What is the connection between the fall month with what is probably the most important and popular devotional form in the world? October – month of the rosary: historical memory, visions, a path of faith and fervor that comes from far away and carries the image of the Virgin Mary.

October is the month of the Rosary. We deepened the devotion connected to each month of the year in a previous article. In that occasion, we stated that devotion can be summed up in an act of love and trust uttered by men towards God, and we saw that some devotional forms became real prayers with time, prayers that can be optionally added to the official Liturgy or the Liturgy of the Hours.

The liturgical calendar itself reminds us about all of the holidays and celebrations we can associate with a particular form of devotion during the whole year. Not just that, the calendar of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite identifies a devotion for each month, related to particular holidays and commemorations celebrated during that month.

Therefore, January is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus; February is dedicated to the Holy Family; March is dedicated to Saint Joseph; April to the Eucharist; May to the Virgin Mary; June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; July to the Most Precious Blood; August to God Father Almighty and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; September to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross; October to the Holy Rosary; November to the souls in the Purgatory and to the dead; December to the Advent, Christmas and the Immaculate Conception.

It would be interesting to deepen the reasons that led to the affirmation of such devotions in the given months throughout the centuries. However, it is not always easy. Devotions have developed throughout time, throughout centuries of Church, and they vary from country to country. Some of them also gained a folklore aspect in time, such as the popular feasts dedicated to Saints, to Jesus and Mary, often merging with previous traditions, in a mix of religious fervor and local festivity. For sure, devotions are so strictly tied to the human side of the Church that they are an essential element, especially in their popular and communitarian dimension.

We said October is the month of the rosary. Where does this choice come from? The reasons behind that are many, mainly connected to historical facts. In fact, on October 7th, 1571, the Battle of Lepanto took place, when the fleets of the Ottoman Empire faced the fleets of the Holy League. The Holy League united forces from the Republic of Venice, Spain, the Catholic State, Genoa, the Knights of Malta, the Duchy of Savoy, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Urbino, the Republic of Lucca, the Duchy of Ferrara and the Duchy of Mantua. The win of the Holy League was overwhelming and determined the sunset of the Muslim power in Europe.

As we can easily imagine, this battle had great repercussions on a religious level. Before it even began, when the fleet of the Holy League was about to depart, Pope Pius V blessed the League flag, which represented the Crucifix on a red background, and the apostles Peter and Paul. Upon it, the Constantine motto In hoc signo vinces. Furthermore, the flagship Real showed the image of Mary as sign, with the writing ‘S. Maria succurre miseris’. The legend has it that once the battle was over, much before he could receive the news given the communications problems of the time, the Pope had a vision where he received the news that the League won the battle at noon. He then exclaimed: “It’s 12, ring the bells, we won in Lepanto for intercession of the Holy Virgin“, and he dismissed the people there. The Pope declared later that it was the miraculous intercession from the Virgin Mary that led the Holy League to victory, and therefore he wanted to consecrate October 7th to Our Lady of Victory. His follower Pope Gregory XIII amended the dedication into Our Lady of the Rosary. The belief that before the battle all soldiers of the League had invoked Mary’s protection on them by reciting the Rosary quickly spread, and that was what grant them the victory. Even the tradition of having the bells ring for a long time at 12 would be attributed to the Battle of Lepanto and to the vision of Pius V.

Therefore, October is called the Month of the Rosary, and still today the 7th day celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary, although not everyone can connect it to the Battle of Lepanto. Actually, the origin of Our Lady of the Rosary is more ancient; it dates back to the apparition of Mary to Saint Dominic in Prouille in 1208, that is, when the Dominican order was born. The battle only defined the day the Church should celebrate the holiday of Our Lady of the Rosary, or Our Lady of Victory.

The cult of Our Lady of the Rosary became even more popular after the Lourdes apparitions in 1858. During these events, Mary herself recommended practicing this devotion.

