I was talking to a serbian and they never heard of a prayer rope. Is this common? I have always thought that prayer ropes was used as much as icons in the orthodox life. I love making them and using them and I can't believe that an Orthodox Christian has never heard of them.
That is somewhat odd. I know quite a few Serbians who also wear the wrist komboskini (33 knot prayer rope). The only thing I would assume is that they are not practicing Orthodox.
You can order them online from various Orthodox monasteries or online stores. There are different lengths (i.e. 33 knots, 50 knots, 100 knots, 300 knots). A 33 knot (usually worn around the wrist) costs approx. $8. If I were to purchase one online, I would get one from a monastery.
I need a new one. The knots are too small on the one I have for my middle age stiff jointed fingers. Does any one make a Chotki with a bigger knot. Thanks.
Converted Viking, below is a link to Hermitage of the Holy Cross. They offer 50 and 100 bead olive wood prayer ropes. The wood beads might work better for you than knots.
In Serbian, it is called the "brosianitsa" I believe or "counter." I gave one to a Serbian friend at work when she was pregnant and she has always worn it on her left wrist ever since.
Interesting that the above site states that prayer ropes with divider beads every 25 knots are "Greek style" but when they are every ten, they are "Russian style."
The Serbians even have some "neat" ways of using the prayer rope.
For example, when praying for others, one begins by saying the Jesus Prayer in this way "have mercy on me a sinner and on (the names of those you wish to pray for)."
But after the first prayer in this way, one continues with "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner and on Thy commemorated servants" (pomyanuvshykh rabov Tvoikh) and so until the end of the "hundredth" and then one begins again in this way.
All of the prayer ropes are "monastic" irrespective of the number of knots or beads.
The 300 knot prayer rope isn't traditional (St Basil the Great prescribed the 100 knot rope divided every 25). It was developed to allow monastics to worry less about counting "hundreds" when they fulfilled their prayer rule in accordance with "kathismata" (and in the Old Rite tradition, 14 kathismata is the fully prescribed "substitution" for the daily Office - thus, 14 300-knot prayer ropes or else 20 300-knot ropes for the entire Psalter).
They also ceaselessly say the Jesus Prayer aloud when they bake Prosphora bread for Holy Communion and when they sew liturgical vestments.
I saw my grandparents do this when they baked Prosphora bread. In addition, they ordered us to be quiet on the day of baking, the mood was sombre and very pious. My grandfather did "pre-cut" prosphora pieces and we later ate the leftovers.
We ate them slowly and with reflection - won't ever forget those wonderful, holy days spent with our grandparents doing this!
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