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Contents1 Lights2 The entrance door3 Vases4 Windows5 Christmas balls6 Snowmen7 Wood decorations8 Garden gnomes9 Fountain10 Projectors Christmas is getting closer, and we are all buzzing about how we should decorate and embellish our homes for Christmas. But the garden also deserves to be decorated, let’s…
On November 25th we celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a young woman born and raised in Egypt and famous both for her many qualities shown during her life and the sanctity of her death. Catherine, born in Alexandria of Egypt from a…
Christmas is perhaps the most famous holiday in the world. It was born in a religious setting, as celebration for Jesus’ birth, the son of God made man, and with this meaning it is celebrated in all Christian Catholic countries, and protestant and orthodox, with some variations in the date for what concerns the latter.
As a general line, Christmas is on December 25th, the day of the winter solstice, the same day when, in the past, the rebirth of the Sun was celebrated.
Regarding the ways Christmas is celebrated in the various countries of the world, their variety is such that it is very hard to connect them all to just one holiday. Throughout the centuries, in every country, multiple habits have grown, some coming from ancient beliefs and local legends, mixed with the Christian cult, while others are the outcome of cultural contaminations among different people, heritage of old and recent migration flows. Today, if we look at how Christmas is celebrated in our country, we can immediately see that many of the traditions we are used to have few or nothing to do with the religious holiday, with the spiritual feeling that it should carry.
It is true anyway that, as we discussed in other articles, the image of Santa Claus, the decorated spruce, the luminaries, all have their roots in beliefs that are connected to religion, but it is also undeniable that, too often, this magical, colorful dimension, and unfortunately the consumer aspect of Christmas, risk taking over the true meaning that this holiday should have for believers.
Among all holidays, Christmas is the one that celebrates the presence of God the most. It’s a holiday that comes at the peak of a wait, the eager wait of those who believe and discover that God is not far anymore, but he made himself a man and chose to live among His sons, to bring them an eternal hope. The period before Christmas should be dedicated to prepare your heart to receive the Lord, not just to buy gifts and decorate your house.
That’s exactly so in many places.
In some countries the preparations for Christmas begin with large advance. Houses and streets are decorated; there are parties, parades, shows. Many countries celebrate holidays for particular beloved and adored Saints, such as Saint Lucy in Scandinavian countries, or Saint Nicholas in Germanic countries. In other countries Christmas and the weeks before that are all dedicated to Baby Jesus, to whom prayers, songs, novenas and fasts are addressed. The tradition of gifts exchange is common anywhere, but it’s not always Baby Jesus who brings them, sometimes it’s the Wise Men, or Saint Nicholas, or other characters.
We thought it could be interesting to find out some of these traditions spread all over the world together. Some you’ll find very curious, others will maybe help us live our Christmas with a bit more attention to its deepest and spiritual meaning.
In Northern countries there are many fascinating traditions connected to the Christmas time.
In Germany the celebrations begin already at the end of November, with the celebrations connected to Saint Martin. On November 11th there are parades of kids along the streets that carry lanterns in their hands to light up the way for the Saint. That same light is brought where it’s usually missing, like cemeteries.
On December 6th German and Austrian kids wait for Saint Nicholas, the saint that inspired the character of Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas brings gifts and especially sweets to good kids, who dedicate poems and songs to him in exchange. According to the tradition, gifts will be placed inside the shoes that kids leave next to the window on purpose, but this nice custom has a creepy counterpart. In fact, Saint Nicholas has a helper, a demon similar to a horrific goat called Krampus. While the Saints reward the good ones, Krampus takes the bad kids away. That is why, close to December 6th, men dressed up as Krampus walk around admonishing kids so that they behave well, threatening to take them away with their chains. German children better be good!
On December 24th children wait for Christkind’s arrival, Baby Jesus who brings them gifts under the Christmas tree.
In Scandinavia celebrations begin earlier than Christmas as well. A very popular holiday is Saint Lucy, on December 13th in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and it marks the beginning of Christmas celebrations. Saint Lucy is known to be the protector of light, because it is said that she secretly brought food to the Christian hidden in catacombs, lighting her way with just one candle tied to her forehead to have her hands free.
That is why in Scandinavia young girls wear a crown of candles on their heads and white clothes, and offer sweets to relatives and friends.
Another much cherished event in all Scandinavian countries is the celebration of the Advent, that is, the 24 days preceding Christmas. In every house there is an Advent Wreath, with four candles that are lit one after the other on the four Sundays before Christmas, or an Advent candle, decorated with 24 signs, one for each day. Children often receive an Advent calendar, with 24 slots that hide a sweet or a small surprise. On Christmas Eve they gather to celebrate eating good food, singing songs and exchanging gifts under the tree. The Christmas tree is a very cherished and loved tradition: in Sweden it is decorated mainly with ornaments made of straw, red, pink and white flowers, spicy sweets; in Denmark there are red balls, Danish flags and lights, and possibly real candles. Finland, where it is said Santa Claus lives, is particularly tied to this magic and good natured character that brings gifts to children on his sledge during Christmas night. Curious fact: it is believed in Denmark that the night of December 24th some witches sneak into the houses to steal brooms, and that is why, before going to bed, everyone hides all the objects needed for cleanings!
Great Britain and Ireland attribute great importance to Christmas. Houses and streets are decorated since the beginning of December; children receive the Advent calendar and, on Christmas, wait for the gifts brought by Santa Claus. In Ireland he is still called Saint Nicholas. Besides the multitude of lights and candles that decorate houses and are symbols for wait and faith, Irish people use to place a big white candle next to the door or on the windowsill and have it lit on Christmas Eve by the youngest child. It is a way to welcome Joseph and Mary, to give them a reference point in the dark of night and let them understand that they are welcome in that house and family.
