Our Rosaries and Prayer Beads

Personent hodie voces puerulae - 

On this day earth shall ring with the song children sing -

This rosary is based on the wonderful medieval Latin carol traditionally sung by boys. It became a particular favorite of my older son, Gregory, when he was a young chorister. He told me just recently that at the time, he had no idea what the words meant--he just loved the way the carol sounded. I make this rosary each year at Christmastime. It's especially appropriate this year since Gregory and his wife are about to become parents for the first time.

The rosary is made of vintage (1950's) fine Venetian millefiori beads about 8mm in size. This year's Venetian beads are a great deal finer and more delicate than the 1970's versions I have used in former years which are no longer available to me. These beautiful beads have a red ground, which makes them very festive. The Pater beads are simple rounds of shiny 10mm black onyx.

The center medal for this rosary depicts the Infant of Prague in a radiant background. It harmonizes beautifully with the radiant crucifix. This rosary is one of a kind.

All the days of the poor are hard,
   but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

The "Christmas spirit" seems to have something to do with elves, shopping malls, snow, and spending lots of money. I ran into the actual Christmas spirit many years ago when my children were small. I dashed into the supermarket a day or two before the holiday to "pick up a few things." The young woman in line in front of me had separated her purchases into Food, Not-Food, and Other. The "Other" pile included a small ham, a bakery pie, some hard candy, and some chocolate kisses. She also brandished a tedious pile of "cents off" coupons. She seemed tense as she paid cash and coupons for the "Not-Food" items. She paid for the "Food" items with food stamps--which in those days were embarrassing paper as opposed to looking like credit cards. The cashier shot her an inquiring look as they came to the third pile. The young woman tallied it silently on her fingers, smiled, handed over her coupons, and said, "Ring it up. I'll be OK." She left the store with very little money. I left it immeasurably richer in spirit. She was blessed with a cheerful heart, and I hope her family enjoyed their Christmas feast.

This cheerful rosary is my way of thanking that anonymous young woman from so long ago. The Ave beads are faceted "poppy" jasper in warm, ruddy tones. The Pater beads are smooth red jasper, a bit brighter than than the small beads.

The rosary is graced with a simple, handsome Edwardian crucifix and center medal that will appeal to both men and women. It is small and compact in size.

This one-of-a-kind rosary will, I hope, bring a little Christmas spirit of the right sort--the sort that is rich in blessings and cheerful in the heart--where it really counts.

The angel Gabriel from heaven came 
His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame 
"All hail" said he "thou lowly maiden Mary, 
Most highly favored lady," Gloria! 

Another longstanding Atelier-Beads tradition is the creation of a special rosary honoring Christ's Mother.

This year's rosary represents a bit of a departure. As silver prices have inexplicably climbed, and as our pocketbooks have dwindled, it seemed almost too extravagant to render this year's version in silver. I have therefore chosen a lovely, mellow bronze for the crucifix and center medal. The crucifix is very Victorian, embossed with a subtle pattern of lilies. The center medal is a personal favorite, the "Ave Maria" center with crown.

To complement the new bronze fixtures, I raided my collection for the very last six vintage givre "cathedral" beads. These are quite old, with a subtlety and depth of color that is not found in newer versions. They're a swirling mixture of deep, regal, wine red and frosty clear glass with deep gold tops. Each Pater bead is set off by tiny vermeil caps and little freshwater seed pearls. The blue lace agate Ave beads coordinate and contrast beautifully, making a lovely, old-fashioned rosary of great delicacy.

As with all our Christmas rosaries, this rosary is one of a kind.