Have you ever thought about how weddings are celebrated in the rest of the world? Italian habits and customs are deeply rooted in centuries-old traditions, but it would be interesting to find out about particular traditions of other countries, such as lucky days to get married, what the bride must wear, and many more.

The most diffused form of union between a man and a woman in our country is the catholic wedding, celebrated in church. It is no small thing. Wedding is one of the seven sacraments, fulfilment of life for many devotees. Besides the choice to share our existence with someone else, the catholic wedding implies the birth of a connection consecrated by Christ, and as such, it is sacred and unbreakable. Woe to taking such step lightly. Especially nowadays, where a more dynamic and open lifestyle sometimes gives us the impression that nothing lasts forever, there is the need for a strong acknowledgement before making such an important choice.

That is why those who want to get married in church need to attend a marriage preparation course, which helps the future couples to understand if they are really ready to tie the knot. But the marriage preparation course is just one of the duties that the church imposes to those who want to celebrate their religious wedding. Both spouses need to satisfy some essential requirements, and collect documents that state the truthfulness of their status.

First of all, both need to be baptized and have received confirmation. Without those two sacraments in fact, it would not even be possible to say they belong to the Church. They can request their baptism and confirmation documents to the church they attended at the time. Furthermore, they must not be divorced, that is, they must not have already got married in church to someone they later divorced. For divorced people there is no possibility for a second catholic marriage, but only civil union, unless they obtain the annulment from the Sacred Roman Rota before the wedding. Widows and widowers can instead have a second marriage in church.

Many documents are also necessary, and they need to be collected ahead. Besides the already mentioned certificates of baptism and confirmation, all the documents necessary for a civil marriage are needed: birth certificates, residence certificates, citizenship certificates. More, for a religious wedding the spouses will need to present a statement of freedom to marry, which states that the person requesting it has never been married before; the certificate of completion of a marriage preparation course; the church clearance statement, needed only in case the spouses want to get married in a different parish that theirs or outside their residence district.

To be clear, getting married in church is not only an annoying collection of paperwork and fulfilment of the above-mentioned requirements. A religious wedding is the successful completion of a shared path of love and human growth, the prelude to the birth of a new family, and as such, a reason for great joy for the spouses and for those who love them. An occasion for celebration then, to be shared with the beloved ones, eating, toasting and dancing.

Many are the Italian habits connected to the day of the wedding. Let’s begin by saying who has to pay, more or less symbolically, for it. According to the tradition, the groom has to buy the bouquet, as his last gift as fiancée, and have it delivered to the bride’s house on the morning of the wedding. The bride has to throw it at the end of the ceremony, so that her unmarried friends can try to catch it and, according to the story, be the next in line to get married. A more recent tradition says that the mother-in-law should buy the bouquet, as well as the bridal veil, and that she also adjust it according to the future daughter-in-law’s hairdo. About the bridal veil, it should be one meter long for each year of engagement!

The wedding gown instead, as the entire trousseau, are at the expense of the bride’s family. Throughout time, many superstitions were born concerning this particular aspect of Italian weddings. The groom must not see the gown before the due day, but even the bride should not look at herself in the mirror wearing the gown before then, unless she takes off one shoe, one earring or one glove. The traditional color of the bridal gown is white, even though in the last few years many other colors have spread, even unusual ones. But you need to be careful, some colors are bad luck! Ivory is an omen of disarray in the couple’s life; pink of big financial problems; red can even be an omen for death! On the contrary, blue means truthfulness, green means shyness, and black means regret… even if a marriage celebrated when there is regret is definitely not a great start! Guests, on their side, should avoid black and white in their dresses for the ceremony. It’s not over here. If the bridal gown is white, then the bride must wear something blue, as we mentioned as symbol of truthfulness, but also purity; she needs to wear something old, to symbolize the unmarried life left behind; something new, to represent the new life coming; something given, which stands for the love of her dearest ones; and something borrowed, to remind the connection with her family.

We were talking about who buys what… According to traditions, the groom’s family must buy the house, the furniture (except the bedroom), the groom’s dress, the wedding rings and must pay for the honeymoon. What is left, that is the trousseau, invitations, flowers and so on, are at the expense of the bride’s family. This rule was obviously very strict in the past, but now there are many different options. Times have changed, the spouses pay for their wedding most of the times, or anyway families split the expenses according to their actual availability.