In the countries under Spanish and Portuguese domination there are many Christmas traditions of great spiritual suggestion.
In Spain the real holiday is on January 6th, when the Wise Men arrive to worship Jesus and bring him precious gifts. In Spanish cities there are parade floats that evoke the long trip made by the Wise Men to get to Bethlehem. Sweets and candies are thrown from the floats and children pick them up; on the night of January 6th, friends and relatives exchange gifts. Curious fact: the Nativity scene in Catalonia hides a surprise. Among the shepherds that run to celebrate Jesus birth there is the “Caganer”, a shepherd with his pants down and crouched in an unmistakable position! It is said to be a great lucky charm.
In Mexico and other Latin American countries the Advent period, especially the nine days before Christmas, are characterized by the so-called Posadas. They are processions and religious representations that evoke the journey of Mary and Joseph towards Bethlehem, and their vane pursuit for an accommodation (in Spanish “accommodation” is called posada). During the nine days before Christmas, families alternately celebrate a Posada in their own house with common prayers, and at the end they celebrate offering sweets and fruits to the children. It is a poetic way to get ready and welcome the Sacred Family and to celebrate the birth of the Savior in their own home, with their beloved ones. Symbolically, welcoming Mary and Jesus in their homes, they welcome the coming of Jesus in their souls. That is way the soul has to be adequately prepared.
In Colombia, on December 7th, the day before the Immaculate Conception, people celebrate the Day of the Candles, which represents the beginning of Christmas holidays. Streets, yards, balconies are lit by thousands of candles and paper lanterns. All that light is to celebrate both Mary and the Immaculate Conception, and the beginning of the wait for Jesus’ birth. Nine days of prayers around the Nativity or the tree precede Christmas. In those days of the Novena people try to teach kids about the true meaning of the Holiday, on what the birth of Jesus meant for all men. On Christmas Eve the Midnight Mass is celebrated, and Baby Jesus brings gifts to those who deserve them. Before going to bed they eat ajiaco, a typical dish made of potatoes, chicken and almonds, and drink sabajòn, a typical drink with milk and eggs, but also tequila, wine and whiskey.
In Venezuela, from December 31st to February 2nd, the Paraduras take place; they are celebrations dedicated to Baby Jesus that originated from the episode where he was lost and then found in the Temple. It is a popular and heartfelt holiday, celebrated with processions where the main character is Baby Jesus.
In El Salvador on the contrary, the main characters of Christmas are the shepherds, first witnesses of Jesus birth, and the first ones to worship him. It is a feisty occasion, celebrated with dances and songs, some sort of sacred representation of Nativity, full of rhythm and life, interpreted by people wearing costumes of the Nativity characters.
Also in Costa Rica celebrations go from December 1st to February 2nd, commemorating the Nativity and the introduction of Jesus at the Temple. Forty days after Jesus birth they celebrate the Candelero, with solemn processions and lighting of candles, symbols for light and salvations.
In Ethiopia they celebrate the birth of Jesus with the Ganna on January 7th. It is a religious holiday, which involves a fast and the participation to the morning mass all dressed in white.
In the Philippines they begin preparing for Christmas already in September! Houses and streets are decorated and filled with bright lights, and there are shows, feasts and processions with songs. From December 16th to 24th they celebrate the beginning of the Holidays with a Novenario, nine night masses called “Gift Masses” or “Roster Masses”. On January 6th, when the Wise Men arrive and bring gifts to children, the holidays are over.
On December 6th Saint Nicholas, or Mikulàs, brings sweets to Hungarian children. Only to the good ones, of course… On the Eve, called Holy Night, they decorate the tree altogether with their family, using sweets wrapped into shiny paper and knick-knacks. Baby Jesus brings gifts to children under the tree.
In Poland the dinner on Christmas Eve is very important, and includes 12 servings, as 12 were the Apostles! They usually fast all day, and there is no meat served, but only light food, such as fish and vegetables. Before dinner they read the Bible, sing together, and pass the Oplatek, the Christmas host, eating a small bit before giving it to the one sitting next. A small bite of Oplatek is given to pets as well. It is a way to celebrate the sense of sharing and reconciliation that should be associated with Christmas, a symbol for harmony and union with the closest ones.
In Romania there are many traditions connected to Christmas, some have a religious origin, others historical, or legendary or folkloristic. Sometimes the two worlds mix up, as it happens for Saint Ignatius on December 20th. It is Moş Nicolae, “Old Nicholas”, the one that brings gifts to Romanian children on the night between December 5th and 6th. As it happens in Germany, gifts are put in the shoes left outside the house. On the night between December 24th and 25th, it is Moş Crăciun that brings gifts, who is some sort of Santa Claus.
Curious fact: in Ukraine some use spider webs as Christmas decorations. In fact, it is widely believed that they are lucky charms! In Serbia, children “kidnap” their mothers and ask gifts as ransoms, which are opened two weeks before Christmas.
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In order to understand the meaning of the seven Deadly Sins, first we need to clarify that it is actually wrong to call them ‘deadly sins’. What we know as deadly sins are more accurately the capital vices, that is, those imperfections of our personalities and inclinations of our souls that determine harmful behaviors for human beings and those surrounding them. For Christians, those vices are exactly the cause of the sin, hence the confusion that makes us consider capital sins and vices as the same thing. In fact, a sin is an effect, a consequence, of the vice. The opposite of vices, in the Christian sphere but not only, are virtues.
