In addition to representing the heart of summer, Christians consider Ferragosto to be the feast of the Madonna. In fact, on this day the Assumption of the Virgin into heaven is celebrated. What is this about?

The Assumption of Mary into heaven has been declared a dogma of faith since 1950. In fact, this belief has always been widespread and constituted a very deep-rooted and important form of devotion, even long before its official recognition.

According to the Catholic Church, Mary, having reached the end of her mortal life, ascended to heaven not only as a soul but also, unique among men and women, with her own body. In fact, the term Assumption means “to bring up”.

The Assumption is distinguished from the elevatio animae, a typical figure of religious iconography, which represents the ascent into heaven of the soul of a saint, usually escorted by angels. The difference is that Mary ascended with body and soul. Among its mysteries, the Rosary celebrates the Assumption of Mary as the fourth mystery of glory.

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After all, after God created her without sin and chose her as the mother of His only Son after he wanted in His immense foresight and wisdom, that she conceived Jesus while remaining virgin and uncorrupted after she was a mother loving for the Saviour, whom she cradled in her arms both as a child and as he died at the foot of the Cross, it is reasonable to think that God had something special in store for her, even in death. Mary had every reason to be the first woman to be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven in her integrity.

Therefore Mary, born and lived without sin, was the first and the only one to enjoy the resurrection of the flesh promised to all men by Jesus. It is a special gift from God for her, for her sacrifice, for her humility, for the immense love brought to her Son. His example becomes a promise and hope for every man, who sees in this anticipation of the resurrection of the flesh, a consolation and longing, because of the Last Judgement.

St. John Damascene, a doctor of the Church who lived between the 7th and 8th centuries wrote: “It was fitting that she who in childbirth had kept her virginity intact should keep her body intact from corruption after death. It was fitting that she who had borne the Creator made a child in her womb should live in the divine abode. It was fitting for the Bride of God to enter the heavenly house. It was fitting that she who had seen her own child on the Cross, receiving in her body the pain that was spared in childbirth, should contemplate him seated at the right hand of the Father. It was fitting that the Mother of God possesses what was due to her because of her son and that she be honoured by all creatures as the Mother and slave of God.”

And again an anonymous ancient writer wrote: “Christ, our saviour and God, giver of life and immortality, it was he who gave life back to the Mother. It was he who made her, who had generated him, equal to himself in the incorruptibility of the body, and forever. It was he who raised her from the dead and welcomed her next to him, through a path that is known only to him”.

The Assumption and the Dormition

Ferragosto, the feast of the Madonna, therefore. But is it only for Christians? It is not only Catholic Christians who honour the Assumption of Our Lady. The Armenian, the Orthodox and the Anglicans celebrate it in turn, also on August 15, but Armenians and Orthodox celebrate it as the Dormition (Dormitio Virginis). Their tradition has it that Mary was welcomed into Heaven body and soul after falling into a deep sleep, without dying. Instead, Catholics do not exclude that this miraculous event coincided with her death. In both cases, we can read in the Assumption of Mary into heaven as an anticipation of that resurrection promised to all men at the end of time. The Dormition of Mary became a celebration recognised in the East by imperial decree since the 6th century. However, neither for the Orthodox nor for the Armenians Dormition and Assumption are dogmas.

Regarding the Dormition, the ambiguity arises from the fact that the Greek wordκοιμησις, present in the ancient ecclesiastical texts, means both “sleep” and “death”. The Latin term dormitio also means “sleep”, but in religious texts, it is often used for “death”.

Other Protestant churches do not share this belief. There is no reference in the Bible to the Assumption of Mary, so it is not recognised by them.

Ferragosto: how is the Assumption of Mary celebrated?

On August 15 the Christian church honours this feast of obligation, also known as the Feast of the Assumption, which celebrates the incorruptibility of the body of Mary. We, therefore, consider Ferragosto feast of the Madonna, where the word Ferragosto comes from the Latin “feriae Augusti” and refers to the Augustali, feasts instituted by the emperor Augustus to guarantee rest to the peasants after the end of the summer harvests.

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It was Pope Pius XII who proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of Mary on November 1, 1950, the holy year, through the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus: “Therefore, after having raised suppliant requests to God again, and having invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, to the glory of Almighty God, who poured out his special benevolence in the virgin Mary, to honour her Son, the immortal King of all ages and conqueror of sin and death, to the greater glory of his august mother, and the joy and exultation of the whole church, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and ours, we pronounce, declare and define it as dogma revealed by God that: the immaculate Mother of God always virgin Mary, after the course of earthly life, was assumed to heavenly glory in body and soul. Therefore, if anyone, God forbid, dared to voluntarily deny or question what we have defined, let him know that he has failed in the divine and Catholic faith.”

