Handling of a chotki

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alice24

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…I have some questions, not if something is allowed or not (I checked the ressources of diverse orthodox channels, too), but how you handle your chotki if you have one.
I´ve seen different practices on who uses a chotki (in our parish, only one lady wears one openly, and I think she´s in a way consecrated, don´t know her personally) and I know many russian orthodox people connect a special blessing or promise before the priest with the daily use of the chotki.
-how do you use it?
I was raised with a partly roman catholic family, so I´m used to rosaries, but never prayed them as it´s not really existent in the EOC. BUT, I would like to have a more active prayer life, so I was thinking of te chotki. I´m praying the jesus prayer very often, but maybe there are some other nice prayer practices as well?
-are there any EO people who pray still the rosary?
I´m happy for your answers 🙂
 
I have several Chotki, Prayer Ropes and Lestovki and all get use 🙂

My big Lestovka [ traditional one with the triangular flaps ] lives with my Ikons . My ‘mini’ Lestovka is the one I mainly use because of damage/ loss of sensation in my hands - it’s very small , can be moved through my fingers easily as I can feel the steps on it and it’s very soft.

Chotki are all wooden - just simple beads - 10 then a divider on,e another 10 + 1, and a final set of 10+1, with a plain small wooden cross from the joining bead. I can’t use a knotted prayer rope as I can’t feel it.

I just say the Jesus Prayer

My mini Lestovka lives in my purse . I tend to keep a Chotki in pockets so I’ve always got one to hand
 
eagerbeaver said:
I can’t use a knotted prayer rope as I can’t feel it.
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I have a similar “problem”. I need real pearl shaped stones or just bigger or better spaced knots to feel at which point I am.
Did you buyed them at your church? I know most people get them dircly from their parishes here as they are blessed, but I found several beautiful ones on etsy and ebay and don´t know if I can trust the “is already blessed” button 😉
 
No - my mini lestovka was a present many years ago .

My wooden Chotkis usually come from Ukraine when anyone goes over there

BUT I have bought [ when really needing some ] from the dreaded e-bay - there’s a guy in the UK makes them .

I give them to my priest and ask him to place them on the Holy Table for me [ as I do with new Icons - which stay there for 40 days ] Father usually keeps Chotkis there for a week - and quietly reminds me that they were made with prayers and I pray with them.
 
I’m Latin-Rite and have made use of the chotki. Like a rosary, it’s something I would not wear. It seems disrespectful to me- but that’s just my opinion.

I have one with 103 beads, so I only use it “every once in awhile” because of the intensity of the prayer. It’s not part of my daily prayer for that reason. If you can get one with a more manageable number of beads, it would be a great addition to your routine of prayer.
 
Thom18 said:
Like a rosary, it’s something I would not wear
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I also wouldn´t wear them like a piece of jewelry, but I found the idea of those chotki bracelet still nice because I usually pray when I wait for the bus, and so I had it directly availible for me and wouldn´t need to search in my bag…
 
I have a couple 100-knot prayer ropes. They have beads after every 10th knot. what I do is pray the Jesus Prayer on the knots and the Anima Christi prayer on the beads. I recently did a presentation on the Jesus Prayer
 
If you are looking for a prayer rope, look no further than forum member Phillip Rolfes @Phillip_Rolfes http://themasterbeadsman.blogspot.com/ He has made all of my prayer ropes currently in use and one has been on my wrist daily for at least the last 5 years. I personally have never come across better quality prayer ropes. Lots of people ask me about them and I have given away most I have had over the years. I am grateful for his creations as I have large 8" wrists so he makes them special to fit for me.

Fr. Dcn. John
 
Dear Father John,
thank you very much! They are really beautiful (especially the golden russian one) and I will definately set them on my list 🙂
 
In my experience with chotki, they tend to be a very personal thing. Most people prefer a chotki with knots that are spaced as that helps them to feel the individual knots with greater ease. Sadly, most makers/providers of chotki tend to make and/or sell the chotki whose knots are so close together as to make it nearly impossible to distinguish where one knot ends and another begins.

For nearly a decade I’ve been making chotki with nicely spaced knots… but that has finally taken a toll on my hands. Having literally tied knots until my hands have bled, I’ve been on the lookout for another method of tying chotki that is both easier on my hands, and makes the whole process a little quicker. I think I’ve found it, but I’m still working to perfect it.

If anyone has questions regarding the making and/or use of chotki, please feel free to PM or email me. I’m always happy to serve. That being said, I’ve semi-retired from making chotki for sale. As I mentioned above, my decade of tying knots has taken its toll on my hands. It’s also a very time-consuming process. As a married man with three children, a fourth on the way, and working to support my growing family, my time for tying chotki is very limited.
 
Thank you very much for your reply, I´ll send you a private message 🙂
 
I am so sad to hear that you are semi retiring from tying Chotki. I still have two that you have made for me and I will cherish them. Thank you for all you have done over the years and be assured of my prayers as I have used your creations to bring me closer to God for many years. The only time I take them off is bathing or serving (they don’t fit well under the epimanikia/cuffs)

Mnohaya lita!

Fr. Deacon John
 
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