Have you ever wondered how to pray the rosary effectively? You may have seen a person who prays with beads strung on a thread in his or her hands. The set of beads is called a rosary. It is a tool for prayer and not a simple aesthetic detail.
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What is the holy rosary prayer?
They are often used to count prayers. Outwardly, they look like beads on a string with a cross. The beginning of the use of this item was laid by St. Basil the Great. They were used by illiterate monks who couldn't pray with books, but by a certain number of Jesus prayers. It did not carry any other meaning in itself.
According to a popular monk, “there are some motors that run with a rope with a handle at the end; so when you want to start the engine, you take the rope and pull it with force several times until the frozen oil disperses. Likewise, the rosary is a rope, for which we pull one, two, five, ten times; the oil disperses and the spiritual engine of the unceasing prayer is launched, so that then the heart itself works in prayer."
The first Orthodox rosary appeared in the IV century. It was introduced into the prayer practice of Pachomius the Great. Their main purpose was practical: in ancient times, not all monks could count, therefore, to help them fulfill the monastic rule, which provides for many repeated prayers, it was thought up to use rosaries. Each ball corresponds to a single prayer, therefore constantly counting the number of times you need to read a prayer is no longer required. The monks enthusiastically embraced this innovation, because it made it possible to free the mind and pray more selflessly.
This church tradition has come down to our days and now during monastic vows, the monks receive rosaries for performing prayers.
How to pray the holy rosary?
In modern spiritual practice there is no strict rule about how to pray on the rosary. The main prayer, which is read when using the rosary, is considered the Jesus prayer.
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In monasticism they are also called the spiritual sword. They are given to the monk during the tonsure for unceasing prayer and from dispelling the mind. They can also be used for special prayer rules. It consists of a certain number of Jesus prayers. In this case, they are read with a certain blessing.
The use of rosaries for ordinary people is possible only after the blessing of the spiritual father. And only in the form of a reminder of unceasing prayer.
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Before starting to read prayer words, it is necessary to know how to pray according to the rosary of the Orthodox:
- To hold a prayer with its use is better alone.
- The prayer on the rosary may include inserts of other prayers.
- It is imperative to receive the blessing of the spiritual father before starting such a practice.
You can also compare the similarity of the rosary with the knots that were imposed on Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was bound, brought to lawless court, and then shamefully executed.
There are certain rules of how to pray according to the rosary, but are no special prayers for it. It is rather a reminder of the need to read a prayer. But there are also certain church traditions that are associated with prayer on the rosary.
Before you start using it for prayer, you should ask the priest for blessings. Praying is quite simple. Each bead is one prayer. Pinch a bead between two fingers and read a prayer from the bottom of your heart.
What prayers to read?
It happens that large and small beads are strung on a string. Basically between 2 large there can be 10 small. If this is the case, then you can read the “Symbol of Faith”, “Our Father” and the rest - 10 prayers. But mostly, it depends on your choice.
The meaning of repeated repetition of prayer words is to ponder over their meaning and to come into contact with the Lord through prayer. Prayer is an evil destroyer, after using which it is easier to grow something useful and good in your soul.
What are the differences between the rosary types?
Orthodox rosaries are small balls of stone, wood, leather or other material woven from threads or strung on a thread. This is an important difference between Christian rosaries, for example, from Muslim ones, where there is no cross. The number of balls on a rope can be different 10, 50, 100 or even 33 - according to the number of earthly years of the Savior’s life.
The choice of the rosary should be approached with full responsibility and purchased only in Orthodox church shops or monasteries, because besides Christians there are other rosary types.
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Source: Legit.ng