In Italy, in particular, large celebrations are organised in many cities and towns. Often the Feast of the Assumption is celebrated with solemn processions, during which a statue that often represents the sleeping Madonna is carried through the streets, only to be placed in a golden coffin at the end of the festivities. There are also numerous ecclesiastical institutions and religious orders dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Let’s think for example of the procession of the sanctuary of Santa Maria della Grotta, near Cosenza, where every year a woman adorned with a ‘wall’, a frame made up of candles, ribbons and flowers, leads the procession of faithful who sing hymns to Mary, up to the cave that houses a statue considered miraculous, reachable only by boat, or the ‘procession of the Vara‘, in Randazzo, in the Syracuse area, where at midnight on August 15 an ancient twenty metres long chariot, full of flowers, which symbolises the Dormition, the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary, hosts twenty-five “children” who sing in honour of the Virgin.

The Assumption of Mary in art

The Assumption of the Madonna has inspired many illustrious artists over the centuries, who have tried to capture the miracle of her ascent to heaven in paintings and statues. As well as the elevatio animae of saints and saints, the Assumption has always recurred in religious iconography. Just think of the grandiose fresco by Correggio above the main altar of the Cathedral of Parma, which depicts the Assumption of the Virgin, or the painting The Assumption, by Titian, on the main altar of the basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice.

Chaplet of the Assumption

On the occasion of the feast of Ferragosto, the feast of the Madonna, the intercession of the Madonna can be invoked by reciting the Chaplet of the Assumption, which can also be repeated as a Novena, starting from 6 August until 15. The Chaplet can be accompanied by twelve angelic greetings and invocations that refer to the crown of twelve stars, with which Mary was crowned in heaven.

Here are the 12 greetings:

Blessed be the hour, O Mary, in which you were invited by your Lord to heaven. Hail Mary…
II. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, in which you were assumed by the Holy Angels into heaven. Hail Maria…
III. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, when all the celestial court came to meet you. Hail Maria…
IV. May the hour be blessed, O Mary, in which you were received with so much honour in heaven. Hail Maria…
V. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, when you sat at the right hand of your Son in heaven. Hail Mary…
VI. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, in which you were crowned with so much glory in heaven. Hail Mary…
VII. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, when you were given the title of Daughter, Mother and Bride of the King of Heaven. Hail Mary…
VIII. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, when you were recognised as the supreme Queen of all heaven. Hail Maria…
IX. Blessed be the hour in which all the Spirits and Blessed of Heaven acclaimed you, O Mary. Hail Maria…
X. Blessed be the hour when you were constituted our Advocate in heaven, O Mary. Hail Maria…
XI. Blessed be the hour, O Mary, in which you began to intercede for us in heaven. Hail Mary…
XII. Be blessed. O Mary, the hour in which you will deign to receive everyone in heaven. Hail Maria …

At the end it says:

O God, who by turning your gaze to the humility of the Virgin Mary raised her to the sublime dignity of mother of your only Son made man and today crowned her with incomparable glory, grant that we too, inserted in the mystery of salvation through her intercession we can reach you in the glory of heaven. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Who does not know the story of Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman? But are we really sure that we know it properly? Let’s remember the history of all the stories together.

Eve and Adam are considered by Catholics to be the progenitors of all mankind. Their story has been told to us since we were children, and it is beautiful and terrible because it tells of the immense love of God, who chose to create these two special creatures to give them the gift of the wonderful world just sprung from his hands, but he tells also of original sin and of how the first man and the first woman disappointed their Father, deserving to be expelled from his Paradise.

But the story of Adam and Eve hides in itself much deeper meanings, which certainly deserve closer scrutiny. Just think of the fact that accepting their existence means recognising that all humanity descends from the same couple, and therefore that we are all one big family. A not indifferent concept, especially in times when love, brotherhood and mercy are constantly questioned.

It is, therefore, worth pausing for a moment on this ancient and fascinating history, on the meanings it hides, and which have been the basis of Catholic doctrine since its origins. Concepts such as original sin and the apple of sin have conditioned and regulated the lives of countless men and women over the millennia, and even today we live the legacy of that guilt, of that stigma that has marked humanity as a whole, and that only the sacrifice of Jesus could call into question.

The creation of Adam and Eve

The true story of Adam and Eve is told in the Bible, and more specifically in the book of Genesis.

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This book describes the days of Creation when God wanted to give rise to the world we know and all that populates it. Within five days, He created the sky, the earth, the light, the stars, all the fish, the birds and the animals.

On the sixth day, he created Man.

