How To Pray Rosary

Nigeria Holy Orthodox Church – Apostolic Succession

Connection with St. Seraphim

It is said by some that St. Seraphim of Sarov used the rosary as a
prayer rule to the Theotokos. Supporting evidence shows that this may be
true, seeing that one of his spiritual children, Fr. Zosima, wrote:

“…Say the 0 Hail, Mother of God and Virgin one hundred and fifty
times… This rule was given by the Mother of God herself in about the
eighth century… We Orthodox have forgotten about it, and St. Seraphim
has reminded me of this Rule. In my hands I have a hand-written book
from the cell of St. Seraphim, containing a description of the many
miracles which took place through praying to the Mother of God and
especially through saying one hundred and fifty times the O Hail, Mother
of God and Virgin… Whomever he spoke to about this miracle-working
Rule remained grateful to him…”.

The Revd S.C. Hughson, Order of the Holy Cross (Anglican),
wrote in 1918:

‘It will be a surprise to many, no doubt,
to know that our common English word bead is derived from the
Saxon word bid, to pray, the derivation arising from the fact
that our ancestors made common use of perforated pebbles, or beads, upon
which to count their prayers. It will be news even to most
Catholics to learn that instead of their Rosaries being spoken of as
beads because of a resemblance to the common ornament of the name,
the ornament takes its name from the Rosary.’

X = Make the sign of the cross.

Start at the crucifix:

X In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art
everywhere and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver
of life, come dwell within us, cleanse us from all our sins and save
our souls, O gracious Lord.

From Easter until Ascension leave out
Glory to Thee and Heavenly King
and instead say three times Christ is risen from the
dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs
bestowing life. From Ascension until Pentecost, simply
make the sign of the cross — In the Name of the Father
— before continuing as usual with:

X Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal,
have mercy on us. (Three times)

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord,
cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O
Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Thy Name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Then at the first large bead on the pendant:

X Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed
be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us
not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

X O come, let us worship God our King.
X O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our
King and our God.
X O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself,
our King and our God.

Then you may say
Psalm 50 (51), Have mercy upon me, O God
— or another appropriate psalm — and the
Nicene Creed, I believe in one God, the
Father almighty.

Then at the first small bead on the pendant:

X Glory to the Father, who hast made us,
both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God, Mary full
of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of
our souls.

Then at the second small bead on the pendant:

X Glory to the Son, who hast redeemed us,
both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary Full of
Grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed
is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Saviour
of our soul

Most glorious ever virgin, blessed Mother of
Christ Our God, present our prayer to thy Son and our God, and pray that
through thee He may save our souls. Amen (added for use for western
rite converts)

Then at the third small bead on the pendant:

X Glory to the Holy Spirit, who hast
enlightened us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God…

X Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 The decades or mysteries are as in the
Latin (Dominican) Rosary, with an Our Father, 10 ‘Rejoice O
Virgin Mother of God’ (Hail Mary) prayers and the ‘Glory to the
Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit’. After each decade one
may say the Ftima prayer: O my Jesus, forgive us our
sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven,
especially those most in need of Thy mercy.

 The mysteries are:

Meditations

• Meditation 1- The Birth of the Theotokos

• Meditation 2- The Presentation of the Theotokos

• Meditation 3- The Annunciation of the Lord’s
  Birth

• Meditation 4- The Meeting of the Theotokos and
  St. Elizabeth

• Meditation 5- The Birth of the Lord

• Meditation 6- The Prophecy of St. Simeon

• Meditation 7- The Flight into Egypt

• Meditation 8- The Boy-Christ among the Doctors

• Meditation 9- The Wedding of Cana

• Meditation 10- The Crucifixion of the Lord

• Meditation 11- The Resurrection of the Lord

• Meditation 12- The Ascension of the Lord into
  Heaven

• Meditation 13- Pentecost

• Meditation 14- The Dormition of the Virgin
  Theotokos

• Meditation 15- The Crowning of the Theotokos by
  the Blessed Trinity

This last prayer is from the
Akathist to the Mother of God, an important Marian devotion
in the Orthodox Church.

MON, THUR, SUN: It is truly proper to
glorify thee, who hast borne God, the ever-blessed and immaculate
and the Mother of our God! More honorable than the cherubim and
beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim art thou, who without
corruption gave birth to God the Word. Thee, truly the Mother of
God, we magnify!

