Il Blog di Holyart.com
All religions, since the origins of mankind, are somehow tied to trees. We already explored this subject in a previous article, lingering on some of the 100 trees and plants cited in the Sacred Scriptures, and besides them, on how plants have been appointed with a…
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…
The feast for the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the so called movable Feasts, that is, it occurs on a different date in different years. The most evident movable Feast is Easter, whose date changes every year. Actually, most of the movable Feasts are set by the date of Easter Sunday, therefore they have no fixed date for celebration. Catholic movable Feasts can also be set by Epiphany, or can be connected to specific days of the week in defined times of the year.
For example, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is always on the Friday following the Corpus Domini Sunday, that is, sixty-eight days after Easter. The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the other side, is on the Saturday after the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and depends on that one as well. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be between May 29th and July 2nd. This year for example it was on June 8th, and the whole month is consecrated to this celebration.
Other movable Feasts are the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany, and all Advent Sundays.
All holidays connected to Easter are consequently movable Feasts: Moundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Monday always change date according to the date Easter falls on.
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus celebrates the physical heart of Jesus as a man, besides a real God, on one side, and the heart meant as goodness, mercy and love of the Savior for us all on the other side.
As an organ that symbolizes Christ humanity, this particular heart has the right to be adored.
Traditional iconography shows the Sacred Heart in the middle of Jesus’ chest, with a cross on it, and crowned with thorns. On the side of the Heart there is a bleeding wound that recalls the one Jesus suffered on the cross, and symbolizes the wounds that men’s sins keep inflicting on him everyday. The sacred Heart is surrounded by flames, symbol of a burning mercy, of a blazing love from the Savior towards all men.
The cult of the Sacred Heart is traced back to the Medieval age, and originated in the sphere of the great German mystics, but became more popular only in the XVII century thanks to S. John Eudes (1601-1680), French pious, preacher and scholar, who spread the devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in all France, and especially thanks to S. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690). She was a French nun, with great mystical powers, who had four revelations since 1673 till the day of her premature death; she also had many minor visions from Jesus.
In those occasions Jesus himself talked to her, and in all of those, His Sacred Heart played a fundamental role. In the first of her visions, for example, Jesus told her: “My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for men that, being unable any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning Charity, It must needs spread them abroad. I have chosen you to accomplish so great a design so that all may be done by Me.”
In the following visions the Saint saw the Sacred Heart burst into flames, in a crown of thorns, shining bright, regardless of the wounds, in the Savior’s chest. We owe the traditional iconography we know today to her.
During her fourth vision, Jesus told Saint Margaret he was suffering from the arrogance and lack of humility of Christians, and even more from the blasphemous sacrileges. He showed her His will: the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost, that is the eight day after Corpus Domini, should be dedicated to celebrate His Heart.
Regardless of the obstacles raised by other religions, which claimed it was idolatry, the cult of the Sacred Heart was very popular since the beginning and spread very quickly. In 1672 the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart was officially celebrated for the first time. In 1856, Pope Pius IX established the Feast as obligatory for the whole catholic Church, and many men and women congregations were born around it since then.
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated through the Eucharistic adoration every first Friday of the month, and through the recital of the Litanies of the Sacred Heart. There are many, here are a few examples:
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in You!;
Sweet Heart of my Jesus, make me love You more and more!
O Jesus burning with love, I wish I had never offended You!
Or:
Love of the Heart of Jesus, inflame my heart.
Charity of the Heart of Jesus, spread inside my heart.
Strength of the Heart of Jesus, support my heart.
Mercy of the Heart of Jesus, make my heart sweet.
Patience of the Heart of Jesus, don’t get tired of my heart.
Kingdom of the Heart of Jesus, settle in my heart.
Wisdom of the Heart of Jesus, tame my heart.
Or else:
O Heart of Jesus,
to you I entrust
in this night
my soul and body,
so that gently
in you they may rest.
And since during
my sleep I will not be able
to praise my God,
please do so in my place,
so that
as many times
my heart will beat
in this night,
as much will be the praises
that you will give
to the holy Trinity.
Amen.
To join you in your prayers and litanies, many special rosaries and devotional crowns have been made, or even medals of any shape and material.