God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over every creeping thing that crawls the earth.’ God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth; subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and over every living thing that creeps on the earth” ; (Genesis 1:26-28)

However, there is a second version of this same episode in the Bible:

The man gave names to all cattle, and the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for man, there was not found a helper suitable for him. Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (Genesis 2:20-22)

These two versions are defined, respectively, Fonte Sacerdotale and Fonte Jahvista, and are linked to the documentary or documentary hypothesis, formulated by the German biblical scholar Julius Wellhausen, according to which the first five books of the Bible, the so-called Pentateuch (Torah for the Jews), or Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, were not written only by Moses, but by four probable authors, the initials of the names of which make up the initials JEDP.

As we can see, the two creation accounts of the first man and the first woman present some substantial differences. In the first, God created Adam and Eve at the same time, both in his own image, and made them masters of the earthly Paradise. In the second, however, Adam was created first, and God only gave him dominion over the things and animals he had created. The woman came later. Of course, this is not the place to deepen these two points of view, but the implications that the two different interpretations have had in the history of the Church and of humanity, especially concerning the relationship between men and women, are evident.

The story of Adam and Eve for children

Beyond the academic interpretations and studies of illustrious biblical scholars, how could we tell the story of Adam and Eve simply? For example, if we were to tell it to children how could we proceed? What must emerge in the eyes of the little ones of this story will be the great love of God, who created a wonderful world to give it to men and women. It will be essential that children understand that since everything around them is the fruit of that love, they must respect and protect it, enjoy it and never, never take it for granted, as too often happens. Then it will certainly be useful to make them understand the seriousness of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, who ate the apple despite God having ordered them not to, yet leaving them free to feed on all the other beautiful and tasty fruits that abounded in the Garden of Eden. To underline this point it may be useful to draw a comparison with the disobedience of the children themselves, which escape the duties and recommendations of their parents. Duties and recommendations always pronounced only for their own good. Again, it will be important to suggest to them the concept of free will: God left Adam and Eve the choice to do what they wanted, even the choice to love him or not. He didn’t force them to do anything, everything he did for them was a wonderful gift, and despite this, they disappointed him, with their ingratitude. The story could go something like this:

God is so good that he decided one day to create a beautiful garden. He filled it with plants, flowers, animals of all kinds, and above it spread the sky, with the sun, the moon, the stars. When he had finished, he created the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, and he wanted to give them this earthly Paradise. Adam and Eve would be free to go where they wanted, in that world where there was no pain, disease, death, and to eat all the fruits that grew on the trees of the garden, except the apples of the tree that stood in the centre of the latter.
Despite God’s recommendations, Eve allowed herself to be tempted by an evil serpent, who told her that the fruits of that great tree would allow her to understand the difference between good and evil. Eve took a fruit from the forbidden tree, ate it and offered it to Adam.

God quickly discovered their disobedience, and he suffered greatly. He had done everything for them, created a paradise and gave it without asking for anything in return. As a punishment, he cast them out of the earthly Paradise and condemned them and all their descendants to pain and death.

Adam and Eve: the story of the apple and original sin

The story of the apple, the forbidden fruit that would make Adam and Eve equal to God, giving them the knowledge of good and evil is not just a story for children. Indeed, it is the basis of the Catholic religion. In fact, the consequence of original sin was the fall of man, the rupture of the tacit covenant between him and God, the effects of which have had repercussions on all of humanity for millennia. It is from that single act of disobedience that all human evils originate. Before it, man was perfect, immune from disease and injury, immortal, happy. This action stems from the will of man to be able to decide for himself what good is, what evil is, instead of relying on the infinite wisdom and infinite love of God.

The story of original sin, from the serpent’s temptation to Eve’s gesture of taking the apple from the tree and offering it to Adam, is impregnated with references to countless previous sacred tales. Interestingly, the words of the tempting serpent are sufficient to instil in the first woman the seed of doubt, the belief that God’s order not to eat the fruit of the tree was unjust. Above all, it is sobering that the serpent’s promise, which tells Eve that by eating the forbidden apple she and Adam will gain knowledge of good and evil, practically becoming like God, is so compelling.

Adam and Eve expelled from paradise

After the apple has been picked and tasted, however, the first and only thing that Adam and Eve become aware of was their own nakedness. Shame was the first negative feeling experienced by the first man and the first woman, an instant after their fall.

Immediately discovering disobedience, God summons the three guilty, who try to exonerate themselves by blaming each other. God’s punishment strikes them all, first the serpent, who is cursed, then the woman, Eve, condemned to the sufferings of childbirth and to be subjected to the man, finally Adam, condemned to have to draw the fruits from the earth with effort and sweat, who hitherto had been lavish and generous with him.

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Finally, and this is certainly the worst evil derived from this reckless act, God condemns man and woman, and with them all their descendants, to physical death, where before they were immortal. It will take thousands of years, and the advent of Jesus Christ, for this terrible rupture to know the hope of a reconciliation. In Jesus, the children of Adam know the possibility of redemption, the mirage of eternal life at the end of time, and only for those who know how to deserve it.