The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary in Pompeii is one of the most important places of catholic cult in the South of Italy and one of the most famous and visited Marian shrines in Italy.

In this month more than in any other, it would be appropriate to find some time to recite the holy Rosary. Among all prayers, the Rosary is the one that brings us closer to Jesus the most, and does so through the sweet intercession from His Mother. It is a contemplative prayer, the prayer of a Christian facing the path of faith towards Jesus, following Mary’s footsteps and example. The grains of the Rosary flowing through our fingers set the passing of days and years of a Christian life, marking the path of faith step after step. Everything in the Rosary leads to Jesus, to his image symbolized by the Crucifix, just as the whole life of a devotee must be addressed only towards Him. It is important to recite the Rosary as much as possible in this month, on our own or also in our family and parish.

And to do so, it is better to have the ideal ‘instrument’.

Holyart offers a wide choice of Rosary Crowns, of any material and shape, from the simplest ones to the most precious ones, or even for collectors, made following different styles. Not just that: Holyart also offers rosary cases of all kinds: cases, bags, boxes, table.

The most appreciated and popular are silver Rosaries, handmade in Italy with artisanal designing. They are often adorned with hard stones, such as amethyst, quartz, black onyx, coral, turquoise, but also brilliants, river pearls, mother pearls or Swarovski crystals. They are not just devotional instruments made to pray every day, but real jewels to wear, elegant and refined.

Even the Rosaries with precious stones and hard stones add an objective value to the devotional instrument symbolic value, thanks to the precious materials and the complexity of the workings and decors. Coral, garnet and agate are the most used stones, along with malachite, tiger eye, aventurine, hematite, amethyst, pink quartz and lapis lazuli.

In the same range of rosaries that are also precious jewels; Holyart offers a wide variety of Rosaries made of real Swarovski crystal and silver, handmade in Italy, with metal cross and cross vault.

Rosaries of pearl-like beads, handmade in various colors and materials, with rounded, drop, or even heart-shaped pearls, and Rosaries of glass of various colors, with grains of various sizes and metal binding, are for everyday use and an evergreen fashion.

Handmade cloisonné Rosaries are also very precious and particular. Cloisonné is a peculiar manual decoration technique, where small polished images are decorated with wire. There are also Rosaries made of Murano glass and Murrina-style glass, characterized by bright colors and a quality that is the result of centuries-old traditions and artisanal experience.

Wood is also used in traditional Rosaries, not only olive wood, which was typical of Franciscan rosaries, but also coconut tree, beech and rosewood. Handmade Rosaries with wooden grains impregnated with rose or jasmine scent are very evocative.

There are then Devotional Rosaries and Crowns tied to different traditions and prayers, such as the Rosary of the Virgin Mary untier of knots, the Crown of the Virgin Mary of the Seven sorrows, The Rosary Cento Requiem, The Crown of the peace of Medjugorje, the Decade of the Unborn, and so on.

Lastly, Holyart also offers many models of Electronic Rosary, both with loudspeaker or headphones, equipped with accessories and batteries included in the price. That way, you will not be alone in prayer even when you are unable to join others in this devotional act.

The Garden of Eden represents the first, immense gift that God gave to man and woman. Lost following the original Sin, it remains an emblematic place, a symbol of rediscovered innocence and inexhaustible hope. Let’s find out more about it.

We have already had the opportunity to talk about the Garden of Eden in a previous article dedicated to the story of Adam and Eve. It is in the Garden of Eden, also called Earthly Paradise, that God created the first man and the first woman, the progenitors of all humanity. The Almighty gave them a gift of that wonderful place and all the animals and plants that populated it so that they could enjoy their fruits and live in absolute happiness.

