The Prayer Rule of the Theotokos, Adapted for Catholic Use
What is the Prayer Rule of the Theotokos? It’s similar to the rosary, but instead of being divided up into groupings of different mysteries that you say on set days of the week, the Prayer Rule tells a linear story of the life of Christ across fifteen decades, bookended by the birth of Mary and her crowning in heaven. Like the rosary, we see Christ through Mary’s eyes, but it begins and ends with the Blessed Mother. Along the way, it touches on a few of all four sets of rosary mysteries, plus a few of the moments that make up the Seven Sorrows devotion. The first two decades, in which we remember the birth and presentation of Mary, draw from the Protoevangelium of James, an early document that fills in the blanks in Mary’s life and created a pious tradition that became a significant part of Eastern custom. So it’s a very comprehensive and very lovely prayer, and it’s all done with the characteristic richness of the Eastern church.
I discovered the Prayer Rule several years ago, by way of an older booklet that I purchased at the gift shop of a different Byzantine Catholic church. It’s not a well-known devotion in the Eastern churches, even though its origins lie in the East, and it’s practically unknown in the West. But Latin Catholics will recognize the similarities to the rosary.
The new book, the one my current Byzantine church recommended, offers a “proposed personal devotion for Byzantine Catholics” that makes modest alterations to the older booklet’s Prayer Rule, which contains some language specific to Orthodoxy. The new book also recommends that you say the standard opening and closing rosary prayers in place of the traditional (and lengthy) Orthodox prayers that open the Prayer Rule.
What I’d like to propose here is a Prayer Rule that uses all the Orthodox prayers but adapts them for use on a rosary, by Catholics, and rearranges them in what I hope is a respectful and reasonable manner. If you don’t know, most counted prayers in the East are done on a knotted prayer rope, instead of on a chain with beads. So instead of grouping the opening Orthodox prayers at the beginning, which require you to recite the prayers before you would begin your trip around your prayer rope, I wanted to group them in a way that would let you keep moving your fingers across the rosary beads, and the spaces in between, to make for a more consistently active prayer experience throughout.
The Eastern church leans heavily into the need for mercy in its prayers, and to help people conclude this Prayer Rule with a mindset of mercy and humility, I grouped those prayers at the end, going in reverse down the introductory beads and ending back at the crucifix. The final prayer, on the crucifix, is drawn from the prayer Byzantine Catholics say communally before receiving the Eucharist. It embodies the spirit of the Jesus Prayer that’s as common in the East as the Hail Mary is in the West. Drawing from the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in the Gospel of Luke, the Jesus Prayer is simply this: “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
You’ll notice that the Hail Mary is different in the East, and that the Our Father has a slightly different ending. Instead of being a petitionary prayer (“pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death”), the Eastern equivalent of the Hail Mary, known as the Angelic Salutation, has us rejoicing alongside Mary for giving birth to Christ. This difference reflects the traditional manner of prayer to Mary in the East, particularly in the Akathist to the Theotokos, which repeatedly has us calling on Mary to rejoice, so that we, her spiritual children, might rejoice along with her. (“Theotokos,” incidentally, is the Eastern equivalent to “Mother of God.” In Greek, it means, roughly, “God-bearer.”)
Eastern prayers tend to be more effusive in general. When speaking of Mary, they quite often sound like love letters in their praise of her. Thus, don’t get caught off guard when you hear Mary being called “the salvation of all the Christian people.” This language merely acknowledges that our salvation literally came through her. No Mary, no Jesus, as Mother Teresa once succinctly put it.
A note is also in order about the Creed. The Orthodox don’t use the Apostles’ Creed that’s familiar to those who pray the rosary. It’s just not part of the Eastern tradition. So I’ve included the entire Creed here. I’ve also excluded the filioque, the words “and the son” that the Western church added to the Creed in reference to the procession of the Holy Spirit. The Orthodox rejected this addition to the Creed, for reasons that are too complex to get into here, but it’s worth noting that the Eastern Catholic churches are not required to say the filioque if that’s their tradition. So its omission in that case is not a sign of doctrinal rejection, since the Eastern Catholic churches are required to adhere to all Catholic teachings. Other than that, the wording I use here reflect the way the Creed was said in the Seventies and Eighties, before the 2017 changes to the language of the Mass took place. It will be forever ingrained in my mind that way. You should say it in the way that feels most familiar to you.