Many statues have been made following the Sacred Heart iconography, depicting the Savior in his characteristic act of pointing to his open chest with his hand, where His heart beats, wounded but still full of love for all of His sons.
A curious fact. Angels play a special role in the cult and devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In fact, Christ heart is identified as the spring of love that involves all men, but also saints and angels. John Paul II claimed that the Sacred Heart is some kind of mystic place made of Love, and those who can enter it, can pull out endless and eternal joy from it.
Angels in particular can contemplate the merciful love of Jesus in all of its greatness and perfection in every moment, but they also act as messengers between God and men, as tradition says, and also between the Love of God and us all. They form some sort of spiritual chain, which pushes us closer to the Love of God, makes us participate in his immensity, and makes us understand his warmth and perfection. And, to some extent, this love infects us, pushing us closer to Jesus, more similar to him in being capable of loving in a pure and humble way, with His mildness and spirit of sacrifice. With all the strength of his Sacred Heart.
Since the origins of Christianity, people felt the need to reproduce the object of their devotion, or something that recalled it, in a tangible and visible way. For the first Christians, forced to hide their faith, this was often unavoidable, and was manifested through carving…
The church is the place par excellence where Christians gather to share their faith and celebrate the related solemn rituals. Since its origins it was necessary to give it a special solemnity and sacredness. This was obtained by acting both on the architecture of the…
There is a lot of talk around the trend that has become popular during the last few years, that is wearing religious jewels without knowing their meaning in depth. Many stylists chose to reproduce crucifix, rosaries and medals dedicated to Mary or the Saints, making them glamorous ornaments that will decorate actresses and famous people’s cleavages, wrists and even fingers. As a consequence, this trend was spread also among those who admire those people and stylists. Our age is the one that most feeds on emulation, on the desire to appear as similar as possible to the models we constantly see on medias and on the Internet. Unreachable models, because they are often fake, “edited” by photo editing programs and hi-tech innovations that allow the manipulation of any static or moving image. Not to mention make-up wonders… Those factors are not always considered, on the contrary, the youngest tend to blindly believe that everything they see on TV or social medias is real.
This is not the right place to discuss about vanity, or frailty (and dangerousness…) of the modern aesthetic vision.
We are talking here about religious jewels, about how they are often impoverished of their deepest and truest spiritual value, and got down to simple mundane trinkets. The juxtaposition of sacred and profane has always existed, but only today we can see how easily you can go from one side to the other, and the thing that saddens the most is that, most of the times, those showing this kind of ornaments without knowing their meaning are not doing it out of blasphemy, but ignorance.
It’s not always like that.
In previous articles we talked about religious jewels, necklaces and pendants with sacred symbols that a Christian can (and should) wear, or that can be given in special events.
Combine elegance and faith: Discovering the Holyart Jewelery
Who said that you can’t combine beauty, elegance and faith into a single, perfect combination?
It’s not always about following the current fashion or being trendy. On the contrary, for a Christian there is nothing bad in trying to make spirituality tangible, in wearing a pendant on their neck with a crucifix or a rosary with a modern style and design, which however does not take out any of its mystic value, or in wearing ornaments that have prayers carved on, in order to keep them close at all times.
By wearing a religious jewel, the meaning we give to the act itself is more worth than in other contexts. A meaning that can determine the difference between sacred and profane, often very subtle.
Let’s see some of the religious jewels that a Christian can wear in detail, and that should only be worn everyday with pride and awareness as symbol of salvation and proof of faith.
The rosary necklace, or rosary crown as it is often called, is one of the symbols of Christianity par excellence. We already discussed about its origins in previous articles, of how it was associated to the rosary prayer during the Middle Ages, that is a litany and devotional prayer whose practice was recommended during specific spiritual reflection periods, or to obtain special indulgence.
How to pray the rosary – 10 important steps
The crown of the rosary is formed by grains held together by a wire or a cord.
We also already explained how the Rosary owes its name to the old habit of decorating statues of the Virgin Mary with wreaths of roses. That’s where the Latin word rosārium “rose garden” came from, and became then rosary. The Rosary necklace is thought as an object that joins the litany: it is made of grains of various sizes, that symbolize the various prayers, and that are run through the fingers during each step of the prayer.