Absolute happiness … This is one of the characteristics of the Garden of Eden: a place of peace, harmony, where all races of animals coexist peacefully, where no flower is poisonous. Suffering is banished, and so is fatigue, illness, pain. Death cannot enter the Garden of Eden, where the tree of life, among others, blooms, to which we have dedicated a further article. God has placed this miraculous tree right in the middle of the garden of Eden, next to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and Adam and Eve can eat its fruit to their fill. In this way, they are immortal, immune to the passage of time, to old age, to disease, to death.

What is the origin of the Garden of Eden? Does it correspond to a real geographical location? And, if so, where was it located?

Meanwhile, let’s analyse the terms. The Hebrew word “pardés”, whose root refers to ‘paradise‘, means ‘garden‘. The compound term “Gan ‘Eden”,’ garden of Earthly Delights‘ (Genesis 2:8-14), was used to define both the earthly and the celestial paradise. The word “Eden” comes from the Sumerian, and means ‘ steppe, plain ‘. Some scholars have conjectured that God chose an area occupied by steppe vegetation to give rise to His Paradise, his garden of delights. Another theory links the Garden of Eden with a location repeatedly mentioned in the Bible called Eden or Edin. It was a region under the dominion of the Assyrians, located in the middle Euphrates, also mentioned in many Sumerian sources.

When we think of the earthly Paradise we don’t have to imagine an uncultivated and wild place. In fact, in ancient times the gardens were fenced places and in which the vegetation was regulated rationally. Therefore, the choice of creating a garden and giving life to the first man inside it would also fall within God’s precise plan.

Where was the Garden of Eden located?

Regarding the location of the garden of Eden, in Genesis, we read: “And the Eternal God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man he had formed … And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from it was divided into four arms. The name of the first is Pishon, and it is that which surrounds the whole land of Havila, where is the gold; and the gold of that country is good; bdellium and onyx are also found there. The name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. The name of the third river is Hiddekel, and it is the one that flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. ” (Genesis 2: 8-14).

This apparently very precise description actually contains references that are almost certainly more symbolic than geographic. At first glance, one might think that the Garden of Eden was located in a river valley, somewhere to the east, perhaps in Mesopotamia, at least according to most scholars. In fact, the region, crossed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and which occupied the territory where Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran now extend, had very luxuriant vegetation, thanks to the flooding of the two rivers, so much so that it deserved the name of the fertile crescent, sometimes typical of the steppes, which reconnects us to the aforementioned word ‘Eden’.

Other scholars place the earthly Paradise further north, starting from the assumption that if four streams of water came out of it, their source must have been further north than the course of the Tigris and Euphrates. Indicatively, we can think of the northern part of Armenia.

Professor David Rohl, a famous English archaeologist, after years of study, excavation and research, said that the Garden of Eden was located in a valley near today’s Tabriz in northern Iran on the plateau west of the lake by Urmia. The same scholar, the author of a book with the explanatory title ”Genesis was right ”, argues that what is told in Genesis is very reliable from a historical and geographical point of view. So also for Rohl the garden of Eden stood in ancient Armenia, around the basins of Lake Van and Lake Urmia, in the same region where Mount Ararat rises, on which Noah’s Ark stopped at the end of the Great Flood. The ark would still be visible, on top of the mountain, on clear days …

Again, some think that the Garden of Eden was located in the Holy Land, the land of Israel. According to this theory, the river that flowed in the earthly Paradise, and then divides once it leaves, would have been the Jordan. To support this hypothesis is the fact that undoubtedly, in those distant times, the course of the river was much longer. In particular, the Garden could have been located north of Galilee, on the border with Samaria, south of the Sea of Galilee. This area was in the past so strategically important and so fertile, thanks to the waters of the Jordan and the Harod River, that the ancient Jewish sages used to say: “If the Garden of Eden is in the land of Israel, then its gate is Beth-Shean“, referring to the ancient city that stood in that region.

Other scholars place the Garden of Eden in Egypt and identify the four rivers with the Nile, which made that land fertile and rich by flowing for long stretches under it, only to emerge at some points.

