USING THE PRAYER ROPE
In the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians we read: “Pray without ceasing.” But how are we to understand this command?
How can one pray unceasingly when one must hold a job in the world, shop for food and clothing, attend school, drive in congested traffic, and otherwise contend almost every minute of every waking day with the un-Christian, secularized, mechanized world in which one lives?
The Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church have taught us that this can be done, and done rather easily and simply, by frequently repeating the Jesus Prayer, or what is called the prayer of the heart.
The Jesus Prayer may be said all day long in a variety of forms. The best and most complete form is: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. If we wish to pray for someone else, we can replace the words, me a sinner, with the name of the person or persons for whom we wish to pray. When we find ourselves completely worn out with fatigue or dejection, it is much better to simply repeat the name, Jesus, alone, rather than turn to some meaningless secular distraction or fleeting self-indulgence, such as TV. Whatever the situation and our condition, we can always find the most appropriate way to keep repeating our prayer, whether we do so aloud or silently in our heart. In this way we can fill up our day with unceasing prayer, no matter where we find ourselves or how we happen to feel.
The prayer rope (called kombiskini in Greek) is a tool to help us in this practice. It is the forerunner of the Western rosary, but its use and practice are quite different. The prayer rope can be carried anywhere and used anywhere. Just having it with us, in a pocket or wound around our arm, is often a reminder to continue the prayer. The experience of the Holy Fathers of the Church tells us that in time the prayer will well up within us of itself, increasing our desire to pray without ceasing. This is good, and a sign of God’s grace.
Before you begin to use the prayer rope, sit or stand (or even lie) quietly and collect your thoughts within yourself. At first this may take a while. Try to rid yourself of all thoughts and feelings which distract you from the words of your prayer. Then starting at the fringed cross on the prayer rope, begin reciting the Trisagion (“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.”) Say these words slowly, softly, and thoughtfully. Concentrate on what you are saying.
After the Our Father, begin repeating the Jesus Prayer, saying it once for each knot on the prayer rope. You will notice that the knots are divided into groups of twenty-five separated by a bead. When you come to a bead, say an intercessory prayer to the Theotokos (the Mother of God): Most Holy Theotokos, save us!”; or to your patron saint: “St. [N], pray unto God for us!”; or to any other saint; or say the Doxology: “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.”
By holding the prayer rope gently between the thumb, forefinger, and middle fingers (just as when making the Sign of the Cross), you will find it easy to move the rope, knot after knot, with your thumbnail. In this way you will know when you have completed a given number of repetitions of the Jesus Prayer. You will know, that is, that you have said the prayer ten times, one hundred times, or three hundred times, depending on the length of your prayer rope. This can help you in carrying out the commitment of your prayer rule. If you continue past one full prayer rope, you may use the fringed cross for the intercessory prayer at the end of each round.
Those who make prayer ropes recite the Jesus Prayer while making them, often for the person or persons who will eventually use them. Therefore, sometimes you will find a prayer rope that has one additional knot. This knot is a suggestion that you say a prayer for the one who made the rope.
Of course, prayer of the heart can be achieved without the prayer rope, but it is a very helpful tool for beginners and for those who suffer severe distractions. However, the prayer rope is a tool, and not an end in itself. You should not allow the prayer rope itself to become a distraction to your prayer. The object of your prayer is communion with our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
- Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners!
John Bockman, Archpriest (+2000)
"The Struggler", February-May 2002