Athonite Children’s Prayer Rope – Mount Athos

Description

The Athonite Prayer Rope for the hand is thin, discreet, and waxed for greater durability, with various colored beads.

Prayer ropes are woven according to a tradition that dates back centuries. One of the earliest forms of prayer aids may have been the collection of small stones or seeds, moved from one place or container to another during the “rule” of prayer or the “rule” of small or large prostrations. There is also the story of a monk who decided to make simple knots in a rope to use in his daily “rule” of prayer. However, the devil would untie the knots, thwarting the efforts of the poor monk. At that moment, an Angel appeared and taught the monk a special knot, now formed with repeated Crosses. The devil could not undo these knots due to the presence of the Crosses.

With the help of the prayer rope, short prayers can be made, such as the prayer of the tax collector: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” the prayer to the Theotokos: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us,” or other short prayers to the guardian Angel, individual Saints, or All Saints. The usual form of such a prayer is: “Holy Angel (or Saint) – intercede for me.” By turning these short prayers into “have mercy on us” or “intercede for us” or by including the name(s) of people for whom we wish to pray, we can additionally use the prayer rope for intercession on behalf of others. The same applies to prayers for the departed: “Grant rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your servant.”

*The colors of the beads vary and are chosen randomly.