The sacred party favors for the wedding cannot be missed. They were small boxes to contain sweets, and were very popular among noble women since 1600; in Italy, they became part of the wedding trousseau since 1700, when Vittorio Emanuele, prince of Naples, and Elena of Montenegro offered them as thank you gift to all the guests who attended the celebrations for their wedding. They must be the same for each guest, and they are usually made of crystal, silver, limoges, even though today party favors made of other materials, maybe fair-trade, are very popular. The party favor must contain an odd number of sugared almonds, no fewer than five. Why this number? To guarantee that the spouses good health, fertility, long life, happiness and wealth.

Concerning the lucky days to get married, we should listen to the popular old adage that says that you should not marry, leave or begin art on Friday nor Tuesday, because you risk not finishing it. Propitious days are Monday, dedicated to the moon and therefore to brides, and Wednesday, considered a very lucky day. Today young couples tend not to follow such superstitions, but the work commitments of all guests result in celebrating most of the weddings on Saturday or Sunday. Careful: according to superstitions, Saturday is considered the most unlucky day to get married! About the month, January guarantees love, kindness and faithfulness; February is the triumph of love; March is bringer of joy, but also pains; April only promises good things; May is unlucky; June brings the spouses under Juno’s protection, the goddess of weddings; July brings financial problems; August is a prelude to an instable life, full of changes; September brings prosperity and joy; October guarantees a lot of love but not much money; November brings joy and happiness; December is a guarantee of an eternal and safe love.

Many other habits and superstitions connected to weddings have ancient and curious origins. For example, the presence of the bridesmaids around the bride is said to have Egyptian origins. In fact, in the ancient Egyptian society, the bride’s friends surrounded her to protect her against evil spirits. Another habit against evil spirits is to accompany the wedding procession with loud noises, such as trumpets and car horns, while throwing rice to the couple exiting the church brings fertility and wealth. The tradition of throwing rice was probably born in China: a good genie, moved to pity by the suffering of many citizens during a famine, pulled out all of his teeth and threw them in a swamp, where they became seeds and gave life to plants whose fruits were as white as teeth. Since then, rice has become a symbol of wealth.

And the wedding rings? The groom is in charge of buying them, and must be worn on the left ring finger, where, according to ancient Egyptian traditions, a vein directly connected to the heart flows, and therefore privileged channel for feelings. Wedding rings are called also “vere” in Italian (true, real), synonym of faithfulness. If, unluckily, a wedding ring should fall on the floor during the ritual, only the officer can bend over to pick it up, or an immense bad luck will fall upon the spouses.

One last fact: the groom’s tie and the bride’s garter. Cutting the groom’s tie and distribute the pieces among the male guests demand a money offer in exchange. The garter instead, recalls for an ancient habit according to which the groom’s friends that are still unmarried should steal the bride’s garter and wear it on their hats. Today the groom throws the bride’s garter or her right shoe.

Let’s take a look at what happens in the rest of the world.

Every country, every culture, is different form the others in many aspects. Even concerning the celebration of a wedding, we find weird habits throughout the world: some are really bizarre and incomprehensible for us, while others are not that far away from our concepts. Let’s examine some of them.

In India, weddings follow the Hindu ritual. Or better, the rituals, since there are at least 11 different types of wedding rituals, according to the religion. The only common element is the color of the bridal gown, which must be red. In fact, red symbolizes fertility and wealth for Indians. The bride is lavishly adorned and, besides jewels and accessories, her hands are adorned with elegant arabesques painted with henna. They also hide an enigma: among the complicated quibbles, the initial letter of the groom’s name is hidden. If he will be good enough to find it, he will show that he will be a good head of the family! Indian spouses are carried to the altar sitting on a throne under a rain of yellow flowers. Weddings are mainly celebrated in October, considered a propitious month because the Good forces win over Evil forces.

Also in Iran the spouses sit on a throne. A silk veil is laid out on their heads, upon which a woman crumbles two sugar cones. After the ceremony, the spouses must utter their wedding vows looking at themselves reflected in a big mirror, which will guarantee light and brightness to their future.

In the Jewish wedding, guests carry the groom and the bride on their shoulders, and they will try to kiss while others sing and dance. If they succeed, their union will be prosperous and happy, and they will be able to overcome any obstacle together! The bride’s family takes her to the groom’s house, and after to the chuppah, the wedding canopy, usually holding lit candles in their hands. The rabbi recites a sermon and blesses the wine in a chalice, which is then offered to the spouses, who drink and exchange rings. After reading the marriage contract, the rabbi utters the seven blessings that will protect the wedding. That is done above a second chalice, which, in the end, is put on the floor by the groom and broken with a kick. This curious gesture is to recall the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, and the ousting of the Jews from the Holy Land.