I’ve made some slight adjustments to the phrasing of some of the remaining prayers. I’ve heard them expressed in different words in different churches, and I’ve chosen phrasing that I find to have a pleasing cadence and that I think lends a satisfying verbal consistency to the entire Prayer Rule. I’ve removed all archaic language, save for the Our Father, whose King James phrasing is so ingrained in our minds that I find it sounds peculiar recited any other way.
But remember that this Prayer Rule, like the rosary, is a private devotion, which means there’s no right or wrong way to say it. If you do your Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and reflections on the Mysteries when praying the rosary, anything else you choose to add or subtract is really up to you. Whatever helps your prayer life flourish is what’s best. So if you want to adjust any of the wording here, so long as you don’t change the meaning of the prayers, you should feel free to do so. If, for example, you want to say the Hail Mary instead of the Angelic Salutation, go right ahead. If you want to refer to Mary as Mother of God instead of the Theotokos, that’s fine.
On a related note, the fourteenth decade of the Prayer Rule has us observing the Dormition, or falling asleep, of the Theotokos. The Orthodox believe in the Assumption of Mary just as Catholics do, but their tradition is to emphasize the end of Mary’s earthly life instead. To make this observance is not in contradiction to the Catholic dogma of the Assumption, inasmuch as the Catholic church takes no stance on whether Mary died or not before being taken body and soul into heaven. But if you feel more comfortable reflecting on the Assumption instead of the Dormition, you should feel free to do so.
I’ve also shuffled around the order of the prayers as you go
through the decades to make things feel a little more rosary-like. Most notably,
the original Prayer Rule puts the Our Fathers after the Angelic
Salutations. I’ve placed them at their familiar spot at the beginning of each
decade. In addition, I added the Eastern doxology at the end of each decade, leading into a prescribed prayer to Mary that more or less stands in for the rosary’s Fatima prayer.
So why should you say the Prayer Rule of the Theotokos? It’s a way of building a bridge between East and West, and greater church unity is something we should all desire and strive toward. I’ve also found over the years that one of the greatest gifts the East gives us is a dynamic way of praying that engages all the senses, whereas the Western tradition is a bit more sober and appeals more to the mind. Both of these approaches are good things, and I think that integrating both approaches can help us more deeply appreciate what Pope John Paul II meant when he said that the church “must breathe with her two lungs.”
Finally, how should you say the Prayer Rule? All at once, if time allows. It will take you about an hour to get through its fifteen decades. But there’s nothing saying you can’t split it up if you need to. I also recommend that you find yourself a fifteen-decade rosary, as it just makes you more aware of where you are within the prayer. But if all you have is a typical five-decade rosary, just use that and go around the decades three times.
Just follow along with the diagrams, which I hope will make everything clear. With repetition, it will become more familiar. Note that anywhere you see a + in the text, you should make the sign of the cross. Easterners use it a lot — it’s all part of that greater engagement of all your senses. Note that in the Eastern churches, you cross yourself right to left, with your index finger, middle finger, and thumb grouped together to signify the Trinity. But here again, if you want to cross yourself the Western way —open hand, left to right — go right ahead.
OPENING PRAYERS
On the crucifix:
1. The sign of the Cross:
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Glory to you, our God, glory to you.
3. The Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.
I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again, in fulfillment of the scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
On the chain:
4. O Heavenly king, comforter, spirit of truth, everywhere present and filling all things, treasury of blessings and giver of life: Come and dwell within us, cleanse us of every sin, and save our souls, O gracious one.
On the Pater bead:
5. The Our Father:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
On the chain:
6. O most holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O master, pardon our iniquities. O holy one, come to us and heal our infirmities, for your name’s sake.