Who were the children of Adam and Eve

Once expelled from Eden, Adam and Eve had several children, according to tradition from 14 to 140. The only three mentioned in the Bible, however, are Cain, Abel and Seth. Cain married Abel’s twin sister Calmana, Abel Cain’s twin sister Deborah. Later, on the death of Abel, Cain, his murderer, married his sister Awan, from whom he fathered a son, Enoch. Seth married his sister Azura, who gave birth to Enos, from whose offspring Noah and his children will be born. The descendants of Cain, on the other hand, became nomadic cattle ranchers and learned the art of forging metals, distinguishing themselves however for the violence and the practice of polygamy.

On May, we celebrate all mothers of Italy. A sweet, warm day that revolves around children, but not only. May is the month dedicated to mothers and to roses. But most of all, May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the most special among mothers.

Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries across the world. It is a civil holiday dedicated to the image of mothers, both in their private and social aspects. Although the date of the celebrations varies according to countries, Mother’s Day is celebrated in the month of May almost everywhere. Only in Balkan and Arab countries, and just a few others, it is celebrated in March.

The reasons to celebrate it in springtime is due to the celebration of the circle of natural rebirth after a long winter. What is celebrated is life principle, the return to life and its triumph, flowers and fruits typical of spring. In fact, an in-depth study would show us how the celebrations for Mother’s Day come from ancient pagan rituals, almost as ancient as humankind itself.

In Italy, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.

Mother’s Day is an opportunity to thank the person who brought us to life and takes care of us each day since the moment of our conception. Children especially feel this holiday; they put all their efforts in finding a wonderful gift for their mothers, usually crafted with their own hands, maybe even at school.

Besides drawings and crafts, all made with dedication and care, the young ones recite poems or sing songs. However, even adults honor their mothers on such special day with flowers, gifts or just their presence, an even more precious and rare gift nowadays, a time characterized by a constant frenzy and lack of time for what really matters.

What are the origins of Mother’s Day?

In Italy, a priest called Don Otello Migliosi was the first to celebrate such occasion in 1957 in the Umbrian hamlet of Tordibetto. Actually, the year before, Raul Zaccari, senator and mayor of Bordighera, had organized a special holiday dedicated to all mothers at Theater Zeni, which was later celebrated at Palazzo del Parco. The initiative was very successful from the beginning and spread all over the county, becoming a fixed day on the second Sunday of May.

In the United Kingdom, in 1700, Mother’s Day was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent: all children that worked to earn some money to survive could stay at home all day with their mothers.

In the USA, Anna Jarvis was the first to celebrate her mother, an activist for peace, in 1908, setting the roots for Mother’s Day, which spread quickly and became very popular. So popular that in May 1914, at the orders of Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States, it became an official holiday. Later, the holiday reached many European countries, and not only.

May as the Marian month

We already mentioned the symbolism of rebirth and circle of life related to this anniversary, but for Christians there is something more that makes this day, and in general this month, a real celebration of the maternal figure. In fact, May has always been consecrated to Mary, mother of Jesus.

The tradition that ties the Virgin Mary to the month of May is nowhere to be found in the Sacred Texts. It took hold and developed throughout the centuries, with a sequence of initiatives and celebrations.
Only on April 29th, 1965, Pope Paul VI officially consecrated this month to the figure of Mary, with the encyclical Mense Maio, which says: “For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration. And it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”

Before that, Annibale Dionisi, a Jesuit who lived in patience, poverty and sweetness between 1600 and 1700, associated the month of May with Mary, inviting all faithful to homage her with ‘flowers of virtues’. The choice of May is probably related, at least in part, to the fame this month has, that is, watching nature and flowers bloom again, flowers that are always reminders of the Virgin Mary.

Already in the medieval age, philosophers from Chartres and Alfonso X the Wise, King of Castile and Leon, used to celebrate Mary as: “The rose among roses, flower among flowers, woman among women, the only lady, light of saints and skies.” The Dominican Henry Suso, who lived between 1295 and 1366, used to write about Mary as follows: “Be blessed, rising dawn, over all the creatures, and be blessed the flowery meadow with beautiful red roses of your face, adorned with the red flower of the Eternal Wisdom!”

At the same time, the tradition of the Rosary as devotional object dedicated to the Virgin Mary par excellence began to rise. The origins of the Rosary comes from the habit of decorating statues of Mary with garlands of flowers, especially roses, during the month of May.

In the XVI century, Saint Philip Neri used to invite the children he took care of to decorate the image of Mary with flowers and sing her praises. In 1677, the brotherhood called Comunella instituted the habit of dedicating the month of May to particular praises to Mary: “Having the feasts of May arrived and having heard many seculars the day ahead sing May and celebrate the creatures they loved, we decided we wanted to sing it to the Blessed Virgin Mary too…”

Mary, mother of all mothers

Who can embody the model of mother of all mothers better than Mary? A mother constantly suffers and prays for her children, is involved in their triumphs and their pains, which torment her with the same intensity they torment their children. No pain can be compared to a mother’s pain and, at the same way, no mercy can be compared to hers.

