Comboschini (The Prayer Rope) - Meditations of a Monk of the Holy Mountain Athos

Have you wanted to learn more about The Jesus Prayer? Have you wondered, “How do you use a prayer rope?” This short text explains the basics of the what the prayer rope is and the meaning it has in the Holy Tradition of the Church. When it comes to details of praying the Jesus Prayer, please speak with your spiritual father as he can guide you on the specific rule you will have. With Great Lent approaching, may this spur you on to speak with your spiritual father about prayer and say more often and more deeply, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”  

“The prayer rope is not intended to be used only by monks, but it can also be used by laymen and, generally, by anyone who wants to pray to God. The prayer rope is not some kind of amulet with magic or exorcising powers, like those given to simple-minded people by magicians or mediums, worn on the wrist or round the neck. On the contrary, it is a purely Orthodox holy object used only for praying and nothing else. We use the prayer rope in order to pray secretly.”  

“The prayer rope is one of the items given to an Orthodox Christian monk at the time of tonsure: it is given to him as his spiritual sword with which he, as a soldier of Christ, must make war against our spiritual enemy, the devil. This sword is wielded by calling on the name of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ in a plea for mercy on me a sinner. This prayer can be said in a shorter form, such as: ‘Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me’; or in a longer form, as: ‘By the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me’.”  

Text: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/combos... 

Photo is of Mount Athos  

This text is read by our brother Sergius, a co-laborer in the work of Orthodox Wisdom.  

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