INTRODUCTION BY THE SUPERIOR GENERAL

In 1993, as you know, I established a Commission on Prayer. The context was our renewal as a community. The General Assembly of 1992 spoke of New Evangelization, New Men, New Communities. My desire is that we would be thoroughly renewed in our mission, in our persons, and in our life together. There is already much to be thankful for in this regard. But much of what we do in our life and ministry will be empty unless there is a deep spiritual renewal among us. So I established the commission to explore ways of enhancing our communal prayer in light of the Constitutions (art. 40-50).

My experience has been that the confreres are generally faithful to prayer but that our common prayer is often far from beautiful and far from attracting young people. On the other hand, I have experienced new communities whose prayer is strikingly beautiful and to which young people flock. It is my hope that the Congregation would develop prayer forms which are "something beautiful for God" and attractive to the young.

I asked the commission to be guided by the following principles as they sought to help us renew our common prayer:

1. it should be beautiful

2. it should be simple

3. it should attuned to the prayer of the Church

4. it should be flavored by the Vincentian tradition

5. it should be flexible (adaptable to different situations)

Among the suggestions I made was that they might consider a "Vincentian Book of Prayer." The advantage of a book is that it can be placed in people's hands, be used as a tool for ongoing education, and serve as an aid in praying. The disadvantage is that it can become an inflexible code. But my hope was that the commission would come up with something concrete. There are already many theoretical, and official, documents urging us to pray. Now we need to find the appropriate means and then actively encourage confreres to engage in those means.

In December 1993, after consultation with me and the General Council, the commission asked you to respond to the following questions:

1. When you have had a good experience of communal prayer, what were the elements which made it good?

2. Would a Book of Vincentian Prayer (which contained such things as some models or examples of celebrations; hymns or chants which are Vincentian and/or reflect our Vincentian tradition; texts and prayers either from the Bible or from our own heritage which express our Vincentian mission and spirit) be helpful? If so, what would you suggest as its content?

3. Would you please send us examples of hymns, texts, and prayers which you think would be helpful for such a book?
   

I was encouraged by your very enthusiastic reaction to my request to assist the commission in its work. Your comments were enlightening.

To the first question, a number of responses frequently appear. The attitudes which the confreres bring to prayer are seen as very important, for example, the desire to pray, constancy in prayer, unity and respect for one another, common pastoral interests. A good number spoke of the importance of active participation in morning and evening prayer and a number expressed the desire to have our prayer opened to lay people. Another frequent concern was pace and tempo, that the prayer not be rushed. Music that is simple and appropriate, whether sung or played, enhanced the experience. A number of confreres mentioned the environment or the arrangements of the place as important, whether this were the chapel or elsewhere. They also expressed a desire for variety and flexibility which would enable the adaptation of our prayer to different groups, occasions, and/or cultures. Symbols such as water, a candle, icons were seen as helpful. Finally, the confreres frequently mention shared prayer or "repetition of prayer" and periods of silence as elements that enriched their experience.

The response to the second question about the usefulness of a Vincentian Book of Prayer was overwhelmingly positive but a number of the confreres suggested a period of experimentation prior to publishing such a book. In general, the confreres stressed

flexibility when discussing a book. As for the content, the suggestions varied widely. There were a number of requests for a book of Vincentian meditations, although several of those requesting such a book realized that this might not be the task of the commission. Quite a few of the confreres provided texts and/or bibliographies which were very diverse.

After reflecting carefully on your responses, the commission members were ready for the next step in the process and I once again asked your help. I asked the Visitors to appoint a team or an individual confrere to guide the next phase of the process, namely, the further gathering of materials. For the time being at least, the commission limited itself to the Liturgy of the Hours, morning and evening prayer, although obviously some of the materials gathered could also serve as food for meditation. The commission members requested materials in the following areas:

1. Vincentian hymns or songs. These would either be about Vincent, Louise, etc. or in the Vincentian spirit.

2. Scripture texts (psalms, Gospel passages, etc.) which reflect Vincentian concerns or spirit.

3. Vincentian texts, e.g., quotes from Vincent, Louise, etc., which could be used as readings in morning or evening prayer.

