What's your favorite sacramental?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cestusdei
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
The rosary, of course! But I have to say that wearing my scapular is a great reminder throughout my workday of my Faith amid worldly concerns.
 
I love my rosary. It’s sky blue with tiny pink flowers painted on each of the beads. It’s been blessed by the Holy Father and I carry it everywhere I go.

Scout :tiphat:
 
I wear a St Michael with my Crucifix, and we have various medals above the windows and doors of our home (mostly MM’s, & various Mary medals).

I keep a St Christopher in my pocket too (a small metal ‘Pocket Saint’)…

…Hey Cest, I sent you a PM a while back, Not sure if you had noticed it…Thanx…
 
I am never without my chotki, a knotted prayer rope used by Eastern Catholic and Orthodox faithful as an aid in the repeated recitation of the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!”). Whenever stress begins to overtake me during the workday, I take great comfort in being able to reach into my pocked, feel the knotted “beads” of my chotki with my fingers and allow my mind to begin its “automatic” recitation of the prayer. Now that, my friends, is real medicine!

I also wear a three-bar cross on a chain around my neck. It was given to me by my wife some thirty or so years ago before we were married and, with the exception of a couple of unavoidable medical procedures, has never been off of my neck since.

a pilgrim
 
My favorite sacramental is most certainly the rosary. It brings me so much peace and is such a comfort to me. Thanks for the question, Cestus! 👍
 
a pilgrim:
I am never without my chotki, a knotted prayer rope used by Eastern Catholic and Orthodox faithful as an aid in the repeated recitation of the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!”). Whenever stress begins to overtake me during the workday, I take great comfort in being able to reach into my pocked, feel the knotted “beads” of my chotki with my fingers and allow my mind to begin its “automatic” recitation of the prayer. Now that, my friends, is real medicine!

a pilgrim
Click to expand...
How many knots does it have?
Would it be alright to make one? I make rosaries and I love this idea.
God Bless you and thanks.
 
I ticked off statue/icon, though it really is a crucifix.
 
I have a somewhat unique holy card. It is a prayer by Thomas Merton given to me about 3 weeks ago by a priest who often acts as my confessor. It was his for years and he carried about in his Bible. He said he always knew when he should give things like this to people and he thought it approrpiate to give this to me. Needless to say I was very touched.

A week later I called the church from the hospital. I had promised to let him know of the birth of my son. I found out that he had justed passed away from an unexpected heart attack. Needless to say, this card is now priceless to me. I had it laminated to preserve it and will have it blessed at the first opportunity.

This wonderful man of God is Fr. Bill Somerville. May he rejoice forever in the fellowship of the Saints.
 
I love them all. As Fr. Corapi says the blessing that goes with them stays with them, wherever they are. Getting ashes on Ash Wednesday was always special to me. Now that I am allowed to bless others with the ashes, it is even more special. However, it is a real challenge trying to keep from making a mess on somebody or myself. Ashes can be a little unmanageable at times. It is a real privilege to bring ashes to the rest homes Etc, for people who otherwise would miss out.

May all have a holy Lent,
Deacon Tony
 
Was very struck in Joan Cruz’ book Images of Christ with the 3-D icon of the Ecce Homo (face and head of Jesus with crown of thorns) used by Teresa of Avila in her contemplative prayer. Found something in wood at a Catholic gift store, not the same, and not the realistic expression that Teresa’s artist (Spanish, no doubt) achieved, but still very affecting and helpful, I bring it out in Lent.

I have found an icon, tempera on wood, of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at a flea market which I love, and received as a gift a small icon of the Black Madonna, with a small wooden icon stand, which is quite lovely, and she has such a sweet expression.

I have rosaries the way some people have mice, my favorite is a silver one from Monterrey.
 
I love them all…but especially the rosary and the chotki (which I bought in Greece). Now I am collecting rosaries from every country…I guess you can call them postage rosaries!
 
Like a Pilgrim

my Neck Cross and my Chotki - never without either
 
My early 19th Century Novogorod school icon of the life of Elijah. It is almost perceptibly saturated with nearly two centuries of prayer, almost certainly in some ecclesial or monastic setting – and who knows where and how it spent the decades under the Communist regime?
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
How many knots does it have?
Would it be alright to make one? I make rosaries and I love this idea.
God Bless you and thanks.
Click to expand...
Hi, netmil(name removed by moderator)!

Chotkis are usually found in 33-bead, 50-bead and 100-bead variations; less common among lay people are the 25-bead, 103-bead and longer versions. Traditionally, they are made of knotted rope (heavy yarn or twine, actually), although nowadays the ones you get through religious goods stores are usually made of wooden or glass beads, much like the Western rosary, some very elaborate and beautiful!

I have two, both of which are 33-bead versions (for the number of years of Our Lord’s earthly life): the knotted rope version that I spoke of which I carry with me always and an olive wood beaded version which remains on my nightstand, always within reach for those “restless” nights.

The longer versions are very popular among Eastern monastics, many of whom, as part of their prayer life, regularly recite the *Jesus Prayer *literally thousands of times a day (so far, God has not seen fit to bless me with such discipline 🙂 )!

I used to have a link to a page with instructions on how to make a rope chotki, but somehow it seems to have vanished from my list of “favorites.” If I relocate it, I’ll post it for you (you can probably just do a search and find it). In the meantime, here’s a link to a site with info and photos of various chotkis…

chotkis.com/

I’d also like to recommend a classic bit of Eastern theological writing: a very easy to read book entitled The Way of a Pilgrim (the inspiration for my on-line “handle”). Written anonymously many years ago, it covers a Russian peasant’s journey to discover the means in which we can “pray without ceasing,” as St. Paul instructed. In the book the reader is introduced to the wonderful mysteries of the Jesus Prayer as well as the use of the chotki.

Mnohaja i blahaja l’ita! (Many blessed years!)

a pilgrim
 
Something that has always spoken to me is that famous painting of the Road to Emmaus that’s mostly the big trees…I think because it makes me feel like I, too, could run across Jesus in the woods some day…

deborah ❤️ ❤️
 
What do the choices “holy card(s)” and “agnus dei” mean?

Never heard of either.
 
Rosary: followed by my MM when I can get the chain to stay unbroken… 😦
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top