My family is German-Catholic on one side, Irish-Catholic on the other. My parents were raised Catholic and converted to Protestant (non-denominational) when I was small. I have a degree in theology and spent many years as a Restoration Church pastor. Recently I had the idea to take apart one of my grandmothers old rosary sets and restring it into a different pattern and then chose for myself scriptures to recite and then each bead represents a topic of prayer (instead of a prayer to recite, I guess my Restoration roots showing through) for each part of my new prayer beads… i loved the image of taking an icon of where my family came from and renewing it to represent my own journey of faith… I thought I was being clever, and I loved they way it helped me to focus on praying and directing my mind upward… then I discovered that “Protestant prayer beads” are actually a thing, so much so that there are more versions than you can list and their heritage and tradition go back centuries… beads, ropes, knots, different prayers… they’re nothing special, just string and beads, but it’s so much more beautiful than I imagined a string of beads could be… when you come to your faith as a convert or in a church tradition that avoids dogma or “religiosity” you miss out on so much of the deep cultural and liturgical history of Christianity through the centuries… I’m thankful God has allowed me to reach back to His people before me and pull some of that richness into my life. Thank you for these videos, even with degrees on my wall I really appreciate the insight into other areas of Christianity beyond my own. Grace and Peace friend.
Catholic here; I love the Jesus Prayer and use it all the time (or try to). Anytime I think something I shouldn't, any time I feel or touch my scapular (catholic devotion "necklace"), or just any time I think about it randomly I pray one...or five.
@@Buddhamind11 the Jesus prayer is thousands of years old and very much Christian. Devotion to a certain thing isn't Hindi either, especially non Hindi entities.
Almost all religions use prayer beads of some sort. The mala is something different. Everyone knows beads help focus for prayer and meditation, not just Hindus and Buddhists, or Christians.
@@Buddhamind11 prayer beads have been used in all sorts of religions, not just Hinduism, and just because pagans used something, doesn't make it inherently pagan. it's literally just an object. it's what you do with it that matters. Christians use them to worship the Christian God, and not for some made up pagan gods, therefore there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. The specific thing that is bad about paganism, is that they worship false idols and false gods, not that they use prayer beads to do so. prayer beads are simply a tool. sure you don't necessarily NEED them, but they do in fact help many people, and go back to early Christianity. you realize that the usage of halos in Christian art is also technically not Christian since there's nothing biblical about it, right? it comes from the Greeks, and Christians adopted it as a way to show divinity and/or one's holiness.
@danielsustaita9522 St Makarios says that in the heart there are many wonders but also dragons. Develing into the prayer of the heart without a guide can cause delusion and prelest. The practitioners of the Jesus prayer say to be weary of being misguided, and I trust them more than my own intuition
@@danielsustaita9522 I feel like it's a lowkey way to hopefully get someone interested in Orthodoxy, whether they're already Christian or not. I don't say that to criticize them, just that I don't believe it's essential, just like you don't need to speak with a Catholic priest to learn the rosary. Eastern Catholics pray the chotki as well, and they share the exact same tradition as Orthodox. The only real difference is that they accept the Filioque and the Pope, making them Catholic. But we call them Eastern Catholic because there's an obvious difference in culture, when compared to the Latin rite. I've never seen Eastern Catholics tell you to seek a priest before considering to pray the chotki, and they certainly don't shy away from telling you to get a chotki and adding it to your prayer routine. I'm a Roman Catholic as well, and I prayer the chotki a lot, or at the very least recite the Jesus Prayer a lot even when I don't have a chotki on me.
I learned about the Jesus Prayer on the side as I was being catechized into the Catholic Church, & recenty got myself a Chotki to add it to my prayer life more often!
Thanks for this informative video. My Godfather gave me a prayer rope when I was chrismated into the Orthodox church and I have been using it to enrich my prayer life ever since!! May God continue to bless you and your channel and grant you both many years!!
Another great one. I love the continued direction to a local Orthodox priest/parish for questions and more info. Orthodoxy is an incarnate faith lived out in living, breathing community. Like online dating, you can certainly meet someone online, but for a real relationship, with all that entails, the internet will eventually have to step aside.