Il Latin, the word vĭtĭum meant the lack of something, whether a physical or a moral flaw, or a deviated habit, that is a flaw of the spirit. The concept of the seven capital vices is prior to the advent of Christianism.
But why ‘Capital Sin’? The adjective capital comes from ‘capitalis’, head, and indicates how these flaws in particular are the worst, the most serious deviances that alter the human nature itself.
Already in the IV century BC, in his essay Nicomachean Ethics, the Greek philosopher Aristotle stated that every virtue or good quality turns into a vice, a flaw, if brought to an excess. That is the origin of the idea that the virtue should be exactly halfway between the lack of a feeling or inclination and its excess. It’s the theory of the golden mean, which medieval philosophers describe as ‘In medio stat virtus’, Virtue stands in the middle, close to what Aristotle stated indeed:“μέσον τε καὶ ἄριστον”, The middle is best.
For example, if we consider the sphere of pleasure and pain, the virtue we examine here is Temperance, the lack of which will lead to Insensitivity, while its excess will lead to Dissoluteness.
Aristotle is the one who defined the capital vices as the clothes of evil. That’s because people who indulge in the same vice over and over are actually weaving some sort of dress, which pushes them to sin more and more. The same happens to those who cultivate a virtue, even though the results are of course opposite.
Concerning the capital vices in the Catholic sphere, the first monks made a list. In particular, Evagrius Ponticus, Greek writer and ascetic who lived in the IV AD, still appreciated today as theologian in the Christian West and adored as a father of monastic life; he was the first to list eight capital vices:
Later, sorrow, which does not allow appreciating the work of God, will disappear and will be absorbed by sloth or envy, added later, while vainglory will be an element of pride.
Evagrius defined the eight vices as evil spirits or thoughts and even suggested a few methods to fight them.
During the age of Enlightenment, the concepts of vice and virtue went lost, like many other moral principles tied to the past. In fact, according to the illuminist view of human progress and development, both on a mental and a material level, but especially towards the industrial, commercial and financial development of the society, both vices and virtues were necessary.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, and still today, capital vices became subject of interesting studies and considerations among moral philosophy, human psychology and theology; they became object of many essays, starting from Kant‘s Pragmatic Anthropology, who considered vices as an expression of human typology.
According to different ancient cultures, number 7 symbolized perfection, wholeness. Let’s just think of the seven Egyptian plagues, the seven branches of the Jewish candelabra Menorah, but also the seven fundamental attributes of Allah (life, knowledge, power, will, hearing, sight and word), the seven Gods of happiness in Buddhism and Shintoism, just to name a few.
The Menorah: history and meaning of the Jewish candelabra
The Menorah is one of the main symbols of the Jewish world. It is a seven-branched oil lamp…
Even Catholicism made number seven its own, recognizing the powerful symbolism in it. It is the divine number per excellence, because it recalls God’s rest after the Creation. Seven are the sacraments as well (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penitence, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, Matrimony), as the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord), the seven pains of Mary and many others.
Even in the Apocalypse by John, we read of 7 broken Seals, 7 trumpets played by 7 Angels, 7 Prodigies and 7 Cups of the Wrath of God.
In this symbolical frame, the fact that there are seven virtues (3 are theological: faith, hope and charity, and 4 are cardinals: justice, temperance, prudence and fortitude) and seven capital vices is surely not accidental.
We saw that according to Evangrius Ponticus and other Western monks, sins were eight and not seven. That’s because the symbolism of numbers in the past used to vary a lot between Western and Eastern world.
Saint Thomas Aquinas identified seven main temptations triggered by the desire of men towards four goods and their will to escape from three of them.
Here are the goods men desire:
The first good is spiritual, and is self-awareness, awareness of our own excellence: if desired too much, it generates pride.
The two other goods are related to the body: body preservation and conservation of the species.
Consumption of food and drinks, if exasperated, leads to gluttony, while sexual desire brought to an excess causes lust.
The fourth good is wealth: when desired too much, it results in greed.
Here are the goods men spurn:
The spiritual good: if neglected because of laziness, it leads to sloth.
The good of your neighbor, which men spurn because it threatens to cast shadows upon their self-awareness, generates envy.
The good of others, which men run away from when looking for damage and revenge, unleashes wrath.
Let’s get to the list of the 7 capital vices or 7 deadly sins.
The proud diminishes others to claim his superiority, real or presumed, in any field. Strong of such awareness of superiority, he does not respect people and laws because he is convinced that he is worth more than anything else. Pride shows in different ways. It can imply submission of other people, or rather the demand of their admiration. It comes from a desire to excel, to be recognized as the best compared to the others, thanks to real or just demanded merits. It is considered as the most deadly sin, because the proud believes he is so much better even than God, that he acts as a judge towards others.
From pride come:
– Vanity
– Delusions of grandeur
– Judgment
– Omnipotence
– Will to subdue
The envious hates his neighbor because he owns something he doesn’t. Envy comes from the awareness that someone else owns qualities or goods one does not have. It implies the comparison to others, and the hatred for what they have. As a result, the envious person enjoys other people losses and disgraces, because only that would make the envious feel higher than his misery. In fact, he does not pursue to improve his conditions; he just waits for others’ to get worse.
From envy come:
– Jealousy
– Constantly comparing with others
– Negative self-judgement
Lust is related to pleasure (whether sexual or not) end in itself, exasperated in impulses and longings. A fruitless pleasure that does not imply love nor desire for reproduction; it is just the urge to enjoy the act itself, with no respect nor consideration for oneself or the other person. While sex between lovers is an experience that elevates love and physical and spiritual union, lust leads to separation from each other, and even from one selves, in some kind of beastly blur, only to pursue physical satisfaction.
