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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ave Maria prayer spread over the years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The power given by God Father.

The wisdom and knowledge given by the Son.

The love and mercy of the Holy Spirit.

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

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

Devotion of the Three Hail Mary

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

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

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

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

2. By the wisdom granted you by the Son

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

3. By the love granted you by the Holy Spirit

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

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

But let’s go back to the Hail Mary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Act of entrustment to the Virgin of Fatima

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

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

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

in mercy over humanity,

afflicted by evil and wounded by sin,

to heal and to save it.

Accept with the benevolence of a Mother

this act of entrustment that we make in faith today,

before this your image, beloved to us.

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

and that nothing in our hearts has estranged you.

May that we allow your sweet gaze

to reach us and the perpetual warmth of your smile.

Guard our life with your embrace:

bless and strengthen every desire for good;

give new life and nourishment to faith;

sustain and enlighten hope;

awaken and animate charity;

guide us all on the path to holiness.

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

for the excluded and the suffering,

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

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

Amen.

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 building itself, on its shapes and volumes already concealing many deep symbolisms and meanings, and on the choice of the disposition of sacred furniture that decorate the inside. Regardless of the historical period in which a church was built, or the architecture style it can be associated to, a church will have to be interpreted as an ideal scenography set to welcome liturgy. The building, the subdivision of spaces, even decorations of a church, have in fact the liturgic celebration as only and central cornerstone. We must take into consideration the historical and social setting in which a church developed. During ancient times, the architectural magnificence of a church, the opulence of its sacred decors, were justified by the fact that they were supposed to tell the magnificence and solemnity of the liturgy to men and women who had no culture, often unable to read nor write, nor to understand the mass celebrated in Latin. The evolution of the devotees throughout the centuries went along with the evolution of places of worship, with a progressive loss of the spectacular aspects of liturgy and celebrations. This makes the recognition of the changes in projects and planning of the place of worship even more fascinating, given the new necessities.

We will not linger much on the subdivision of spaces inside a church in this article. Briefly, we can generalize by saying that most of the ancient churches are composed of a great rectangular hall, or Latin Cross, divided into naves by lines of columns or pillars, always with an uneven number. The part of the church that is reserved to officials, the one where the altar is, is called presbytery; on its back, there can be one or more apses, semicircular or polygonal shaped structures, which can host the chair, which is the Bishop’s seat, and the subsellia, the presbyters’ desks. Ancient churches often have a transept, an architectural structure that crosses the central nave or all the naves on the presbytery line.

Every age, every culture, gave a particular interpretation on how a place of worship should look like, what it should convey. Some elements are always recurring, they stay as milestones, going through the history of Christianity, from the first paleochristian and medieval churches, to the modern steel and glass churches we see in our cities. Let’s talk about sacred furniture: altars, ambons, kneeling-stools, baptismal fonts, tabernacles, altar crosses, holy water fonts, and so on.

Int his article we will go over each one of them, trying to find their most authentic meaning in the church sphere, and the reason why they can never miss in a church. Let’s look at the specific aspects of the sacred furniture placed in the various areas of a church.

Door

The church door, whether big or small, majestic or discrete, carries a fundamental symbolic meaning. In fact, it symbolizes Jesus, a mandatory passage through which we have to go in order to reach God. It is not only a physical passage, but most of all spiritual. Those who enter the church door do so to leave the outside world behind their backs, even for a short time, with all its real, practical, external contingencies, in order to try to connect with their own inner reality, their soul, and through it, to God.

The mere fact of passing a church door implies the will to shake off your sins and place yourself in a state of grace. It is not by chance that church doors are decorated with engravings and sculptures that recall the Last Judgment and the concept of salvation.

Altar

The altar is surely the main element in any church. It is the cornerstone of the liturgic celebration, the symbol of the presence of God, since it’s on it that Christ’s sacrifice is repeatedly proposed. Every devotee expresses his own faith and participation to church life in front of it, not only by participating to the communion, but also by receiving the sacraments that are fundamental for his human and spiritual life.

Even during Pre-christian age, in other religions and cultures, the altar was a sacred furniture destined to welcome solemn sacrifices and faith vows towards men and gods. In the biggest Christian churches the altar can be surrounded by a ciborium, an architectural element shaped as a canopy.