On the Ave beads:
7. The Angelic Salutation:
Rejoice, Virgin Theotokos, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne Christ, the savior of our souls. (x3)
On the chain:
8. O come let us worship the king our God. O come let us worship Christ, our king and our God. O come let us bow down to the only Lord Jesus Christ, our king and our God.
9. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
THE DECADES
On the Pater bead:
10. Announce the decade and say the associated prayer. (See below.)
On the chain:
5. The Our Father.
On the Ave beads:
7. The Angelic Salutation (x10).
On the chain:
11. The Doxology:
+ Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
12. The Theotokion:
Open unto us the gates of your mercy, O most blessed Theotokos, that we who put our hope in you may not perish but be delivered from all adversities, for you are the salvation of all the Christian people.
CLOSING PRAYERS
On the medal:
13. Hymn to the Theotokos:
It is truly proper to glorify you, O Theotokos, the ever-blessed, immaculate, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who a Virgin gave birth to God the Word, you, truly the Theotokos, we magnify.
On the chain before the Ave beads:
14. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
On the Ave beads:
15. Holy God, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy on us. (x3)
On the chain:
14. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
On the Pater bead:
16. Through the prayers of your most holy Mother, the Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary, and through the prayers of our holy fathers and of all the saints, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
On the chain:
14. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
On the crucifix:
17. + O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
+ O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me.
+ O Lord, forgive me, for I have sinned without number.
1. The sign of the cross. +
THE DECADES
(Prayers said on the Pater beads)
FIRST DECADE:
Let us remember the Nativity of the Theotokos.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, save and preserve your servants, increase our
faith and repentance, and when we die give us rest with the saints in your
eternal glory.
SECOND DECADE:
Let us remember the Presentation of the Theotokos.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, save, preserve, and unite to the church your
servants who have fallen from the path and lost their way.
THIRD DECADE:
Let us remember the Annunciation to the Theotokos from the
angel Gabriel.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, soothe our sorrows and send consolation to
your servants who are grieving and ill.
FOURTH DECADE:
Let us remember the Meeting of the Theotokos with the
righteous Elizabeth.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, reunite all your servants who have been
separated.
FIFTH DECADE:
Let us remember the Nativity of Christ.
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Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, grant that we your servants may be ever
clothed in Christ.
SIXTH DECADE:
Let us remember the Presentation of the Lord and the words
of St. Simeon to the Theotokos: “And a sword shall pierce through your own soul
also.”
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, meet the souls of your servants at the hour of
our death, pray that we may be worthy to receive the Holy Sacrament with our
last breath, and lead our souls through the trials of purgatory.
SEVENTH DECADE:
Let us remember the Flight of the Theotokos with the Christ
child into Egypt.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, help us avoid temptations in this life and
deliver us from all misfortune.
EIGHTH DECADE:
Let us remember the loss of the boy Jesus in Jerusalem and
the sorrow of the Theotokos.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, place upon our lips an unceasing prayer to your
son.
NINTH DECADE:
Let us remember the miracle at the wedding at Cana, at the
words of the Theotokos: “They have no wine.”
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, intercede for us at all times and deliver us
from every need and sorrow.
TENTH DECADE:
Let us remember the Theotokos standing at the cross of the
Lord.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, strengthen our souls, banish our despair, and
comfort those who suffer.
ELEVENTH DECADE:
Let us remember the resurrection of Christ.
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Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, renew our souls and grant us courage for new
acts of faith.
TWELFTH DECADE:
Let us remember the Ascension of Christ.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, raise up our souls from worldly thoughts and
grant us a heart that strives toward salvation.
THIRTEENTH DECADE:
Let us remember the descent of the Holy Spirit on the
apostles and the Theotokos in the Upper Room.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, send down and strengthen the grace of the Holy
Spirit in our hearts.
FOURTEENTH DECADE:
Let us remember the falling asleep of the Theotokos.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, pray that we may have a peaceful and serene
end to our lives.
FIFTEENTH DECADE:
Let us remember the crowning of the Theotokos as Queen of
Heaven and Earth.
Prayer:
Our Lady, blessed Theotokos, defend your faithful children on Earth,
preserve us from every evil, and cover us always with the holy veil of your
protection.
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