Mary suffered Her only child’s Passion in her own flesh, in her own soul, the same way any other mother suffers for the fruit of her womb, every day, anywhere.

Not just that. Mary is mother to all of us, to any man and woman that are born after her. Her love and her pain are strictly related to humankind existence. We owe the sweetest intercession to her and to her mercy that elevates us in front of the Father; she acts as a mediator for our prayers and our pains. No one loves us as much as she does, with the perfect and special love of a Mother.

Gifts for Mother’s Day

Holyart proposes you 5 product from its catalog that are perfect gifts for Mother’s Day.

In order to remind you that May is the month of roses, besides being dedicated to Mary, a great gift idea are the Medjugorje rosary necklaces, decorated with ceramic roses and crystal beads (browse them in the gallery!) The beads shaped as roses are made of ceramic baked at low temperature, and each one of them is nestled between two crystal beads. The necklaces are handmade in Medjugorje.

What about an angel statuette as gift for your mother? It can be a sweet way to let her understand that this is how we think of her, our angel, and also a good wish for her, to let her guardian angel be next to her and watch over her every day, just as she watches over us.

Another option, a gorgeous crucifix in Murano glass. Truly wonderful objects, they are crafted following an ancient and fascinating art. They’re not just devotional objects, but real furnishing accessories that will make any home beautiful and elegant.

A different item to wear you can give your mother is a beautiful Tau pendant. We already talked about the Tau in an article dedicated to the different types of crucifixes. It is a symbol of salvation and the love of God towards men and women. In Holyart catalog, you will find Tau pendants made of wood, ceramic or metal, available in many colors and handcrafted.

What about a nice religious key holder with an image of Mary on it? There are many beautiful models made of steel or zama, with an image of Our Lady of Medjugorje or Our Lady of Lourdes, but also wooden models from Val Gardena, such as the gorgeous key holder with Mary’s bust holding Baby Jesus, available in leather or ancient galvanized silver and varnish.

Medjugorje Rosary necklace with ceramic roses and grains in red crystal
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Angel Figurine, Friendship Model, Stylized in Fire Clay
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Glass crucifix in white Murano glass with colored murrina 25x15 cm.
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Pendant tau red hearts
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Eucharistic adoration for children is a delicate and important matter. Let’s see how we should introduce them to it in the right way, what prayers are most appropriate for the youngest ones before the Most High and how Eucharist should be explained to kids.

Eucharistic adoration is one of the most solemn moments of a mass and, in general, of a Christian’s practice of faith. That moment accompanies the presentation of the bread after its consecration, so that the faithful can adore it. More generally, we talk about Eucharistic adoration every time we turn our prayers and attention towards the tabernacle that stores the Most Holy Sacrament, symbol of Jesus’ presence in every church.

It’s a very special kind of adoration, because it celebrates the Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Divine and real presence within the consecrated bread is the foundation itself of the Eucharistic celebration and the Devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament. Jesus Christ, true man and true God, became a real and tangible presence thanks to the Eucharist. He renovates his own sacrifice through the renovation of the Eucharistic celebration, descending among men once again through the Most Holy Sacrament.

Through the Eucharistic adoration, we turn our adoration towards God himself, showing him all of our love, faith and gratitude.

Eucharistic adoration as we know it dates back to 1226, when King Luis VII of France wanted to celebrate the win against the Cathars: the Eucharist was displayed in the cathedral of the Holy Cross of Orléans so that the many faithful could see it and adore it.

The initiative was so successful that he decided to make it a fixed event. Before that, Eucharistic celebration did not include adoration from the faithful. The importance of Eucharistic adoration grew more and more with time, until it reached the so-called perpetual Eucharistic adoration in chapels where people can go at any time, day or night.

There are also religious orders that have been continuously dedicating themselves to such devotional practice for more than a hundred years.

The importance of the Eucharistic adoration makes us understand how important it is to teach children how they should pray before the Most High in the right way and full awareness.

How can we teach children to pray before the Eucharist?

During the last few years, eminent priests organized many conferences to try to answer this question and debated on the subject of Eucharistic adoration for children and parents.

First, we need to concentrate on the Eucharist told to children.

It is not easy to explain such a complex and important concept without creating some confusion. Depending on the age of the child, we will have to choose the right words and way to let the kid know how Jesus is within the Eucharist and, consequently, how important it is to turn our prayers towards it.