From lust come:
– Incapability to welcome others
– Internal emptiness
– Insatiability
Gluttony is not just an excessive desire for food, but for anything. Objects, experiences, money, even emotions, insatiably and avidly pursued.
Those who indulge in gluttony live in a constant state of dissatisfaction, devoured by their insatiable hunger, be it material or spiritual. Even a hyperactive mind, which consumes itself in its same, hectic thinking, can be a symptom of gluttony, such as an excessive sexual desire that also results in lust.
From gluttony come:
– Cupidity
– Waste
– Worries
Those who practice sloth refuse life. The sloths drags themselves in constant boredom and passiveness, which lead them to do nothing. A form of sloth can also be living in a mechanical way, refusing evolution, change, development of things and situations. Those living in sloth wish that everything were plain, always the same and neutral, with no joys nor pains. Of course, those suffering from it also neglect spiritual and divine matters, and that is why sloth is an abominable sin.
From sloth come:
– Mechanicalness
– Scarce opening to new things
– Paralysis
– Boredom
Wrath makes minds blind and unleashes a beastly rage into men, something unstoppable. The heart is empty, the reason is blind, and only negative thoughts fuel the mind instigating hatred, resentment and desire for revenge. This vice is also implacable, because even if those suffering from it are able to destroy their enemy, it will not cease to torment them.
From wrath come:
– Petulance
– Meanness
– Violence
– Rage
– Frustration
Greed is the excessive and morbid attachment to material goods, and in that, it is similar to gluttony, but the greedy is also obsessed with never having enough, and the fear others can deprive him from it. The greedy lives as a prisoner of what he owns and is never tired to amass. He puts the goods and wealth he already owns and those he desires above anything else, and that is why greed is considered as a form of idolatry, because the greedy loves his goods more than he loves God.
From greed come:
– Morbid attachment
– Spiritual blindness
– Avidity
Contents1 What is it exactly?2 What did the Jewish Menorah stand for?3 What about today?4 The lighting and extinguishing of the Menorah and the Chanukkiyah The Menorah is one of the main symbols of the Jewish world. It is a seven-branched oil lamp. In ancient…
Contents1 The history of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe2 The Basilica of Saint Mary of Guadalupe3 Expiatory Temple to Christ the King4 Temple of the Pocito5 Capuchin Nuns’ Temple6 How to get to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe The Basilica of…
Contents
Gerard Majella was born in a modest family in Muro Lucano, Potenza, in 1726. His father was a tailor and died early, leaving him with his mother, a pious woman who imparted him the awareness of the love of God for all the creation.
For some time as a young boy, Gerard worked for the bishop of Lacedonia, Claudio Albini, a despotic and authoritative man, but the boy was able to learn to know and appreciate him. About Gerard, people used to say that he was a bit eccentric, had no skills, no talents, and doomed to fail at any job he would do.
Anyway, Gerard heard the religious call since he was young, which pushed him to find his way in the world. At the beginning, he tried to enter the convent of the Capuchin Friars in his town, but his delicate health pushed the friars to reject his request. Refusing to be discouraged, in 1748 Gerard met a group of redeemer priests.
Padre Pio and the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
What makes Padre Pio such an adored and celebrated figure since he was still alive, and yet so discussed?
They belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer also known as the Redemptorists, founded in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, whose mission was missionary evangelization. The Redemptorists wished for the mystery of redemption and merciful salvation of God in Jesus, and lived imitating Jesus and his disciples. Gerard joined them, and to do so, he ran away from home and sneaked out of the window with a rope made of sheets. He left a note to his mother: “Mother, forgive me, I am going to become a saint.“
Gerard insisted for a long time because of the fear that a certain lifestyle would be too risky for his fragile health; he finally made it into the Congregation and on July 16 1752, feast of the Most Holy Redeemer, he pronounced his solemn vows. He began moving from convent to convent as useless Brother and engaged in various works: gardener, sexton, door attendant, cook, and stable cleaner. He showed a joyful spirit and a tireless will, besides obedience, mortification and devotion. He gave all he had to the poor with joy and love, and people everywhere began loving him. He faced life with bravery, patience and endurance, even when he was unjustly accused of conducting an illicit relationship with a girl (the accuser herself will set him free later) and when tuberculosis forced him into bed. On the door of his cell, he had the writing: “Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.”
He died in 1755 at only 29 and after only a few years of religious life, but those years were enough to make him beatified by Pope Lion XIII in 1893 and sanctified by Pope Pious X in 1904. Saint Gerard Majella became soon the patron of pregnant women and children. His existence was shaped on obedience, humiliation and hard work, on the will to live in Christ and for Christ, doing His will every day and with joy. Those who knew him told about inexplicable healings happened thanks to him, and soon he was famous as a thaumaturge, healer of body and soul.
In Materdomini, fraction of Caposele, Avellino, there is the sanctuary of Saint Gerard Majella, also dedicated to Maria SS. Mater Domini. The sanctuary rises up in place that is famous for the apparitions of Mary during the Middle Age. After Saint Gerard Majella died on October 16 1755 in the College of the Redemptorists Father next to the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it was decided to associate the cult of the Saint to the cult of Mater Domini.
The Saint is celebrated on October 16, day of his death.
Since he was a child, Saint Gerard loved to find shelter in places of cult. One was particularly dear to him, the Chapel of the Virgin in Capodigiano. Gerard said that in that place the son of a mysterious beautiful Lady used to give him a piece of white bread, leaving his mother to go meet him. Once the saint was grown up, he will understand that the boy was Jesus.