For those features the Rosary necklace is suitable also as a beautiful ornamental object. Grains can be in wood, but even glass or hard stones, Swarovski crystals or precious metals. Even the crucifix hanging from the Rosary necklace, and the medal that is its cornerstone, can be exquisite example of jewelry, pendants made with beautiful art and taste that take out nothing of their mystic value.
Besides the Rosary necklaces there are also Rosary bracelets and even Rosary rings, made of gold, silver, platinum, finely chiseled and adorned with small studs in lieu of grains. A versatile religious gift that can turn into a fine and great impact ornament, without losing its dignity and sacred charm in any way.
Even the Hand of Fatima, amulet whose origins date back to the ancient Sumerian and Assyro-Babylonian cults dedicated respectively to the goddesses Inanna and Ishtar, has gone through an evolution during time that turned it into a recurrent ornamental object for Christians, Hebrews, Muslims, or just those who are charmed by its original shape and the symbolism it holds.
The hand of Fatima represents a hand with five fingers, organized according to a proportion full of symbolism. In the Muslim version, it is decorated with an open eye on the palm (Allah’s eye), while in the Hebrew version there is the Star of David.
Both in the Muslim and the Hebrew religions, the Hand of Fatima is the expression of the presence of God, who sees, blesses and protects. This is why the pendant is also known as the Hand of God. Tradition says that it protects from evil eye and negativity, and is a symbol that is very dear to women as it favors patience and brings joy, fortune and wealth.
Many fashion brands made it a decoration for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and key holders.
The symbolic meaning of the ring dates back to the beginning of time. Its shape itself recall a concept of energetic concentration that in all other cultures and religions of ancient times was symbol of a divine expression. The ring symbolizes infinite, eternity, a feeling of wholeness and stability, to which a meaning of authority and power was associated with time.
In the Christian sphere the ring is often a symbol of union, connection, whether it is the episcopal ring, sign of the union between the bishop and the church, or the wedding rings, symbols of the blessed union between husband and wife also recognized by God.
Prayer rings carry all of those deep meanings related to the ring as jewel or ornament.
They are usually made of steel, silver or bronze, with the words of a prayer carved onto. The Holy Mary and Our Father rings are beautiful to wear, modern and glamorous, but at the same time, they express the will of the Christian to carry a visible and tangible sign of his faith. In every moment of the day when the eye will look at the prayer ring, the mind will inevitably repeat the words of the prayer carved on it, in a constant dialog with God. A new and effective way to wear your own faith and be fashion at the same time.
Saint Benedict medal, or cross, is a Christian symbol recognized in 1742 by Pope Benedict XIV. The devotion towards Saint Benedict became so popular and fervent at that time, that it required a legitimation of this powerful symbol. This ornament reminds the wearer of the constant presence of God by his side to guide him and protect him, and ensures the forgiveness of all sins especially on the point of death.
Wearing a necklace with Saint Benedict medal guarantees protection from evil in all its forms, even the most tenacious ones. In fact, the cross represented on Saint Benedict medal carries the motto of the Benedictine order: “Pax” (Peace), and is surrounded by a circle of letters that are the initial letters of the words that compose one of the most effective and powerful prayers of protection and exorcism from evil ever. Wearing a Saint Benedict Medal in gold or silver, besides showing your own trust in God and His endless mercy, can be a way to ornate yourself with an important and precious jewel, symbol of an aware and solid faith.
The Tree of Life is a recurrent symbol in many civilizations, cultures and religions. In general, we can sum up its deepest meaning as a reference to immortality and eternal life. For the Maya and Norse civilizations there was a mystic “tree of the world” that connected Sky, Earth and Underworld. In other cultures, such as Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek and Chinese, there were “trees of life” whose fruits bestowed immortality.
The meaning of the Tree of Life
All religions, since the origins of mankind, are somehow tied to trees.We already explored this subject in a previous article…
For Christians, the Tree of life has a whole different meaning. God placed it in the Garden of Eden, next to the tree of Knowledge of good and evil.