We could begin by talking about Jesus, how happy he was to spend time with his friends and the people that loved him, so happy and fond of all of them that he wished he never had to leave them. That is why he chose to put a little bit of himself inside the Eucharist, so that his friends could always feel his presence even when he was no longer with them. Not just a simple memory, but also a real and tangible presence.

So, one night, while they were having dinner, he showed them what they should do to feel him close again.

He took a piece of bread and a glass of wine and said that each time they would find themselves at the table to eat bread and drink wine he would be with them.

That is how he invented Eucharist, giving himself to those he loved and becoming bread and wine: by eating and drinking, everyone could become a bit like Him and He could be within all of them. Such wonderful thing happens again each time we celebrate the Mass and the priest blesses bread and wine. In that very moment, Jesus comes back among us.

Then, a little bit of the consecrated bread goes into the Tabernacle: that way, Jesus stays with us even after the Mass in case we have something important to tell him. With these few easy words, we explained the mystery of the Most Holy Sacrament to children.

The next step will be to make children understand what adoration means. It’s not a banal concept even for adults.

Adoring God means pray for him, exalt him, praise him and homage him as Father and Creator.

It’s not just a simple prayer, nor a form of devotion we can address to Mary or the Saints. Adoration is only for God.

How to adore God is another important concept we will have to make children understand. There is not just one way to do it. Everyone must find their own.

We can adore God in church, in a wood, on a beach, or even in our own bedroom. We can adore him in silence or with music, singing or even dancing. Our heart will tell us the best way.

For many children, recognizing Jesus in the Eucharistic bread is almost natural.

Unlike adults, their minds are open to wonders, free and light; therefore, they can embrace such immense mystery with enthusiasm and full confidence. Some of them just need to enter the chapel of adoration to understand that it is a special place, a special moment.

Children’s minds and hearts are far more open to welcome Jesus; it is almost as if there was a direct communication between them and God. After all, Jesus showed his predilection for the young ones many times, he often asked to be visited by little ones. Jesus himself asked for that to his disciples, and still asks for that to all of us today.

Among the many proposals on how to teach Eucharistic adoration to children, one suggestion to bring the youngest ones near it is music, since it can help keeping children still and silent, making them understand the importance of silence in such a solemn moment of prayer.

Music can help them concentrate and understand the solemnity of what they are taking part in, encouraging an appropriate atmosphere that can convey warmth, unity and safety.

The dim light of candles, lights illuminating the Ostensory and white and gold drapes are also other good things.

Of course, one of the first thing we’ll have to take care of while taking the youngest ones to the Eucharistic adoration is that they can easily see the Eucharistic bread. That is where their eyes have to be turned to, the Most Holy Sacrament, so that their concentration will not falter.

The Ostensory must be placed at the same height of their eyes, clearly visible, even better if illuminated by a light that makes it brighter and shinier.

The priest that will guide the little ones in the adoration will have to speak with easy words, using simple formulas about Jesus’ love, of how He is a friend and a Father: I love you Jesus, stay in my heart Jesus, forgive me Jesus, I promise I will be good Jesus, thank you Jesus for the love you feel for me.

He must do that turned towards the Ostensory, so that the children know that Jesus is there, listening to their prayers. Prayers before the Most Holy will have to be child-friendly, using the very same words children would use and will use on their own.

They will have to be declarations of love, of gratitude, of commitment to be better, of hope and thanksgiving.

Of course, we cannot expect that very little children stay still in adoration before the Most Holy for hours. Depending on age, we will have to understand how long they can actually be concentrated on it.

What is free will? What implications does it have for a man’s life in general, and for the Christian’s in particular? Let’s get to know this philosophical and theological concept a bit better, since it influenced the history of ethical, religious and human thinking.

If we ask: “What is free will?” many would probably say it is the freedom to choose what to do in a specific circumstance. This is not wrong, even if it is a bit limited in order to explain such a crucial aspect of history and humankind development. In fact, the concept of free will is prior to the advent of Christianism, although it has always been subject of discussions and debates within the philosophical and theological sphere throughout centuries.

So, what is free will?

Looking up the definition of free will in the dictionary, the first explanation is: The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one’s own discretion.

Therefore, free will is the condition of thinking by virtue of which each one of us can determine the scope of their action with total autonomy. No external forces are involved, no superior entity is driving nor controlling fate. Each aspect of men’s actions and thoughts is down to an act of will.

How can we conciliate such a claim of freedom with the concept of omniscient and omnipotent God that characterizes Christianism? What is free will for a Christian?

Fate or free will?

The issue is not only related to religion. The history of philosophical thinking is full of debates about what determines men’s fate, about a possible presence of supernatural factors, such as destiny, or natural factors, in such case called determinism. Not to mention predestination or fatalism.
Throughout history, many philosophers and thinkers questioned the possibility that part of the human life, or even all of it, might be established before the human being is even born.