A place of sacrifice then, and of solemn commitment, the altar can be made of various materials and have different shapes. Some altars are made of a whole stone block or brickwork, others of a marble slab placed on supports. There are stone, wooden and marble altars. In ancient times altars were often decorated with accurately chiseled panels, or with golden, silver or bronze sheets.

On the altar we can find many sacred decors that compose the supply of the altar itself: a table cloth for the altar, usually white to resemble the Last Supper table; the cross, symbol of Jesus sacrifice, of His death and Resurrection; the candles, or altar candles, that symbolize His presence and to some extent, His double nature of God and Man. The cross and candelabra are often coordinated. On the altar we celebrate the presence of Jesus (candles), His sacrifice (cross), and His promise of salvation for all mankind, with the offer of His body as bread (table cloth).

The arrangement of the altar table cloth, of the cross and candles is never random. Every gesture and placing are essential elements of the liturgic mystery, and as such they have to be considered. These objects in particular symbolize the presence of Christ at the altar, making it the perfect place for His sacrifice.

In particular, the cross has to be central compared to the two candle holders or candles. In order to make the liturgic celebration easier for the priest, in some cases the cross can be placed in front of or next to the altar, flanked by the two candle holders, but generally their arrangement should be on the altar itself and on the cloth set to host them.

The altar can also be left bare, but only on Holy Friday and Saturday, to symbolize the Passion of Christ.

An alternative to the altar cross can be the processional cross. This cross is similar to the one placed on the altar, but it is fixed on a pole about 2 meters long. It is used during processions, held by a crucifer, and once the procession reaches the altar it can become the altar cross itself.

Ambon, pulpit and lectern

Other scared decors that cannot miss in a Christian church are the ambon, the pulpit, and the lectern.

The Ambon is a structure placed on some steps, from where the lectures are read. In ancient times it was placed quite high, made of brickworks, wood or marble, closed on three sides with stairs on one side, or even two stairs, and sometimes it even had gates. Usually the ambon was placed on the right side of the main nave. It happened often that in the church there were two ambons, one dedicated to the espistolary readings, one to the Gospel readings. In general, the reader, the psalmist and the deacon could access the ambon. Ancient ambons were made of wood, but soon became much bigger and majestic, and were made of marble and enriched with sculptures and covered in precious metals.

Different form the ambon which is destined only to readings, is the Pulpit, destined to sermons.

The Pulpit was a kind of mezzanine placed in the main nave of the church from which the priest spoke to be heard by everyone. Today, with modern amplification systems in churches, its use is mostly decayed.

The Lectern is a sort of smallest version of the Ambon and the Pulpit. It is a structure, usually made of wood or wrought iron, destined to support a book, usually the Bible.

Kneeling-stool

The Kneeling-stool is a wooden piece of furniture with a step or a platform, on which people kneel to pray. The step is often stuffed, as the support for hands, and the kneeling-stool can be accurately carved and decorated.

Holy Water and Baptismal fonts

The Holy Water Font is a container filled with holy water. It is usually a tub placed on top of a column, a pedestal or even a sculpture (pile holy water font) or fixed to the wall (sealed holy water font) close to the entrance of the church. People entering the church can dip their fingers into the font and make the sign of the cross.

The Baptismal Font is a tub, usually placed on one side of the nave, in a side chapel or a building next to the church, the Baptistery. It is used to give the Baptism through the infusion of the water on the forehead, while in ancient times, recalling Jesus Baptism, it was a real immersion into the Baptismal font. The water inside the baptismal font is considered symbol of life and sign of Christ, and thanks to it we are awarded with rebirth, washing us clean from the original sin.

Tabernacle – the Lamp of the Blessed

The Tabernacle is a container placed in every Christian church where the consecrated hosts are stored, usually inside a pyx, a box with a foot and a lid. There are wall Tabernacles (recess) and table Tabernacles (boxes placed on other structures). Next to the Tabernacle there is an always burning lamp, called Sanctuary Lamp, symbolizing the presence of God. For the Jewish the tabernacle was the holy place that hosted the Ark of Alliance. Still today in Christian churches the tabernacle is covered with a veil called canopy, recalling the tent that covered the Jewish tabernacle. The access to the tabernacle is reserved to presbyters and deacons, while it is usually locked as the canonical right codex says.

Cathedra

The seat or throne on which the Bishop seats in a church is called Cathedra, and is symbol of the authority and power of the Bishop himself. In fact, when the Bishop seats on the Cathedra, everything he says is as inspired directly by God, as if he did nothing but give voice to His will.