TUES, FRI: We fly to thy patronage, O holy
Mother of God. Despise not our prayers in our necessities but
deliver us from all danger, O glorious and ever-blessed Virgin.

X Most holy Mother of God, save us.
(Three times with bows)

WED, SAT: To thee, the Champion
Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanksgiving
as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Mother of God: but as one with
invincible might, from all dangers deliver us that we may cry to
thee: Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride!

The 15 promises of Mary to Christians who
recite the Rosary
Given to St Dominic and Blessed Alan

This is devotion, not dogma, but very nice.

Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary,
shall receive signal graces.

I promise my special protection and the greatest
graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.

The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell,
it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it
will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw
the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and
will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would
sanctify themselves by this means.

The soul which recommends itself to me by the
recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.

Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying
himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be
conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice,
he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall
remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary
shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall
have during their life and at their death the light of God and the
plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall
participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

I shall deliver from
purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.

The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a
high degree of glory in heaven.

You shall obtain all you ask of me by the
recitation of the rosary.

All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be
aided by me in their necessities.

I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the
advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire
celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers
of my only son Jesus Christ.

Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of
predestination.

Saying the Rosary good for soul — and heart
By Cameron Simpson

SAYING the rosary is good for the heart as well as
the soul. According to research by Italian scientists, reciting the
rosary has a similar effect to the Eastern practice of yoga.

Espoused by celebrities such as Madonna and Geri Halliwell, the
practice of yoga slows breathing and induces a favourable effect on
the heart’s rhythm.

Luciano Bernardi, associate professor of internal medicine at Pavia
University, recorded breathing rates in 23 healthy adults during
normal talking, recitation of the rosary, yoga mantras, and six
minutes of controlled breathing.

Breathing was markedly more regular during the rosary and the mantra
and was slowed to about six breaths a minute. The results mean yoga
enhances ‘aspects’ of heart and lung function and might be viewed as
a health practice as well as a religious practice, he said.

The benefits of breathing exercises in yoga have long been reported,
and mantras may have evolved as a simple device to slow respiration,
improve concentration, and induce calm, Professor Bernardi says in
this week’s British Medical Journal.

Similarly, the rosary may have partly evolved because it
synchronised with the body’s natural heart rhythms, and thus gave a
feeling of well-being, and perhaps an increased responsiveness to
the religious message, he said.

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland was not
surprised by the findings of the therapeutic benefits of saying the
rosary. He said: ‘It’s good to know that spiritual health and
physical health are linked. This proves what people thought long ago
— that a healthy mind is linked to a healthy body.’

Prof Bernardi also notes the historic and cultural links between
yoga mantras and Catholic chants. He said: ‘It’s what the Church has
been offering for centuries. ‘Saying these prayers can lead to a
calming and enhanced feeling of well-being.’

— The Herald, Friday, 21st December 2001

More on the Rosary
By Dr Alex
Roman
St Dmitri of Rostov, a Russian Orthodox,
said the Rosary.

He also practised the Western devotion of saying a ‘Hail
Mary’ at the start of every hour, including throughout the night —
what a hardy individual.

He also venerated

the Immaculate Conception of our Lady, for which he was called
up on the carpet by the Synod in St Petersburg. (A
Conservative Site for Peace’s webmaster notes: I’ve read
somewhere the Russian Old Believers did too. Read


Q&A for more on the Immaculate Conception, which Orthodoxy
never has dogmatized about, positive or negative. The Byzantine Rite
used by the Orthodox calls Mary ‘immaculate’ —
пренепорочная.)

He also wrote movingly about the ‘Wounded Heart’ of our Lord
Jesus Christ, so much so that a priest I knew who didn’t like the
Orthodox exclaimed, ‘That Orthodox person must really BE a saint to
write so wonderfully!!’

The Orthodox Church even believes that the Rosary was first
revealed to an Eastern monk in the 8th century where our Lady asked
the people to say it daily and from the East it spread throughout
the world. (This page’s author notes: I’ve never heard this
before. Most authorities believe St Dominic introduced the Rosary in
its commonly known form to the Roman Catholic Church around 1200.)

To this day, in Russian and Greek monasteries, monks and nuns
say up to 150 Hail Marys with prostrations at the end.

The Old Believers of Russia always end their ‘Hail Mary’
(which is also the version used by the Ukrainian Catholic Church) in
this way: ‘For Thou hast given birth to Christ the Saviour, the
Redeemer of our souls’ or ‘Бo Tы пoрoдилa Христa Спaсa, Избaвитeля
душъ нaшихъ.’