Finally, some interpretations exclude any geographical implication, considering the Garden of Eden only in the key to the reading of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from it. The garden would represent the Holy Land and the Temple of Jerusalem, from which the people of Israel, guilty of idolatry, were expelled, losing communion with God.

Regardless of the possibility of giving a geographical location to the Garden of Eden, as described in the Holy Scriptures, its importance remains a priority for every believer. Everything that happened in it, the temptation of the woman, the fall of the man, the expulsion of both, represents the beginning of the existence of humanity as we know it, in a theological key that justifies and explains the origin of all evil. The moment Eve and Adam chose to disobey, eating the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they lost the right to feed on those of the tree of life. In this lies the deception of the Serpent, who had promised them that, instead, they would be equal to God.

We will have to wait for the advent of Christ to find, in his Cross, the new Tree of life, source of salvation and eternal life.

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The figure of Jesus on the cross represents for every Christian the symbol of love par excellence, the incarnation of his own mission of faith and life. But how can such a terrible image convey such a precious message?

It is not easy to explain this contradiction since it belongs to the church from its origins. It may seem a paradox that Christians have made the cross, the instrument used to kill Jesus, the Saviour, sent into the world by God the Father, their main symbol. Even more surprising how, beyond the powerful symbolism of the empty cross, the figure of Christ on the cross, the more or less realistic representation of Jesus crucified, has become over the centuries an even more powerful emblem of faith. It is a tortured man we are talking about, a man beaten, stripped of all dignity, mocked by those whom he had come to save, and finally killed in a barbaric, horrible way. Yet those who believe in Him cannot help but look at the depiction of His agony without feeling a surge of love.

Because this is exactly what the figure of Jesus on the cross symbolises: a merciful, gratuitous, immense act of love. It is in the mangled figure of Jesus on the cross that the destiny of humanity is fulfilled, in the renewal of that Covenant with God, frustrated by the disobedience of Adam and Eve. The blood of Jesus, his tears, cleanses man from all guilt, opening the way to salvation.

But how did we come to this terrible act of violence, which is perhaps the culminating moment in the history of Christianity? Who crucified Jesus?

Why Jesus was put on the cross

The story told in the Gospels and the sacred texts are known to all. Jesus was dragged before the Sanhedrin court on charges of ” blasphemy”. In fact, as we learn from the Gospels, he had spent the last few years wandering around and preaching the proclamation of God’s Kingdom. But that’s not all. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, and, as such, to have been sent to judge men.
When the priests question him about it, He answers them without fear: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”. Jesus replied: “I am! And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven”. The high priest tore his clothes, and said, ‘What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy, haven’t you?” Everyone ruled that he was guilty of death” (Mk 14:61-64).

But the condemnation by the priests would not have been enough to send Jesus to death.
Judea, where Jesus lived, was dominated by the Romans, and it was only for the Roman Empire to decide who should die or not. The Jewish religious authorities had to convince the Roman governor of the extreme danger represented by Jesus so that he too would validate the sentence. Pontius Pilate, cornered by the fanaticism of the priests, will accuse Jesus of proclaiming himself Messiah-King, questioning the legitimate authority of Rome over those lands. This is the accusation with which Jesus will be sent to die, this is the Titulus Crucis, the sign that was placed on the cross to indicate the reason for the condemnation: Jesus Nazarene King of the Jews.

What were the last words of Jesus on the cross

There are several versions in the Gospels regarding the account of the last moments of Jesus’ life. According to some modern historians, these would be insertions made by the evangelists, driven by their own beliefs, and not actual events. Naturally, the importance of the last words pronounced by Jesus on the cross could justify the will, on the part of those who wanted to tell his story and spread his message, to transform them into a sort of prophecy.

But beyond the desertions and theological motivations, the last words spoken by Jesus shortly before his death constitute for every Christian an indispensable reflection of faith.

According to the Gospel of Luke, just before he died Jesus said: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46).

The other sentence pronounced by the dying Jesus is also attributed to Luke: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), although not all documentary sources confirm it.

