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It has been said that the Rosary is a Prayer of the Gospels. Hence, it is central to our belief as Christians.

It is about the life and times of Our Lord Jesus Christ as seen peculiarly through the eyes of His beloved mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lived by her during her Son's sojourn on this earth.

Whether it is of Eastern or Western origin should not burdened us in praying the Rosary by meditating on its beautiful mysteries. I think the Rosary is intended for all and it is a very powerful prayer!

I think if you look back several posts, I did mention I have no objections to the rosary. What I object to is presenting this western devotion as something eastern. I am not a rosary devotee and simply prefer other devotions to it. However, if I am in a group with RCs, I will say it along with them if they say it. I wouldn't try to lead it, however, since I don't do it often enough to be that comfortable with it. I wouldn't call those new mysteries mediocre either - and I didn't know what they were before this - but if I were ranking them, I could see why they would not be considered as being of equal significance to the original 15. I too question adding them to a devotion that was a bit long to begin with. With the new administration in Rome, we will not have to learn the next 5 new mysteries - there won't be any new ones.

I am sorry. I did not click details and then copy and post that link. Hopefully these will work:

http://www.istok.net/product.php?productid=23347&cat=0&page=1

http://www.istok.net/product.php?productid=23348&cat=0&page=1

http://www.istok.net/product.php?productid=23349&cat=0&page=1

http://www.istok.net/product.php?productid=23350&cat=0&page=1

Dear InCogneat,

Certainly, the prayer beads that are illustrated above can be used to pray the Rule of the Theotokos - but they need not be.

There is a version of the Jesus Prayer where one says ten at a time, with or without another invocation (i.e. to the Mother of God) every ten times.

The Old Rite Orthodox are the ones who have developed the special "Theotokos Lestovka" with 150 smaller steps divided every ten with a larger one for the Rule of the Theotokos. They never take this with them to Church, as I understand, but reserve it for the private recitation of the Rule of the Theotokos (as occurs at Diveyevo as well, but the Nuns there will join in walking around their monastery, saying the Rule out loud and even singing it together on Feast days).

St Seraphim of Sarov apparently had such a Lestovka when he recited his Theotokos Rule of 150 Hail Mary's. One writer said that St Seraphim expected each of his spiritual children to recite the Rule of the Theotokos of 150 Hail Mary's daily and that, according to the Holy Elder, it was more important to the Mother of God than even akathists, canons or other rules of prayer in her honour to call down Her Heavenly Protection on our lives.

Certainly, he had several visions of the Mother of God that are recognized by the Church today.

Off hand, I would accept his advice at "faith value!"

Alex

Can you share any sources for such Lestovka?

Dear InCogNeat3,

Diak knows some Old Rite Orthodox who may make the Theotokos Lestovka.

I tracked down an Old Rite lady in Alaska who makes them, but then lost track of her.

Tammy Kelly of Chaplets and Chotki's who posts here has threatened to make some in the past and we should petition her to "get right on it!"

I sent her a Lestovka so she would have a model to copy.

My Old Rite contact in Kyiv is Taras Burnos who has tried to find someone who makes them, but to no avail yet (he knows Old Rite Orthodox who have them, in addition to the regular Lestovka, and he is the one who told me they never take the Theotokos variety to Church with them).

Alex