The Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer is the heart of Anglican devotion, our shared language of worship, shaped by Holy Scripture, nourished by the ancient liturgy, and sanctified by generations of prayer. Arising in England in the 16th century, the Prayer Book gathered the monastic hours, the Eucharistic rite, the Psalms, and the daily rhythms of devotion into one pattern for the whole Church: clergy and laity, choir and congregation, offering praise with one voice before God. Its cadences have formed not only Anglican worship, but the English tongue itself, and have nurtured the spiritual life of countless Christians. It has rightly been called “the Bible arranged for worship.”

 

At the center of Anglican spirituality is the threefold rule of prayer:

• The Eucharist

• The Daily Office

• Personal Devotion

 

As Fr. Martin Thornton writes: “The Eucharist is the living heart of the Body of Christ; the Daily Office is its continual beat; and personal devotion is the circulation of its lifeblood.”

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To pray the Prayer Book is to step into the living stream of the ancient Church. Many today hunger for depth, balance, and rootedness in prayer. The Daily Office offers exactly this: a steady and peaceful rhythm shaped by Scripture, the Psalms, and the unbroken worship of the Church. It is not merely a practice; it is a way of life, forming us into a people who pray.