Description:

• Olive wood Jesus beads
• Drawstring pouch with Jerusalem Cross
• Traditional devotional of the Eastern Church
• Nicely packaged for gift-giving
• Thoughtful gift of faith and prayer

A strand of 100 wooden beads with a finely detailed Jerusalem Cross, honoring the name of Jesus and imploring the mercy of God. Tuck them into the stamped ivory pouch (included) for storage and protection. The beads from this ancient devotional of the Orthodox & Eastern Churches are handcrafted using the pruned branches of the olive trees growing on the hills of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

A printed card includes a brief explanation and history: Jesus Beads originated in the tradition of the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Called a chotki, the strand may have as many as 100 beads or as few as 25. The chotki is traditionally used as a silent "breath prayer", with "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God" prayed on inhalation and "have mercy on me, a sinner" prayed on exhalation. This is known as the Jesus Prayer, or the Prayer of the Heart, which invokes the Holy Name of Jesus and implores His divine mercy. (You can read about the "Jesus Prayer" in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2665-2669.)