According to the Gospel of John, however, the sentence pronounced by Jesus crucified before his expiration would have been: “Everything is finished!” (John 19:30).

Other phrases are pronounced by Jesus on the cross, according to the other evangelists:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Mark 15:34)
“Truly I tell you: today you will be with me in paradise” (addressed to one of the two thieves crucified with him, Luke 23:43)
“Woman, here is your son!”; “Here is your mother!”(addressed to the Madonna and the apostle John, at the foot of the cross, John 19:26-27)
“I’m thirsty” (addressed to the Roman soldiers, who gave him vinegar to drink through a sponge on a reed, John 19:28)

It is clear how, despite the differences between the different versions of the Gospel, all the words of Jesus on the cross are rich in prophetic meanings, which will form the very basis of many aspects of the cult dedicated to him, subsequently. Because it was certainly no ordinary man who died on Calvary that day, and the consequences of that unjust sentence would change the history of humanity forever, in a way unsuspected for those who had persecuted him with such determination. Every single word suggests the profound love that animated Christ even in that moment of absolute suffering, even when he doubts that God, his Father, has abandoned him. Yet, even then, not a word of blame for his tormentors, not a condemnation for the men who are killing him. Because they do not know what they are doing, and therefore they deserve forgiveness, they deserve paradise, that paradise that Jesus gives to the world through his blood, his body, his immense sacrifice.

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Why is it such an important symbol for Catholics?

We have already answered this question in the introduction, and having dwelled on the last words of Jesus has emphasised even more the profound meaning that leads the crucifix to be one of the most important and precious symbols of Christians. In the figure of Jesus on the cross, there is all the immense love of God for humanity and the remembrance of the hope of the Resurrection.

Representations of Jesus on the cross

The early Christians did not depict Christ crucified. To escape persecution they had to resort to symbols that resembled the figure of a cross on which a man was seated, such as the Greek letters tau (T) and rho (P), Or symbols taken from mythology or other religions, such as the dolphin and the trident.

After the recognition of the Christian religion, however, the representations of the crucified Christ immediately began to spread. Some, very ancient, have come down to us, such as the jasper gem probably of Syrian origin, dating back to the 2nd century AD, engraved with the figure of a naked man with his arms tied to the transverse arm of a cross, or the box of ivory kept in the British Museum in London which dates back to 420-430 AD and depicts the crucifixion, just to name a few.

The evolution of art forms, as well as of the church, with its vicissitudes, led to a distinction of the iconography of the crucifix that continued to change over time. Even today, however, the image of Christ on the cross is the subject of pictorial and artistic representations of all kinds, from Russian and Greek icons, typical of the Eastern Church, to statues and bas-reliefs, to Eucharist-carrying cases. And, of course, crucifixes and pendants of every material and size, to be worn or displayed in your home, to always carry with you and always have before your eyes the symbol of our Lord’s sacrifice of love.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Assumption and the Dormition

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

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

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

Ferragosto: how is the Assumption of Mary celebrated?

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

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

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

The Assumption of Mary in art

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

Chaplet of the Assumption

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

Here are the 12 greetings:

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

At the end it says:

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

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

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

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

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

The creation of Adam and Eve

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

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The Creation of Adam tapestry

Jacquard woven tapestry finished by hand and entirely made in Italy.

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

On the sixth day, he created Man.

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

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

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

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

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

The story of Adam and Eve for children

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam and Eve expelled from paradise

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

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

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

Who were the children of Adam and Eve

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are the origins of Mother’s Day?

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

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

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

May as the Marian month

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mary, mother of all mothers

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

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

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

Gifts for Mother’s Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medjugorje Rosary necklace with ceramic roses and grains in red crystal
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Angel Figurine, Friendship Model, Stylized in Fire Clay
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Glass crucifix in white Murano glass with colored murrina 25x15 cm.
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Pendant tau red hearts
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