4. Vincentian prayers: traditional or contemporary, universal or particular, which could also be used to enhance our morning and evening prayer.

5. Some examples or "models" of actual celebrations of morning and evening prayer which have been good experiences for you and which you think might help the confreres enrich their prayer.

The commission invited you to create anew or pick out the best of already available materials. Again a good number of you responded. From materials provided by the confreres, a provisional "Vincentian Book of Prayer" or "Resource Book" of texts, prayers, hymns, and sample celebrations has been put together in English. The format of an attractive spring binder was deliberately chosen to allow great flexibility. The confreres should feel free to add, to replace, to rearrange the content. This is not an "editio typica" to be translated or followed slavishly. It is simply a sample or model of what you can do in your own language and culture. It is also not intended to replace the Church's Liturgy of the Hours which remains the framework in which we generally pray. It is rather to provide another, more specifically Vincentian, option which on occasion, e.g., once a week, you might use. When celebrations of morning and evening prayer like those in this book are used, a confrere can consider them as substituting for the breviary's version of lauds and vespers of that day. Insofar as a dispensation or commutation is necessary in this regard, I am happy to grant it.

I would ask each province (or group of provinces) to develop something similar to this resource book adapted to its own language and culture. For this purpose, the appointment of a commission in each province or area will be necessary. If there are hymns, prayers, celebrations, readings, etc. in the resource book that the members of the commission or the confreres of the province do not like, they can simply be discarded, but others should be substituted that are more fitting for your own cultural setting.

Then your version of a resource book should be used in your houses experimentally for one year. I would ask each house to use it at least once a week.

After a year, each province or group of provinces should evaluate the use of their own book, making suggestions for improvement. These evaluations and a sample of the resource book from that particular culture could be sent to the Secretary General, who will send you a reminder at the appropriate time.

After receiving the evaluations and samples from the various provinces and regions, the Commission on Prayer will make recommendations to the members of the General Council about the next step to be taken.

Finally, the goal of my efforts and those of the Commission on Prayer is not a book, in any form. That is only an instrument. The goal continues to be to intensify and renew the prayer life of our community in light of our Constitutions while offering "something beautiful to God" and attractive to the young.

With the members of the General Council, I thank you for your assistance in this matter which is so close to my heart and so crucial to the life of our congregation. We promise you our own prayers and support as together we seek to respond to St. Vincent's words: "Give me a man of prayer and he will be capable of everything."

In Christ, Robert P. Maloney, C.M.

Editor's Preface

This resource book is the result of several years of preparation, consultation, and collaboration with confreres at large and among the members of the Commission on Prayer, Manuel Nobrega, C.M. (Portugal), Urban Osuji, C.M. (Nigeria), Bernard Schoepfer, C.M. (France), Luis Alfonso Sterling, C.M. (Columbia), and myself. But it is still quite provisional and intentionally so. As the Superior General has pointed out in his Introduction, this is not an "editio typica" to be translated or followed slavishly. It is, as its name implies, a resource book to be used creatively to fashion celebrations in your own language and culture.

Much work has gone into this project and thanks are due to many. In particular I thank the other members of the commission who gave generously of their time and talent. The bond that was formed as we overcame language barriers was to me a good example of community life and cooperation. I would also like to thank Prof. William Ronalds for his cover design and, in a special way, my secretary, Mrs. Lois Horan, whose patience and hard work made the outcome possible.

As Fr. Maloney has made clear, the goal of the commission's efforts is not simply to provide a sample resource book. Perhaps that may lead to a "holy competition," as one confrere suggested, which may benefit our prayer. But the book is only an instrument to help us reflect on and enhance our prayer life which is so crucial to our mission. If it does assist in some small way, then all our work will have been more than worthwhile.