In Morocco the spouses exchange a date, symbol of fertility and wealth, and the bride is immerged in a milk bath with her friends to be purified, while in Greece a sugar cube is put inside the bride’s glove, so that she won’t lose her sweetness. In Greece, spouses enter the church holding white candles and join hands once they’ve reached the altar, to symbolize the union of their souls.

In Russia as well the spouses take candles to the altar, and they must keep them lit for the whole ritual. The bride, until recently, should wear blue.

In Scandinavian countries there are many curious habits. In Sweden the groom cannot go to the bathroom during the reception, or the other male guests might kiss his wife! The bride carries a golden coin, given by her mother, in her right shoe, and a silver coin, given by her father, in her left shoe, to guarantee wealth and luck. In Finland the bride goes on her own to pick up the wedding gifts at the guests’ homes, joined by an old man. She can choose to get married in a house made of ice and get there on a reindeer sleigh. In Denmark the groom and the bride exchange clothes to confuse evil spirits. Both the groom and the bride must be careful: during the dinner, every time the bride leaves the room, all other women run to kiss the groom, and so do all men with the bride when the groom is away!

What happens in the East? In China the bride is carried around is a sedan and keeps silent through all the day of her wedding. Since white is the color of mourning in China, no bride will ever wear anything white on her happiest day, nor will she wear blue or grey, other colors associated to sadness. Red, on the contrary, which stands for fortune and wealth, is the most popular. The Chinese wedding has its peak with the tea ceremony. There is a morbid habit that concerns the dead: since in China it is believed that if a man dies young and unmarried he is doomed to be alone for eternity, sometimes his relatives organize a wedding between deceased people. In Japan, grooms often wear colorful kimonos and the brides wear a white cloth, to symbolize her will not to be jealous. Before the ceremony, both the groom and his closest guests perform a purification ritual with the water coming from the fountains outside every temple. During the ceremony, the spouses must drink three small sips of sake from three different cups. In Thailand, some monks used to purify the spouses a few days before their wedding by making them bath in the holy water. Today it is enough to make them wash their hands and heads in a basin. The same water is then used the day after: the guests must pour some in the spouses’ hands to sanction their wedding.

What makes Padre Pio, known today as Saint Pio from Pietralcina, such an adored and celebrated figure since he was still alive, and yet so discussed? The popular adoration he received since his youth is probably due to his fame as thaumaturge, to the miraculous events of which he is said to be protagonist, the same for which he also received many criticisms even from the ecclesiastical world.

We surely need to remember the human and spiritual adventure of this man. He was born and lived between two centuries, crossed the XX century, with the two World Wars and all the disorders that changed Europe and the world face, but yet, he didn’t lose his passionate spirit, and at the same time he was so human that he liked jokes and funny stories. The same way we have to remember what he did for many, many people, who, directly or indirectly, turned to him looking for help and comfort. His human and religious impact really marked a century, and his memory keeps arousing conflicting emotions and such a strong devotion that it is quite impossible to ignore him.

His human life is quite popular.

He was born in Pietralcina, in Benevento, in 1887, son to humble farmers. He was baptized with the name of Francesco Forgione. His mother was a very pious woman, completely devoted to Saint Francis of Assis, and that love for the poor of Assisi is the reason behind his name Francesco.

He showed interest towards a religious life since he was young, entered a convent when he was only fourteen, and soon took the cloth as Capuchin friar, with the name of Fra (Friar) Pio. In the following years, he lived and studied between the convent of Serracapriola and Pietralcina, often forced to rest because of his delicate health, which will haunt him his whole life. Already in this first period of life, he experienced spiritual events out of the norm, among which the “temporary” stigmata, wounds that appeared and disappeared on his hands for years, and his frequent dialogues with God. He became priest at only 23, in 1910. In 1916, he went for the first time to the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he will stay, following Jesus “suggestion”, who would assure him that place would be good for his health.

