The Anglican Rosary

Solomons bloodstone baptism rosary

During workshops on making and using Anglican Rosaries, after we have made our own Rosary, I like to discuss ways people can continue to share the gift of prayer with others, through making and giving away rosaries. One of the examples I like to refer to is Solomon’s Rosary.

Not long after I joined the SSF community in Brisbane I met a young couple who I slowly got to know over a period of time, often while washing the dishes after the Saturday night Vigil Mass. They became an important part of my life; always around for me to laugh with or to download some of the difficulties I was having adjusting to community life.

Truth be told, it was my friends Matt and Steph (and others - please don’t feel cause I have not named you I don’t appreciate you) who made it possible for me to stop from packing my bags each week and leaving community life. Many a bowl of prawn laksa or corn chips and coke was had with them as they listened to me rejoicing or whining about life.

During a trip to the Solomon Is they had to return unexpectedly. We all soon learned of the reason for their early return; they were expecting their first child and Steph was not able to take the prophylactic malarial mediction. I was thrilled to hear their good news. Though even more humbled to learn later that they wanted me to be their baby’s Godparent. It meant a great deal to me that two people I cared for greatly and owed so much too were inviting me to be a part of their baby’s life in such a significant way.

It was not long before the relief of pregnancy was over and their son was born. (Lachlan) Solomon Smith was born on 24th March 2004; Maundy (Holy) Thursday to be precise. Later that year plans were afoot for his baptism and I was blessed enough to be part of the promises made on his behalf to raise him in the faith of the church.

I wanted something meaningful for to give as a gift to remember his baptism; something that as he grew older would come to learn about and would be a reminder of that day when his family and friends gathered to welcome him into the world, and into the church of God.

Being mad keen at making rosary beads it made perfect sense that this would be the gift I could give to him, a gift that when he was old enough we could talk and recall that special day when he was welcomed as a child of the community and the church. But it had to be more than just any ordinary set of beads I had made up to that point, I dind’t want it to seem generic, I wanted it to have a meaning we could share with him about.

As I said he was born on 24th March, 2004, on Holy Thursday. The traditional birthstone for people born on the 24th March is bloodstone; however it also has a greater and more significant meaning. Bloodstone is a green jasper that has reddish spot markings on it.

Medieval Christians often used bloodstone to carve scenes of the crucifixion and martyrs, for which reason it was also dubbed the martyr’s stone. According to the legend about the origin of bloodstone, it was first formed when drops of Christ’s blood fell and stained some jasper at the foot of the cross.

The double significance of bloodstone made it a perfect choice for making a rosary for Solomon’s baptism. In time we will be able to talk about its significance; not only as a prayer tool but about his baptism and the promises that were made on his behalf and also the connection of the stone to his birth on Holy Thursday.

I use this story to show people how we can make rosaries for family, friends etc that have more than just a nice look and feel about them. If we are in tune with our loved ones at special times in their lives; baptism, confirmation, first communion, marriage, ordination etc we can offer them a gift of prayer that is personal and meaningful.