PROLOGUS.
How to Use These Prayers
The author instructs the reader to approach these meditations slowly, selectively, and devotionally rather than as texts to be read straight through.
The meditations or prayers written here are published to stir the reader's mind to the love or fear of God, or to self-examination. They are not to be read in a rush, but in stillness — not quickly, but gradually, with focused and unhurried meditation. The reader shouldn't aim to get through any of them in full, but only as much as he feels, with God's help, is useful for stirring up the desire to pray — or as much as delights him. Nor is there any need always to start a given one from the beginning, but wherever it most appeals to him. They are divided into sections precisely so that the reader may begin or stop wherever he chooses — lest length or the frequent repetition of the same passage produce weariness — but rather, that from any point he may gather the devotional feeling for which they were written.
Read the original Latin
Meditationes seu orationes quae subcriptae sunt, quoniam ad excitandam legentis mentem ad Dei amorem vel timorem, seu ad suimet discussionem editae sunt, non sunt legendae in tumultu, sed in quiete, nec velociter, sed paulatim, cum intenta et morosa meditatione. Nec debet intendere lector ut quamlibet illarum totam perlegat; sed quantum sentit, Deo adjuvante, sibi valere ad accendendum affectum orandi, vel quantum illum delectat. Nec necesse habet aliquam semper a principio incipere, sed ubi magis illi placuerit. Ad hoc enim ipsum paragraphis sunt distinctae, ut ubi elegerit incipiat vel desinat, ne prolixitas aut frequens ejusdem loci repetitio generet fastidium; sed potius aliquem inde colligat lector, propter quod factae sunt, pietatis affectum.
Orationes sive Meditationes — Collection for Princess Adeliza of Normandy companion
There are 90 more prayers where these came from
Chosen Portion delivers the full Anselm collection — and the wider royal devotional archive — one daily prayer at a time, free.
Anselm told Adeliza to take these prayers a little at a time, and Chosen Portion does exactly that — serving the collection as paced daily portions rather than a book to skim.
- Pray through all 97 of Anselm's prayers and meditations, one portion each day
- Each prayer is broken into short sections so a 100-sentence meditation fits a 10-minute sitting
- Morning reminder at your chosen time, so the day starts with a written prayer instead of a blank