Information on some Russian Orthodox saints' practice?

[MarcusAndreas]

I’ve heard there have been Russian orthodox saints, who prayed, rather than the Jesus Prayer, the Hail Mary, and would make that their Jesus prayer, praying it hundreds of times a day.

Does anyone know the names of any of these saints?

 

[hansgeorg]

rather than the Jesus Prayer, the Hail Mary, and would make that their Jesus prayer,

Seraphim of Sarov prayed Jesus prayre in the Morning, and in the Afternoon he exchanged it for a prayer for St Mary’s intercession, I think the “second half of Hail Mary” which is a separate prayer in that confession.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

The Eastern Hail Mary is also a little different.

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos
Mary full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.

 

[Alexander_Roman]

Yes, the Encyclopaedia of Orthodoxy, 2003, makes explicit mention of Russian saints who prayed the Hail Mary in place of the Jesus Prayer - they were called “Theotokos Elders.”

St Seraphim of Sarov prayed the Rule of the Theotokos which is the Rosary with 150 Hail Mary’s divided into decades, so did St Seraphim Vyritsky and St Seraphim Zvezdinsky (shot by the bolsheviks in 1937). And the Old Believers of Russia all say the Rosary daily.

I will see if I can find out who the real “Theotokos Elders” were.

Alex