CHRISTIAN PRAYER BEADS
January 21, 2003
CL-482- Nurturing Your Spiritual Life As A Religious Leader
For the past decade, prayer beads have been gaining in popularity. The resurgence of the craft of beadwork and the exploration of New Age spirituality have been the catalysts for the return of a spiritual practice that has a long and rich history. This paper will cover the uses of jewelry in the Christian church, the renewed interest in the Rosary and a method of creating personalized prayer beads. The word bead is derived from the middle English word bede meaning to pray. The words for bead and prayer are closely related in many languages.
In the 1st century, early Christians practiced asceticism and wore very little jewelry. The church only allowed signet rings. St. Clement of Alexandria advised only the following symbols could be used: palm branch for peace, anchor for hope, the dove for the Holy Spirit, a fish for Jesus Christ, the cross for the crucifixion, and Chi Rho for Christ’s name.
In the late 2nd century, the Desert Fathers used the Jesus prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me.” They vowed to say the prayer a specific number of times every day. In order to count the prayers, they would fill their pockets with stones and cast them on the ground every time a prayer was completed. Counting out up to 1200 stones every day was difficult, so, they began stringing beads into strands of 100 to 300 stones. This allowed them to precisely keep their vow to pray, but also to know when to stop and return to work so that their life stayed in balance.
In the 3rd and 4th century, the Kyrie Eleison, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy,” was counted on beads. In the mid-5th century, Gospel readings and stories took precedence. The angelic salutation of the angel Gabriel to Mary or “Hail Mary” prayer was of particular importance. It marked the exact moment of the incarnation of Christ.
In the 8th and 9th century, the psalms gained importance. They were used in the monasteries where the residents were educated and had access to Psalters. The peasants were also encouraged to pray the Psalms, but that was not possible for several reasons. The working class was largely illiterate and did not possess expensive Bibles. The poor peasants used rosaries with 150 shorter memorized prayers that recalled the importance of the Psalms. They made beads cheaply out of rose petals. The rose symbolized beauty, mystery, perfection and Mary. Mary is associated with a rose garden. Other faiths also associated the quiet solitude of gardens with prayer beads. They called the rosary ‘a poor man’s Psalter.’
In the 13th century, reliquaries containing a holy relic were worn on a chain around the neck or suspended from a girdle. They were highly regarded even if they were of dubious authenticity. The paschal candle in Rome was melted down each year to make reliquaries of wax imprinted with the Lamb of God or Angus Dei. Many people wore medallions imprinted with the name of Jesus, Mary or a Saint. Shrines sold pilgrim badges for travelers to buy. The jewelry was used for spiritual meditation, intercession and protection from the Saints. Rings with a cross and ten knobs were used to say the rosary because they were less conspicuous.
In the middle ages, fancier rosaries were purchased by the wealthy. Elaborate Byzantine designs featured the passion of the suffering Jesus. The rosary gained popularity after St. Dominic’s apparition of the Virgin Mary. In the 14th century, chivalry stressed the importance of showing deference, courtesy and protection to women. Mary became important. The Little Hours of the day focused on Mary: Angelus, noon and evening.
In 1569, Pope Pius V initiated the mysteries of the Rosary in order to pray while contemplating the birth, passion and glory of Jesus Christ. The Joyful Mysteries are: The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation at the Altar, and The Finding at the Temple. The Sorrowful Mysteries are: The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crown of Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, and The Crucifixion. The Glorious Mysteries are: The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption and the Crowning of the Queen Mother. (Episcopalians change the last two Mysteries to The Ascension and the Coming of the Holy Spirit.) The complete rosary has 150 beads (15 decades) and uses all of the Mysteries. Today, it is more common to use a Chaplet of 5 decades. Different Mysteries are used in each season and on each day of the week. There are many variations of the rosary, but the Dominican rosary is the most commonly used.