Your videos are spot on! I love the entire atmosphere of your setup and your demeanour. Your points are incredibly concise and have interesting details that Orthodox Christians may not know. I did not know that there are 7 crosses that go into a single bead and then form the 3 crosses of the holy trinity. Knowing that makes my prayer ropes that much more beautiful to me.
I'm impressed with how aesthetically pleasing you edit your videos! I have a question for you: Do you have any ancient sources that confirm that St. Anthony or St. Pachomius invented the prayer rope? I've searched for a long time for some specific texts, but haven't found any....
You said that we as Orthodox Christians do not say the rosary, however there are several jurisdictions who’ve had bishops state the rosary is canonical and edifying for the Orthodox to pray 📿
im wondering this too... im Tewahedo orthodox (oriental) but baptized n confirmed In eastern orthodox and I was raised in Catholic Church. lol. I loved praying the rosary and its all the same prayers... I wonder if its okay since its same prayers
the rosary is 100% an orthodox invention. originating on Mount Athos. traveling roman catholics clerics brought ot over to the west many centuries after the rosary was already widely in use in the east. Saint Seraphim of Sarov used to say the rosary. Even older than the rosary are paternoster beads which was widespread in europe in the medieval era. in the west the rosary came more into fashion since the 16th and 17th century. Dr Alan Barton did an excelent vid on them
If you cant make it to an orthodox church(no car).And cannot afford an inexpensive prayer rope off Amazon(10$).Make your own. Any light cordage will do.I make mine with only jute cord.Its the intention that goes into each knot that counts.
The rosary is actually used by many Orthodox who practice the Western Rite. The basic format for the rosary doesn’t include any post-schism heresy. In recovering the Western Rite many post-schism devotions are approved so long as they are not heretical and can conceivably come about in the west were the schism never to have happened. Same with Eucharistic Adoration and devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
@@nicgundy prayer rule of the Theotokos is pretty similar to the rosary but instead of meditating on various aspects of Christ’s life you’re interceding for various groups of people. Also there’s more decades than the rosary. It’s commonly attributed to St Seraphim of Sarov but the sources for that aren’t really strong, but he is said to be a big supporter of it nonetheless.
Is there a specific place you would suggest getting a prayer rope? Specifically online. I live in the boonies and closest orthodox church to me is almost a 2 hour drive.
Would still recommend getting in touch with that church even if via phone call to the priest. Just to open communication about all the Orthodox things, and to find out about prayer ropes. If they don't have someone there making them they'll find another option I'm sure. God bless!
I think it’s a cool practice because once again your engaging your senses in the prayers that you are doing. The Orthodox seem to have incorporated all the human senses so well into worship and spiritual practice..🙏🏽
I have a small 50 count. It fits on my wrist but im cautious wearing it. Usually only alone when im praying or in thought. I know its ok to wear a cross yes? Is it the same for the small prayer ropes?
in Dutch the word for prayer is bid/bidden/gebed and more old fashioned: bede. bede means prayer/request. the dutch word for a begger = bedelaar... literaly translated: requestling/requestor. Bead is simply a modern spelling of the old english word Bede.... which was not pronounced (keeping in mind the great vowel shift) as it is today but pronounced just like the dutch word Bede (pronounce somewhat like bay-dùh)
Yes you can. tho usually the prayer ropes for sale have somewhat fixed number of knots, 30, 33, 50, 10, 150, 300 etc there is no specific rule to this. the number or form is simply not important. remember that this concept started with simply two small holes dug into the ground and someone placing small pebbles or peas or something similar from one hole into the other. It is about the prayer... not about the object. You could also take your rosary apart and re-string it to your liking. but i wouldnt do that. keep it as it is. you could very easily make your own prayer rope /beads. simply put beads on a string. I am Orthodox. and i use 3 kinds of prayer ropeas/beads. the most common chotki (100 knots) then i use the rosary (as the rosary is originally an Orthodox concept which the RC church addopted centuries later) and i use the paternoster. Of all the pryer devices the paternoster was by far the most used and most popular during medieval times. Dr Alan Barton made a very interesting informative youtube vid about paternosters
You made an error there. You claimed that the rosary was not practised by us Orthodox people. This is not true. The rosary is an Orthodox invention. originally made with theotokos tears beads. these are a type of grass seeds today known as jobs tears. they originated in greece on the Holy Mountain. Saint Seraphim of Sarov used the rosary. Hwever the tradition of the rosary has fallen out of favour up to the point tht it is completely forgotten. the roman catholics adopted the rosary from the orthodox world. Much older is the paternoster. these were the most widespread in medieval era
Ehm no. not a shred of evidence for that before the 5th century. I always find it amusing how followers of hinduism (satanism really) like to claim everything to be theirs and how they are known all over the world to be notorious liars and scammers.
