It is the anniversary of the battle of Lepanto, now known as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Victory.Here is a history of the feast-day.
Here is a history of the rosary.
Don Marco discusses the comfort of the beads.
Sacramentals should be things of beauty. The soul thrives in an environment of chaste loveliness, harmony, and order. Finely crafted beads invite to prayer. There is no shame in going to God by means of the senses He has given us. The Word became flesh so that we, in our flesh and not in spite of it, might be able to go to God.
Thank you for posting about this feast day. As an Orthodox Christian, I have a couple of prayer ropes made of traditional wool. However, I do love rosaries and am considering purchasing one.
ReplyDeleteThe quote from Don Marco reminded me of one of the reasons I left the Presbyterian Church: the failure of Protestantism to realize the use of the physical and the beautiful in communing with God. And, really, not just the use of the physical and the beautiful, but the *need* for the physical and the beautiful.
Juliana
You are welcome, Juliana. Absolutely, since we are not pure spirits, but composed of body, mind and soul. And our religion is incarnational.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing on Lepanto, and the feast days associated with it.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to write something on the battle, but keep never getting around to it.
You should definitely write an analysis of the battle.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I acquired Christopher Check's cd set on the Battle of Lepanto, available from Catholic Answers. It includes a reading of Chesterton's poem as a bonus. I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteSounds fantastic, Stephanie! Thanks for the recommendation!
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