Via Crucis

Even the Via Crucis can be considered as a real sacred decor. All churches and places of worship have one, inside or outside. They are 14 pictures, sometimes 15 because some Via Crucis consider also the final stage when Christ resurrected, and they remember the Passion of Christ and his painful path towards crucifixion and death. The Via Crucis was born in medieval age as penitence path for those who could not go to pilgrimage in the Holy Land, in the places that actually saw the passion of Christ. The stations of the Via Crucis are usually composed of pictures made of wood, marble, stone, bronze and so on.

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 of Medjugorje is also called Our Lady of Peace, because the message she entrusted, and still today entrusts, to her seers is a message of Peace, a Peace that can be reached through a path that includes five passages, called the “five stones”:

1. the humble prayer (possibly the daily Rosary)
2. fasting on Wednesday and Friday, or, if not possible due to health problems, an offer to Mary on those days.
3. daily reading of the Bible.
4. Confession once a month.
5. Eucharist every day.

The story of the apparition is well known to everybody: on June 24th 1981, in the afternoon, Ivanka Ivanković and Mirjana Dragičevi, at the time teen agers, were walking around the hill of Podbrdo, near Medjugorje, when they saw the image of a young and beautiful woman going towards them floating on a cloud. This was just the first of a series of apparitions that never ceased, and that went through some variations in place, details and frequency. The two girls went to call their friends, of the same age, and the mysterious lady appeared to them as well, this time holding a baby in her arms. Only in the first three years, Our Lady of Medjugorje appeared at least 1100 times to the kids.

The dynamics of those meetings repeat themselves, as does the greeting of the Virgin to the seers, smiling to them with endless sweetness: “Jesus Christ be praised”.

But what does this young and smiling Madonna look like? She seems flying, her feet hidden by a cloud, and her head with a halo of stars.

Statue of Our Lady in Tihajlin, near Medjugorje

Vicka (Vida) Ivanković, one of the most famous seers who was seventeen at the time of the apparitions, and who claims she sees Mary everyday since then, tells about a wonderful girl, about twenty years old, wearing a long dress and a light veil on her head; blue eyes, black and slightly wavy hair, oblong face, pink lips and cheekbones. She smiles with endless sweetness, and is so beautiful that no words can describe her. Her feet are covered by the dress and the cloud she floats on, while she has a crown on her head, symbol of triumph and regality, composed of twelve stars, as twelve were the tribes of Israel, the Apostles and the privileges of Virgin Mary:

1st PRIVILEGE: Mary Predestination.

2nd PRIVILEGE: The Immaculate conception of Mary.

3rd PRIVILEGE: The perfect compliance of Mary to God’s will.

4th PRIVILEGE: The eminent Sanctity of Mary.

5th PRIVILEGE: The Annunciation.

6th PRIVILEGE: The divine maternity of Mary.

7th PRIVILEGE: The perfect virginity of Mary.

8th PRIVILEGE: The heart martyrdom.

9th PRIVILEGE: The happiness of Mary for the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

10th PRIVILEGE: The Assumption to the sky of Mary.

11th PRIVILEGE: The regality of Mary.

12th PRIVILEGE: The meditation of Mary and the power of her intercession.

Vicka (Vida) Ivanković

Sometimes her dress is white, some others it’s blue, and others it’s golden. She is always surrounded by light, and with that light she calls the seers towards her, disclosing her location. And she’s always smiling, Our Lady of Medjugorje, beautiful, happy to meet her seers and friends and to be able to talk to them working as mediator between God and men as the sweetest and most attentive mother.

That is how Our Lady of Medjugorje is represented in the countless images depicting her: a beautiful girl with a sweet smile and a slightly sad look. In the statues of Our Lady of Medjugorje, for example, she always has long and wavy hair, covered by a veil. Sometimes the color of her hair changes, like the color of her eyes, but they are always sweet and looking down, towards those gathered to pray around her, hoping for a benevolent look, for her intercession, for a grace.

