Culture

fighting evil with prayer
October is the month of the rosary
By Michelle DiFranco | Photography by Phillip Shippert

During the last months and years, evil has been in the news. War, terrorism, human trafficking – it seems as if the news is never good. In the Sudan, an entire population lost its freedom to a controlling minority; in Somalia, whole families fall victim to genocide. In many parts of the world, the Catholic Church operates “underground” to avoid persecution.

We who live in the United States are lucky – are blessed. We have the freedom to express our religious beliefs, we can trumpet our faith from the housetops. We can put our many gifts to the task of fighting evil, and first among them is prayer.

One way to do this is by praying the rosary. This popular devotion developed in medieval monasteries, so that lay brothers who did not know the complicated liturgical chant could participate in the Divine Office in some way. Over the centuries, people have prayed the rosary to ask Mary’s intercession in protecting them from evil.

During October, the month of the rosary, we can make this little rosary bracelet to remind us to pray. It’s not an actual rosary, but a great reminder! You can wear it or hang it on the rearview mirror as a symbol of your faith.

You will need:

• Needle nosed pliers
• 53 4-mm faceted glass or crystal beads in a color of your choice. (Hail Marys)
• Six 6-mm beads in a different color (Our Fathers)
• Two 6-mm metal beads to use as end spacers
• One miniature metal cross charm
• One 8” piece of 8-gauge flexible jewelry wire

(all items can be purchased in the bead section of any arts and crafts store)

Loop one end of the wire
and string in this order:

• Two metal beads
• Cross charm
• One 6-mm bead
• Three 4-mm beads
• One 6-mm bead
• 10 4-mm beads

Repeat one 6-mm bead followed by 10 4-mm beads and loop end of the wire.

Originally Published: October 2005