In a religious sphere, we should question ourselves about the existence of a deity, a superior will that grants the freedom to choose to all of its creatures; in an ethical sphere, we should question ourselves on the concept of responsibility, that is, whether a man should be responsible for his actions in case they are determined by something external. Under a scientific point of view, the analysis should focus on determining whether the human mind has any interference on the events or whether everything relies completely on randomness.

Free will in the Bible

What is free will according to the Sacred Texts? In the Bible, we can read that God, in his omnipotence, chooses not to establish every event. In particular, He created men in His image and likeness, giving them the chance to go beyond their instincts and choose where to address their actions. It is exactly the chance to choose, the free will, which makes us complete men, because it is up to us to turn our thoughts and our actions towards God and His will, without obligations. Many quotes from the Bible underline the importance of free will, which is seen as a great responsibility in the Old Testament, other than a gift from God to his beloved children. Therefore, free will within the Bible implies the freedom to choose on one side, and the responsibility to choose what is right on the other side.

The concept of free will according to Dante

From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Lk 12,39-48). Such statement from the Gospel of Luke is emblematic to understand the vision shared by Dante Alighieri, the poet who wrote the Divina Commedia, concerning the issue of free will. Dante was a man of intelligence, but also action; he had the most profound contempt for a particular category of men: the indolent ones, those who do not choose how to act and let others decide for them, even though they have the freedom and faculty to do so. He despises them so much that he uses very harsh words in the canto III of Inferno, where he meets them in the so-called Vestibule of Hell. There we find the Uncommitted, men and women who never took sides in their lives, who just followed the masses keeping neutral. The sentence the poet establishes for them is simple: since they were never too bad to deserve the pains of Hell, but not too good to be allowed into Heaven, they are forced to run naked forever, chasing a white sign (their incapability to take sides), while wasps and big flies sting them and worms eat their blood and tears. Virgil, while taking Dante far from those sad figures, encourages him:

These have no longer any hope of death,
and this blind life of theirs is so debased,
they envious are of every other fate.

No fame of them the world permits to be;
misericord and Justice both disdain them:
let us not speak of them, but look, and pass.

Dante’s sentence for them is clear and strict: woe to those who, having received the free will, the freedom to choose, as a gift, give it up to follow the easiest way. Giving up the freedom and the responsibilities related to it is the same as giving up our own human dignity.

Free will for Saint Augustine

As god made you without your interference, he will certainly not save you without your interference (Saint Augustine, Sermon CLXIX, 13)

According to Saint Augustine, Divine grace plays a much bigger role in a man’s fate than free will, although the philosopher recognized its existence. That is, God created men with freedom to choose. Men chose evil and committed the Original Sin.

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Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine with heart in coloured wood of Valgardena

God is omniscient and has always known that men, if left free, would sin; however, he keeps leaving them complete freedom, without interfering with their free will. Therefore, God leaves men free to sin. Anyway, since God knows who will be saved and who will not, enlightens men showing them what is good and what is evil, and gives them the strength to act well through Grace.
Therefore, men are free according to Saint Augustine. God, with His divine prescience, allows them the freedom to act well or bad, giving some of them the chance to save themselves with Grace. God’s will comes before men’s will without obligations, and therefore it is the human will of wanting to do good that makes every man worthy to be saved or not.

However, no man can be saved only thanks to his will. The Divine grace helps them out. ““Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19,25-26)

How does God choose those to enlighten with His Grace? This goes beyond men’s possibility of judgement. Men surely cannot dare to criticize God, since they don’t have the instruments to understand His will and plans, as Paul the apostle reminds: “Who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? (Letter to Romans 20-21).

According to Saint Augustine then, free will requires help from Grace, since men can choose to do good, but they lost the ability to act so from the moment they split from God.

Free will according to Luther

Martin Luther, father and advocate of the Protestant Reformation, based his concept of free will on the words by Saint Augustine, or better, its denial: an un-free will. The protestant schism attacked the concept of free will since the beginning. In fact, according to the fathers of Protestantism, the human existence is based on an absolute predestination.

No chance to choose, no variables connected to our decisions or actions. Paradoxically, Luther and Calvin based such statement on Saint Augustine’s thoughts concerning free will. There are some differences though. It is true that Saint Augustine considered the Original Sin as the first wrong choice men made, which led to an estrangement from God, but he never said that the Original Sin annihilated human nature, turning men into animals gripped by instinct and doomed to surrender to God’s or the devil’s will with no chance to choose at all.

“Thus the human will is, as it were, a beast between the two [God and Satan]: if God sit thereon, it wills and goes where God will, […] If Satan sit thereon, it wills and goes as Satan will, nor is it in the power of its own will to choose, to which rider it will run, nor which it will seek, but the riders themselves contend, which shall have and hold it.” (Luther, On the Bondage of the Will).

