Ship of Fools: Liturgy for a sleepless night

Thread: Liturgy for a sleepless night Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on :

It's 2:56 here in Poland and I can't sleep.

When I stopped being a volunteer at an Society of Saint Francis friary I bought a book, which I think was called "Celebrating common prayer", written by Brother Tristam, who was a brother in the friary I was in (I attended his funeral, in case anyone is interested).

I think that the book contained a liturgy with the above named name. Unfortunately I left the book on an Eurolines bus in Copenhagen a few weeks after I bought it (I hope that the one who found it gained from it).

Does anyone know anything about this or any similar liturgy? What is contained in it, in short?

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

It's not in my (blue) edition of CCP, but the whole book's on line.

It does include this, which you may be recalling?:

quote:
INDIAN PRAYER BEFORE SLEEP – CHRISTARAKSHA

May the cross of the Son of God,
which is mightier than all the hosts of Satan
and more glorious than all the hosts of heaven, abide with you in your going out and your coming in.
By day and night, at morning and at evening,
at all times and in all places
may it protect and defend you.

From the wrath of evildoers,
from the assaults of evil spirits,
from foes visible and invisible,
from the snares of the devil,
from all passions that beguile the soul and body: may it guard, protect and deliver you.
Amen.

Hope that helps.

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

I wonder if you had Celebrating Common Prayer: The Pocket Edition. It is red not blue. Shorter but has not just the prayer above but also occasional services including one for Watching and Waiting?

Jengie

Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on :

Thanks you two.

It was brown. Maybe I've got the name wrong. It also had liturgies for blessings, invoking the names of Francis and Clare.

I wonder though whether other orders or what have you have their own liturgies for sleepless nights.

Or even knights.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

Ah - the brown one sounds like DOSSF, which isn't on line. I've got the 2010 edition here, and can't identify what you describe, unless it's the Vigil Office.

Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :

Twenty-odd years ago I had a "brown book" Franciscan Daily Prayer, and I can't remember what happened to it.

What's your memory like, Rosa? I've committed a basic form of traditional Compline to memory. If I'm lying awake with my brain on overdrive, I can run through it in my head. It gets other thoughts out of the way, and I can't ever remember making it to the end of the Nunc Dimittis before I fall asleep.

I doubt the people who evolved the daily office intended it as a soporific, but it works for me!

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

It also may have been the book the Community of St Clare at Freeland were using in the early 2000s when I was last there. That was before Common Worship, and I am pretty sure that it is different from 2010 book. My impression was that it was dated then and prior to Celebrating Common Prayer. I think this may be the book Adeodatus is talking about.

Jengie

[ 17. March 2013, 21:45: Message edited by: Jengie Jon ]

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

A review on Amazon suggests here

quote:
This book can remind you of that joy throughout your days and even during a sleepless night

that this Liturgy of the Hours thingy might be it.

I have no idea, not coming from a liturgical sort of background at all. I did like the idea of a liturgy for a sleepless night though, hope you find it and let us know.

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

The blue version of Celebrating Common Prayer was the version for general use. It was an adaption of the SSF office book which was published with a brown cover (and far more Franciscan saints in the calendar.)

If I can't sleep, I'll be flat on my back in bed with the lights off, so I can hardly say I'm being liturgical. I've tried the Jesus Prayer and the Rosary as a liturgical equivalent of counting sheep/beads.

Posted by anon four (# 15938) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Adeodatus:
Twenty-odd years ago I had a "brown book" Franciscan Daily Prayer, and I can't remember what happened to it.

What's your memory like, Rosa? I've committed a basic form of traditional Compline to memory. If I'm lying awake with my brain on overdrive, I can run through it in my head. It gets other thoughts out of the way, and I can't ever remember making it to the end of the Nunc Dimittis before I fall asleep.

I doubt the people who evolved the daily office intended it as a soporific, but it works for me!

Historically the office of complaine was originally prayed at bedside and was simple enough to be done so from memory......

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

quote:
Originally posted by venbede:
The blue version of Celebrating Common Prayer was the version for general use. It was an adaption of the SSF office book which was published with a brown cover (and far more Franciscan saints in the calendar.)

Yes but given the variation between the blue (full size) and the red (pocket edition) versions of Celebrating Common Prayer, there is at least room for SSF Office book to have liturgies the Blue full edition does not. Put it this way if the pocket edition has some that are not in the full (and it does, I checked this morning) why should we suppose the SSF Office book doesn't.

Jengie

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

I never said anything about whether the blue, brown or red CCPs had a liturgy for a sleepless night or not.

My understanding is that compline was invariable (which it certainly isn't in CCP) so that it could be recited by memory by a community in the dark.

Surely the problem is when you've recited compline and commended yourself to God and laid down to sleep, you just don't for hours and hours and hours...

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

I have been known to read the Church Times in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. Does that count?

Posted by Jade Constable (# 17175) on :

I find saying the rosary, whether the standard form or the Anglican version, to be very helpful when sleepless.

Anglican rosary

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