One brings one’s fingers to one’s head for ‘Христа’, then down
to the belly for ‘Спaса’, then to the right shoulder for
‘Избaвитeля’, the left for ‘душъ’ and then one bows for ‘нaшихъ’.

Believe it or not…

— The Byzantine
Forum, Tuesday, 8th January 2002

Did you know… that the
Western form of the Hail Mary wasn’t completed until St Pius V had
it printed in
the Breviary in 1568? Before
that, the West used a shorter form much like the Byzantine Rite.

 

Comboschini (The Prayer Rope)

Meditations of a Monk of the Holy Mountain Athos

Preface

A few years ago, with the blessings of the very
reverend Father Joseph, Abbot of the Xiropotamos Monastery of the Holy
Mountain Athos, we reprinted, in a booklet, the most didactic article
about the prayer rope, which had been published in “Agioritiki
Martiria,” a magazine issued by the Xiropotamos Monastery.

Due to the fact that the booklet proved very helpful
and because of the pastoral needs of all the English speaking Orthodox
brothers around the world, it was suggested that we should proceed and
publish this booklet in English.

We have to thank the very reverend Father Joseph,
Abbot of the Xiropotamos Monastery, for his offer and his love.

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.

At this point we have to note something very
important: there are many books that refer to the prayer. However,
before we start following any rule or prayer, we must necessarily ask
for the advice, the blessing and the spiritual guidance of our spiritual
father, i.e. the Priest to whom we confess our sins. That is what the
Holy Fathers have taught us for centuries, in order to avoid delusion
and, thus, not to lose the right Orthodox path.

There are two ways we can pray using the prayer
rope:

1. At any time of the day when we have free time,
   without being seen by anyone, secretly, we hold the prayer rope with
   our left or right hand and move from knot to knot with our thumb
   whispering simultaneously or meditating upon the prayer: “Lord Jesus
   Christ have mercy on me” or “Most Holy Theotokos save us”.

2. At the time of our regular prayer, when we pray
   following the rule of prayer that our spiritual father has told us
   to follow, we hold the prayer rope with our left hand between the
   thumb and the index finger and move from knot to knot. At each knot
   we simultaneously do two things: i) with our right hand we make the
   sign of the cross over ourselves and ii) we say the prayer “Lord
   Jesus Christ have mercy on me”. When we finish with all the knots of
   the prayer rope, we continue following the same procedure, for as
   many times as our spiritual father has told us to.

We hope that all our brothers and sisters in Christ
will be helped by this little book, which is the result of the
experience of an anonymous Monk of the Holy Mountain Athos. We also hope
that everyone will use the prayer rope in the way our Holy Fathers have
taught us, even if one lives in a society and not in a monastery.

—Thessaloniki, Greece Archimandrite Joseph

Prayer ropes come in a great variety of forms and
sizes. Most prayer ropes have a cross woven into them or attached to
mark the “end”, and also have some kind of marker after each 10, 25,
or 50 knots or beads. There are many forms of prayer ropes, some
knotted of wool or silk, or other more elegant or simpler materials.
Others are made of beads or the dried flower of a plant called
“Tears of the Mother of God”.

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”.

Other short prayers: the prayer of the publican:
“God be merciful to me a sinner” (see: Luke 18:13), the prayer to
the Mother of God: “Most Holy Theotokos save us”, or other short
prayers to the Guardian Angel, to individual saints or to all the
saints can also be offered with the assistance of the prayer rope. A
common form of such a prayer is: Holy Guardian Angel—or Saint
(name)—pray to God for me. By changing the words of these short
prayers and saying: “have mercy on us”, or “pray for us”, or by
including the name or names of persons we want to pray for, we can
also use the prayer rope for intercessory prayers. This also applies
to those already departed this life: “Give rest O Lord to the soul
of Thy servant.”

When monks carry the prayer rope in their hands,
it serves as a reminder of their obligation to pray unceasingly. In
keeping with the commandment of the Holy Apostle Paul to “pray
without ceasing”. Anyone can keep a prayer rope in a pocket or some
other discreet place where it can be easily used unnoticed when in
situations where it is better to pray or remember prayer in secret,
without attracting the attention of others. The prayer rope can also
be placed over the head of our bed, in an automobile, with a small
cross or icon, or in other appropriate places as a reminder of
prayer and a kind of blessing and a holy and godly presence in our
lives.