Pope John Paul II has declared the year from October 2002 to October 2003 to be the Year of the Rosary. He hopes that Christians around the world will reclaim the ancient ritual of prayer beads. He has declared five new Luminous Mysteries, which celebrate Jesus’ public ministry and are placed between the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries. The purpose is to deepen our prayer life by seeing ourselves in relation to Jesus Christ and in loving conversation with God. The Mysteries of Light include: The Baptism in the Jordan, The Wedding at Cana, The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, The Transfiguration, and The Institution of the Eucharist. They symbolize bringing Christ’s transforming light into a world darkened by “the seduction of the drug culture, the lure of unbridled hedonism, the temptation to violence, and the manifold expression of meaninglessness and desperation.”[i]
In Eastern religions, prayer beads are normally used to suspend the mind and achieve enlightenment. The aim is to be emptied. In Western Christianity, the practice is used to center us, connect with the Divine and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians use beads to focus and to engage the mind for meditation on the Holy. Through focusing on the tactile, repetitive task, it is possible to quiet the mind and to listen to the still, small voice of God. The feel of the beads can be relaxing and freeing. Like the Labyrinth, they keep the physical self busy which calms the wandering mind.
I think that the rosary is very helpful to many people. However, I also encourage people to create and use prayer bracelets. Some Protestants do not wish to use the rosary because of the “Hail Mary” prayer. Also, some people find that the language of the other classical prayers does not suit their beliefs. The rosary takes a long time to say and many people like the idea of a shorter practice.
There is no set way to use the beads. However, I do offer several guiding ideas. Before praying, it is good to find a relaxed posture and release all tension. I recommend taking a deep breath on each bead before beginning prayers. It helps slow down the pace and center the body. It is important to choose prayers that are personally meaningful. Memorizing prayers -knowing them by heart - is a powerful practice. Each bead may be associated with a mantra, breath, prayer, song, or Bible verse. Beads may be associated with intercession, thankfulness, gratitude, forgiveness, or blessings. People have chosen to represent the Fruit of the Spirit, The Ten Commandments, The Beatitudes, etc. It is helpful to choose a significant number of repetitions of each item, e.g. the Episcopalians have a variation of the rosary that uses 33 beads to represent the years of Jesus’ life. Beads can be thought of as metaphors, e.g. rough or smooth textures to represent hard or easy parts of our lives. Different shapes of beads are used to designate the change to different prayers so that the bracelet may be used in the dark or with the eyes shut. Colors should harmonize with the intent. Using beads that belonged to a special relative can be very significant.
Teaching people how to use beads for repeated prayer has become an important part of my ministry. My artistic statement is, “as the beads are woven together, the thread disappears, but its presence provides all of the underlying structure. Similarly, the Holy Spirit invisibly, yet essentially, weaves together the fabric of our lives and connects us with our spiritual community.” My classes have concentrated on the creation of the bracelets themselves rather than the practice. Teaching the practice during our class has caused me to rethink my method. From now on, I intend to give the class members bracelets so that we can say the beads together before we make them. I also want to discuss how they felt about the process. Our class feedback was very valuable for me. I think that this will enrich the artistic thought process that goes into the construction. At the end of the class, the students will use their bracelets silently as a group. I would also like them to share their creative ideas with the group and tell the story of their bracelet.
I am encouraged by the new acceptance of an old spiritual practice that has been a significant part of the Christian faith. Creating prayer beads allows people to reflect on their faith and the significant images that they wish to carry forward in their lives. It is also a way to begin to value one’s own creativity and artistic expression. For many Christians, beads are a new method of prayer practice that can enhance their personal spiritual growth.
[1] News Services, “The Year of the Rosary”, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Saturday, November 16, 2002. P.10E.
BIBLIOGRAPY
_____, “New Mysteries of the Rosary”, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2002.
Dubin, Lois Sherr, The History of Beads (Concise Edition), New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1995.
Hemenway, Priya and Mascetti, Manuela Dunn, The Prayer Bead Box, New York:Viking Compass, 2001.
Hutson, Joan, Praying with Sacred Beads, Ligouri, Missouri: Ligouri/Triumph, 2000.
Johnson, Kevin Orlin, Rosary: Mysteries, Meditation, and the Telling of the Beads, Dallas: Pangaeus Press, 1997.
Schultz, Thomas, The Rosary for Episcopalians, Berkeley:Incarnation Priory, 1992.
Shannon, Maggie Oman and Wiley, Eleanor, “A String and a Prayer”, Spirituality and Health, Fall 2002, Vol. 5, No. 3, p.56-59.
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