Etherchapel has several devotions. Some of them may be difficult to connect with, or just plain difficult to use in this format. To help get you started, here's how I use this site.
(an Etherchapel text approaching first draft stage)
"Be Still And Know.."
(first and frequent)
By far the easiest and most frequent devotional use I make of E' is done simply by visiting throughout the day..
Living in the unrelenting noise of the world and web takes a toll. Even good folk and sites (including this one, if you approach it the wrong way) take part in the fevered competition for just a little slice of your attention, and end up deadening a piece of your soul. All created things, indeed, seem to say that this world is passing. Only that which is already set aside can see, and image what lies ahead to where some things have already passed, and where some have always been..
Atleast half of this site is devoted to the gift of Silence (and the Beauty that often inhabits it). It is that silence which allows the seeds of Divine Revelation to germinate and grow. The entrance and all of the rest of the visual sanctuary on one level are just a collection of pretty pictures. If you're looking for flaws and shortcomings, believe me, you'll find them. If you look in a different way you may just catch a brief glimpse of where they point. Heavenly signpost.. heavenly outpost.. the lines get a litlle fuzzy and the mere one's and zeroes I use for my home-page may just be piece of my true home.
Anyways..
- I return to this site frequently throughout the day whenever I feel like I've had-enough. Often I find myself letting out breath I didn't realize I was holding.
- The more frequently I return, pray, and rest here the more it feels like home.
"Oh Lord open my lips.."
6:00 - Lauds, the liturgical day, invitiatory, start divine office
The Liturgy of the Hours almost always starts my day, after that it anoints every hour it touches.
The divine office is an ongoing prayer made of psalms, scriptures, prayers, and saint's writings, all arranged into something like a symphony.. An enormous symphony with a thousand little movements and melodies orchestrated for every hour of every day.
Essentially to pray the "hours" is to take up a key part alongside the rest of the Church in the incessant creative act of God. It is to pray the fire of Eternal Life into a cold world of dwindling time..
Anyways..
The first thing I do each day here is to:
- Open up the devotions drawer>
- Go to the Liturgy of the Hours>
- Look to see whose day it is or if there's an upcoming feast day I should be preparing for>
- Pray the invitiatory prayer>.
- (up to this point is about 1 and a half minutes. If I'm really pressed for time then I make do with just the " Oh Lord open my lips.." prayer... Like a true seed, it has everything distilled into it>.
I can almost always say that prayer and internalize further it by saying it again and again through the day, especially before writing or setting my hands to a task. It makes a perfect little prayer to the Holy-Spirit
- The remainder of the Invitiatory consists of one psalm. It's often a jubilant short one or is somehow tailored to the liturgical day (and thus can cast the an otherworldly light on your day). In keeping with the exhortation to open lips and praise I say this one aloud.
- Subsequent "Hours" are said depending on the busy-ness of the day and my proximity to a computer, but the idea of being conjoined to a world-side, centuries-long prayer is thrillling. Future developments of this devotion will try to cultivate the seeds of a mini-breviary for those in the world (but not of it) and for families with children to grow into the full size.
- In the meantime..
"Hail Mary: (full-of-Grace).."
9:00 - Terce, (the day's consecration, the day's rosary, praying decades and the star of the morning)
Anyways,
The beginings of the day's spiritual work usually takes place away from the computer. It consists of a series of mental prayers, recollections and setting of intentions. Occasionally it helps to then incarnate these in an easy way, by writing them down, say, but usually I do good just to remember and start here..
- recollection of which set of Mysteries the day uses (for instance Friday and it's sorrowful mysterys) for meditation throughout the day,
- the re-collection of prayer requests and folk we've seen suffering to continuously bring before the altar,
- and a con-sacration of the day and it's hardships with the aid of Our Lady.
"And taking up his cross.."
12:00 - Sext, little devotions, the "yoke that is easy", and daily toil
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.."
3:00 - None, The Stations of the cross, the Sign of the cross, and the hour of Mercy
"Behold, the Lamb.."
5:00 - Vespers, intercession and Exposition
"Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.."
8:00 - Compline, and Night prayers
...
"In the silent hours of night, bless the Lord.."
Vigils, the office of readings, and intercessory prayer