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Prayer Shawls, Banners and Paraments

Prayer Shawl Ministry by Ann Goodwin

One morning I saw a spectacular Mexican sunrise:  yellow, orange, turquoise, mauve and peach.  It was so wonderful that I thought that I should try to save it in a Prayer Shawl.  How is it that I had all those colors in my stash of yarn?  One of the stitches is a Faggotting stitch.  My mother chose that stitch to knit our curtains when I was a child.  Knitting that stitch brought my mother to visit me.  I don't remember much of her. Dad was away in WWII and mom became quite invisible under an overbearing mother-in-law.  This is the 16th Prayer Shawl and was given away on Christmas Eve.  Yesterday I finished the 17th shawl.  This had a modified sunrise design surrounded by royal purple and will be placed on the Altar this Sunday (Dec 31). There have been no two alike.  Each evolves as I knit, if I make a mistake it becomes part of the design.  If I run out of yarn, I change the design.
 
"Magical" things happen when "I" am creating these shawls.  Pattern repeats end where they are supposed to even if I did not pre-plan the last row placement.  Designs happen, shapes happen (The last one being about 150 deg. arc.)
 
I said "magical", but is it?  Do I have any control over what happens?  Mistakes change into design;  rows end with just inches of yarn left;  circles not completed due to insufficient yarn suddenly acquire a triangle of 19 Trinity stitches in a contrasting color.  (Invoking the Holy Trinity for those who are sick has enormous power.)

I read about the shawl ministry in the Canadian Churchman (an Anglican Newspaper) and contacted the originators to find out more. Ever since, I have been driven by some force to make and give shawls to those who need them. Over the last 40 months I have made as many shawls. Thirty were given through St. Savior’s Parish in Penticton, B.C. and as of December 13th, 2006 thirteen have been given through St. Andrew’s Parish here in Lakeside.

In preparing  to knit a shawl I pray over the needles and wool before starting and continue to pray and send healing thoughts to the recipient while knitting. I consistently invoke the Holy Trinity, as the number of stitches is usually divisible by three, while the patterns and rows are formed from multiples of three.

A usual shawl contains over 50,000 stitches and takes from 20 to 50 hours to finish. The shawls are given free of cost as a ministry to anyone in a crisis, most often to those facing illness or in mourning.

From  feedback I have learned that many recipients immediately feel better as soon as they wrap the shawl around themselves.

Every shawl that I make is first placed on the altar and given to God, and most of them have been blessed by a priest, before being given further.

I believe that a Power greater than my hands or my skill is at work here.  My hands used to be stiff with arthritis but now I can knit for hours with no pain.  I usually become easily bored with large projects when knitting for myself and these are frequently tossed into a cupboard half finished.  I started a scarf in 1994 and it still is not finished.
 
I don't expect everybody could or should make as many shawls as I do, but I do think everyone who has the use of their hands can make one shawl.  I have suggested to some people that they make a shawl for a sick family member, their immediate response is, "I can't knit".  I think in most cases the word "won't" can be substituted for "can't".
 
Anyone can knit.  After all there are only two stitches to learn.  As in math there are only two things you can do with numbers.  There are many wonderful formulae from just two basic functions.  A Balance Sheet can be totaled using only the one function of addition.  In the same way a shawl can be made using only one stitch.  About 63 stitches knitted in one row, and this row repeated until the work is about 50 inches long and you will have completed a shawl.  As you are knitting, pray for the person for whom you are knitting.  This shawl is now full of prayer; and is now a Prayer Shawl.
 
For prayers to use whilst knitting, many patterns in English and Spanish, letters from knitters and shawl recipients, go to the international Shawl Ministry website: www.shawlministry.com
 
Yarn and needles are easy to find.  The tianguis sell very inexpensive yarn.  Small shops in Chapala and Jocotopec also sell inexpensive yarn.  The Knitting Club in Ajijic carries luxurious yarns at prices comparable to USA and Canada, also knitting needles are available here.  I will give the Club phone and address on request.
 
Psalm 139:13-14 - "You created every part of me, knitting me in my Mother's womb.  For such handiwork, I praise you.  Awesome this great wonder!"
God is the Knitter, all you and I have to do is hold the needles and the yarn.
 
To chat about this, you can contact Ann at the following contact numbers:  from  May 16 to Sept 16: 766 3329; from Sept 16: 387-763-0916.

Photos of some of Ann's shawls:

If anyone would like to make a prayer shawl or just learn to knit I would be happy to teach them. Email Ann Goodwin at acegmcg@yahoo.ca

Banners and Paraments

Banners and paraments (hangings) have been hanging in churches for centuries. They are usually made by nuns. In past times, the color of vestments and paraments changed to mark seasons of the liturgical year to inform those who couldn’t read, and the tradition continues: red indicates Pentecost and martyrs feasts, green is for the ordinary time after Pentecost, white for holy days, purple or blue for Advent, purple for Lent.

Banners are messages.  They tell the story, through symbols and words. Many Christian symbols date back to the first centuries after Christ while Old Testament symbols are older than the writings of the Scripture. Religious symbols are simple forms, not realistic pictures of objects. Many are actually letters from the Greek alphabet.