In the images of Our Lady of Medjugorje, artists try as they can to express the beauty of this young woman, a beauty that is undescribable, according to what seers say. This is why statues, prayer cards and paintings of Our Lady of Medjugorje instill a sense of peace and happiness to those looking at them. What is more comforting than turning your eyes towards the face of such a beautiful, sweet and lovable girl? A statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje in your home, a portrait hanged to the wall, just a small lithography or a sumptuous tapestry can clear up all the things nearby with their beauty, just like the Virgin seems radiating light, according to the seers words. Artisans in Medjugorje started creating small pictures using the typical red stones of that area, on which they apply gracious images of Mary. Using rocks and stones from Medjugorje, the artisans create heart-shaped images of Mary or other metal applications on stone for tables decoration.

Other beautiful items to keep in your home can be the images that represent Our Lady of Medjugorje as the Queen of Peace: they are hand-painted wooden statues, classy and delicate, that recall the description of the seers: under the image of the Virgin there is a golden writing saying ‘Regina pacis’, Queen of Peace.

Here are some of the statues and portraits described above:

Of course, among all the iconographic interpretations of Jesus’ Mother, the one of Our Lady of Medjugorje is the most beautiful, most comforting for the eyes and the heart.

Wall portrait made of hardwood, with Our Lady of Medjugorje lithography. Made in Italy. Buy on Holyart Wall tapestry with image of Our Lady of Medjugorje on landscape. Jacquard tapestry, hand-refined and entirely made in Italy. Buy on Holyart Picture made of stone from Medjugorje with image of Mary and child. This picture is made of Medjugorje red stone by local artisans. Buy on Holyart Heart-shaped image on stone with Our Lady of Medjugorje and child. Made by local artisans from Medjugorje. Buy on Holyart Image of Our Lady of Medjugorje on stone. Handmade ornament with Mary image and metal Medjugorje writing. Buy on Holyart Queen of Peace of Medjugorje in maple wood. Hand-painted statue, classy and delicate, created following the description of the seers with golden writing: Regina pacis', that is, Queen of Peace is the light of our time. Buy on Holyart

Hand-painted statue, classy and delicate, created following the description of the seers with golden writing: Regina pacis’, that is, Queen of Peace is the light of our time.

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 most important saints that are adored by the Catholic church. His popularity arises for a number of reasons. First, he was a just man. That is how he is described also in Matthew’s Gospel. Just, because he did not want to repudiate and publicly deny Mary when he found out about her miraculous pregnancy. Even if hurt and grieved for what was for him, at least at the beginning, a proof of adultery, he did not want to ruin the girl he had married; when the angel appeared to him, exhorting him to take care of her and the baby in her womb as if he were his child, Joseph humbly and dedicated accepted his fate and role. He loved and respected Mary as the most devoted husband would do, protecting her from dangers, watching over her, always attentive and present, and at the same way he raised Jesus as a son, trying to convey him all his knowledge, making him feel part of a loving and close family. A special man, Joseph was, maybe just for his simplicity. The fortune that his cult had since the ancient times probably lies in the fact that he was a common man, with whom anyone could easily identify. A big role in being a common man was undoubtedly played by the fact that he was a hard worker.

St. Joseph and the link with the Workers’ Day

Gospels tell us that Joseph was a téktón, Greek word with many interpretations. If the popular culture chose to see Joseph as a humble carpenter, it is likely that his job was much more complex and articulated, connected to the construction industry. Scholars debated long about that, proposing various theories. Our real concern here is to underline that Joseph worked, a lot, and that he taught his Job to Jesus, as that was the tradition of those times. Therefore Saint Joseph, besides being the protector of family fathers, carpenters, ebony carpenters and dying people, is also recognized as the protector of all workers. Saint Joseph is not only celebrated on March 19th, according to the tradition, but also on May 1st, Labor Day. Pope Pius XII established this

liturgic memory in 1955, associating the figure of the Saint with the concept of work dignity itself, which in this context becomes almost an extension, a fulfillment of God’s work. During the Vatican Council II we can read of how in the figure of Saint Joseph, humble, devoted and faithful “we can recognize the dignity of human labor, as duty and perfection on men, beneficial exercise of his domination over the creation, community service, extension of the work of the Creator, contribution to the salvation plan” (see Conc. Vat. II, Gaudium et spes, 34).

