One special to me is praying with icons, an ancient practice that draws people into prayer and a closer relationship with God. In this manner icons are considered “windows into Heaven.” Today there are three icons on my kitchen counter—Mary, Jesus and St. George. My morning prayers are offered here, particularly at this time, for peace in Ukraine. A small candle is kept lit whenever I am home. In a box on my dresser is both a set of rosary beads and a prayer rope of 33 beads ending with a small cross and a tassel. The rope was gifted to me by an Orthodox cousin from Syria. The prayers said on each are different, but they both keep me focused on God. While these devotions are a form of personal prayer, experiencing them the first time was the result of both religious education classes and my family. Working together, parents and educators help inform, form and transform children into disciples through encounters with Christ. Devotional practices are an important part of the formation. In any Catholic classroom, there are children of varied ethic and cultural backgrounds whose families may practice religious devotions unknown to the other children, such as the Philippine tradition of Simbang Gabi, which includes a novena of sunrise Masses the days before Christmas, or the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead, a joyful celebration to honor and remember deceased loved ones. Among these varied traditions is a wealth of opportunity for enriching students’ understanding that faith in God and devotion to Mary and the saints may be expressed in myriad ways. Inviting children, and their families, to share their special cultural faith traditions enables all students to understand that expressing our love for God takes many forms, from simple prayers to liturgies, processions, pilgrimages, celebrations with music and dance, and, of course, special foods. RCL Benziger’s Our Family Devotions: Popular Devotions from Around the World, is a fascinating and colorfully illustrated collection of devotions with suggestions for expanding conversations with children. While the book is designed for families, it is a wonderful resource for the classroom, as well. Among the 39 devotions shared in the book is one from Argentina to Mary, Our Lady Untier of Knots, a prayer practice I have found especially meaningful during these challenging times. The book explains that the devotion was brought to Argentina many years ago by Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would become Pope Francis. While visiting Germany, Father Bergoglio saw a seventeenth-century painting of Mary in Heaven in which she is untying the knots in a long length of white ribbon, assisted by angels. The knots represent the many difficulties of daily life that Mary helps undo. Father Bergoglio was so moved by the painting that he had a copy enthroned in a parish church in Buenos Aires where it now draws many thousands of visitors on pilgrimage each year. As so often happens with prayer, devotion to Mary under this title is taking hold in the United States, as well. During a visit by the Holy Father to Philadelphia, a temporary wire-frame grotto for Mary Untier of Knots was erected, upon which were tied strips of cloth. Visitors were invited to write their troubles on the cloth and tie knots into the strips before untying someone else’s. I see a classroom, or school, tradition in there somewhere. For a resource that highlights the rich and diverse traditions of families and the Church, check out Our Family Devotions: Popular Devotions from Around the World, also available in a bi-lingual edition.
Mary Regina Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to nine, is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.