I don’t deny that. But don’t have the misconception that just because Hinduism did that first, we learned from Hinduism. Saying this with utter love and humility since i come from a Hindu background.
My family is German-Catholic on one side, Irish-Catholic on the other. My parents were raised Catholic and converted to Protestant (non-denominational) when I was small. I have a degree in theology and spent many years as a Restoration Church pastor. Recently I had the idea to take apart one of my grandmothers old rosary sets and restring it into a different pattern and then chose for myself scriptures to recite and then each bead represents a topic of prayer (instead of a prayer to recite, I guess my Restoration roots showing through) for each part of my new prayer beads… i loved the image of taking an icon of where my family came from and renewing it to represent my own journey of faith… I thought I was being clever, and I loved they way it helped me to focus on praying and directing my mind upward… then I discovered that “Protestant prayer beads” are actually a thing, so much so that there are more versions than you can list and their heritage and tradition go back centuries… beads, ropes, knots, different prayers… they’re nothing special, just string and beads, but it’s so much more beautiful than I imagined a string of beads could be… when you come to your faith as a convert or in a church tradition that avoids dogma or “religiosity” you miss out on so much of the deep cultural and liturgical history of Christianity through the centuries… I’m thankful God has allowed me to reach back to His people before me and pull some of that richness into my life.
Thank you for these videos, even with degrees on my wall I really appreciate the insight into other areas of Christianity beyond my own. Grace and Peace friend.
Catholic here; I love the Jesus Prayer and use it all the time (or try to). Anytime I think something I shouldn't, any time I feel or touch my scapular (catholic devotion "necklace"), or just any time I think about it randomly I pray one...or five.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
This concept is Hindu based. Not Christian
@@Buddhamind11 the Jesus prayer is thousands of years old and very much Christian. Devotion to a certain thing isn't Hindi either, especially non Hindi entities.
Almost all religions use prayer beads of some sort. The mala is something different. Everyone knows beads help focus for prayer and meditation, not just Hindus and Buddhists, or Christians.
@@Buddhamind11 prayer beads have been used in all sorts of religions, not just Hinduism, and just because pagans used something, doesn't make it inherently pagan. it's literally just an object. it's what you do with it that matters. Christians use them to worship the Christian God, and not for some made up pagan gods, therefore there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. The specific thing that is bad about paganism, is that they worship false idols and false gods, not that they use prayer beads to do so. prayer beads are simply a tool. sure you don't necessarily NEED them, but they do in fact help many people, and go back to early Christianity. you realize that the usage of halos in Christian art is also technically not Christian since there's nothing biblical about it, right? it comes from the Greeks, and Christians adopted it as a way to show divinity and/or one's holiness.
Glad that you directed people to speak with a priest before starting. Wise counsel.
Oh yes. It's quite an important step!
