Elastic Woven Prayer Rope – Mount Athos

Description

Elastic Woven Prayer Rope – Mount Athos

The prayer rope for the wrist from Mount Athos is made with high-quality elastic thread. This type of prayer rope is carefully woven according to an ancient tradition, which has been passed down through centuries.

One of the earliest forms of prayer aids involved collecting small stones or seeds and moving them from one spot or container to another during the “rule” of prayer or the “rule” of small or large prostrations. It is also said that a monk, in his search for a way to assist his prayers, decided to tie simple knots in a rope to use during his daily prayers. However, the devil would undo the knots, frustrating the monk’s efforts. At this point, an angel appeared and taught the monk a special knot, which is now used in prayer ropes. This knot, made of successive crosses, could not be undone by the devil due to the presence of the crosses.

With the help of the prayer rope, short prayers can be recited, such as the Prayer of the Tax Collector: “God, have mercy on me, the sinner”; the prayer to the Theotokos: “O Most Holy Theotokos, save us”; or other short prayers to the Guardian Angel, specific Saints, or to all Saints. A typical form of such a prayer is: “Holy Angel (or Saint), intercede for me.”

By adjusting the words of these short prayers to “have mercy on us” or “intercede for us”, and including the name(s) of people for whom we wish to pray, the prayer rope can also be used to pray for others. The same applies for prayers for the departed: “Grant rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your servant.”

Origin: Mount Athos, Greece
Material: High-quality elastic thread
Purpose: Aid for prayer, spiritual practice, and meditation