Catholic Traditions & Jewelry
Catholic jewelry comes in many styles and designs, including bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces. What may appear to be simple jewelry often holds significant spiritual meaning to the wearer. Each piece conveys an aspect of Catholic faith, spirituality and tradition. Priests are often asked to bless jewelry---and once blessed, the jewelry has significant spiritual value.
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Sacramentals
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Sacramentals are blessed objects used in religious devotion, such as prayer, meditation and as reminders of faith. Crucifixes, saint medals and rosaries are the most commonly worn forms of sacramentals. Some Catholics believe that sacramentals drive away evil spirits. According to the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, "One of the most remarkable effects of sacramentals is the virtue to drive away evil spirits whose mysterious and baleful operations affect sometimes the physical activity of man."
Crucifixes
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Sterling silver crucifix necklace. A crucifix is a cross with the crucified body of Christ depicted on it. The crucifix is the most popular variety of Catholic jewelry. Crucifixes are often worn as necklaces, attached to bracelets and crafted into rings. Catholics wear crucifixes as a reminder of Christ's passion and the price of salvation.
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Saint Medals
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Saint medals are oval, or round-shaped pendants depicting the image of a Catholic saint. Saints play an important role in Catholic tradition during baptism and confirmation rites. A saint medal is worn as a reminder of a saint's life and the virtues that one wishes to imitate. According to the Catholic website Saint-Medals.us, "A Saint Medal, to devout Catholics, is like a photograph of a beloved friend or relative, a reminder of someone we love and know loves us."
Miraculous Medal
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The Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, is the one of the most popular saint medals. According to the Association of the Miraculous Medal, it was designed by the Virgin Mary herself and shown to Saint Catherine Labouré as a vision in 1830. "The Virgin Mary promises many blessings, and extraordinary graces seem to follow those who wear the medal and pray for Mary's intercession. To those who wear the Miraculous Medal it is not viewed as a superstitious practice, but as a testimony of the power of prayer."
Rosaries
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A traditional Catholic rosary. Devout Catholics sometimes wear rosaries as statements of faith, and to keep them handy for prayer. Rosaries are occasionally worn around the neck, warped around the wrist or worn on one's clothing. Rosary bracelets and rings are also very common. According to the Rosary Shop, "Wearing a rosary has a long tradition, especially among religious orders. Making it possible for the Christian to easily pray the rosary at any time or place. It can help one to remember to pray throughout the day, as do rosary bracelets, pocket rosaries, rosary rings and other similar items."
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit rosary image by palms from Fotolia.com silver pendant crucifix image by Igor Zhorov from Fotolia.com red rosary image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
