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The Psalter of Christ
Click on the Psalter picture for
Instructions.
The Psalter of Christ
( Psalter of Christ / Paternoster / Prayer Rope / Celtic
Rosary )
From the Apostolic Age of the early Church, the 150 Psalms of
the Holy Bible were important in the liturgical prayers of the
clergy and monastics. Literacy was not then common, so many of the
faithful were unable to read the Psalms. Consequently, there arose
alternatives for those who could not read substitutes for reading
the 150 Psalms. One practice which became very prevalent was that of
praying 150 Pater Noster's (Our Fathers) instead of the Psalms,
using a string of bones, or knots, or, later, beads, to count them.
Usually, the 150 were divided into 3 groups of 50 each. The prayer
rope came to be known as a "Psalter" and, later, as "Paternoster
bedes." The Western Orthodox Churches had a great devotion to the
Psalter of David. They divided the Psalter into three sections of 50
Psalms each. The "3 fifties" were recited for the dead, and for many
other intentions, by both monastics and laity. When a layman died,
immediately the Psalter was said over the body of the faithful
departed. People took turns reciting the Psalter four more times,
all through the night. The Celtic Orthodox Saints, including St.
Patrick, sometimes would recite the first "fifty" and then stand in
cold water to recite the next "fifty" in order to stay awake and
watchful.
In Ireland in the 7th century, monks kept track of the Psalter
(150 Psalms) on knotted cords and the laity said the Divine Office
using a 150-knot cord to pray the Pater Noster's, which was also
known as the "poor man's breviary." In the same century, the
Byzantine Church began using a knotted woolen prayer cord called a
"Chotki" which had varying numbers of knots (33, 50, 100, 300), some
with a larger knot at the beginning of each group of ten knots. The
prayer said on each knot usually was the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner") or "O God, be
merciful to me a sinner." [See Luke 18:9-14 for the basis of the
Jesus Prayer.]
By 1040 A.D., wooden and clay beads were replacing knotted cords
among some people. By the 1100's, people are more commonly carrying
a "Paternoster cord" with 50 knots to be repeated three times
instead of the traditional longer 150-knot cord. In the 13th
century, the Marian Rosary, 150 Ave Maria's (Hail Mary's) with a
reduced number of Pater Noster's, came into existence and was
eventually popularized into a standard devotion, to which the name
"Rosary" is increasingly applied. It was also called the "Marian
Psalter," but the name Rosary has triumphed today.
The Western Orthodox Church keeps alive today the ancient
Orthodox Catholic devotion of the "Paternoster," called the "Psalter
of Christ." Like the ancient people's Psalter, the present day
Psalter of Christ is based first and foremost on praying 150 Pater
Noster's. The Sign of the Cross, the Apostles' Creed, and the Gloria
Patri's, of course, have their part also. Added to the western
devotion are the 150 Jesus Prayers, absorbing thereby a tremendously
important devotional of Eastern Orthodoxy, and the 150 Adoramus
Te's. By this simple schema, the Psalter of Christ teaches us
thanksgiving, penitence, and adoration - three essential modes of
approaching our Triune God.
The following method of praying a 50-knot Psalter of Christ
includes a total of 156 prayers (Sign of the Cross, Apostles'
Creed, 4 Gloria Patri's, 50 Pater Nosters, 50 Jesus Prayers, 50
Adoramus Te's). For this method, pray the Psalter of Christ
thrice daily: once in the morning, once midday, and once at night
(generally speaking, dependent upon your daily routine).
Beginning with the Cross, bless yourself,
praying The Sign of the Cross and reciting The Apostles'
Creed.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Symbolum Apostolorum (The Apostles' Creed)
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and
Earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He
descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He
ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father
Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the
dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic Church; the
communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of
the body; and life everlasting. Amen.
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae.
Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui
conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub
Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad
inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet
ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare
vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam
catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis
resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in
principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Click on each Pater Noster after praying
it.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
Pater Noster (Lord's Prayer)
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. Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita
nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos
inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in
principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Click on each Domine Iesu Christe after
praying it.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
Domine Iesu Christe (The Jesus Prayer)
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Domine Iesu Christe, Filius Dei, misereatur me,
peccato.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in
principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Click on each Adoramus Te after praying
it.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
145.
146.
147.
148.
149.
150.
Adoramus Te (We Adore Thee)
We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. Because, by Thy Holy
Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi; quia per sanctam
Crucem tuam redemisti mundi.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in
principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Bless yourself with The Sign of the
Cross.
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