Later, the Tree of life became a symbolic representation of Christ Cross, refuge for Christians, fulfillment of all the mysteries of the Church. A tree that grows luxuriant in Heaven, that never withers, and gives nourishment, shadow and protection to those who want to gather under its branches.
Wearing a necklace or a bracelet with the Tree of Life is a way to show one’s faith towards this mystic tree, and all it represents.
Giving the Tree of Life as pendant or bracelet to someone we love is a way to wish them a prosper and happy life, with solid roots, luxuriant leaves, intense and rich of good fruits. For women it can also be a symbol of fertility. Giving it to a newborn is a way to celebrate the beginning of a new life.
During the last few years a new trend of very particular jewels has become popular: angel caller necklaces and bracelets. What are they? There are various types, made of more or less precious materials, for all tastes and budgets. As a general line, the angel…
We already talked about Our Lady of Medjugorje in other articles, who appeared to six seers in 1981; some of them claim they see her everyday. The first apparitions took place in the town of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, from which comes the name. Our Lady…
The arrival of a baby in a home is always a reason for joy.
Even when it gives concerns, or when the conditions don’t look perfect to welcome a baby in this world, so hard even for adults, a baby that is about to come brings an immense joy and love.
A baby is not just a natural consequence of the union between a man and a woman, and it is surely a nonsense considering a child like an act of realization or confirmation. There is nothing selfish in having a baby, or at least there shouldn’t be, because a baby is a gift, and a gift must not be demanded nor claimed. Our society, the world we live in, seem to be progressively losing sight on what really matters, the true and authentic values on which our existence should be based on. We are constantly confused by wrong and misleading messages.
We’d like to think that, at least when it comes to a baby, it is the deepest instinct that speaks, that instinct that can only be found in the heart of a mother and a father, and that makes them recognize the immensity of the gift they are given. A gift that has to be accepted as such, with all the responsibility and love that something so big and precious deserves and needs.
Children are loved even before they are born, like the Pope said in a General Audience in February 2015. This kind of love is completely free, because a baby that is not born yet has not done anything to deserve to be loved, and that makes us think about God’s love. God loves us the same way, in confidence, so to speak, before we actually do something to deserve his love. He loves us because we are His children, and as such, worthy of love. So it is for every newborn, surrounded by his parents and God Father’s love, even inside his mother’s womb.
Talking about babies is a delicate matter, always has. Also in the Bible, children are emblematic figures, objects of immense joy when they come to the world, cause of unspeakable pain when they are prematurely lost. They are unique and special creatures. It is true that they are born carrying the Original Sin, washed away by Baptism, but it is also true that, since they are unaware of what a sin is and do not know about men and God’s laws, knowledge brought by time and experience, they are actually immune to the blame. A baby can sin, maybe even without realizing it, but it is exactly this lack of awareness that will keep him innocent anyway, without the gratification that is unfortunately common in adults when they do something bad.
Furthermore, once a baby will have even the smallest awareness of God’s existence, his Faith will be much stronger and more sincere than any adult’s, free from selfishness, hypocrisy, distractions and alibis. That’s because no one can love with the same intensity of a baby, with no limits, no inhibitions, no doubts.
All that makes God love children. Jesus always looked out for babies, so much that he uttered very hard, even cruel, words against those who threatened their safety and innocence. In Matthew 18:1-35 he states that those who will not be able to go back to be like a child, will not be allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Again, in Matthew 19:1-30 he commands his disciples to let the children come close to him, and adds that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like them. These same ideas are reaffirmed also in Mark 10:1-52.
Parents getting ready to welcome a baby in their lives must be aware of the importance of the step they are about to take. It is actually a great responsibility to give birth and take care of such fragile creatures, and at the same time so precious to God’s eyes, untouchable according to His law! Parents must do all they can to guarantee the safety of the newborn, but also to guide the baby in his spiritual life. They will join him at the Holy water font to receive the Baptism, they will watch over his catechism taking part in it, making him understand the importance of the First communion, when the time will come. The parents will be in charge of showing their child what a real Christian is, of what he or she has to do so that, once the age for Confirmation comes, the child is aware of what this sacrament will make of him, recognizing him as a member of the church under all aspects. But the parents duties are not limited to that. It is very meaningful how they are supposed to follow their children’s life, from Baptism on, taking them to their Marriage, from one sacrament to the other, just like God Father does with each one of us.
