Prayer rope

[R.J.S]

How do you use the prayer rope?

[CopticGirl]

We don't use prayer ropes in the Coptic church. I'm not sure about the other Oriental Churches.

God Bless.

[Yeznik]

Not in the Armenian Church either.

[CopticGirl]

I would assume they are similar to rosary's but to be honest I don't even know what they are.

[moses916]

prayer rope is used by Eastern Orthodox Churches, it is used to say the Jesus prayer : Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner.

Usually you say the jesus prayer at every knot on the rope, you can also say other prayers if you wish, doesn't have to be the Jesus prayer each time. :)

[R.J.S]

prayer rope is used by Eastern Orthodox Churches, it is used to say the Jesus prayer : Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner.

Usually you say the jesus prayer at every knot on the rope, you can also say other prayers if you wish, doesn't have to be the Jesus prayer each time. :)

Thanks :)

[moses916]

:)

[domi]

We don't use prayer ropes in the Coptic church. I'm not sure about the other Oriental Churches.

God Bless.

Ok i'll rememeber that hehehe:D Learn something new everyday

[Padraig]

We can't really talk about the prayer rope (chotki) without talking about the monastic tradition. Though modern Orthodox really like the idea of the prayer rope, it is primarily a monastic tradition. When a monk is accepted into the lesser schema, he is given a small chotki (35 or 50 knotes I think). As I say it has become popular among many of the faithful of the Orthodox Churches in the US. I don't know about the faithful outside this country.

But it should never be used without council and guidance by your spiritual father or parish priest. I know priests that don't want laity to use them at all. It risks becoming something of a "coolness" factor as opposed to something deeply rooted in the individual's faith. The rosary was created for the laity, the chotki for monastics. There's a big difference in their history and function.

Suffice it to say that you should not use either without spiritual council by a priest of the corresponding tradition (RC or EO)/

padraig

[michaeldimmickjr]

I would assume they are similar to rosary's but to be honest I don't even know what they are.

I was just wondering, do you use the rosary? Thanks in advance for any information!

Yours in Christ,

Michael

[CopticGirl]

I was just wondering, do you use the rosary? Thanks in advance for any information!




Nope.

[Rilian]

We don't use prayer ropes in the Coptic church. I'm not sure about the other Oriental Churches.

God Bless.

What about the Mequteria? It seems pretty similar to me.

[CopticGirl]

What about the Mequteria? It seems pretty similar to me.

I have never really seen anyone with a Mequteria and had only heard of them recently, so I'm assuming the use of them is not a common practice--but hey maybe i'm wrong.

At any rate, the ones I've seen have 41 beads on them to help count the 41 kyrie eleisons we recite during praying the agpeya (Prayer of the Hours). We recite kyrie eleison 41 times to represent Christ's 39 lashings, and then one for the crown on his head and one for his pierced side.

Again, maybe someone else here knows more of the use of Mequteria than I do.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

[Rilian]

I saw them for the first time on this (http://www.chotkis.com/mequteria.htm) site. I really like them.

[CopticGirl]

I saw them for the first time on this (http://www.chotkis.com/mequteria.htm) site. I really like them.

Yes, that's the only place I've seen them before as well. I like them too.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

[Irish Melkite]

I saw them for the first time on this (http://www.chotkis.com/mequteria.htm) site. I really like them.

Rilian,

Tammy Kelly, the owner of that site, is a friend of mine. She is a Ruthenian Catholic and a member of the Byzantine Forum. Tammy does beautiful work in the design and creation of the various devotional pieces that she sells. Tammy has very recently been diagnosed with MS; she's very concerned about her ability to continue her work and about her health in general. I would ask your prayers for her.

Although often described as "Coptic", the Mequeteria is more properly ascribed to the Ethiopians and Eritreans, which likely explains why Elizabeth hasn't encountered it much. The Ethiopians also have a "prayer stick", called a "miquamia"; it is notched for use in counting recited prayers and traditionally also served as a means of support during the long Ethiopian Liturgy.

Many years,

Neil

[Rilian]

Rilian,

Tammy Kelly, the owner of that site, is a friend of mine. She is a Ruthenian Catholic and a member of the Byzantine Forum. Tammy does beautiful work in the design and creation of the various devotional pieces that she sells. Tammy has very recently been diagnosed with MS; she's very concerned about her ability to continue her work and about her health in general. I would ask your prayers for her.

I really like her stuff, I bought a Chotki for my wife's birthday. I will pray for her. Unfortunately I have first hand experience with the effects of MS. It is scary.