Gerard began following the solemnity of liturgical bread and consecrated hosts straight away. When he was eight, he tried to obtain the First Communion, even though he was still too young for that. The priest denied it, but the boy said that the following night he received the visit of Saint Michael Archangel, who went to him to offer him the Eucharist he longed so much.
Another miracle happened when the Saint was still very young was the burning hay barn. At that time Gerard, who lost his father short before, worked as an apprentice in the workshop of a tailor, Martino Pannuto; there, the other apprentices constantly persecuted him. One night a hay barn burst into flames and Gerard, who was inside with the young child of his employer, crossed himself and muttered a prayer. The flames ceased immediately.
During the three years he spent as worker for Monsignor Claudio Albini, Bishop of Lacedonia, Gerard suffered from mortifications and punishments that the strict prelate used to inflict him for any lack he might show. One day, while he was fetching some water from a well, the keys of his master’s house fell into the well. Instead of getting upset for the punishments he could face, the boy ran to the nearer church, took a statuette of Baby Jesus and lowered it into the well. When he took it back up, the statuette was holding the lost keys in its fist.
Before fleeing with the Redemptorists priests, while he was working as a tailor, Gerard used to go talk to Jesus before the tabernacle very often. The sweet nickname he addressed the Savior was nutty, for he chose to stay locked in that tight place for the love of humankind.
He was encouraged by his fellow citizens to find a woman to marry, so he jumped on the platform for the parade on the third Sunday of May, and put a ring on the Virgin Mary’s finger. By doing so, he showed his will to consecrate himself to her with a vow of chastity. Sometime later, though, a girl named Nerea Caggiano, whom he’d helped when she was in need, accused him of having an illicit relationship with Nicoletta Cappucci, seduced and abandoned by a troublemaker noble man. Nerea publicly accused Gerard even before Alfonso Maria de Liguori. Summoned by his superiors and invited to clear his name, the young man did not speak. He silently accepted the accusations and punishments given to him, which included not being able to receive the Eucharist and being isolated. Gerard behaved so in order to be faithful to the rule that imposed him to suffer any mortification in silence. Shocked by his modesty and acceptance of God’s Will, later Nerea converted and cleared his name.
Gerard was also famous as discerner of hearts, able to find the good hidden in the souls of those above suspicion, as it happened with the game warden of the Duke of Bovino: he beat the saint to death, and he endured the massacre without saying a word. Later, the warden regretted his actions and followed him to the convent to begin a new life.
Even a well-known sinner, who was unable to change his life and give up the pleasures of flesh, was convinced when he saw Gerard lifting up a crucifix that began bleeding and then turned into Baby Jesus.
Many and varied were Saint Gerard’s miracles. Here, we want to tell the one of the handkerchief of Saint Gerard Majella, which made the saint become patron of pregnant women and children.
It is said that while the young man was in Oliveto Citra for health reasons, he went to meet the Pirofalo family. While he was leaving, the youngest of the daughters ran after him to give him back the handkerchief he forgot. He smiled to her and told her to keep it, that one day she might need it.
Many years later, the girl became a woman and was having a risky delivery. Remembering Gerard’s words, she asked for the handkerchief he gave her. The women with her laid it on her belly, the pain stopped and she gave birth to a healthy infant. Since then, pregnant women invoke Saint Gerard and the sanctuary of Materdomini is blooming with colorful bows that recall the pregnancies that ended well thanks to his protection.
Every year on October 16, at the sanctuary of Materdomini, people recite the act of entrustment of women and children to the Virgin Mary and Saint Gerard. We propose it here, reminding you that there is also a novena dedicated to him.
O Mary, Virgin and Mother of God, who chose this sanctuary to grant favors together with your faithful servant Gerardo Maiella, (on this day dedicated to life,) we turn to you with confidence and invoke upon us your maternal protection. To you, O Mary, who accepted the Lord of life, we entrust the mothers and their spouses so that in welcoming life they may be the first witnesses of faith and love. To you, Gerard, the heavenly patron saint of life, we entrust all mothers and especially the fruit they bear in their womb, so that you may always be close to them through your powerful intercession. To you, attentive and caring Mother of Christ your Son, we entrust our children to grow up like Jesus in age, wisdom and grace. To you, Gerard, the heavenly protector of children, we entrust our children so that you may always guard them and defend them from the dangers of body and soul. To you, Mother of the Church, we entrust our families with their joys and sorrows so that every house may become a small domestic Church, where faith and harmony reign. To you, Gerard, defender of life, we entrust our families so that with your help they may be a model of prayer, love and hard work and may always be open to welcome and solidarity. Finally, to you, Virgin Mary, and to you, glorious Gerard, we entrust the Church and Civil Society, the world of work, young people, the elderly and the sick, and all those who promote your worship so that, united to Christ, Lord of life, they may rediscover the true meaning of work as a service to human life, as a witness of charity and as a proclamation of God’s love for every person. Amen.
O glorious Saint Gerard, who saw the living image of Mary in every woman, the wife and mother of God, and you wanted her, with your intense apostolate, up to her mission, bless me and all the mothers of the world.
Make us strong to keep our families united; help us in the difficult task of educating our children in a Christian way; give our husbands the courage of faith and love, so that, following your example and comforted by your help, we can be an instrument of Jesus to make the world more just and good.
In particular, help us with illnesses, pain and any need; or at least give us the strength to accept everything Christianally, so that we too can be the image of Jesus crucified as you were.
Give our families joy, peace and love of God.
O Lord Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who were obedient to your mother Mary,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who sanctified childhood,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who suffered from poverty when you were a child,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who have suffered persecution and exile,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who welcomed and loved children,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who gave them a new life in baptism,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who give yourself to them as food in the Holy Communion,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who have loved St. Gerard from an early age,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who played with the young Gerard,
– protect and bless our children.
