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Perpetual prayer (Latin: ''laus perennis'') is the
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
practice of continuous prayer carried out by a group.


History

The practice of perpetual prayer was inaugurated by the
archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...
Alexander (died about 430), the founder of the monastic
Acoemetae Acoemetae (also spelled Acoemeti or Akoimetoi gr, ἀκοίμητος, lit=sleepless ones) was an order of Eastern Christian (Greek or Basilian) monks who celebrated the divine service without intermission day or night. This was done by dividing ...
or "vigil-keepers". ''Laus perennis'' was imported to Western Europe at
St. Maurice's Abbey The Abbey of Saint Maurice, Agaunum (french: Abbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune or ''Saint-Maurice-en-Valais'') is a Swiss monastery of canons regular in Saint-Maurice, Canton of Valais, which dates from the 6th century. It is situated against a c ...
in
Agaunum Agaunum was an outpost in Roman Switzerland, predecessor of the modern city of Saint-Maurice in the canton of Valais, southwestern Switzerland. It was used by the Roman Empire for the collection of the '' Quadragesima Galliarum''. In Christian tr ...
, where it was carried on, day and night, by several choirs, or ''turmae'', who succeeded each other in the recitation of the divine office, so that prayer went on without cessation. Called the ''Akoimetoi'' ("Sleepless Ones"), these monks prayed "a monastic round of twenty-four offices to fill every hour." The inauguration of ''laus perennis'' at Agaunum circa 515 was the occasion of a solemn ceremony, and of a sermon by St. Avitus which survives. The "custom of Agaunum", as it came to be called, spread over Gaul, to Lyons, Châlons, the
Abbey of Saint Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...
, to
Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings at ...
, Saint-Germain at Paris, Saint Medard at Soissons, to Saint-Riquier, and was taken up by the monks of
Remiremont Abbey Remiremont Abbey was an abbey that was founded as a house of nuns near Remiremont, Vosges, France. It later became a community of secular canonesses. History It was founded about 620 by Romaric (580–653), a lord at the court of Chlothar II, wh ...
and Laon Abbey, though the Abbey of Agaunum had ceased to practice it from the beginning of the ninth century.''Catholic Encyclopedia'': "Acometae
On-line text


Perpetual adoration

The various Roman Catholic orders of nuns dedicated to the perpetual adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of the ...
may be seen as a modern variation on this theme, because in addition to the usual complete daily liturgical celebration of the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
and Divine Office, these monastic communities also observe a perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which usually involves having at least two members of the monastic community always being present in prayerful, silent contemplation of the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., a consecrated
Host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...
) exposed to view in a
monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic Sa ...
on the altar of the principal chapel. These monastic communities may themselves see their particular vocation as a part of a larger, more traditional monastic order, such as the
Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration are a congregation of sisters that follow the Rule of St. Benedict and have a Eucharistic charism. They are located at their monastery in Clyde, Missouri. History The original monastery was founded ...
in Clyde, Missouri.


Present day

The first known Protestant continuous prayer was the "Hourly
Intercession Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or Intercession of saints, asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others. The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Saint Timothy, Timothy sp ...
" of the
Moravian Brethren The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
in
Herrnhut Herrnhut ( Sorbian: ''Ochranow''; cs, Ochranov) is an Upper Lusatian town in the Görlitz district in Saxony, Germany, known for the community of the Moravian Church established by Nicolas Ludwig, Count von Zinzendorf in 1722. Geography It is ...
,
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
. Beginning in 1727, the prayer continued 24 hours a day every day uninterrupted for over 100 years. The Moravian Unity began this continuous prayer vigil anew in 1957 as part of their 500th anniversary observance. Today, perpetual prayer is a common practice in many churches. Often the term 24-7 prayer is used to express that the prayer continues 24 hours 7 days a week. A notable example of current day perpetual prayer is th
Jerusalem House of Prayer
International House of Prayer The International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) is a charismatic evangelical Christian movement and missions organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, and the nearby suburb of Grandview that focuses on the inerrancy of scripture, and biblical pra ...
in Kansas City as well as other prayer houses such as the
Justice House of Prayer Justice House of Prayer (JHOP) is a neocharismatic Christian organization based in Kansas City, Missouri that focuses on continual prayer. It was founded by Lou Engle in 2004 and now has locations in five U.S. cities. They are in close association ...
that were inspired by this ministry. Many churches organize 24-7 prayer weeks that last for one or several weeks. Also, many of the
Cursillo ''Cursillos in Christianity'' ( es, Cursillos de Cristiandad, "Short courses of Christianity") is an apostolic movement of the Catholic Church. It was conceived in Spain between 1940 and 1949 and began with the celebration of the so-called "first c ...
,
Walk to Emmaus The Walk to Emmaus or Emmaus Walk is a three day movement that came out of the Roman Catholic Cursillo Movement. It started in the 1960s and 1970s when Episcopalians and Lutherans, and offered Cursillo. In 1978, The Upper Room of the General Boa ...
and other similar Three Day and 4th Day Movements employ a similar ''laus perennis'' model ''during'' the actual retreats as 4th Day members who have already attended the events sign up for and maintain a continuous prayer clock throughout each retreat of each community with specific prayers for each new participant, or pilgrim.


See also

* Eucharistic adoration *
Forty Hours' Devotion Forty Hours' Devotion, in Italian called ''Quarant'ore'' or written in one word ''Quarantore'', is a Roman Catholic exercise of devotion in which continuous prayer is made for forty hours before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. It often ...


References


Further reading

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External links


www.24-7prayer.com
official website of 24-7 Prayer International, a UK registered charity
www.24-7gebed.nl
official website of 24-7 Prayer in the Netherlands {{DEFAULTSORT:Continual Prayer Christian movements Christian prayer