Did the Theotokos really give Saint Anthony the design of the prayer rope? Are there any indulgences attached to it?

[PazzoGrande]

Is that story true, or is it just a pious legend?

(And I don’t mean that in an offensive way; us Latins also have pious legends that were fictional, like how Mary supposedly gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic)

Since Catholics use the prayer rope too, are there any indulgences attached to it? Or is this an area where the Pope wouldn’t give an indulgence because it would be seen as him encroaching on the East?

Do prayer ropes need to be blessed?

 

[Hesychios]

I never heard of this before.

A lot of old stories are just fiction, and I would guess this is one of them.

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Is that story true, or is it just a pious legend?

(And I don’t mean that in an offensive way; us Latins also have pious legends that were fictional, like how Mary supposedly gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic)

Since Catholics use the prayer rope too, are there any indulgences attached to it? Or is this an area where the Pope wouldn’t give an indulgence because it would be seen as him encroaching on the East?

Do prayer ropes need to be blessed?

Hello Pazzo!!! Nice to see you here again.

The story is actually that the angel, Gabriel, taught St. Pachomius to tie the knot now used for tying prayer ropes. The knot is supposed to be 7 (or 9 - can’t remember which) inter-locking crosses. As the story goes, St. Pachomius was trying to keep track of his prayers by tying knots in a rope, but the devil kept untying the knots. So Gabriel appeared to St. Pachomius and taught him the “angelic knot.” Since it is a series of inter-locking crosses, the devil could not approach and untie the knots - plus if you’ve ever tried to untie a chotki knot you’ll know how difficult/near-impossible it is.

I’ve never heard of the Pope attaching any sort of indulgence to the use of the prayer rope. I do believe that there is a general indulgence for prayerfully saying the Holy Name, however, and the Jesus Prayer would certainly fall under that umbrella.

 

[PazzoGrande]

Hello Pazzo!!! Nice to see you here again.

The story is actually that the angel, Gabriel, taught St. Pachomius to tie the knot now used for tying prayer ropes. The knot is supposed to be 7 (or 9 - can’t remember which) inter-locking crosses. As the story goes, St. Pachomius was trying to keep track of his prayers by tying knots in a rope, but the devil kept untying the knots. So Gabriel appeared to St. Pachomius and taught him the “angelic knot.” Since it is a series of inter-locking crosses, the devil could not approach and untie the knots - plus if you’ve ever tried to untie a chotki knot you’ll know how difficult/near-impossible it is.

I’ve never heard of the Pope attaching any sort of indulgence to the use of the prayer rope. I do believe that there is a general indulgence for prayerfully saying the Holy Name, however, and the Jesus Prayer would certainly fall under that umbrella.

Yeah I remember originally also reading that it was an angel that gave it to Saint Pachomius, yet the Wikipedia article attributes it to the Theotokos and Saint Anthony. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_rope

I wonder, since the Sign of the Cross is repeatedly made when constructing it and that vanquishes the devil, does it mean that a prayer rope is blessed by simply tying the knots? I ask because I’m making a lot of them in different colours for bracelets for myself and I don’t want to have to annoy a priest for a blessing for everytime I finish a batch.

Btw I checked out your site and I Liked the link about Eastern Catholic Filipinos. How delightful to see that I’m not the only Filipino who admires the Eastern Churches; till then I didn’t know any Filipino who even knew what the Eastern Churches were. I doubt though that we’d ever see much of an Eastern Catholic movement in the Philippines since Eastern Europeans don’t migrate there. Too bad, I’ve been dying to attend Eastern Catholic Liturgies but neither my home in Hawaii nor in Manila has any functioning Eastern parishes.

 

[lssanjose]

Yeah I remember originally also reading that it was an angel that gave it to Saint Pachomius, yet the Wikipedia article attributes it to the Theotokos and Saint Anthony. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_rope

I wonder, since the Sign of the Cross is repeatedly made when constructing it and that vanquishes the devil, does it mean that a prayer rope is blessed by simply tying the knots? I ask because I’m making a lot of them in different colours for bracelets for myself and I don’t want to have to annoy a priest for a blessing for everytime I finish a batch.

Btw I checked out your site and I Liked the link about Eastern Catholic Filipinos. How delightful to see that I’m not the only Filipino who admires the Eastern Churches; till then I didn’t know any Filipino who even knew what the Eastern Churches were. I doubt though that we’d ever see much of an Eastern Catholic movement in the Philippines since Eastern Europeans don’t migrate there. Too bad, I’ve been dying to attend Eastern Catholic Liturgies but neither my home in Hawaii nor in Manila has any functioning Eastern parishes.

To stay on topic with the thread, it’s been interesting learning about the origins of the prayer rope (from both Orthodox, and Catholic [Eastern] sources). And I’ll be watching this thread, with interest

Quick side topic: You, myself, and ConstantineTG. Who else around here are ethnic Filipinos in love with Eastern Christianity. I’m blessed to be in a town with plenty of options (as is ConstantineTG). I’ve been going to Divine Liturgies, since Feast of John the Baptist. Slowly, but surely, I’m dimming my activities in the Roman parish (keeping Rosaries for self, and Roman liturgical year, as well as activities with the Knights of Columbus), to concentrate more on the Eastern side of the coin. Filipino Eastern Christians group???

 

[Vico]

Is that story true, or is it just a pious legend?

(And I don’t mean that in an offensive way; us Latins also have pious legends that were fictional, like how Mary supposedly gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic)

Since Catholics use the prayer rope too, are there any indulgences attached to it? Or is this an area where the Pope wouldn’t give an indulgence because it would be seen as him encroaching on the East?

Do prayer ropes need to be blessed?

Yes, have it blessed. All the indulgences are available through the Church for any Catholic of any ritual Church. The degree of perfection and devotion of the execution of the indulgenced work are the measure of their effect, and the Church adds and equal effect, helping the faithful to expiate the unhealthy attachments that result from sin. Also in granting them the Church urges works of piety, penitence, and charity, to lead to growth in faith and to favor the common good. (See Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Article 8.)

There is a partial indulgence attached to the devout use* one of the following properly blessed pious objects: crucifix or cross, rosary, scapular, or medal. See Norm 15, Enchiridon Indulgentiarum: Normae et Concessiones (fourth editon, Manual of Indulgences, 1999).

• In addition to doing the indulgenced work, one must be baptized, not excommunicated, and in a state of grace, at least by completion of the work, and have the general intention to gain the indulgence.