The gratitude of the Popes

He was very dear to Pope John Paul II, and even more to Pope Francis, who underlined the importance of labor in a men and women lives during the celebration of the morning Sermon to Saint Martha on May 1^st, 2013. He spoke in particular about the concept of ‘dignity’ that is part of labor itself, that dignity that is too often denied to those who would like to work but cannot: “Those who work are worthy, have a special dignity, a dignity as a person: men and women that work are worthy […] (Many people want to work but cannot. […] (This) is a burden for our conscience, because when the society is organized in such way. […] Not everyone has the chance to work, to be “oiled” by the dignity of labor, that society is not good: it is not just! It goes against God himself, who wanted our dignity to begin from here“.

So that is how all those men and women who want to have a job more than anything, but are not able to find one, turn to Saint Joseph. People that are bent by necessity, and even more by the sense of incompleteness and indignity, even though that does not depend on their will, and feel doomed because of this lack. Praying to Saint Joseph becomes then a way to find the strength everyday to get over the discomfort, to renovate one’s commitment in the search, relying on the benevolence of this so humble and working saint, this simple but dignified man, who made himself instrument of God’s will going against his own pride and his understandable doubts, in the name of a mysterious plan, of a love that goes beyond any human conception.

We already talked in other articles about the Novena in Catholic church. It is a form of Christian devotion that entails saying a particular prayer or Rosary for nine consecutive days.

The Novena is usually practiced when approaching a holiday or a solemn celebration, and in general, it represents a mean of devotion for the believer asking for a grace. We remember for example the Christmas Novena, that is said starting on December 16th until Christmas Eve, and that recalls Mary’s pregnancy; or the Novena to Mary undoer of knots, with which the devotees ask for Mary’s help to untie any knot causing them pain.

Saint Joseph has his own Novena as well, dedicated to those who work, those who would like to find a job, those suffering from their job, and in general to those who see the fulfillment of themselves as individuals and members of the society in their job activities. The Novena to Saint Joseph is usually prayed from April 22nd to 30th, but can be said anytime, if someone is looking for a job, or suffers for not working, or if someone’s relatives or friends are suffering for a condition of unemployment they didn’t look nor wish for. It is usually said with a rosary, called Rosary to Saint Joseph, and expresses all the devotion to the Saint, invoking his benevolence, his comfort and his protection. In this case, as it often happens with Mary, it is Joseph that works as mediator between the devotee and God, to get him the grace he has been invoking and that is job related, even if that is never openly stated in the prayer, as instrument for awareness and individual dignity.

Prayer to Saint Joseph

Oh Saint Joseph, my patron and my advocate, to you do I have recourse that you may obtain for me that grace for which I humbly pray.  It may well be that the disappointments and the bitterness in my life may be the just punishment for my sins.  But even If I should have to recognize my own guilt, need I lose hope in obtaining the help of the Lord?  “Oh! No!’ would be the answer of your devoted client, Saint Theresa, ‘indeed, nor all you poor sinners.

No matter how great your needs, turn to the powerful help of Saint Joseph. Go to Saint Joseph with sincere confidence and rest assured that your pleas will be heard”. Therefore, I present myself before your glorious throne, 0 Holy Saint Joseph. And beg for your powerful intercession in my present tribulations.  And grant that having obtained the favorable answer to my petition, I may return to your altar and there fulfill my devotion of praise and thanksgiving for your Intercession.

 Our Father – Holy Mary – Glory.

 Remember O most merciful Saint Joseph, that no one who has ever had recourse to you was left unaided. Countless are the graces and favors which you have obtained in answer to the prayers addressed to you. The sick, the oppressed, those who suffer injustice, the betrayed, the abandoned, in short, all who have had recourse to your protection were aided in their afflictions. Deh! o Holy Saint Joseph, do not leave me to be the only one to be deprived of your help. Show yourself kindly and generously even to me, so that my prayers of thanksgiving for your mercy may rebound for the greater glory of God.

 Our Father – Holy Mary – Glory.

 O Saint Joseph, head of the Holy Family, I venerate you from the profoundest depth of my heart. To the afflicted who have appealed to you before me, you have granted comfort and peace. Console even my own poor afflicted soul. You know all my needs, Saint Joseph, even before I set them before you in prayers. You know how important this petition is for me. No human heart can comfort me; I hope you can bring comfort to me, o glorious Saint. Grant me the answer to the favor for which I so desperately pray and I pledge myself to spread your devotion everywhere and to support, within the limits of my abilities, those charities which, in your name, aid the afflicted and the dying throughout the world. O. S. Joseph, consoler of the afflicted, have mercy on my Sorrow!

 Our Father – Holy Mary – Glory.