Why is it important? I’m Roman Catholic btw just curious
@danielsustaita9522 St Makarios says that in the heart there are many wonders but also dragons. Develing into the prayer of the heart without a guide can cause delusion and prelest. The practitioners of the Jesus prayer say to be weary of being misguided, and I trust them more than my own intuition
@@danielsustaita9522 I feel like it's a lowkey way to hopefully get someone interested in Orthodoxy, whether they're already Christian or not. I don't say that to criticize them, just that I don't believe it's essential, just like you don't need to speak with a Catholic priest to learn the rosary. Eastern Catholics pray the chotki as well, and they share the exact same tradition as Orthodox. The only real difference is that they accept the Filioque and the Pope, making them Catholic. But we call them Eastern Catholic because there's an obvious difference in culture, when compared to the Latin rite. I've never seen Eastern Catholics tell you to seek a priest before considering to pray the chotki, and they certainly don't shy away from telling you to get a chotki and adding it to your prayer routine. I'm a Roman Catholic as well, and I prayer the chotki a lot, or at the very least recite the Jesus Prayer a lot even when I don't have a chotki on me.
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I learned about the Jesus Prayer on the side as I was being catechized into the Catholic Church, & recenty got myself a Chotki to add it to my prayer life more often!
Thanks for this informative video. My Godfather gave me a prayer rope when I was chrismated into the Orthodox church and I have been using it to enrich my prayer life ever since!! May God continue to bless you and your channel and grant you both many years!!
Such helpful information for this novice to the Orthodox Christian faith.
Thank you all.
Another great one. I love the continued direction to a local Orthodox priest/parish for questions and more info. Orthodoxy is an incarnate faith lived out in living, breathing community. Like online dating, you can certainly meet someone online, but for a real relationship, with all that entails, the internet will eventually have to step aside.
God bless you and your family. Thank you for these videos.
Your videos are spot on! I love the entire atmosphere of your setup and your demeanour. Your points are incredibly concise and have interesting details that Orthodox Christians may not know. I did not know that there are 7 crosses that go into a single bead and then form the 3 crosses of the holy trinity. Knowing that makes my prayer ropes that much more beautiful to me.
“They are practical tools to assist us” beautifully put.
I’m RC but absolutely love The Jesus Prayer.
I'm impressed with how aesthetically pleasing you edit your videos! I have a question for you: Do you have any ancient sources that confirm that St. Anthony or St. Pachomius invented the prayer rope? I've searched for a long time for some specific texts, but haven't found any....
Awww, that's so nice. I didn't know that bead means prayer❤ very nice topic, thank you for this video. God bless you both
Thanks for watching, Mari!
Very well done video. Thank you.
Great video. Love this!! ☦
thank you friend, this was very nice ^-^
You said that we as Orthodox Christians do not say the rosary, however there are several jurisdictions who’ve had bishops state the rosary is canonical and edifying for the Orthodox to pray 📿
im wondering this too... im Tewahedo orthodox (oriental) but baptized n confirmed In eastern orthodox and I was raised in Catholic Church. lol. I loved praying the rosary and its all the same prayers... I wonder if its okay since its same prayers
@@clipaqua8848 try Rule of Theotokos, it's Eastern Orthodox devotion and quite similar to rosary since it repeat 15x10 Hail Mary(s).
the rosary is 100% an orthodox invention. originating on Mount Athos. traveling roman catholics clerics brought ot over to the west many centuries after the rosary was already widely in use in the east. Saint Seraphim of Sarov used to say the rosary. Even older than the rosary are paternoster beads which was widespread in europe in the medieval era. in the west the rosary came more into fashion since the 16th and 17th century. Dr Alan Barton did an excelent vid on them
If you cant make it to an orthodox church(no car).And cannot afford an inexpensive prayer rope off Amazon(10$).Make your own. Any light cordage will do.I make mine with only jute cord.Its the intention that goes into each knot that counts.
as a greek that was very informative
Thank you so much for sharing! xo
The rosary is actually used by many Orthodox who practice the Western Rite. The basic format for the rosary doesn’t include any post-schism heresy. In recovering the Western Rite many post-schism devotions are approved so long as they are not heretical and can conceivably come about in the west were the schism never to have happened. Same with Eucharistic Adoration and devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I even learned recently there's a similar Eastern devotion that's about older called The Prayer Rule of the Theotokos
@@nicgundy prayer rule of the Theotokos is pretty similar to the rosary but instead of meditating on various aspects of Christ’s life you’re interceding for various groups of people. Also there’s more decades than the rosary. It’s commonly attributed to St Seraphim of Sarov but the sources for that aren’t really strong, but he is said to be a big supporter of it nonetheless.
