St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The 99 Intercessions of the Prayer Rope ©

"Is any among you afflicted?
let him pray," - James 5:13

The personalized, incarnational, salvific Name of the IAM is Jesus.  He absorbs all the pain by becoming that pain - IAM.  My Elder has wonderfully stated: "We approach the fullness of our union in Christ on earth when we begin to realize that in Christ we too are those who are like us in our pain right now.  And in Christ we can cry out as them before the Father, right  now, as we are! Not for them - that's caring.  Not with them - that's compassion.  But as them.  That's Love."  For whatever the hideous deeds done in His Name or in spite of His Name over the centuries, enough men and women in Christ's wake still drank deeply of His Spirit, of His Presence (IAM) Personalized (Jesus), thus opening to humanity an immense reservoir of mercy.  In the following we ask for this mercy ninety-nine times, as the Father presents Jesus (33 times); as the Spirit presents Jesus (33 times); and as Jesus presents Himself IAM (33 times); thus saying "IAM Jesus" ninety-nine times for all of humanity, for all time. 

When you begin, take the Prayer Rope in your left hand, with your forefinger and thumb on the tassel, which can be seen as a symbol of Pentecost, the outpouring of the the Spirit (St. Simeon Skete's Prayer Rope has a red tassel), and then asking the Holy Spirit to pray within you. Next, holding the Trinity Bead ask that  "Christ, being lifted up on the Cross, might draw you to and through Himself into the communion of the Trinity."  After that, make the sign of the cross with right hand saying "In the Name of the FAther and the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God" as your left hand/fingers take a hold of the first bead, launch into the 99 Intercession of the Jesus Prayer.  Note: it is suggested to say the intro prayers of the Jesus Prayer Office and close with their closing prayers.  You can also add this Intercession to the place within the Jesus Prayer Office where the Intercessions are made. 

THE 99 INTERCESSIONS of St. Simeon Skete Prayer Rope ©1999 NHA

(proceed as so: "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on your church, Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on those who insist on being "right", Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on civil authorities...) 

Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on: 
  1. ...your church
  2. ...those who insist on being "right" 
  3. ...civil authorities 
  4. ...those who dislike us (me) 
  5. ...those who love us (me)
  6. ...our parents 
  7. ...the broken 
  8. ...the elderly 
  9. ...religious  
  10. ...the defenseless
  11. ...the powerless
  12. ...youth
  13. ...schools
  14. ...those with addictions 
  15. ...marriages
  16. ...families
  17. ...those who are with child
  18. ...widows and orphans
  19. ...the condemned 
  20. ...those who are kind 
  21. ...laity
  22. ...Bishops and clergy
  23. ...those who do not know You
  24. ...those who journey
  25. ...the imprisoned 
  26. ...those in despair
  27. ...the poor 
  28. ...those stripped of dignity
  29. ...those who ridicule Christianity
  30. ...those who aren't given a second chance 
  31. ...the hidden
  32. ...the hungry
  33. ...those in spiritual darkness
  34. ...the sick
  35. ...the disabled
  36. ...the ill-favored
  37. ...the lonely
  38. ...those having to make a decision 
  39. ...the ignored
  40. ...the despised
  41. ...the confused
  42. ...the ridiculed 
  43. ...the outsider
  44. ...the weary
  45. ...those new to this country
  46. ...the confident
  47. ...those who need control 
  48. ...the wronged 
  49. ...those who are far from the church
  50. ...the beauty hidden in each person
  51. ...the wounded 
  52. ...the suspected
  53. ...those assaulted 
  54. ...the belittled 
  55. ...those mocked 
  56. ...the accused 
  57. ...the rejected 
  58. ...the forgotten 
  59. ...those in sadness 
  60. ...those perishing 
  61. ...those who are afraid
  62. ...the untouched 
  63. ....the abandoned 
  64. ...those in misery
  65. ...those who trust in themselves 
  66. ...those left behind 
  67. ...the powerful
  68. ...the comfortable
  69. ...the afflicted 
  70. ...our indifference 
  71. ...those trapped in their intellects
  72. ...those who feel no need for mercy
  73. ...world leaders
  74. ...victims of human trafficking 
  75. ...those hurt by 'religion'
  76. ...the stranger we saw yesterday
  77. ...the uncaring 
  78. ...those who trust in their riches
  79. ...those in mental darkness 
  80. ...those who extend hospitality 
  81. ...those facing death
  82. ...those who use God 
  83. ...those who do not practice their faith
  84. ...the proud/secure
  85. ...those who feel trapped 
  86. ...those who have lost hope
  87. ...those living in time of war
  88. ...those who've had to flee 
  89. ...those who embrace the system 
  90. ...those who make and maintain denominations 
  91. ...the abused 
  92. ...those who want to end their life 
  93. ...my heart
  94. ...my labors 
  95. ...me to be the person You've always longed for 
  96. ...me to love 
  97. ...me to forgive 
  98. ...me to trust
  99. ...Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner! 
There is something beautiful and right about - "God so loved the world" and in these intercessions we are invited to love what God does.  Those who have no one else to pray for them, know that they are being prayed for at the skete.

These are the beads that Seraphim used in Africa to pray the 99 Intercessions. 




As you can see in the next picture, Seraphim is standing by his dearest friend, Pa Amadu Barrie, Waliullah, the Sufi Saint of West Africa whose epic program was to pray daily for Peace, Love and Unity throughout the entire world.  


These two men both prayed together during the war in Sierra Leone -Seraphim praying the 99 Names of Jesus, Pa Amadu praying the 99 Names of Allah.  In next week's blog post Seraphim will share the 100 Names of Jesus.