You, who brought him white bread,
– protect and bless our children.
In sickness and in suffering.
– protect and bless our children.
In hard times and dangers.
– protect and bless our children.
We pray.
Ord Jesus Christ, hear our prayers for these children,
bless them in your love and guard them with your constant protection,
so that they may grow in Christianity and come to give you full witness
with free and sincere faith, with fervent charity and with persevering hope in the coming of your kingdom.
You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
The scapular has evolved throughout time, from being a work garment for monks to becoming a devotional object used also by lay people. What is its meaning? And most of all, how can we wear it without falling into error? At the beginning, the scapular…
What could be a not too expensive gift, but which can also let the people we love know that we think about them? Have you ever thought of a religious key chain? Small, practical, useful, it is the perfect gift for any occasion. And for…
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Murano is one of the most populated town in the seven islands of the Venetian Lagoon. Its islands are situated along the Marani Channel, divided by channels and connected with bridges. The whole area is part of the Venice municipality, and in particular the Venice-Murano-Burano municipality. The particularity of Murano has been the artisanal glassmaking for centuries, famous and renowned all over the world.
The Venetian glassmaking art was probably originated by the Roman art of the Upper Adriatic. Since ancient times, that area was the stage of commercial trade between the Western and the Eastern coasts of the Mediterranean. Already in remote times, glass was one of the most precious materials among the many treasures coming from the East. The Venetian glassblowers learned the use of the sodium tempered glass from the Eastern people, which is particularly suited for hot works. What is actually only Venetian is the intuition of the endless artistic possibilities of that malleable material, which can be easily colored and the colors last over time. They added the aesthetic taste and artistic sensitivity to that, developing an unrivaled glassmaking art since the early medieval age. In particular, Murano glassmakers have dominated the market in this activity since the XIII century. The State of Venice, in order to prevent fires, decided to concentrate the glassmakers in this area.
Given the particular structure of the Venetian Lagoon, it was necessary to import all materials from the beginning, that is wood, vitrifying silicium and soda for flux. The inhabitants of Murano made their technical and artistic skills available for the purpose.
Since the Renaissance, Murano glassmakers were commissioned any type of objects, which were destined to embellish the palaces of all Europe, and not only. In 1400, the objects produced here were only for artistic-aesthetic purposes. In 1450, the invention of crystal boosted Murano glassmaking even further, and the request for glass objects grew dramatically. Specialized painters worked on crystal glass and experimented fusible colored varnish. Crystal glass was in fact blown transparent and colored afterwards or left natural. Its lightness and fragility required lighter decorations, with varnish or gilded dots, and great mastery.
In the sixteenth century, Murano glassmakers began decorating glass by carving it with diamond or flint points, and began producing ice glass, which looks cracked on the outside.
In the same century, the first glass decorated with pens appeared, where the milk-glass was enveloped with ‘combed’ threads in festoon patterns thanks to a special tool.
At the end of the XVI century, three thousand out of the seven thousand inhabitants of the Murano island were glassblowers. This monopoly brought them many financial and social benefits. For example, they were allowed to carry swords and could benefit from some immunity, but for a long time they were not allowed to leave the Republic, in order to preserve the secret of their art. The study and research never ceased. Besides the studies to perfect the quality of glass, new types of working were gradually introduced. Besides the already mentioned crystal glass, they were: enameled glass, glass worked with gold threads (aventurine), and multicolored glass (millefiori). They even began making glass precious stones, as amazing as the real ones.
During the Baroque period, also milk-glass object became very famous, which were compositions based on silicates, tin and lead that were called milkwhite due to their color, particularly suited to decorate baroque houses. Other appreciated and popular techniques were aventurine, where the vitreous mass was enveloped in copper threads, and filigree, decoration technique where the milk-glass or colored glass were hot worked with sticks in order to create thin threads.
Many glassmakers were called to work in other countries, contributing to the prestige and fame of such unbelievable art.
With the fall of the Republic of San Marco in 1797, glassmaking went through a period of crisis, but started again in the second half of the XIX century and never stopped.
Murano glassmaking is complex and requires many passages.
Glass is made of silicium melted at high temperature. The right moment to work it is the short time before it goes from liquid to solid. That’s when the glass is soft at the right point, and the artisan can shape and model it. The glassblower can add other substances to help the glass melt, and thus helping the modeling process. The sodium oxide for example, slows the solidification process down, allowing more time for the artist to complete his work. Sodium makes glass opaque, while nitrate and arsenic eliminate all bubbles. Substances called flux allow the silicium to soften at lower temperatures.
The main technique to work Murano glass is blowing. Silicium dust melts at about 1600 °C. Before the glass begins solidifying, the glassblowers model it by blowing into a stick to shape it as they want. The passages that are carried out as ‘hot work’ are called ‘First stage‘. Then comes the ‘Second stage‘, which involves all those techniques that are carried out in a non-hot environment, such as coloring, carving and grinding.
In our online store, you will find a wide variety of wonderful glass crucifixes, all of them handmade in Italy. They are glass crucifixes created according to the ancient technique of the master artisans of Murano. Many have a modern style, made even more unique and exclusive by the choice of the materials and the care in the working.
Among the multitude of products that can be made of Murano glass, a special mention goes to jewels.
At Holyart, we are particularly interested in the wonderful Murano glass rosaries, which you can find on sale in our online store. The beads of these rosaries are made of real Murano glass, or Murrina style glass, which is obtained through a particular working technique that melts monochromatic or colored vitreous sticks that are later sectioned horizontally, or by uniting pieces of glass of different colors.
