Monday, December 20, 2010

Anyone Recognize These Chaplets?

Yesterday Richard Bonomo, Kathbert, and I spent hours online reading about chaplets.  Kathbert has an unusual one the OTHER choir director gave her which has one hundred beads, no divisions, and a San Damiano crucifix on the end.  She thought this was puzzling because the hundred-bead chaplet is usually an Orthodox thing, but the San Damiano crucifix is associated with St. Francis, and the Orthodox are not fans of his.  However, we discovered there are Byzantine Rite Franciscans, so they would probably use the chaplet like the Orthodox would, by praying the "Jesus Prayer" one hundred times. 

I am forever acquiring mysterious chaplets (and losing favorite ones, but that's another post); for example, just today I was going to show Light Bright a standard rosary, so I reached into my purse... and withdrew a one-decade rosary of translucent turquoise beads that I do not recall ever seeing before in my life.  While it's entirely plausible that people are sneaking into my office and planting one-decade rosaries in my purse while I'm not watching, that doesn't explain the odd chaplets that I have found around my house.

Seven Groups of Three


The online research we did would seem to indicate that this is a Peace Chaplet, which is something connected with Medjugorje.  The fact that the medal in the center says "Medjugorje" would seem to support this theory.  In this case, the single bead is the Creed and then each group of three is an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.  But hey, a group of three lends itself well to things like the "Trisagion":

Holy God (first bead)
Holy Mighty One (second bead)
Holy Immortal One (third bead)
Have mercy on us (fourth... uh oh)

Six Groups of Three


We could find nothing online about this chaplet.  The crucifix, with grapevines on the ends and a huge halo over Jesus' head, is easily found online, but we could find nothing about its significance.  The beads are roses, and the chaplet was made in Italy.  Let me know if you know anything about this lovely little chaplet.  Kathbert suggested I create my own devotional and even mentioned an ancient Celtic prayer from the Sarum Primer:

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.

That only equals five, and far be it from me to amend an ancient Celtic prayer, but there does seem to be a line missing:  "God be in my ears, and in my listening."  So I figure I can pray this chaplet this way:  the Creed on the crucifix, an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be on the three starting beads, and then the first line of that prayer on the first bead in each group of three, followed by a Hail Mary and a Glory Be.  This appeals to me because the prayer is ancient AND Celtic, both traits that appeal to me.  And what should I call this chaplet?  The Celtic Chaplet?

Famous Hat

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