A great gift then, a child, a new life that at least in part justifies the evil surrounding us, the pain and the injustices. It’s like God wanting to show us there is still hope with each newborn, that there is still room and time for love in this world. Until He will let such special creatures into this world, the world can be saved.
One of the most meaningful aspects of a new life is the parents’ preparation for the big event. A preparation that absolutely should not leave out the spirit, because, as we already said, becoming a parent is an important step, not easy at all. Even though we all are born with a natural predisposition to love and with a protective instinct towards children, all practical and theoretical contingencies demanded by the care for a newborn are not predictable nor easy.
There are of course pleasant aspects while expecting. Everything must be ready to welcome the baby, so that he understands from the very beginning that he was strongly wanted and loved by mom and dad since the moment he was conceived.
Here come the parents, working on setting up the baby bedroom. What should it be like? What will the baby like? What colors? What toys? It is hard to predict someone’s tastes, if that someone isn’t born yet! Even the most forward-thinking parent will only project his likings on the environment that will welcome the baby in his first weeks and months of life. The care and love of a couple of parents setting up the baby’s room immediately makes us think about a bird meticulously preparing the nest for its eggs. Just as the bird will do everything it can to guarantee its eggs, and later its chicks, protection and shelter, so the parents will try to give their baby commodity and safety, adding something nice, so that he can immediately understand that life can hold many wonderful surprises.
For Christian parents an object that can never miss in the baby’s room, and on the baby’s crib or bed, is the crib medal.
What is it?
The habit of hanging devotional medals and small creations in fabric or metal depicting sacred images above newborns cribs is very ancient. It was a way to protect the little ones from evil, to watch over their sleep and guarantee them Jesus, Mary and the guardian Angel’s protection as well. These are in fact the most recurrent images. In ancient times, medallions and medals for cribs could even be jewels, made of precious metals and polish, decorated with golden or silver filigree, or even with precious stones.
This tradition is common still today, and crib medals and medallions are very popular. They are often a gift for parents for Baptism, by the Godfather or Godmother, or by someone else who just cares for the baby’s fate. There are of any shape and material, in bilaminate silver and satin, or synthetic leather with embossed images and applications that make it suitable not just for cribs but also for the baby stroller.
On the stroller, we could just hang a simple medallion with a guardian angel image, tied with a satin ribbon.
They are usually of different colors: pink, if we have to ornate a girl’s crib; blue, for a boy’s crib; or white, suitable for both.
The guardian Angel is an image that children love very much. Since we are children we are told about this discrete and silent presence that walks by our side, always ready to reach out to save us from big fails, always attentive to our doubts and fears. For that reason, even if a newborn will not be able to understand that an angel is watching over him, representing the guardian angel on the crib medal on his bed will be a way to make this gentle and caring presence even more real and tangible.
A classic item, recalling past medals and medallions, is the crib medallion with angel, to hang on the crib, depicting the guardian angel protecting a boy or a girl. It is available with pink or blue ribbon and blanket.
For those who prefer a more modern and minimal design, there is the bilaminate crib medal, that is, made of wood with an aluminium plate, with a blue ribbon.
For a girl you can choose a pink oval-shaped medal crib with prayer, with a small carving of a guardian angel and embossed prayer. The bilaminate plate is applied on soft fabric finished with trimmings. The Crib medal is also a carillon: just press on the back to activate it.
Even Mary, the mother of all mothers, is often represented on crib medals. There are cute oval-shaped silver plate crib medals with Madonna, in fabric and trimmings. The bilaminate silver plate represents the embossed image of the Madonna of the Chair. On the plate the Hail Mary prayer is also carved, and the medal crib hides a Carillon that activates with a light pressure.
Many and original shapes, we were saying, like star-shaped crib medals with silver medal representing Mary holding Baby Jesus. They are made of velvet and available in white, pink and blue.
Crib medals and medallions with JesusJesus loved children deeply, he wished their happiness above all things, and was willing to throw himself at those who threatened such happiness. That is why his face is particularly appropriate to decorate crib medals. There are rectangular crib medals with Jesus, made of silver bilaminate and fabric representing Jesus Face. Entirely made in Italy.
