Hand Prayer Rope with Thick Weave and Metal Cross – Mount Athos

Description

The Tradition of Prayer Beads – Mount Athos

Prayer beads are woven according to a tradition that goes back through the ages. One of the earliest forms of a prayer aid was the collection of small pebbles or seeds, which were moved from one point or container to another during the “rule” of prayer or the “rule” of small or great prostrations. It is also said that a monk once thought of making simple knots on a rope and using it during his daily prayer rule. However, the devil would undo the knots from the rope, thwarting the monk’s efforts. At that point, an angel appeared to the monk and taught him a special knot, as seen today in prayer beads, composed of successive crosses. These knots, due to the presence of the crosses, the devil could not untie.

With the help of the prayer rope, short prayers can be recited, such as the tax collector’s prayer: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or prayers to the Theotokos: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us,” or other short prayers to the guardian angel, individual saints, or all the saints. A common form of such a prayer is: “Holy Angel – or Holy (specific saint), intercede for me.” By changing the words of these brief prayers to “have mercy on us” or “intercede for us,” or by including the name or names of individuals for whom we wish to pray, the prayer rope can also be used for intercession on behalf of others. The same applies to prayers for the deceased: “Grant rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your servant.”

Origin: Mount Athos