The Anglican Rosary
33 beads — 4 weeks of 7, with 4 cruciform beads and an invitatory
The Anglican rosary, sometimes called a set of Anglican prayer beads, was shaped in the twentieth century from the older Christian tradition of counted prayer. Its thirty-three beads recall the years of the life of Christ.
There is no single fixed text. Many use the Jesus Prayer, a psalm verse, or a collect from the Book of Common Prayer, praying the circle of beads three times in quiet.
Praying it, step by step
- 1.
The Cross
Begin with the sign of the cross and a short prayer of intention, such as 'O God, make speed to save us.'
- 2.
The Invitatory Bead
Pray an opening verse: 'O Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.'
- 3.
The Cruciform Beads
At each of the four larger beads, pray a collect or a line of scripture that you will repeat on each circuit.
- 4.
The Weeks
On each of the seven smaller beads in a set, pray a short repeated prayer — the Jesus Prayer, or 'Be still, and know that I am God.'
- 5.
Three Circuits
Travel the circle three times, then return to the invitatory bead and the cross, closing with the Lord's Prayer.