You can also find medal cribs with the Sacred Family, Father Pius, or others. These timeless objects connect their protective function with the merely aesthetic aspect, giving the crib a touch of grace and sweetness that perfectly express the love of the baby’s parents and their wish to watch over the baby under every point of view. The sound of the carillons often hidden by the medal cribs will help the baby sleep, will accompany his first dreams, sweetly cuddling him and making his rest more serene.
In a previous article we largely talked about Rosaries, one of the devotional objects par excellence. Saying the Rosary has always been considered a way to fulfill our Christian duties, praying without tiring ourselves out, as taught by Jesus himself. On the other side, saying…
Saint Joseph in an unmissable figure when we think about Jesus life and work. Even though he was probably already dead when Jesus began his mission, it is true that his role of Mary’s husband and foster father of our Savior places him among the…
May is the month of Holy Communions.
The First Communion is one of the most important and precious sacraments in the life of a young Christian. It celebrates the moment when, for the first time, he or she will be able to approach the Holy Eucharist, participate fully in the Mass and receive the Body of Our Lord Jesus from the Priest. A truly unique and unrepeatable event, not only for the young faithful, who have prepared for it by a long catechetical journey over the two previous years, but also for their family, which, as tradition dictates, also makes it a occasion of celebration.
But we should stop for a moment to think about what the First Communion celebrations represent today.
It’s true that to make the day of First Communion a feast in the fullest sense of the word, and as such it should be celebrated by a big lunch, to which relatives, friends, gifts are invited, by a special dress for the young celebrant, are all ways to underline importance and value. However, it is necessary to ensure all these external elements are transformed into the true core for the day, at the focus of the celebration, overshadowing the true doctrinal and spiritual significance of the sacrament itself.
Too often it happens that the First Communion degenerates into a social event alone, an opportunity for the families of the children who participate to show off beautiful clothes and expensive banquets, often also facing very large costs, but losing sight of what really matters.
Too much emphasis is given to the outward appearance of this precious event, and by doing so, somehow the most profound and authentic spiritual meaning is betrayed.
It is a delicate thing to discuss, because it’s also true that it is right to make the day of First Communion a great feast for the child approaching the Eucharist for the first time and for those who love them, but at the same time, they risk exaggerating it.
Some parishes try to avoid the problem of the garment by offering to rent very simple white tunics to the children, and requiring them to use them during the ceremony. The white tunic expresses all the simplicity and purity expected of these new young Christians, who have been to receive the Eucharist for the first time. Because it is amazing when we discover the exaggerations some children wear as ceremonial dresses, particularly girls, for this great occasion. Just enter ‘communion dress’ into any search engine to obtain a bewildering snapshot. Lace, frills, long trainings, better suited to a Disney princess than someone who has come to the end of a deep, meaningful spiritual and human journey!
But there’s more, and always a concern with girls in particular. Much, too often, on the occasion of the First Communion, they have hair and make-up that to describe as out of place would be a euphemism. It’s true, we live in an era where appearance is taken as a social status, where children are constantly bombarded by inputs that impose precise aesthetic canons from a very young age, without which it is impossible to be recognized by their peers, appreciated, or become popular. Most of these inputs come from the media, from the world of entertainment, and they do not take account the fact that receiving these signals are often terribly young people, very exposed and malleable, whose perception of themselves and their appearance will be irremediably influenced by such unattainable models. Or their mothers who want at all costs to turn their daughters into small, well-dressed, slightly vain girls, who ‘need to show off by being fashionable.
The results do not change.
On a day where everything should speak about innocence and purity, spiritual candour and a new, fresh awareness of being Christians, most of the children appear like little models from a glamour magazine, or from a cartoon film, in fact, or even worse, like little miniature couples.
Beyond the absolutely wrong message, what emerges from such scenarios is a profound misunderstanding, particularly about the role of families, and the value of the sacrament one is about to celebrate. And if certain values are not accepted by adults, how can we expect children to make them their own?
There are valid (and less expensive …) alternatives to lace, bows, necklines and designer clothes.