Martin Luther denies the existence of free will, reducing the whole human life to predestination. Men have no hope; their will to do well is worth nothing. Only faith can save men, faith in a God that pushes them towards salvation rather than towards damnation. After him, John Calvin, another father of the Reformation, developed a vision that was even more determinist, according to which only Providence determines men’s fate, regardless of their merits. Men can only choose to catch the signs of divine benevolence in the good they can do during their lives.

Free will according to Erasmus of Rotterdam

Erasmus of Rotterdam opposed Luther’s thinking. Even though he admitted that the Original Sin had damaged human nature, he claims that every man needs to be free, because if it weren’t so, Grace, justice and mercy from God would make no sense.

According to Erasmus then, men have to be free to accept or discard divine Grace, but also need to acknowledge that they cannot make it on their own. Erasmus took the example of a father and his son. The son wants to take a fruit on a tree, but he cannot reach it if his father won’t help him and lift him in his arms. The father’s help (Grace) allows the son (men) to obtain what he desires (salvation).

Without the father, the son couldn’t even see the fruit on the branches. Therefore, without divine Grace men can do nothing, even if they’re moved by a strong will.

Erasmus states that despite the Original Sin, man still own free will, which lets them decide where they want to go, towards good or towards evil. However, he also states that men can do both good or evil only with God’s consent and God gives men Grace to help them choose.

In particular, Grace acts in the first and in the last phase of the human action, which we can split into: beginning, development and result. Therefore, Grace influences men in intentions, will to act, and lets them accomplish what they chose. However, the how is defined by every man’s free will.

It’s always nice to receive a gift, especially from someone that loves us and during Christmas, symbol of Jesus’ birth. Have we ever wondered where the act of exchanging gifts come from? How was this habit developed?

It is not clear why the habit of this exchange was created, maybe because we attribute sanctified twigs as wealth and abundance wish.

The legend says that the king of the Sabines Titus Tatius asked his subjects to give him a twig of olive or laurus coming from the sacred wood of the goddes Strenia every New Year’s Eve.

Since then, adults began giving each other the so-called Strennas, this twigs picked from a scared wood.

Back to us, Christmas is a holiday with different traditions and habits, that can change according to society, religion and from country to country. It originated from stories about Saint Nicholas, bishop in the IV century, generous and kind to children, and went through many changes. Today we give gifts to children and adults for Christmas, not only to the most needing, this is a holiday for everyone.

Exchanging gifts has much deeper meaning that what we can imagine; of course most of the times they are material objects but the most important point is to give “something” that represents a symbol for our wishes of Love and Hope.

In recent years, unfortunately, we are losing the true meaning of giving a gift. Searching for something to wrap is becoming a mechanical gesture, that can also be cause for anxiety and stress.
Reconnecting to the true meaning of exchanging gifts for Christmas might mitigate our sense of duty, and would make us all go back to the ground and reconnect us to the deep and true meaning that’s hidden behind a box under the tree.

We should tell the difference between giving something to someone and donating a gift.

Giving something (“regalare”) is something that recalls the “idea of regality”, tribute to those who really deserve a recognition for being “regal”, an act made to acknowledge a merit or to compensate for a debt towards someone we show our gratidtude to. Therefore, for many people and not only for Christmas, a gift represent some sort of duty because they have to, even among relatives, friends and acquaintances, and it’s considered praiseworthy.

Donating is something else. Donating comes from give, in its fullest and deepest meaning. It means offering something that proves love and doing it in an unconditioned way and not feeling forced to do it, without asking for something in return from the other person. The donation, oppsed to a gift, is a homage to feelings and not to people. The donation must be more important and meaningful than the object itself, indipendently from its economic value.

From our part, we can suggest some ideas for gifts for Christmas that you can find on Holyart:

A simple but meaningful idea could be a bookmark, useful while reading a book or a sacred text. Reading is a personal moment, a moment for reflection or scapism from the world.

You can find many types on Holyart, with or without crosses, in olive wood, in leather, cotton and linen. A very simple gift, affordable for everyone. The choice is very wide, it’s up to you to pick the one that suits you best.

Another idea we can propose you is a photoframe, ideal for anyone, for any age. A gift you can never go wrong with, it’s always nice to place a picture in our home, whether it was taken during a holiday or during a trip or any other special occasion.

For those who can afford something more expensive, we propose a timeless classic from our catalogue: a jewel. We have a wide variety here as well: earrings, necklaces or bracelets, in silver 925 or gold 750/00, with religious symbols or not, like for example with a heart-shaped pendant.

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Heart necklace in 750/00 gold – 1,60 gr

This jewel is craft made by an Italian goldsmith’s company

You have to remember the concept stated earlier: the gift must be more important and meaningful than the object itself, indipendently from its economic value.

For the youngest ones we suggest coloring books for children from our catalogue.