In San Giovanni Rotondo Padre Pio received the “final” stigmata after some visions, and they will never disappear; at the same time, he was said he scented like sweet flowers, which anyone going close to him would smell. Other miraculous signs that will show from this moment and will lead to his beatification are the bilocation, prophecy, devotees’ mind and heart reading. The convent where he stays becomes soon a place of pilgrimage from of all over the world. This will also bring hostile reactions, investigations on the man and religious person, which will lead the public opinion and the Church itself to split in two about the priest; he was forbidden to celebrate the mass and offer the confession for some time. That would not discourage his devotees though, nor did it end the pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo, they got even more intense. Some European royals also visited him, and around Padre Pio, the ‘living Saint’, a real cult was born, which spread relentlessly, especially after World War II.

When he died on September 23rd 1968, more than a hundred thousand people attended his funeral. He was beatified in 1999, and sanctified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, with the name of Saint Pio of Pietralcina. He his celebrated on September 23rd since then, and is considered protector of the volunteers of the civil protection and of catholic youth.

Many miracles were attributed to him, but the one that granted him sanctity was the healing of Matteo Pio Colella, a seven-year-old kid affected by a sudden bacterial meningitis and considered hopeless by doctors. His parents and many Padre Pio followers moved for him, and many others began praying, addressing their pleas to the Friar from Pietralcina, who was already long dead at the time. Both Matteo’s mother and the boy, after he woke up from the coma, stated they had a vision of Padre Pio. The young boy got better, was released from hospital and healed completely, against all odds.

He was attributed with many prophecies as well; the most famous is probably the one involving Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. In 1947, Padre Pio met him and predicted his rise to the papal throne, but also the terrible aggression he would have to face. There are no proofs that the Pope received this prediction though.

After fifty years from his death, Padre Pio of Pietralcina is still object of an amazing popular devotion, but also of criticism and doubts, which anyway don’t overshadow the unconditional love of those believing and relying on him, and the many issues tied to his extraordinary experience as a man and a priest.

The Capuchin order

It is impossible to talk about Padre Pio without the smallest hint to Capuchin Minor Friars, the religious order he belonged to. It is one of the so-called Mendicant Orders, born after the experience and model offered by Saint Frances. Following the example of Saint Frances, the Capuchins preached the return to the Church absolute poverty in particular, a value that at the time of the order foundation, around 1520, was a bit lost. A Franciscan friar, Matteo da Bascio, gathered some of his brothers who shared his thought and his aspiration to go back to a humble and simple life, made of prayer, hermitage and service towards poor and needing people. The ecclesiastical Authority, frowned upon those ideas, even though very noble, especially in a time where the Lutheran Reformation made the Catholic Church instable and every dissident position was considered a potential threat.

Da Bascio and his followers were not subversive though. They just wanted to live their human and spiritual existence according to the principles of poverty. In order to do that, at the beginning they looked for hospitality at the Camaldolese monks, to whom they owe the characteristic garment with the hood, from which they will take the name from. Later, they were granted to live as hermits in complete poverty and preaching to poor, and were able to establish as hermit Minor Friars, thanks to the approval bull “Religionis Zelus” granted by Pope Clement VII in 1528. The order became bigger and bigger between 1600 and 1700 when many convents were built, especially in France, but also in missions. In fact, the Capuchins turned out to be great preachers, and thanks to this gift, they operated as missionaries everywhere, obtaining a great appreciation.

Today Capuchins belong to the three male orders part of the Franciscan Family: the Friars Minor (called also Observants), the Friars Minor Conventuals and the Friars Minor Capuchin. The Franciscan family is the biggest and most varied spiritual family of the Church. In it, there are friars, nuns and laymen united by the charisma of Saint Francis of Assisi and by the will to live following his precepts of poverty, obedience and chastity. In Latin the capuchin order was called Ordo fratrum minorum capuccinorum, whose acronym O.F.M.Cap. is still used in some contexts. Besides the hooded garment, the Capuchins inherited the tradition to wear beards from the Camaldolese monks. Still today, Capuchins’ characteristics are a long and unshaved beard, the typical light brown tunic with a big hood on the shoulders and a rope as belt.

The reasons that brought so many followers and benevolence to the Capuchin friars from people, and with time also from the ecclesiastical hierarchies, are their choice to live a simple and poor life, dedicated to contemplation and prayer; their ability as preachers, given their deep empathy, which let them come into contact even with the simplest and ignorant people, through a comprehensible spiritual dialog so that everyone could understand immanent matters, problems and needs; their will to be close to people, to help them also in their material struggles, to be “friars for the people”, friars of the world.

