Got My Prayer Rope. Now What?

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Vico said:
What I do. Before an icon.
  • = sign of the cross
O God be merciful to me a sinner . + (three times)

Heavenly King, Comforter, spirit of truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things, treasury of blessings, and give of life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O gracious One.

Holy God, + holy and mighty, holy and immortal have mercy on us. (three times)
Glory be to the Father, + and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse us of our sins; Master, forgive our transgressions; come to us, Holy One, and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.
Lord have mercy. (three times) Glory be to the Father, + and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Father, + Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
  • Come, let us adore our King and God.
  • Come, let us adore Christ, our King and our God.
  • Come, let us adore and bow down to Christ our King and our God.
Say Psalm 50, Prayer of Repentance

**Psalm 50 **Prayer of Repentance
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
My offenses truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
and be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born,
a sinner was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may thrill.
From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.
O rescue me, God, my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
My sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
In your goodness, show favor to Zion:
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
burnt offerings wholly consumed,
then you will be offered young bulls on your altar.

Say the Nicene Creed.

**Say the Jesus Prayer (chotki): **
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. (100 times)

It is truly proper to glorify you, O Theotokos,
the Ever-blessed, Immaculate, and the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the Cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim,
who, a virgin, gave birth to God the Word,
you, truly the Mother of God, we magnify.

Glory be to the Father, + and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever and forever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (three times)

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Amen.
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What beautiful prayers.
 
Alexander_Roman said:
Vico gave the exact same rule revealed to St Pachomios of Egypt by an Angel.

It should be committed to memory and we might try praying it three times or more during the day. The Angel told Pachomios that he should pray this rule twelve times at the beginning of each hour during the day, and the same at night (but 300 prayers at 3:00 pm at the hour that our Lord died on the Cross).

The prayer rope can be worn wrapped around the left wrist. It is a sacramental and we can place it with our icons/icon shrine at home when we aren’t using it or for the night. It should be blessed by a priest and we should ask the priest to bless us to wear it around our wrist publicly.

Eastern monastics always wear it when going outside the monastery especially - for them to be seen without a prayer rope would be considered scandalous!

When praying with the prayer rope, we should use the left hand to finger the knots/beads and leave our right hand free to make the Sign of the Cross with the Jesus Prayer (“Lord” with our hand to our forehead, “Jesus Christ” with our hand to our stomach - signifying the Incarnation and Life of our Lord - then “Son of God” to the right shoulder to signify His resurrection and ascent to the Right Hand of God the Father and then, “have mercy on me a sinner” with the hand to the left shoulder. After we release our hand to our side, we should bow with our heads (a neck bow) iin honour of our Lord. We should pray before an icon or other image, as we like, and as Vico has indicated.

On the divider beads, we could say the prayer: “All Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner!” or else a “Hail Mary.”

At the end of each 100 Jesus Prayers, we should, if we can, say the traditional greater Doxology: Glory be the Father . . . then three times, making the Sign of the Cross as well, “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to You, O God!” Then three times, “Lord have mercy!” and then, once again, Glory be to the Father with the sign of the Cross.

We should say the prayer 700 times a day or seven prayer ropes. We can do more later, but we should use this as a good basic foundational rule recommended by the saints. We can say 100 prayers at seven different times of the day, like a daily office.

We should also try and say the prayer as we go about our daily business and use it to pray for others we meet throughout the day, on the bus, as we go for walks, in the shopping malls etc. When we call on the Name of the Lord Jesus down on someone we see, we do a great priestly work proper to our vocation as Christians. Intercessory prayer for others with the Name of the Lord Jesus is powerful indeed.

We could also form the habit of a basic prayer rule, recommended by St Seraphim, which is: 3 Our Father’s, 3 Hail Mary’s and 1 Creed morning, noon and night.

Reading a portion of the New Testament daily is highly recommended, especially the Testament of Christ which consists of Chapters 13-17 of the Gospel of John (considered the “heart” of the bible in the East). If we wish, we can divide those chapters, taken as one unit, into 22 verses and so we would say 22 verses of the Testamant of Christ in every day of the week and get through it in a week. St Seraphim of Sarov would read the entire New Testament each and every week (!)

St Seraphim would also pray 150 Hail Mary’s or the Rosary daily.

We should also read 21 psalms daily and so we would get through the Psalter each week and attend Mass/Divine Liturgy on Sundays (and every day, if we can) and receive Holy Communion. Confession monthly.

These practices are meant to nourish and support our life of prayer in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

Alex
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peace
 
TrueLight said:
What beautiful prayers.
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Alex always does such a wonderful job posting some of the prayers and prayer rules of the East and Orient on these forums. Seriously! I’m very grateful to him for doing so because I simply don’t have the patience to sit down and type all of that out. 👍 Thanks Alex!
 