Making a Banner

Banners can be made by gluing designs cut from felt to a background of felt or they can be finely embroidered on velvet or silk. It is the skill of the maker and availability of materials that decides what the banner will be made of.

THE LENTEN BANNER
 
Black:  The total absence of colour or light.  Lent a period where we mourn our sins. In Luke 23:44-45 It says:  "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst."
 
Red:  Three separate bands signify the 3 days in the ground.   Also signifies the blood which our Dear Lord lost, the blood running down the cross and onto the hill called Golgotha, 'The Place of the Skull'.  If you look closely you can see the red beads stitched on the hill.  Count them and say them as a Rosary, as you ponder on them. Could you let your blood run freely so that others might live?
 
Gold:  The Crown of Thorns.  Who braided the crown?  It was probably a Roman.  One source says that it was made of reeds with thorns from another plant inserted into the braid.  As you walk to St. Andrew's church near the gate, have you noticed the cactus beside the sidewalk?  This is called the Crown of Thorns cactus.  Do you pull over so that you do not get your clothes snagged?  Jesus was not lucky enough to have a choice.  None of us would choose to suffer as He did.  Every time you work in the garden you usually put on gloves to save yourself from suffering.  We wear shoes lest we step on a scorpion or other things that may hurt us.  Go up close to the banner and see the drops of blood on the crown.  Contemplate this, and see His Life Blood leaving him.
 
There are legends surrounding the Cross.  One is that a little brown robin flew up to the Dear Lord's head and tried to pull out the thorns from that Face and then His Blood dropped on the breast of the robin and now all robins have red breasts.  Another version is that the robin was pierced in his breast with a thorn.  In North American robins, it is only the male whose breast is red.  In the European robin, both male and female have red breasts.  The robin is not native to Israel, but of late robins have been seen there.  Another legend says that the one garment that could not be parted and shared, at the foot of the cross, was knitted by Mary, in the round without seams, and therefore the soldiers cast lots for it.  Many Renaissance painters depict Mary knitting on 4 or 5 needles.

THE EASTER BANNER

The gold cross was knitted on 2mm needles with 8 strands of fine gold thread.  It was knitted in Linen Stitch which looks more like fabric.  It took about 40 days to construct it.  On the lower part of the cross you can see five red dots which signify the blood of Christ. These are red glass beads sewn in a spiral.  On the lower part of the cross is a silver cross over an orb meaning victory over the sins of the world.  In the upper left quadrant you see the Crown of Glory, signifying Christ the King.  In the upper right is the Rising Sun signifying the Resurrection. In the lower left is a butterfly to represent new birth and renewal.  Pure silk is the fabric of her wings.  She is also beaded. The lower right quadrant holds the Pascal Lamb carrying the flag of Victory.  Victory over the grave.  The Lamb (with blue eyes) was knitted from pure undyed mohair.  The design on her coat is called Trinity Stitch.  (Three stitches in one and one in three).  I have a personal attachment in that I knew the flock in Canada that that Angora Goat belonged to.  The blue beaded flowers symbolize peace and love.  The Alleluia is dancing with joy. The 'A' is illuminated with gold and blue and green beads to alphabetize the first letter.

 

 

 

PENTECOST BANNER

"And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit"  Acts 2:3-4

The Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the church, spurs Christ's followers into action, the fire of the Holy Spirit lighting the spirit of love, enthusiasm, and dedication to the spreading of the Gospel.  We celebrate the festival with bright red.  Red suggests love, the passion of the heart, and the zeal inspired by Pentecost.  The descending dove, still the most easily recognized symbol for the Spirit of the Lord, hovers above the flame.  We are reminded that the Holy Spirit breathes life into the church of Christ, giving workers in the church purpose and directions.

This banner was made to look like a stained glass window in a church.  The beige cotton is overlaid with cream bias tape to imitate blocks of stone.  The turquoise window, red and orange fire with the white dove are all individual pieces of felt joined together with black bias tape which imitates the leading joining pieces of coloured glass together.  In the centre of the flames is a Latin cross as a symbol of Christ, beside a star of David to indicate Christ's royal lineage.

 

PENTECOST BANNER #2

The long season after Pentecost is the Time of the Church - a time to respond to God's grace, to look toward spiritual growth, and to explore the teachings of Christ.  The Gifts of the Spirit are, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

 

Some of the most well-known Pentecost symbols are vines, branches bearing fruit, wheat, grapes, birds, fish, water, bread, and wine. We see ourselves as branches bearing fruit, birds feeding upon the food of the scriptures, participants in the sacraments, workers in the field, and messengers of the gospel.  Some of these symbols have been used in this banner.

 

Green depicts life and rebirth.  Matching this banner are the paraments (altar hangings), you will see that they are reversible, the dark green brocade matching the banner and on the reverse is leaf green silk.  Under the cross is a plaid effect, which, upon close inspection you will see is made of various shades and widths of satin ribbon giving  us all the colors of summer. 

 

Banners for the Other Seasons of the Liturgical Year