Holyart Murano glass rosaries are precious and characterized by bright colors and high quality. You can find the mastery of the glassblowers and the typical Murano style in each bead. You can choose among the many types of working to find the perfect rosary for you, or as a gift for a beloved one. It will surely be a special and appreciated gift. Each Holyart Murano glass rosary comes with a guarantee of provenance label.
In our online store you will also find a wide variety of wonderful glass crucifixes, all handmade in Italy. They are made according to the ancient technique of the master glassblowers of Murano. Many of them have a modern look, made even more unique and exclusive by the choice of the materials and the care in the working.
Contents1 Artistic value2 Characteristics and peculiarities3 The dynamism of shapes Saint Peter’s Baldachin is one of the most spectacular monuments we can admire inside Saint Peter’s Basilica. What is it? Who made it? Let’s get to know this sumptuous baroque art piece, which is admired…
The guardian angel. An imaginary friend when we are young, a constant and comforting presence next to us when we grow up. Let’s find out (and rediscover) the importance of such celestial presence that protect us for life. When we are young, it is easy…
We talked previously about the importance of the blessing, that is, the gestures and words a priest, or someone who acts in his place, performs to bless, meaning the invocation of God’s protection over one or more people, but also things and places.
The blessing is then a way to address God’s favor, His benevolence or a Grace upon someone or something. When the priest invokes the Lord’s Blessing on a house, he says: ‘May God’s blessing descend upon this house.’
Holy Water: a constant renovation of Baptism
Each time we get sprinkled with holy Water we remember our Baptism.
This liturgical ritual aims to obtain some sort of benefit for the blessed ones on one side, and consecrates the person(s), or even the object or the place receiving it, to God on the other side.
The ritual usually implies the priest to cross himself and then sprinkle those who wish to receive the blessing with blessed water. The sprinkling with blessed water recalls the Christening, the rebirth that God allowed us to set us free from the original sin.
Depending on the occasion, particular formulas and prayers come with the blessing.
Blessings (of people, canteens, objects, places) are nothing but sacramentals, that is, sacred signs through which people obtain spiritual effects and gifts, and the various circumstances are sanctified. The blessing itself is a prayer, a praise to God, since it comes from Him and goes back to Him, in a continuous circle of love. The priest, in fact, gives the blessing invoking Jesus’ name. By blessing God, we consequently bless whom He loves, which must be protected and placed under His aegis.
Sometimes blessings involve not only people but also objects, places, the countryside, animals, and even working tools. That is because all that is related to life and men sustenance is worthy of God’s love, and needs His benevolence and protection.
There are also special and solemn blessings, such as the Apostle’s Blessing, given by the Pope himself, for example the famous urbi et orbi blessing, addressed by the Pope to the whole world during specific occasions, or the papal blessing, given by bishops or priests in the name of the Pope.
The blessing of a family and the blessing of homes also belong to the Christian tradition. They usually take place in specific times of the liturgical year, close to the most solemn feasts. However, we might feel the need for a blessing on our home or family in other times. It is a way to strengthen people’s faith and spirituality, but also the place they live in, invoking Jesus’ strength and help, who was able to defeat death and resurrected, destroying all evil. Asking for a blessing to our priest can give us new energy to face difficulties, for example, when we experience a tragedy, a loss, or just during a hard time that involves members of the family. Blessing our homes can also limit evil actions upon them and those who live in them. Of course, we must not consider a blessing like some kind of magic formula that pushes all evil away from us and from those we love. It is our faith and the way we carry out our lives within the community that push evil away. People living in a house must keep together and faithful to the Lord, to the Virgin Mary and to the Saints. The blessing will have then the desired effect.
A special mention goes to newlyweds’ homes. The sacrament of the Wedding make them somehow able to bless their own home. Christ Resurrected is close to them and works through them. The spouses acquire the ability to bless their home, food and children as embodiment of the love of Jesus for the Church. In the article about blessed olive branches, we mentioned how the head of the family can bless the feast meal and, more in general, the house and its inhabitants, by sprinkling everyone with the olive branch dipped into blessed water received during Palm Sunday. Even widowers can do that, because they are still included in the grace of the sacrament of Wedding.
Blessed olive branches at Easter: should you keep them or throw them away?
When we go to Church on Palm Sunday, the last one before Easter, we receive a blessed olive branch.
The habit of blessing homes and families during Lent and Easter is very ancient. The Council of Trento already claimed how the Easter Blessings was important to strengthen the connections within the Christian community. Five hundred years ago, this particular care was mainly a way to prevent bad influences of heresies; today, it is a moment of communion and dialog between the faithful and the priests who go to their homes to give the Easter Blessing.
The priest enters the houses during Easter, but the presence of those who live in them is also fundamental. It is just as if Jesus himself went to their homes bringing joy and peace: it is fair that those who live there welcome him with just as much love and joy such an occasion requires!
When the priest enters the house, he greets the people with formula: ‘Peace be unto this home and unto all that dwell herein.’ The church brings then a message of peace to all the homes during the Easter Blessing.
But the Easter Blessing also recalls the need to recognize the importance of the family itself, united and consolidated within the Lord. That is why the priest reads or recites short passages of the Gospel, involving the members of the family in a moment of prayer and meditation.
This is a very important moment for the life of the families and the whole community. The Easter Blessing allows families to consolidate their relationship with the Church, keeping the dialog alive and open, which is too often forgotten due to the frenzy of modern life. It is very important to give ourselves this moment of communion, meditation and spiritual renovation. The sprinkling of holy water upon our home and us lets us remember how precious and strong the gift we received is, and makes us feel once again as a part of something big, strong and invincible: the Church.
