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Getting to know the rosary

10/31/2009

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The HeArt of Prayer and Devotions: A Rosary and Chaplet Exhibit of the FAITH Unified School is one of the most unique religious exhibits ever mounted in the country. Among other things, the exhibit hopes to lead visitors, especially the faithful, into deeper contemplation of the mystery and beauty of creation and redemption, and also bring them closer to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. The chaplet prayers hopefully give visitors some insight into the variety and profoundness of Catholic prayers and the beads — an insight into the different cultures of the world — how diverse these cultures and, at the same time, how there can be unity amid this diversity in the Catholic Church. The exhibit is open to the public Mondays to Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., from Aug. 27 to Oct. 30.

The exhibit offers a unique experience to visitors. First, it tours them through the articles of faith as expressed in the Catholic's Profession of Faith, the Apostle's Creed. One gets to discover various devotions to the Blessed Trinity, God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the (communion of) saints, and prayers for the souls in purgatory and departed loved ones (resurrection of body and life everlasting).

Many of the chaplets are actually popular devotions and invocations. The chaplet beads merely serve as alternatives for devotees who can't undertake the pilgrimage and other practices associated with the devotions. Examples of these are Stations of the Cross, the Precious Blood, the Five Wounds and the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Practically all the chaplets are approved for use in the universal Church.

Second, the prayer beads on display offer an insight into many possible ways of making rosaries using various materials. Honoring God by making beautiful sacramentals need not be very expensive. Most of the beads on display are of natural materials in their natural colors so one can see how beautiful nature (creation) is. Many are handmade by ordinary people and sometimes by tribes in remote areas of other countries. All the rosaries on exhibit were hand-made in the Philippines by the staff of Maverick Communication Inc. as a special commitment to promote the praying of the rosary.

There are 32 frames on exhibit displaying about 40 chaplets.