Eastern Catholic Prayer Beads

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tamelyne
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tamelyne

Guest
I started an online business several years ago selling beaded Eastern Rite chotkis and Roman Rite rosaries and chaplets. Then I added Greek Komvoschinia to my repertoire, and eventually Coptic Mequteria… I try to add other styles of Catholic prayer beads as I am introduced to them, and I even got brave and added Anglican rosaries even though they aren’t Catholic!

What I would like to know is, what other styles of Eastern Catholic prayer beads are there? With 23 churches sui juris in the Catholic Church, there must be many, many more styles/configurations than what I am currently aware of. If anyone here can introduce me to more prayer beads than what I currently have on my website, I would greatly appreciate it! Just email me at service@chaplets-chotkis.com. Thank you so much!
 
Hi!

I also make and sell prayer ropes (chotkis/komvoskinis), mequtaria, rosaries, etc. For other Eastern/Byzantine prayer ropes/beads you can look into the “Prayer Rule of the Theotokos,” which is effectively the Byzantine rosary. There is also the Lestovka, which is used for the Jesus Prayer. And there are a number of configurations for the prayer rope itself depending on if you are following the Greek or Slavic traditions (and several within the Slavic traditions). I’ve also come across some Arabic/Antiochian/Melkite divisions of the prayer rope.

From what I’ve learned so far, in the East and Orient in general there has been much more emphasis on the Jesus Prayer. Rope and beads have evolved in order to accommodate the praying of the Jesus Prayer. Even the Ethiopian prayers for the Mequtaria involve the Jesus Prayer. So I’ve not come across the great variety of chaplets in the East/Orient as in the West. That doesn’t mean more isn’t out there (I’m still looking).

From what I’ve found - and our Maronite brethren can correct me if I’m wrong - the Jesus Prayer is even more “traditional” in the Maronite tradition than the current devotion to the rosary. (Incidentally there is a Maronite chaplet to St. Charbel. I’ve never made one, but it is out there).

If you like, you can learn more on my blog www.themasterbeadsman.blogspot.com. I’ve got photographs throughout the blog of various prayer ropes, rosaries, mequtarias, etc. in various styles that I’ve made over the last few years. I’ve also got information on different prayer rules that have been popular throughout the ages in the East/Orient.

Good luck in your search.
 
Wow, just wanted to compliment you on your prayer beads, there so beautiful, i may be Roman, but i love Eastern prayers and have a great respect for your traditions, i will, once i get the extra cash, be buying one of these from your store

chaplets-chotkis.com/paternoster.htm

God bless you (:
 
The Desert Fathers of the 3rd to 5th century, used knotted ropes to count prayers, typically the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”). The invention is attributed to Abba Anthony or his associate Saint Pachomius in the 4th century.

:angel1:
 
Catholics and some Anglicans use the Holy Rosary with 54 + additional 5 beads as prayer beads. The Rosary’s name comes from the Latin “rosarium”, meaning “rose garden” and is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation in sequences (called “decades”) of an Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be to the Father, as well as a number of other prayers (such as the Apostle’s Creed and the Hail Holy Queen) at the beginning and end. The prayers are accompanied by meditation on the Mysteries, events in the life and ministry of Jesus. This traditional Catholic form of the rosary is attributed to Saint Dominic.

:angel1:
 
Catholics also use prayer beads to pray chaplets. Their rosary beads are composed of crucifix and center which can be made of sterling silver and/or gold; beads are usually made of glass, amethyst, rose quartz stone, crystal, black onyx, lavender glass or pearl.

:angel1:
 
Eastern Orthodox Christians use prayer ropes with 33, 50, or 100 knots. The loops of knotted wool (or occasionally of beads) are called chotki or komboskini and are used to pray the Jesus Prayer. Although among the Orthodox, their use is mainly restricted to monks and bishops, being less common among laity or secular clergy. Among Russian Old Believers, a prayer rope made of leather, called ‘lestovka’, is more common, although this type is no longer commonly used now by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “The rosary is conferred upon the Greek Orthodox monk as a part of his investiture with the mandyas or full monastic habit, as the second step in the monastic life, and is called his ‘spiritual sword’.” Ethiopian prayer ropes (called mequteria) employ numbers such as 41 and 64 as their length.

:angel1:
 
In the mid-1980s an Anglican Rosary or “Christian prayer beads” was developed in the Episcopal Church (United States) by Rev. Lynn C. Bauman. The set consists of 33 beads (representing the 33 years of the life of Christ) arranged in four groupings of symbolic significance. These ‘Anglican Rosaries’ continue to be promoted via internet websites but it is not known whether they have been adopted by any Protestant group in any formal sense. Many Anglo-Catholics use the Catholic rosary, and may also be using these Anglican prayer beads.

:angel1:
 
The contemporary “Pearls of Life”, invented by Martin Lönnebo, Bishop Emeritus of the Linköping Diocese of the Swedish Lutheran Church, is a set of 18 beads, some round and some elongated, arranged in an irregular pattern. Each one has its own significance as a stimulus and reminder for meditation, although they can also be used for repetitive prayer.

While there are liturgical churches using prayer beads in prayer, non-liturgical Christian churches do not use them.

:angel1:
 
I already make most of the prayer beads many of you have mentioned (in beaded versions because I am not good at tying the knots for the knotted prayer ropes), including the Anglican rosary, the mequteria, the chotki, the komvoschinion, and a variety of chaplets. I did not know, however, that the Ethiopians use the mequteria as well as the Coptics.

Thank you, Wedded to God, for the information about the Lutheran prayer rope of 18 beads - I’ll look into that try adding those to my website!

Country Steve, thank you for the compliments on my prayer beads! I look forward to your order! When you place that order, be sure and let me know it’s you, and you just may get an extra present in your package! 🙂

I appreciate everyone’s feedback.
 
I have reduced several of my prayer beads to $10, which is a huge discount - in some cases, 90%! - for a year-end clearance, and I’m offering free shipping on orders over $30. Please come visit my site at chaplets-chotkis.com/clearance to see what you can get for a great price!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top