But now, let us discuss briefly the primary use
for which this prayer rope was made. The whole purpose of the prayer
rope is to assist us in offering our prayers before God and His
Saints. In addition to serving as an external reminder and a
blessing present with us, how can this little rope help us to pray?
We can pray without a prayer rope, of course, and there are times
when using the prayer rope may become a distraction for us in our
attempts to concentrate in prayer. With that in mind, let us
consider some ways in which the prayer rope can be of assistance.

There are times when our prayer is fervent and it
is easy for us to pray. There are times when our thoughts are so
distracted that we find it virtually impossible to concentrate on
prayer. This is especially true when we try to keep a rule of prayer
each day. Some days it goes very well, but other times—if not most
of the time?—our efforts seem almost to be in vain. But because we
are “creatures of habit”, as the saying goes, it is very profitable
for us to set apart a special and regular time (or times) during the
day for prayer. The time in the evening before going to bed is a
good time, as it is important to end the day with prayer. The
morning, upon awakening from sleep, is also good, so as to begin the
new day with prayer. Or a person may find other times during the day
when he is able to be quiet and concentrate.

We are trying to establish a rule of prayer in
our lives, not an exception, so we want to find a time when each day
we can find some quiet in order to concentrate and turn the eyes of
our soul towards God.

We may want to read some prayers form a prayer
book as part of this rule, or offer prayers and find quiet for our
souls in other ways, such as reading religious literature,
reflecting over the events of the past day—“Anaskopisis”
[1]—and so on. But one of the most effective ways to find benefit
from a rule of prayer is to say a set number of the Jesus Prayer
regularly each day. This does not have to be a large number, and it
may take only fifteen minutes or so, but that will be the portion of
our day that belongs to God, the little grains of salt that will add
savor to our Christian life. This practice is now

recommended by many physicians for the sake of a person’s
physical health, especially in overcoming stress. Better still, find
such little pocket of time at various points throughout the day and
regularly fill them with the precious treasures of prayer, a
treasure no one can steal from you, that is laid up for you in
heaven (see: Mat. 6:20).

In maintaining a consistent number of prayers as
part of such a daily rule, a prayer rope can be quite helpful. With
the prayer rope, you can offer a set number of prayers and
concentrate on the words of the prayer as you offer them. After
collecting your thoughts, take the cross on the prayer rope in your
left hand, holding it lightly between the thumb and the index
finger. Then, making the sign of the cross over yourself quietly,
whisper the Jesus Prayer. As your thoughts become more concentrated,
you may not need to continue crossing yourself or saying the prayer
audibly. Other times, when concentration is difficult, use the sign
of the cross and whispering as means to help keep your mind on
prayer.

It is good to stand, with head bowed, in a humble
position; some people like to raise their hands from time to time in
their petitions for mercy. But others find it more helpful to sit or
kneel, with head bowed, in order to concentrate. A lot depends on
the individual and also on his health and upbringing. The important
thing is to be able to keep still and concentrate on the words of
the prayer as you repeat it.

Of course, a person has to fight off the
temptation to “rush”. For this reason, some people use a clock
instead of a prayer rope as an external measure for their prayer
rule. By using a clock, a person can devote a set amount of time to
prayer, although he may not keep track of the exact number of prayer
he says. But, then again, clocks with electronic beeps are quite a
recent development, and keeping a loudly ticking clock that jangles
the nerves with a loud alarm bell seldom proves to be a great boon
to prayer. So much for traditional use of digital alarm clocks!

The prayer rope is also a convenient way to keep
track of the number of bows or prostrations a person makes during
his prayer rule. Making the sign of the cross over oneself and then
bowing from the waist and touching the ground with one’s fingertips,
or bowing down on one’s knees and touching the forehead to the
ground are very ancient ways of offering prayers to God and His
Saints. One can combine these bows or prostrations with the Jesus
Prayer or any of the short prayers we have mentioned above. The
physical action of bowing or kneeling can contribute to the fervor
of the prayer and give expression to our supplication, as we humble
ourselves before God. This is one way in, which we can carry out the
apostolic command to praise God both in our souls and in our bodies.
[2] Many people use the prayer rope when they lie down to sleep.
After signing their bed with the cross, they take their prayer rope,
bless themselves with the sign of the cross as they lie in bed, and
quietly pray with the prayer rope until they fall asleep.