The strong key of this order, besides the austerity and sanctity of their lives, is still today their ability to enter the local societies with many initiatives dedicated to the community wellbeing. Their service is not only religious apostolate, but also social, addressed to the healing and wellbeing of the devotees, to charity and so on. Prayer then, alone or shared with brothers and devotees; but also preaching, confessions (Padre Pio is an example in that, given the amazing number of confessions – it is said to be about six hundred thousand people – he collected in his life), prayer groups, spiritual listening and guidance, often tied to local churches, help to the sick, prisoners, drug-addicts, the poor, but also young people. Many are the associations and brotherhoods connected to the Capuchin friars whose goals are beneficial and assistance activities all over the world. Even the activities of missionaries abroad is still going on, both as practical support (food, medicines, cures) and spiritual apostolate, in Africa, Asia and America.

Jesus told his disciples and his friends that they should pray, always, and never get tired of it. From that exhortation comes the Liturgy of the Hours, which schedules the moment of prayers during the day, so that every moment of our lives is a praise to God. That is how a good Christian should live every day, in communion with Christ, observing night and day with prayers. That is not always easy. The frenzy of modern life, work, and many commitments make it very difficult for most of the devotees to comply with the many appointments given by the Liturgy of the Hours, even the two on the canonical Hours, the morning Prayers and the Vespers, which should be celebrated everyday at the beginning of the day and at sunset.

But Jesus is aware of this obstacles, he’s close to us every moment of our life, and knows well how difficult it is to complete every task some days. That way he understands if we cannot dedicate enough time to prayers everyday, if we “skip” one sometimes, or we just give it brief moments.

There is a good way to start the day though, right after waking up, and it is the morning Offer.

What is this about? It is easy, the name itself explains it: it is about offering our day to Jesus.

So, when we open our eyes, or even before that, our first thought should be: “Lord, I offer You this day.”

Is that all? It actually is. Everyone can enrich their prayer with personal words, or choosing among the many morning Offers composed by devotees throughout the centuries.

The morning Offer helps us face the day with the right energy, fully aware that, since the moment we woke up, Jesus is by our side, that our victories are his victories, our disappointments are his disappointments, and all the good and the bad that will happen to us during the day will be shared with Him. It is a way to offer ourselves in the hands of God, to state that we accept his will, and that, in any case, it will be a good day, because we dedicated it to Him.

Pope John Paul II aknowledged that the morning Offer is a fundamental act in the life of each devotee. There is no spiritual growth without the morning Offer.

It’s like saying: “A good start…”

Clearly, saying it is not enough to make sure the day will be perfect. As our Pope Francis pointed out “Prayer is not a magical wand!” But it is proved that those who constantly rely on this good habit, receive a remarkable energy to face the day with an extra kick.

As we were saying, many great devoted men and women wrote about the morning Offer throughout the centuries. There are no specific rules on what to say and how to say it, nor a univocal outline. Since it is about a dialogue between God and us, we should express ourselves in the way we prefer, laying our heart bare, and entrust our spirit to the Hands of the Lord.

The first thing to do is obviously thanking Jesus for giving us a serene night and for watching over our sleep, and ask for forgivness for the sins we might have committed, and for those we are going to commit in the coming day. That should give us the awareness that the day that is opening in front of us is full of opportunities to make mistakes, but also to do good things that make us feel good and draw us nearer to Grace. With this awareness, we should prepare to face everything the day will bring us, thanking God for giving us the chance to live it, and to do it at our best, if we only want it.

During the morning Offer, we have to plan what our day will be like, according to what we are going to face: work, meetings, visits. If we are ready, we will face every moment with the right energy, with the right mental approach, with the right words in our mouths, and we will avoid getting angry, losing control or patience, being disappointed, making someone angry or letting their grudge affect us. Promising Jesus that it is our resolute purpose to do our best in order to make our day worth of him, we commit to behave properly, to make him proud of us. Again, it is important to stay humble during the Offer. All we are, all we can do, we owe it to God, and Him only. We couldn’t do anything good on our own, nor avoid doing evil. We must invoke Him and his endless Mercy, so that he can guide or steps, our choices, and support our heart, our hands, and our words with his Strenght. Also in this case, we have many words written by more capable men that we can make ours in order to make our prayer appreciated, our offer a joyful hymn, and a wonderful way to start our day.

