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| Chapter VII. Of their Method of Praying.
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Chapter VII.
Of their Method of Praying.
These aforesaid prayers, then,
they begin and finish in such a way that when the Psalm is ended they
do not hurry at once to kneel down, as some of us do in this country,
who, before
the Psalm is
fairly ended, make haste to prostrate themselves for prayer, in their
hurry to finish the service693
| 693 Ad celeritatem
missæ. The word “missa” is here used for the
breaking up of the congregation after service, as it is again in Book
III. c. vii., where Cassian says that one who came late for prayer had
to wait, standing before the door, for the “missa” of the
whole assembly. Cf. III. c. viii., “post vigiliarum
missam,” and the rule of S. Benedict (c. xvii.): “After the
three Psalms are finished let one lesson be read, a verse, and Kyrie
Eleison: et missæ fiant.” A full account of the
various meanings given to the word will be found in the Dictionary
of Christian Antiquities, Vol. II. p. 1193 sq. | as quickly as
possible. For though we have chosen to exceed the limit which was
anciently fixed by our predecessors, supplying the number of the
remaining Psalms, we are anxious to get to the end of the service,
thinking of the refreshment of the wearied body rather than looking for
profit and benefit from the prayer. Among them, therefore, it is not
so, but before they bend their knees they pray for a few moments, and
while they are standing up spend the greater part of the time in
prayer. And so after this, for the briefest space of time, they
prostrate themselves to the ground, as if but adoring the Divine Mercy,
and as soon as possible rise up, and again standing erect with
outspread hands—just as they had been standing to pray
before—remain with thoughts intent upon their prayers. For when
you lie prostrate for any length of time upon the ground you are more
open to an attack, they say, not only of wandering thoughts but also
slumber. And would that we too did not know the truth of this by
experience and daily practice—we who when prostrating ourselves
on the ground too often wish for this attitude to be prolonged for some
time, not for the sake of our prayer so much as for the sake of
resting. But when he who is to “collect” the
prayer694
| 694 Colligere
orationem. The phrase corresponds to the Greek συνάπτειν,
but Ducange gives but few instances of its use in Latin. It is found,
however, in Canon xxx. of the Council of Agde. “Plebs
collecta oratione ad vesperam ab Episcopo cum benedictione
dimittatur.” | rises from the ground they all start up at
once, so that no one would venture to bend the knee before he
bows down, nor to delay when he has risen from the ground, lest
it should be thought that he has offered his own prayer independently
instead of following the leader to the close.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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