? Not so old, they say. Newfangled, kinda.
So, this Anglican thing, it ain’t got a whole bunch of beads like the Catholic one. This one’s got, let’s see if I remember right, a cross and thirty-three beads. Yeah, thirty-three. They say that’s how many years that Jesus fella lived. Makes sense, I guess. He was a good man, they say.
- One big bead at the start, they call it the “Invitatory” bead. Fancy, huh?
- Then four bigger beads, kinda like a cross shape, they call ’em “Cruciform” beads. Don’t ask me why.
- And then four bunches of seven little beads, they call ’em “Week” beads. Seven days in a week, see? It all kinda fits together.
You start with the cross, to remember how Jesus, well, he died for us, they say. To save us. Then you go around the circle, all the beads, three times. Yep, three times. You hold each bead, big or small, and you say a prayer. What prayer? Well, that’s up to you, see? Ain’t no set rules, like some things got. You pick what you wanna say, what’s in your heart, I guess.
You gotta find a quiet place, you know? No yelling kids, no TV blaring. Just quiet. And you gotta slow down, not rush it. Think about what you’re saying, who you’re talking to. It’s like, you know, having a chat, but with God. And then after you go around three times, you just sit quiet again. Just think, I guess. Let it all sink in.
Praying with these beads, it ain’t like them old-timey prayers, you know, the ones the priest drones on and on about in church. This here, it’s more personal. You pick the words, you pick the time, you pick the place. It’s just you and… well, you and God. Or whoever you believe in, I guess. Folks gotta believe in somethin’, right? Life’s too hard otherwise.
Some folks, they like to pray with these beads all by themselves, quiet like. Others, they do it together, in a group. Like them ladies at the church, they get together and knit and pray. Guess you can do the same with these beads. Share the prayers, share the quiet. Share the… what do they call it? …the spirit. Yeah, that’s it.
Them Catholics, they got their rosary, been using it for ages. But this Anglican thing, it’s newer. Someone, some group called Praxis, they come up with it back in the 80’s, not too long ago. They mixed up some old ways of praying, like with ropes and knots, and the rosary, and made this new thing. Kinda like mixing up a cake, I guess, taking different stuff and making somethin’ new.
And it ain’t just for show, you know? Them beads, they ain’t just pretty things to hang around your neck. They’re for helpin’ you pray. Helpin’ you focus, I guess. Helpin’ you talk to… well, you know. And it ain’t just about askin’ for stuff, either. You can thank God for the good things, or ask for help when things get tough. Or just… talk. Like I said, like a chat.
Now, I ain’t no preacher, mind you. I’m just tellin’ you what I heard, what I read. This Anglican prayer bead thing, it seems like a good way to pray, to find some peace in this crazy world. Quiet, personal, and you get to pick what you say. Can’t hurt, right? Maybe I’ll try it myself sometime. Find a quiet spot, hold them beads, and just… talk.
Anglican prayer beads, they also get called the Anglican rosary, or the Anglican chaplet. All the same thing just different names, I reckon. Just a bunch of beads on a string with a cross, used by folks in them Anglican churches. But like I said, you don’t gotta be fancy or nothin’ to use ’em. Just gotta be willin’ to talk, and to listen.
And remember, them Week beads, they come in four groups of seven. That makes twenty-eight of them little beads, plus the big ones and the cross. It all means somethin’, I guess. Just like life, it all fits together, even when it don’t seem like it at the time.
So, there you have it. That’s what I know about them Anglican prayer beads. Not much, maybe, but enough to get you started. If you’re lookin’ for a way to pray, a way to find some peace, maybe give it a try. You might just like it. And if not, well, you ain’t lost nothin’ but a little time, right?