@@randy9680 sweet!
You’re correct except for that last sentence that’s not accepted in Orthodoxy.
Wow so this tradition is at least 1700 years old then..😳😲
Great info
Is there a specific place you would suggest getting a prayer rope? Specifically online. I live in the boonies and closest orthodox church to me is almost a 2 hour drive.
Would still recommend getting in touch with that church even if via phone call to the priest. Just to open communication about all the Orthodox things, and to find out about prayer ropes. If they don't have someone there making them they'll find another option I'm sure. God bless!
Ancient faith store online
Etsy online. I know there is an orthodox nun that makes them on there.
There is some nice ones on Etsy..
Don't forget the Lestovka!
Amazing video.
I don't think it's necessary but I think it helps. Or am I wrong?
Yes, it's not required but a help when you need it
I think it’s a cool practice because once again your engaging your senses in the prayers that you are doing. The Orthodox seem to have incorporated all the human senses so well into worship and spiritual practice..🙏🏽
Soundtrack please
Where did you get your prayer rope?
I have a small 50 count. It fits on my wrist but im cautious wearing it. Usually only alone when im praying or in thought. I know its ok to wear a cross yes? Is it the same for the small prayer ropes?
Chat with your priest, but generally a lot of Orthodox wear prayer ropes on their wrists
@@Patristix awesome! Thank you!
Interesting. In German we still use the word "beten", which means "to pray".
Bead and beten being related is odd
@@LanguageBLOX1_Alt no it is not if you speak english and german.
in Dutch the word for prayer is bid/bidden/gebed and more old fashioned: bede. bede means prayer/request. the dutch word for a begger = bedelaar... literaly translated: requestling/requestor. Bead is simply a modern spelling of the old english word Bede.... which was not pronounced (keeping in mind the great vowel shift) as it is today but pronounced just like the dutch word Bede (pronounce somewhat like bay-dùh)
👍👍👍
☦️☦️☦️
Can i use the rosary as a prayers rope?
Yes you can. tho usually the prayer ropes for sale have somewhat fixed number of knots, 30, 33, 50, 10, 150, 300 etc there is no specific rule to this. the number or form is simply not important. remember that this concept started with simply two small holes dug into the ground and someone placing small pebbles or peas or something similar from one hole into the other. It is about the prayer... not about the object. You could also take your rosary apart and re-string it to your liking. but i wouldnt do that. keep it as it is. you could very easily make your own prayer rope /beads. simply put beads on a string. I am Orthodox. and i use 3 kinds of prayer ropeas/beads. the most common chotki (100 knots) then i use the rosary (as the rosary is originally an Orthodox concept which the RC church addopted centuries later) and i use the paternoster. Of all the pryer devices the paternoster was by far the most used and most popular during medieval times. Dr Alan Barton made a very interesting informative youtube vid about paternosters
Is it 4 sets of 7 beads with 4 bigger beads with a extra bead ?
That's actually a recent invention (1980s) called the Anglican Rosary
You made an error there. You claimed that the rosary was not practised by us Orthodox people. This is not true. The rosary is an Orthodox invention. originally made with theotokos tears beads. these are a type of grass seeds today known as jobs tears. they originated in greece on the Holy Mountain. Saint Seraphim of Sarov used the rosary.
Hwever the tradition of the rosary has fallen out of favour up to the point tht it is completely forgotten. the roman catholics adopted the rosary from the orthodox world. Much older is the paternoster. these were the most widespread in medieval era
So... Christian prayer prayer! 😅
I mean Hinduism did this first. Just so everyone knows
Ehm no. not a shred of evidence for that before the 5th century.
I always find it amusing how followers of hinduism (satanism really) like to claim everything to be theirs and how they are known all over the world to be notorious liars and scammers.
I don’t deny that. But don’t have the misconception that just because Hinduism did that first, we learned from Hinduism. Saying this with utter love and humility since i come from a Hindu background.