It will also be nice to involve the whole family in that. Some prefer to recite the morning Offer in communion with the beloved ones, their children for example. Others prefer to do it privately, encouraging their beloved ones to do the same. There is no wrong way to dedicate a new day to Jesus, as long as it is done, and with our heart on our lips.

Choosing to recite prayers we invented is also a way to give thanks to God, to show him that our thoughts are always leaned towards him. It is like declaring our love for him with our own words, maybe lower and less efficient than the ones coming from psalmists or saints, but they are surely heartfelt, pronounced with the zeal of a devoted soul.

As an alternative, you can find so many prayers, even on the internet, to give a voice to your love, to your morning greeting.

The worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Christians is twofold: on the one hand, it means worshipping the heart of Jesus as a symbol of his humanity, of having become a man and having sacrificed for us all. On the other, it is about recognizing it as the symbol Jesus’ love for mankind, of his Passion in their name.

The same representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus recalls the symbols of the Passion: the crown of thorns, the cross, and the wound caused by the spear. The flames around him symbolize the ardent love of the Savior, His mercy.

The consecration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a symbol of devotion occurred in the nineteenth century, at the hands of Pope Leo XIII, but examples of adoration date back to the Middle Ages. The worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus finds its origins in the Early Middle Ages through the work of some German mystics, and underwent further development in the seventeenth century through, among others, the Society of Jesus.

It was also the subject of strong theological debates and diatribes. Some saw in the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus a manifestation of idolatry, as an object made of flesh and related only to the body. For others it was clearly a purely symbolic value, a representation of the love of Christ.

Another subject of discussion was also the apparition of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. She informed Holy Jesus of the “Great Promise”: anyone who attended communion, in a state of grace, on the first Friday of nine consecutive months, would forgiveness from all sins. What emerged was the devotional practice of “First nine Fridays of the month.”

The feast of the Sacred Heart was started in France around 1672, but was later recognized by the whole Church. It is celebrated between May 29^th and July 2^nd depending on the date on which Easter falls. In Trentino-Alto Adige, there is a tradition of lighting bonfires to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In the name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, many religious congregations were born.

Statues representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus usually show the whole figure of the Savior in a blessing position, the heart in his chest crowned with thorns and surrounded by flames.

The Bishop is among the priests, one of the most important and invested figures with meaning for the faithful. In his role of “supervisor” (from the greek επίσκοπος, episkopos) he embodies in himself the value of souls pastor, the supreme minister of religion, teacher and guide.

Each bishop is a successor of the apostles, chosen by Jesus as his companions in life and the first recipients of his word. To them He gave the task to go and preach the latter, in addition to protecting his flock from evil, and this is what the bishops continue to do to this day.

Are just one of the symbols that characterize these religious figures and identify them in their mission. The bishop’s ring, or episcopal, is a circle of precious metal (usually gold, but more humble metals can also be used) worn on the right ring finger by the Bishop as a sign of their own role and their own office.

Is the choice of obedience and service to the Church of the Bishop, his declaration of loyalty and intent, but also of his power over the faithful entrusted to his care. In fact, the bishop’s ring in his own form of circle represents eternity, infinity with no beginning or end.

The Bishop receives the bishop’s ring during the Ordination. The tradition of kissing the episcopal ring comes from the Middle Ages, when it was a sign of respect and submission to kiss the ring of the Monarch.

Can be decorated with precious stones, as tradition dictates, sometimes enriched with gems: the type of stone symbolizes the degree of the priest wearing it (sapphire or ruby ​​for the Cardinal, yellow topaz for the archbishop; amethyst for the bishop).

Alternatively, the episcopal ring can be free of stones, but decorated with carvings and friezes representing religious symbols, referring to an already widespread tradition among the early Christians.

In any case, is a liturgical object invested of great symbolic and religious significance for the wearer and for those who turn with faith and trust in the figure of the Bishop.

There are words that are passed throughout time, from mouth to mouth, for years, centuries, uttered by a million different voices, in many different languages. The words of prayers for example, written by men and women inspired by God a long time ago, and said since then, whispered, shouted by countless devotees that looked for comfort during difficult times in them, or that just wanted to express their faith raising them with their own voice.

Sometimes these words are repeated so often that they lose some of their original meaning. We became used to saying those words, or hearing someone else saying them, that the sound if the words itself becomes even more important than what they want to convey. The signifier becomes more important than the signified, or anyway the latter is a bit misinterpreted, taken for granted. This is not a good thing, especially if the words we are talking about are the ones of a prayer.