Dear Master Beadsman,

Actually, TrueLight was referring to Vico’s post and the Rule of St Pachomius!

I say this just to be able to bask in your compliments with a little less guilt . . . 😉

Alex
 
I am glad I dropped by here. I’d never heard of a prayer rope. I do pray the rosary at least once a day, myself.

I take it that this is an orthodox/eastern practice? Is it appropriate for a roman catholic? I attend both a latin and a “modern” parish.
 
Cyclophile said:
I am glad I dropped by here. I’d never heard of a prayer rope. I do pray the rosary at least once a day, myself.

I take it that this is an orthodox/eastern practice? Is it appropriate for a roman catholic? I attend both a latin and a “modern” parish.
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Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus is every bit a part of the Western as the Eastern tradition. So yes, a prayer rope for the recitation of the Jesus Prayer is perfectly acceptable for a Roman Catholic’s private devotional life, just like the Rosary is perfectly acceptable for an Eastern Catholic/Orthodox’s private devotional life. 👍
 
Cyclophile said:
I am glad I dropped by here. I’d never heard of a prayer rope. I do pray the rosary at least once a day, myself.

I take it that this is an orthodox/eastern practice? Is it appropriate for a roman catholic? I attend both a latin and a “modern” parish.
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I’m the OP.

As a Roman Catholic, I had heard about the Jesus prayer more through surfing the net than through actual use. I mean, I never heard Roman Catholics use the Jesus prayer either casually, as one would say, “Lord have mercy” throughout the day or formally as one would pray the rosary.

I tried it once in the face of strong temptation and found that saying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” even once was enough to begin driving away the temptation. You know how strong temptation gets you nervous and makes you all worried and anxious? Well, saying the Jesus prayer three times is usually enough reclaim my sense of peace from the devil. Quite frankly, the power of this simple prayer is amazing - a veritable weapon against tempation and the loss of peace which results.

I subsequently learned about prayer ropes used to pray the Jesus prayer in a more formal manner and figured that if the prayer was so powerful casual use, there must be great value in using it formally. I figured, why just use the Jesus prayer as a defensive weapon? Why not go on offense? Not being familiar with Eastern spirituality, I asked a priest I know from India who was familiar with Eastern practices and he assured me that use of a prayer rope in general and the Jesus prayer in particular was on the up-and-up. Father also blessed the rope just yesterday and commented on how beautiful it was.

I have so much fun Phillip, hearing people say, “Oh, that’s an interesting rosary” 😃 When I tell them that it is an Eastern Prayer rope, they say, “I always wanted to check out an Eastern Church” or “I went to a such-and-such Church once and thought it was awsome.”

I can’t claim to use the prayer rope seven times each day as some recommend but I can tell you that I now pray it twice each week in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, immediately before I pray the rosary. I’m not even sure at this early stage that it is doing anything other than calming my nerves but I pray it out of faith, knowing what a powerful weapon the underlying Jesus prayer is.

And I’m sure I shouldn’t say this. I hope it does not offend. It is a great warm-up for the rosary. 😛

-Tim-
 
Cyclophile said:
I am glad I dropped by here. I’d never heard of a prayer rope. I do pray the rosary at least once a day, myself.

I take it that this is an orthodox/eastern practice? Is it appropriate for a roman catholic? I attend both a latin and a “modern” parish.
Click to expand...
I’m the OP.

As a Roman Catholic, I had heard about the Jesus prayer more through surfing the net than through actual use. I mean, I never heard Roman Catholics use the Jesus prayer either casually, as one would say, “Lord have mercy” throughout the day or formally as one would pray the rosary.

I tried it once in the face of strong temptation and found that saying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” even once was enough to begin driving away the temptation. You know how strong temptation gets you nervous and steals your sense of peace? That’s what it does to me. Well, saying the Jesus prayer three times is usually enough to steal that sense of peace back from the devil. Quite frankly, the power of this simple prayer is amazing - a veritable weapon against tempation and the loss of peace which results.

I subsequently learned about prayer ropes used to pray the Jesus prayer in a more formal manner and figured that if the prayer was so powerful casual use, there must be great value in using it formally. I figured, why use the Jesus prayer only as a defensive weapon? Why not go on offense? Not being familiar with Eastern spirituality, I asked a priest I know from India who was familiar with Eastern practices and he assured me that use of a prayer rope in general and the Jesus prayer in particular was on the up-and-up. Father also blessed the rope just yesterday and commented on how beautiful it was.