Contents1 But why olive branches?2 And once Easter has passed, what should we do with the olive branches?3 How can we keep the olive branch without ruining it? When we go to Church on Palm Sunday, the last one before Easter, we receive a blessed…
Contents1 Latin Cross2 Greek cross3 Tau cross, also known as Saint Anthony the Abbot cross or Crux Commissa.4 Tree of Life Cross5 Eight pointed Cross6 Cross of Saint Aemilian of Cogolla7 The Coptic Cross8 Cross with trilobed terminals9 Russian Cross10 Marian Cross11 Papal Triple Cross12…
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Ampullas for celebrations or ampullas for liturgy are those two small sacred vases that contain the water and the wine used during the Eucharist celebration. Usually, the wine ampulla is made of glass and is bigger, while the water ampulla is smaller; ampullsas are made of transparent glass so that their contents is immediately visible. In ancient times, when they were not made of glass, they used to mark them with a distinctive element, such as a pearl for the water ampulla and a garnet for the one used for the wine.
Usually, the deacon or the minister prepared ampullas for liturgy before the Mass, along with the other sacred objects, on a table, so that they could easily reach them when needed. They are usually placed on a tray next to the folded manuterge, the small cloth used for drying the hands.
The deacon or minister takes the ampullas from the table to the altar during the Offertory, as written in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, along with bread, chalice, pyx and all of the other necessary objects.
Once the ampullas for celebrations have been taken to the altar, the priest pours a few drops of water in the cup of wine. The habit of mixing wine and water dates back to the origins of Christian ceremonies, when they used a very alcoholic wine and was therefore necessary to mix it with water. Besides the practical aspects, such gesture of mixing water and wine contained in the ampullas for liturgy became the object of theological speculations.
First, there is a gospel reference to that (John 19,34), where water and wine both spill out from Christ’s chest, wounded by Longinus’ sword. In general, water defined human nature, wine defined divine nature. Clement of Alexandria, in the II century A.D., recognized the salvation that Christ’s blood can give to all those trusting in Him in the union of water and wine. In the III century A.D., Cyprian and the agnostics claimed that wine mixed with water recalled the image of Christ, who, ‘merging’ with the faithful, collected all of their sins upon him, creating an indissoluble and inseparable connection, just like the one between water and wine once they have been mixed.
In the Roman Missal, when the priest pours the water into the chalice, he utters the following words: ‘By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity’. Therefore, we can read the mixing of water and wine as a clear reference to Christ reincarnation, to His double divine and human nature showing themselves.
The water inside the ampulla must not be used for any other purpose, such as washing the hands. To purify his hands and the sacred vases, the priest will use water from a pitcher. The ampullas for liturgy must be cleaned very often, and their contents must be replaced frequently, in order to avoid the wine becoming sour.
The word ampulla comes from the Latin word ampŭlla (diminutive for amphŏra, that is, “amphora”), meaning small amphora.
The ampullas for celebrations were first used in the Catholic ceremonial only in the XI century. Earlier, and since the origins of Christianism, faithful used to bring the wine for the Mass themselves in containers called amulae. The priest or deacon poured the contents of the amulae into the chalice from where everyone would drink later, mixing it with water; or else, they collected the wine in a bigger bowl, the hama, and then gave the container back to its owner. The wine collected were later used for consecrations, and then distributed to the poor of the community. The water that was mixed with wine was contained in the so called fons.
During the Würzburg Synod in 1298, it was established that the ampullas for celebrations must be made of glass, pewter, gold and silver, while there are no specific instructions concerning the shape they must have, as long as they are small enough. We can distinguish three main types of shapes:
flask, with a long neck whose upper edge is a bit opened to create a small spout, and no handle;
pitcher, with a rounded body placed on a foot, long neck with a regular or S-shaped spout, and a volute handle;
mug, usually with no foot, spout upper edge and handle.
Ampullas for celebrations are often adorned with decorative patterns, in particular wine shoots and grapes.
Look at the gallery!
The roles of Altar Servers
Altar Servers, more commonly known as altar boys, are children or teenagers who assist a priest during Mass.
The altar servers are in particular the Masters of Ceremonies. Their duty is to take the sacred objects to the altar after the Offertory, and take them back after the Communion.
Who are the altar servers? As we deepened in a previous article, they are the altar boysor ministers, who help the priest during Mass. They owe their name to the Latin verb ‘ministrare’, that is, ‘to serve’, and are recognized by the Conciliar Constitution as an integral part of the liturgical ministry. The altar servers take the objects with the following order from the sacristy to the altar: the chalice and the corporal (the square cloth that covers the chalice and that is later laid on the altar during the Offertory), the purifier (the small cloth used by the priest for drying his lips after drinking, and to clean chalice and paten), the paten (the plate containing the host), and then the ampullas for wine and water. Plus, they prepare the water and the purifier that the minister will use to wash his hands.
Holy Water: a constant renovation of Baptism
Each time we get sprinkled with holy Water, dipping our fingers in a holy water font and cross ourselves, we remember our Baptism.
We underlined the importance of water in the Christian religion in many articles. And not just holy water, which renovates the value of our Baptism every day, and fosters a direct contact with Jesus. We must keep in mind that water is the element that determines life par excellence, because without that, men could not survive. Furthermore, it has the power to purify and wash away the dirt from our body, but in a spiritual meaning, also from our souls, washing it from all sins, first of all the original sin, washed away thanks to the water of the Baptism font. It is not a surprise then if it is so important and precious!
