Anglican prayer beads

Description

Anglican prayer bead sets consist of a cross and thirty-three beads.

Beads

The loop is formed of thirty-two beads. Twenty-eight of the beads are divided into four groups consisting of seven beads, each which are called "weeks". The four larger beads separating the four groups are called "cruciform" beads. When the loop of an Anglican prayer bead set is opened into a circular shape, the "cruciform" beads form the points of a cross within the circle of the set, hence the term. Next after the cross on Anglican prayer bead sets is a single bead called the "invitatory" bead, which brings the total of beads to thirty-three.

Materials

The beads used can be made of a variety of materials, such as precious stones, wood, coloured glass, or even dried and painted seeds.

Symbolism

The number thirty-three signifies the number of years that Jesus Christ lived on the Earth, while the number seven signifies wholeness or completion in the faith, the days of creation, and the seasons of the Church year.

Cross

Anglican prayer bead sets are made with a variety of crosses or, occasionally, crucifixes. Christian crosses such as the Celtic cross and the San Damiano cross are two which are often used, though other styles are used too.

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