And waking up with the prayer rope still in your
fingers or next to you on the pillow helps begin the new day with
prayer. But ending the previous day with quiet prayer is an even
better way to prepare for a prayerful beginning of the new day, not
to mention preparing for the Eternal Day should we fall asleep that
night in death. And others take their prayer rope in hand during
idle moments, such as while commuting or traveling. At any time of
the day, whenever you remember to do so, you can take a little
prayer rope in your fingers, and the association of that action with
the prayer you offer at other times will help you concentrate and
offer some prayers during the course of the day whenever you may be,
whatever you may be doing. And this is an important step towards
fulfilling the commandment to pray without ceasing.

The holy bishop Ignaty Brianchaninov mentions
that the lengthy services held in the Orthodox Church are also a
good opportunity for praying with the prayer rope. Often there are
times when it is difficult to concentrate on the words being read or
chanted, and it is easier to concentrate quietly on one’s own
private prayers, be they extemporaneous prayers for some special
need, repeating prayers or psalms that we know by heart, or
repeating some short prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer, with the
assistance of the prayer rope. In fact, this often helps a person
concentrate better on the service itself, something mentioned by St.
Seraphim of Sarov. Of course, when we are praying at the services,
our prayer is joined to that of the entire Church.

We are constantly occupied by all kinds of
thoughts that appear in our heads, and it seems we no sooner start
to pray than we catch ourselves thinking about something else. Here
again, the physical presence of the prayer rope in our fingers can
help us catch ourselves and return to our task of prayer more
quickly. Or, meeting up with one of the markers or with the cross on
the prayer rope as we move it through our fingers remind us that we
have been robbed of the prayers we intended to offer. And
immediately we can offer our prayers anew without getting further
entangled in our thoughts about how easily we get distracted from
prayer to God.

Here we have touched on the great science of
prayer, what the holy fathers have named the “art of the arts”.
There is a great and rich literature written by the great men of
prayer from all ages that can help guide us in learning, with God’s
help, this greatest and most beneficial of all sciences. Regular
reading the Holy Gospel, the lives of the saints and other
devotional and spiritual literature can be

of great assistance. Such works as the
Philokalia contain important and inspiring instruction and
direction in learning to pray as a Christian, which is an essential
aspect of being a Christian. Above all, however, one needs
the grace of God in the Church, especially in communing the Holy
Mysteries.

These are just a few introductory thoughts on how
we can make good uses of a prayer rope. But the important thing is
to start to pray. The prayer rope does not pray by itself, although
some of them are so magnificent they may give that impression. Here
is an important, traditional aid in offering prayers, and especially
for a daily rule of prayer. But the important thing is to
concentrate on words of the prayer, to offer heart-felt prayers to
Jesus Christ, our Lord and God.

If this little prayer rope helps you to say a
prayer or reminds you to pray or helps you in some way to become
more prayerful, it will have fulfilled its purpose, it will have
tied you more closely and more intimately with Christ our God, and
also brought you closer to the Kingdom of God, for “the Kingdom of
God is within you.” (See: Luke 17:21)

Epilogue

We have to note, once more, that regarding any
prayer rule about praying with the prayer rope or any other rule
(fasting etc.), the first and the last word has to be said by our
spiritual father, in order to avoid delusion, as the Holy Fathers
have taught us.

St John Climacus says the following: “Win the
enemies in jour mind with the name of God. You will not find any
other weapon more effective than this! Similarly you will manage
both to appease your passions inside yourself and to efface them
with the aid of the prayer”.

St. Seraphim of Sarov says: “When mind and
heart are united in prayer and the soul is wholly concentrated
in a single desire for God, then the heart grows warm and the
light of Christ begins to shine and fills the inward man with
peace and joy. We should thank the Lord for everything and give
ourselves up to His will; we should also offer Him all our
thoughts and words, and strive to make everything serve only His
good pleasure.”

St. Isichios writes about the prayer:
“Through the constant remembrance and invocation to Jesus
Christ, a holy condition is created in our mind. This happens,
if we appeal to Jesus Christ with fervor, crying aloud towards
Him in entreaty day and night, so that repetition leads to habit
and habit becomes second nature!”.

Saint Hieromartyr Cosmas Aetolos (+1779)
says: “I advise you to make a Comboschini, all of you,
young and old, and hold it in your left hand and cross
yourselves with your right hand and say: ‘Lord Jesus Christ have
mercy on me'”…. “I advise all Christians to make Crosses and
Comboschinis and I pray to God to bless them, so they
can keep them as amulets”.