Even if you don’t want to resort to the aforementioned rented tunics, which not all parishes offer, there are dresses for First Communion which are beautiful, well packaged, and above all appropriate for the ceremony that is about to take place. In the Holyart catalogue, there are various types, with a range of possibilities and combinations suitable for every child and every requirement. These are available in various sizes which are easily identifiable by being indicated in cm.
It starts with unisex tunics, which are suitable for both males and females, not unlike those used by altar boys who assist the priest during mass, to models that have been produced in a more specific way for boys and girls. In general these are dresses for the First Communion produced entirely in Italy by artisan workshops, some are very simple and linear, others have folds or pleats (wide folds usually placed on the rear side of the cassock) which make them more wearable, and a better accompaniment for the figure, with gold edges, or embroidery.
Fabrics range from cotton to polyester, the colour is almost always white, in all its shades, ranging from ivory to ice white. The embroideries offer a wide range of variations, from simple golden borders that adorn the hem of the dress and the sleeves, to more complex embroideries, in the shape of a cross, for example, covering the entire chest. Some of our First Communion dresses are also enriched by a scapula, a strip of cloth with an opening for the head, that rests on the chest and the back, which some religious orders wear over the priestly garment, edged in gold or decorated with embroidery. Others have additional decorative elements, like this model, embellished by a stole on which honeycomb cross is embroidered. Still others have the edges embellished with gallons, trimmings shaped like a crushed ribbon made of interlaced silk threads, usually gold or red.
An interesting variant is the Tarcisiana, a white dress similar to the gown, but decorated with two vertical red stripes that descend from the shoulders. The name derives from San Tarcisio, the patron saint of altar boys.
The simplicity of these clothes does not preclude the possibility of making them even more beautiful with a series of accessories designed especially for them, to complete the effect. We are referring to items related to the solemnity one is about to celebrate: crosses, headbands, crowns of fabric flowers, and girdles, the priestly belts with which to tie the tunics.
The clothing is completed by a beautiful First Communion cross, perhaps made of olive wood, simple, and suitable for children of that age. Because nothing is more beautiful than innocence to celebrate such a special day.
Below we present the products we’ve described, all of which are available on our website!
Since their origins, monasteries have not only been centres for meeting and prayer, but also the guardians of ancient knowledge, bulwarks of faith and spirituality even in times when ferocity and barbarism dominated the known world. The fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD)…
The Crucifix of San Damiano is the one in front of which St. Francis was intent on praying when, in the distant year of 1205, he received from the Lord the call to work to restore his church. The Saint of Assisi believed at first…
Baptism, communion, Confirmation.
Three of the most important sacraments for a Christian. Baptism establishes the entrance of the new faithful in the womb to the church, with redemption from original sin through water and its rebirth as a new man; the Communion establishes the first, true participation in religious life, because the faithful receives for the first time the Eucharist, after having followed a course of catechesis; the Confirmation, also called Confirmation, ‘confirms’, precisely, the Baptism, determining the entry of the faithful to his Christian maturity, recalling the descent of the Holy Spirit on him or her thanks to the laying of the hands of the Bishop.
Three unavoidable Sacraments, therefore, accumulated, especially nowadays, and in the Catholic West, by the fact that in most cases they are children.
Sacraments that become occasions for celebration, for the whole family, for friends, as it should be, given their religious significance, given the impact they will inevitably have on the life of the little boy or the girl who will receive them.
Baptism usually takes place when the child is new-born. His participation in the event will therefore be very limited, but, nevertheless, he will be the protagonist of this special day. Around him will gather parents, grandparents, all relatives, the Godfather and the godmother, all participating in this joyful event. Also Communion and Confirmation are celebrated with relatives and friends, usually organizing a lunch all together, or a snack, which also involves the friends of the celebrated, perhaps the same who have accompanied him during the years of catechism.
A tradition that cannot be renounced for these three occasions is the gift that the celebrated and the parents make to all the participants: the favours. Special favours, as is the occasion that they will have to remember who will receive them.
We have talked in previous articles about the huge diffusion and variety of favours available on the market. They range from design objects, precious in form and material, to handicraft productions, or homemade, or even to fair-trade favours, made with recycled products, whose purchase contributes to fundraising for various kinds of charities.