I have so much fun Phillip, hearing people say, “Oh, that’s an interesting rosary” 😃 When I tell them that it is an Eastern prayer rope, they say, “I always wanted to check out an Eastern Church” or “I went to a such-and-such Church once and thought it was awsome.”

I can’t claim to use the prayer rope seven times each day as some recommend but I can tell you that I now pray it twice each week in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, immediately before I pray the rosary. I’m not even sure at this early stage that it is doing anything other than calming my nerves but I pray it out of faith, knowing what a powerful weapon the underlying Jesus prayer is. And I’m sure I shouldn’t say this. I hope it does not offend. It is a great warm-up for the rosary. 😛 I’m having a little fun with the Eastern guys of couse but seriously, fifteen minutes in the repetative prayer, signing myself so many times, puts the mind in the perfect state to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary.

I’d say that if you have a devotion the rosary, you would enjoy the prayer rope as well. It really is an unfair comparison but I find they compliment each other for those who like that type of repetative, meditative prayer.

-Tim-
 
I may very well look into it. As a Knight in the KofC, I naturally carry my rosary everywhere and I have a devotion to it. I have several of those… one of which is a “memory” rosary that I am currently wearing on my left wrist. One more devotion certainly would not hurt… though I don’t think I’ll be able to do the 7 times daily.
 
TimothyH said:
I have so much fun Phillip, hearing people say, “Oh, that’s an interesting rosary” 😃 When I tell them that it is an Eastern prayer rope, they say, “I always wanted to check out an Eastern Church” or “I went to a such-and-such Church once and thought it was awsome.”

-Tim-
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Hi Tim,

Your post here was very interesting. To me it sounds as though you’ve already entered into the heart of prayer.

Was the Indian priest who blessed your prayer rope a member of one of the Indian Churches (Syro-Malabar or Syro-Malankara)? If so he would be a very interesting person to talk to about their particular traditions and devotions.

I hope no one was offended by your comment about the Jesus Prayer being a good lead in to the rosary. I think it’d be a wonderful lead in. Personally I used to pray the Rule of the Theotokos (Byzantine rosary) as a lead in to the Jesus Prayer at times when I went for long walks. One way or another it’s not about the prayers that we say, it’s about standing before God with the mind in the heart; or turning to the Lord; or offering a sigh to heaven. Ultimately when one truly prays one eventually moves beyond words into a state of constant prayer and contemplation. That is the goal of the Jesus Prayer, the Rosary, or any other devotion or prayer. The Greek and Russian Fathers were all insistent upon this. Some, like St. Theophan, even said that if there is a certain prayer that we feel draws us deeper into prayer, then we should focus on that prayer instead of the Jesus Prayer or some other such prayer. The point is communion with God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power (dynamis) of the Holy Spirit. So the Jesus Prayer or the Rosary are not ends in themselves.! But I know I’m just preachin’ to the choir here. 😃
 
Cyclophile said:
I am glad I dropped by here. I’d never heard of a prayer rope. I do pray the rosary at least once a day, myself.

I take it that this is an orthodox/eastern practice? Is it appropriate for a roman catholic? I attend both a latin and a “modern” parish.
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According to what I’ve studied regarding the Western Catholic tradition of the rosary/psalter of our Lady, the “knotted cord” (or “prayer rope”) is the earliest version of the rosary AND it was habitually worn on the left wrist, wrapped, by the Dominicans and others (which is exactly like the Eastern Christians wear it today).

The left hand/arm was preferred to free the right hand to make the Sign of the Cross during prayer and to more easily take hold of the knotted cord for prayer. The knotted cord (“cord rosary”), like the prayer rope, was likened to the “Sword of the Spirit” and just as one wore the sword on one’s left side, so too one wore the cord rosary on the left arm/wrist and later, when wooden beads came into provenance, on the left side of the belt.

You should have the Master Beadsman make a prayer rope/cord for you in the rosarian style (a divider bead every ten knots) to say the rosary on. The knotted cord rosary still is the most widely distributed rosary in Catholic missions today, but the way the Master Beadsman, Philip Rolfes, Esq. makes it, it truly resembles the old Roman Catholic rosary best of all (like you see in classical paintiings of the Madonna of the Rosary). Yes, he’s THAT good.

I collect all sorts of rosaries, but Mr. Rolfes’ work is the best I’ve ever seen and I only use his beads to pray on. Don’t take my word for it, just write him and order a prayer rope for saying the Rosary on.

