Russian Orthodox Chotki

The Chotki can consist of 25, 33, 50, 100,150, or 300 beads. The 33 bead Chotki is said to represent the 33 years of Christ’s mortal life on earth. These prayer beads are also known as Jesus Prayer Chaplet because the Jesus Prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—is traditionally prayed on each bead.

Chotikis, Komboskinis, and Mequetarias are sometimes called Publicans as they all use the “Jesus Prayer.” The Jesus Prayer is taken from the parable of the Publican (tax collector) and the Pharisee found in Luke 18:10-14 where Jesus justifies the humble prayer of the Publican—“God, have mercy on me, a sinner (NIV).”

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