What is important to us is that, regardless of the type of candy you want to address, and of course the budget available, you should not lose sight of the spiritual significance of the occasion that is being celebrated, and that the wedding favour should commemorate. The sacrament of Baptism, that of the Communion, even more the Confirmation are not simply moments of celebration, like a birthday or a name day. These are unrepeatable and solemn steps that the young Christian makes on his spiritual journey. The parties that accompany them and the wedding favours that commemorate them should therefore underline the religious significance of these moments.
The custom of giving small boxes containing sweets, originally, and subsequently confetti, is ancient. Over time, wedding favours have become increasingly refined and often precious objects.
But it is not necessary to spend crazy figures to give to the guests who take part in the festivities during one of these sacraments an unforgettable candy box.
Let’s think about the favours for Baptism. There really are for all tastes and for all budgets.
It goes from the enchanting pendants and medals in gold and silver, with precious stylized angels in white gold, handcrafted in Italian jewellery, in splendid squares in Silver and Swarovski, or orthodox-style paintings depicting the Holy Family.
Less valuable, but no less striking and significant, the wooden squares to hang, rectangular and depicting the moment of motherhood. There are all kinds, decorated in, composed of delicious little squares made of silver foil and a photo frame to accommodate the photo of the baptized child. Favours decorated with Swarovski crystals of fuchsia color, or squares made of marble powder with images in relief on a glass plate and silk paper applications representing guardian angels. Most of these baptism favours are suitable for both boys and girls. Some products offer a different color version for boys and girls, such as the painting with the angels by Raffaello in silver and Murano glass available in Aquamarine colours. Changing gender and price ranges, there are the very nice baptism souvenirs, made of marble powder, shaped like a leaf or key decorated with ribbons, or the souvenir magnets depicting a book engraved with Maternity. Below we present the products described, available on our site!
The First Communion takes place in a moment of life in which the little faithful has already reached a greater awareness of himself, of his own identity, of his own path of Faith. This is why it is easier to find a more specific choice of wedding favours for male and female favours.
Also for the First Communion we find small souvenir objects, in the shape of a leaf and in marble dust with a baby or a child. Countertops made of marble powder and decorated with crystal rhinestones, crystalline glass with white decoupage positions on the rear of the cross, for both wedding favour for men and women. Souvenir objects representing the protective hand of God are very important, and seems to embrace sweetly the baby or child. Made of maple wood by the artisans of Valgardena.
Below we present a description of the products which are all available on our website!
If the favours of Baptism often recall the theme of the guardian angel and of Motherhood, and those of the First Communion the idea of protection, as well as showing the images of the vine and the ear, the favours for Confirmation recall the idea of the Spirit Saint and its symbolism. The Confirmation is among the three Sacraments the most adult one, the definitive awareness that makes the boy of the girl a true Christian, invested with the grace of the Holy Spirit and with all the virtues that it brings. A wedding favour can therefore be adapted to emphasize this aspect of the celebration. In this regard there are gift ideas and favours like the plasticized booklets with prayer for the sacrament of Confirmation, containing, inside the package, pretty metal necklace with pendant or a rosary. Also for the Cresima, it can be nice to give to the guests quadruplets in refractory clay and enamelled copper, made entirely by hand, depicting the dove, emblem of the Holy Spirit. Given the importance of the Sacrament and the age reached by the Confirmation, the Confirmation can also be an opportunity to give to the participants, or at least to the Godmother or the Godfather, a special favour, which remains as an imperishable and precious memory. Maybe a beautiful frame with the photo of the cresimando, in wood and decorated with small crystals and prayer, suitable for the occasion, with a miniature angel in the hands of which you can put scented essences for the environment. Or sumptuous sculptures in wood and crystal, made in Val Gardena, decorated with small crystals of white and topaz, depicting angel and written prayer. Another gift idea, perfect for Male and Female is the crucifix, in glass and crystals of amber and marble powder, with the body of Christ made of silver foil, all made by hand. Regardless of the material value of the wedding favours or souvenirs that we would like to offer to the participants in the Sacrament, the fundamental thing to remember is always and in any case what this day means for our children, for their life and their journey. Below we present the products described, available on our site!
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