YOU WON’T BE SORRY! 🙂 🙂
 
Cyclophile said:
I may very well look into it. As a Knight in the KofC, I naturally carry my rosary everywhere and I have a devotion to it. I have several of those… one of which is a “memory” rosary that I am currently wearing on my left wrist. One more devotion certainly would not hurt… though I don’t think I’ll be able to do the 7 times daily.
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Don’t worry about the seven times daily or anything like that. You can say a round or two or whatever you like.

My intention in mentioning that was to indicate a rule of prayer - let freedom prevail!!

You can, of course, use ANY prayer beads to pray the Jesus Prayer on.

The Knights Templar of old would carry their beads on their left side on the belt and would replace the daily Office when they were in the field with Our Father’s - to the tune of 200 Our Father’s daily to complete the Office and also the suffrages for the living and dead members of their Order.

But Mr. Rolfes’ work canot be commended too highly . . .

Alex
 
TimothyH said:
I’m the OP.

As a Roman Catholic, I had heard about the Jesus prayer more through surfing the net than through actual use. I mean, I never heard Roman Catholics use the Jesus prayer either casually, as one would say, “Lord have mercy” throughout the day or formally as one would pray the rosary.

I tried it once in the face of strong temptation and found that saying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” even once was enough to begin driving away the temptation. You know how strong temptation gets you nervous and steals your sense of peace? That’s what it does to me. Well, saying the Jesus prayer three times is usually enough to steal that sense of peace back from the devil. Quite frankly, the power of this simple prayer is amazing - a veritable weapon against tempation and the loss of peace which results.

I subsequently learned about prayer ropes used to pray the Jesus prayer in a more formal manner and figured that if the prayer was so powerful casual use, there must be great value in using it formally. I figured, why use the Jesus prayer only as a defensive weapon? Why not go on offense? Not being familiar with Eastern spirituality, I asked a priest I know from India who was familiar with Eastern practices and he assured me that use of a prayer rope in general and the Jesus prayer in particular was on the up-and-up. Father also blessed the rope just yesterday and commented on how beautiful it was.

I have so much fun Phillip, hearing people say, “Oh, that’s an interesting rosary” 😃 When I tell them that it is an Eastern prayer rope, they say, “I always wanted to check out an Eastern Church” or “I went to a such-and-such Church once and thought it was awsome.”

I can’t claim to use the prayer rope seven times each day as some recommend but I can tell you that I now pray it twice each week in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, immediately before I pray the rosary. I’m not even sure at this early stage that it is doing anything other than calming my nerves but I pray it out of faith, knowing what a powerful weapon the underlying Jesus prayer is. And I’m sure I shouldn’t say this. I hope it does not offend. It is a great warm-up for the rosary. 😛 I’m having a little fun with the Eastern guys of couse but seriously, fifteen minutes in the repetative prayer, signing myself so many times, puts the mind in the perfect state to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary.

I’d say that if you have a devotion the rosary, you would enjoy the prayer rope as well. It really is an unfair comparison but I find they compliment each other for those who like that type of repetative, meditative prayer.

-Tim-
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Dear Tim,

In fact, another important use of the Jesus Prayer is to say it as a “warm up” before each of the daily Hours sung in Church (also contained in the Rule of St Pachomius quoted by Vico).

In the Russian rosary of our Lady (Rule of the Theotokos), there is a meditation by the Russian New Hieromartyr St Seraphim Zvezdinsky (shot by the communists in 1937) for the Mystery of the Presentation in the Temple where we ask for the Grace to “say the Jesus Prayer ceaselessly.”

Both the Jesus Prayer and the Hail Mary rosary are referred to as “Psalters” (and the West has the beautiful “Jesus Psalter”). In the East, the Jesus Prayer is prayed as a substitute for the Byzantine Liturgical Psalter and so is done “in the manner of the Psalter.” The same is true of the “Pater Noster Psalter” or 150 Our Father’s. This is where the term “Pitter Patter” comes from, the sound of whispering “Pater’s.”

One would also prepare for Holy Communion by saying the Jesus Prayer many times before. When one is in Church and cannot follow the services, it is perfectly legitimate to stand in one’s place and repeat the Jesus Prayer. One takes off one’s hat when passing by a Church to make the Sign of the Cros but with the Jesus Prayer.

As the Master Beadsman said, both East and West are lost in the riches of the Name of JESUS!

Alex
 
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

what is the procedure for obtaining a prayer rope from the Master Beadsman?

peace
 
hazcompat said:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

what is the procedure for obtaining a prayer rope from the Master Beadsman?

peace
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Just send me a PM or an e-mail and I’ll work things out with you. : up:
 
You try (with the Prayer rope) to start out and begin the tradition of saying the Jesus Prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me - a sinner. . .
 
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