The Pater Noster Psalter dates back to Apostolic times and made popular in 5^th Century Germany. Making Pater Noster Beads became a cottage industry in Germany due to the popularity of the prayer. The Marian Rosary was developed from the format of the Pater Noster Psalter.  Including the Station of the Cross for the  “mysteries” was not part of the original Pater Noster Psalter, being a unique contribution from Celtic Orthodoxy from the Celtic

Orthodox Monastery in Bobbio, Italy in around the 13^th Century. The Monastery of Bobbio was a Monastery of Celtic Orthodox Monks and established by St. Columbanus in 614. The Celtic Orthodox Monastery at Bobbio, Italy was forced to close in 1809 by French occupying forces. ___________________________________________

The Pater Noster Psalter begins with an act of contrition for sin:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for ever having offended you, and I detest all my sins because they have offended you my God who are all good and deserving of my love. I resolve with the help of your grace to sin no more and avoid all occasions of sin.    

Then repeat three times: 

Holy God, mighty God, God immortal have mercy on me.

The Pater Noster Psalter comprises 15 Decades of 10 Our Father’s, for a total of 150

Our Father’s.  Before each Decade is prayed: 

Eternal Father, almighty and ever living God; God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we offer to you Father of mercy the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of your divine Son present in this mystery as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, adoration and reparation and for my special petition which by faith I have already received from your bounty through Christ our Lord.

This prayer is repeated before each set of 10 Our Fathers for all 15 Decades.  The Mysteries (Stations) for each Decade are as follows: 

1.    Jesus is condemned to death.

2.    Jesus is made to bear His Cross.

3.    Jesus falls the first time.

4.    Jesus meets His afflicted Mother.

5.    Simon Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross.

6.    Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

7.    Jesus falls the second time.

8.    Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem.

9.    Jesus falls the third time.

10.  Jesus is stripped of His garments.

11.  Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

12.  Jesus dies on the Cross.

13.  Jesus is taken down from the Cross.

14.  Jesus is buried in the sepulcher.

15.  The Resurrection.

The Stations of the Cross (Mysteries) were codified by Francis of Assisi while he was in residence at the Celtic Orthodox Monastery at Bobbio, Italy. Feel free to substitute any other mysteries that speak to your faith.  The use of the Stations of the Cross is most common, but not mandated.

This dates back to the early church and was as big in the middle ages as the Marian Rosary is today among Catholics.  The Marian Rosary was modeled after the Pater Noster Psalter. 

The Pater Noster Psalter dates back to at least the first Century and had become popular by the 5^th Century, especially in Germany.   In Germany a cottage industry was developed to manufacture “Pater Noster Beads” (see below).  These beads were often of precious stones but today it is mainly wood.    

The Pater Noster Psalter is designed to be prayed in three intervals of 50 Our Father’s each.

Most commonly it is prayed 5 decades in the morning, 5 decades at noon and 5 decades in the evening.

To see the Pater Noster beads go to http://www.celticorthodoxchurch.com/bjk.jpg