Pope Francis comes to our rescue. Specifically, with his book “Mary. Mother of all” (San Paolo publisher), recently released, the Holy Father lets us in his prayers and thoughts addressed to Mary on one side, while helps us better understand, or just remember, the true meaning of the words of the most famous and old prayer dedicated to Jesus’ mother: the Hail Mary.

The image of Mary has always been deeply loved and invoked by Christians. She is not only a symbol of God’s will to make peace with men, after mankind lost its grace and was cast out of Eden because of a woman, Eve. Mary is the new Eve, the second chance granted to men to show they deserve God’s love and trust; she was born with no sin, and chosen to conceive God’s Son without knowing the contamination of flesh. A modest maid, a common girl, called to carry out a big and terrible duty, and who accepted that duty with humility and submission, aware of the pain it would cause her. In this free choice to give herself to God entirely, to make herself a submissive instrument of His mysterious and large plan, Mary takes the role of model and example for all of us.

But there is more than that. Just because of her brave choice, that is becoming the mother of the Savior, Mary also took the role of mediator between men and God. Her being mother, not only for Jesus but for all men, makes her more suitable than ever to forward our anxieties and pains to God’s attention, so that He can decide to come to our rescue in His endless goodness and mercy.

The Ave Maria prayer spread over the years

That is why the Hail Mary became one of the most popular and famous prayers, heart of the Rosary practice, dedicated to Mary entirely as well, and many other devotional practices.

Let’s think for example to the devotion of the three Hail Marys. This very popular Marian prayer was created by Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn, a Benedictine sister that lived between 1240 and 1298. Saint Mechtilde had already received Mary’s visits in other occasions, and encouraged by this favor from Jesus mother, she asked her to comfort her during her final moments.

Mary accepted, but as sign of devotion and commitment from her, she asked her to say a special Hail Mary three times everyday, which had the goal to praise the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and give thanks for all the wonderful gifts that adorned Mary.

The first Hail Mary would be addressed to God Father: in His omnipotence and omniscience, he took the humblest of girls and gave her a power that was almost the same as His, making her omnipotent in heaven and earth.

The second Hail Mary would honor Jesus, the Son of God: he instilled awareness and wisdom in Mary, which were unconceivable for any other human being, allowing her to enjoy the view of the Holy Trinity and share their light.

The third Hail Mary would be addressed to the Holy Spirit that made Mary as full of love as It is, making her good, sweet and gentle above all other women and men of all times. In exchange for this devotional act, Mary would grant Saint Mechtilde her presence, her light and all of her divine love at the time of her death.

Each one of the three prayers is addressed to one of the characteristics given to Mary by the Holy Trinity:

The power given by God Father.

The wisdom and knowledge given by the Son.

The love and mercy of the Holy Spirit.

With this devotional practice, Mary is acknowledged of an excellence without equals in terms of power, wisdom and mercy. Mary is named by the Church as Powerful Virgin, Mother of Mercy and Seat of Wisdom.

The devotional practice of saying the Hail Mary three times is common still today. With it, we want to honor the Holy Mother, and possibly ask for her mediation to obtain a grace or a special favor from God. In fact, just like Mary promised her help to Saint Mechtilde at the time of her death, the same way she renovates her promise for life and death to those who will say the three Hail Marys everyday.

Devotion of the Three Hail Mary

This is how the devotion of the three Hail Marys is composed:

Mary, my Mother, free me from falling into mortal sin.

1. By the power granted you by the Eternal Father,

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

2. By the wisdom granted you by the Son

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

3. By the love granted you by the Holy Spirit

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

 Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, and now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

But let’s go back to the Hail Mary.

The prayer as we know it and say it today first appeared in Brescia in 1498, in the collection Triumphi, sonetti, canzon e laude de la Gloriosa Madre de Dio Vergine Maria, a work dedicated to Mary by Gasparino Borro, a priest of the order of the Servants of Mary. In 1568 Pope Pius V, in the Liturgy of the Hours, forced all priests to say the Our Father followed by a Hail Mary at the beginning of every hour of the Divine Office.

The Hail Mary is today one of the most famous and popular with the Our Father, the one that is most carved on prayer rings and bracelets. The Rosary is still a popular devotional practice in the whole world, and the Rosary chain often goes beyond the practice of the prayer itself, becoming a lucky charm, a protection against evil, a way to feel Mary always by our side.

