Saturday, March 10, 2007

Prayer Rope

The above image is that of an Eastern rite prayer rope. It is used similarly to the western roasry. It is similar to the rosary due to it's repition of prayer. The ways it differs are that you say Domine Iesu Christe, Fili Dei, miserere mei, peccatoris or Lord Jesus son of God have mercy on me a sinner on all it's beads. The large beads count as noraml beads and simply allow you quick count how many time you have said this prayer.

The tassel is use to wipe of the tears of those useing it due the prayers penitential nature, also the penitenital nature of the prayer natural call for the rope to be black.This rope is about 50 beads long, but there many diffrent lengths of the rope, I have even heard of some being 500 beads long.

Eastern Monks constantly pray this rope, causing it to form a sub concious act thus responding to St Paul's exortaion to "Pray without ceasing" Thessalonians 5:17.

Now about me, after being shown a prayer rope by my ukrainian freind and a bit of reading about it, I simply fell in love with it. So getting to the point, does anyone know the best way to obtain one on a budget?

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