Originally part of ancient Church tradition, the Rosary is a prayer rule practiced primarily by Roman Catholics. While Eastern Orthodox Christians do not typically pray the Rosary, we do use prayer ropes to engage in similar types of repeated prayer. Most Orthodox prayer rules include ancient prayers to the Theotokos, although the main focus is often on the Jesus Prayer. There is no prohibition against an Orthodox Christian praying the Rosary. Should someone choose to do so, they absolutely may. But any who choose to do this must do so with the utmost caution and discernment.
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The main prayer of the Rosary
The primary prayer of the Roman Catholic Rosary is:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
In the Orthodox tradition, we use the following version in personal and corporate prayer:
Rejoice, oh Virgin, Theotokos, 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 Savior of our souls.
This prayer has been part of Church tradition since approximately the eighth century and is simply a “reworking” of a Scriptural verse (Luke 1:28, 42). Praying Scripture is never bad, when done with the proper discernment and caution.
Praying the “Orthodox Rosary”
The closest thing to an Eastern Orthodox version of the Rosary is the Prayer Rule of the Most Holy Theotokos. This rule consists of 15 decades (repetitions of 10) of the prayer above: “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos…”. In between each decade, one prays the Lord’s Prayer and the following prayer:
The door of compassion open unto us, O blessed Theotokos. For hoping in thee, let us not perish. Through thee may we be delivered from adversities, for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Between each decade, there is also a brief prayer centered around the recollection of a particular event in the life of Jesus Christ or the Theotokos. Check out the link above or the full text and explanation.
This Prayer Rule can be incredibly beneficial and edifying, and can help us to draw closer to the Lord and His Holy Mother. Speak with your priest to see if it will work well for you.
The Rosary vs. The Jesus Prayer
While the Orthodox Church does not use the rosary, we have our own rich traditions of prayer that emphasize personal connection with God through repetitive invocations like the Jesus Prayer. Moreover, we use a prayer rope instead of rosary beads. The prayer rope serves as a valuable tool for fostering a deeper spiritual life and focusing our minds during prayer.
Related: How to Use a Prayer Rope
There is one key difference between the Roman Catholic practice of praying the Rosary and the Orthodox practice of repetitive prayer, that is worth noting here. The Rosary often includes meditations on specific events in the lives of Jesus and Mary that involve the use of the imagination. Such a practice is not encouraged in Orthodoxy, as it can be spiritually dangerous to many.
A word of caution: Do not use mental imagery in prayer
Orthodox Tradition forbids the use of mental imagery in prayer. Indeed, certain individuals higher on the spiritual ladder may have visions or revelations. However, the general advice to those who have not achieved perfection (most of us!) is to reject or at least ignore any visions and apparitions as potentially dangerous. The Orthodox Church also prohibits the conscious use of the imagination during prayer.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov writes:
The praying mind must be in a fully truthful state. Imagination, however alluring and well-appearing it may be, being the willful creation of the mind itself, brings the latter out of the state of Divine truth, and leads the mind into a state of self-praise and deception, and this is why it is rejected in prayer. The mind during prayer must be very carefully kept without any images, rejecting all images, which are drawn in the ability of imagination… Images, if the mind allows them during prayer, will become an impenetrable curtain, a wall between the mind and God.
Works. 4 vols. St. Petersburg, 1905
If you choose to pray the Prayer Rule to the Most Holy Theotokos, do so without the use of mental imagery or imagination. Likewise, if you decide to pray the Roman Catholic Rosary as an Orthodox Christians.
Conclusion
Orthodoxy does not actively use the Rosary as Roman Catholicism does. However, the Orthodox Church does have the Prayer Rule to the Theotokos, which has brought edification and joy to many. If you do decide to implement this prayer rule, take care not to use your imagination in prayer. Such a practice is dangerous and can lead us into delusion rather than illumination. If you find this difficult or your mind is prone to wander, speak with your priest. The Jesus Prayer is always a wonderful option, one that holds a special place in the hearts of the Orthodox.
Keep Reading: How to Maintain a Consistent Prayer Life