This is how Pope Francis guides us through the rediscovery of this wonderful prayer:

Archangel Gabriel speaks to Mary and calls her “full of grace” (Lc 1,28). The same way we address Mary when we pray to her: Hail Mary, full of grace.

Pope Francis explains the meaning of this opening: in Mary“there is no room for sin, because God chose her since the beginning of time as mother of Jesus, and preserved her from the original sin.”

Speaking to Mary again, Gabriel adds: “The Lord is with thee”

Pope Francis explains that, as the Lord was with Mary, the same way he can be with all of us, if we are willing to welcome His word and follow His precepts.

“It is like God became man in us, He comes to live in us, because he lives in those who love him and follow his Word. It is not easy to understand, but yes, it is very easy to feel it in the heart […] We think Jesus incarnation is a fact that only belongs to the past, that does not involve us personally? Believing in Jesus means offering him our flesh, with Mary’s humility and courage.”

The angel goes on, and tells her: Blessed art thou amongst women”

We know how Mary was a humble and modest girl, probably incapable of fully understanding God’s plan, the destiny He had in mind for her. And yet, she did not hesitate to accept it. What makes her so special, so blessed among women? Exactly her simplicity.

To the question about how Mary chose to follow her faith, Pope Francis replies: “She lived it in the simplicity of the thousands of daily things to do and worries of every mother, such as provide food, clothes, take care of the house… Precisely this normal existence of Mary was the ground where a special relationship and a deep dialog between her and God took place, and also between her and his Son.”

The prayer goes on: “And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”

Mary did not just agreed that God’s Son became flesh and blood in her womb. “She conceived faith first, then the Lord” Pope Francis adds. Hers was not a passive choice, she accepted the Holy spirit in her heart first, then in her womb. “Just as she receives the power of the Holy Spirit but then gives flesh and blood to the Son of God growing inside her on a physical level, on a spiritual level she welcomes the grace and returns it with faith.”

The second part of the prayer Hail Mary opens with a new invocation to Mary, called now: “Holy Mary, Mother of God”

As we mentioned before, her being Mother of Jesus makes her a unique mediator between us men and God. Pope Francis says: “She precedes us and always confirms us in faith, in vocation and in the mission. With her example of humility and availability to God’s will, she helps us translate our faith into a Gospel announcement, joyful and with no borders.”

Even the request “Pray for us sinners“, she works as mediator between us and God, as mother of all men, infinitely good and merciful, careful to our needs, always ready to guide us. Pope Francis says: “This is the gift of advice. Those mothers who have this gift, ask that for your children. The gift of giving advice to children is a gift of God.”

The Pope closes his explanation of the Hail Mary going over the last verse: “Now and at the hour of our death”

The Pope says we have to entrust ourselves to her “so that She, being mother of our firstborn brother Jesus, can teach us how to have the same motherly spirit towards our brothers, with the sincere ability to welcome, to forgive, to give strength and to instill trust and hope. That is what a mother does.”

Following Mary’s example, that is, accepting the burden God chose for us, we are already walking down a grueling path, but which will grant us salvation; in every moment, now and at the hour of our death, our celestial Mother will be there by our side.

This concept of Mary as mother of all was further enhanced by Pope Francis along his whole pontificate. In particular in 2013, at the end of the Holy Mass celebrated on October 13th in Saint Peter for the Marian Day, he consecrated the whole world to the Madonna of Fatima. This consecration is reported in the Pope’s book dedicated to Mary “Mary. Mother of all”.

Act of entrustment to the Virgin of Fatima

Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima, with renewed gratitude for your motherly presence

we join in the voice of all generations that call you blessed.

We celebrate in you the great works of God, who never tires of lowering himself

in mercy over humanity,

afflicted by evil and wounded by sin,

to heal and to save it.

Accept with the benevolence of a Mother

this act of entrustment that we make in faith today,

before this your image, beloved to us.

We are certain that each one of us is precious in your eyes

and that nothing in our hearts has estranged you.

May that we allow your sweet gaze

to reach us and the perpetual warmth of your smile.

Guard our life with your embrace:

bless and strengthen every desire for good;

give new life and nourishment to faith;

sustain and enlighten hope;

awaken and animate charity;

guide us all on the path to holiness.

Teach us your own special love for the little and the poor,

for the excluded and the suffering,

for sinners and the wounded of heart: gather all people under you protection

and give us all to your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus.

Amen.