What's With the Chain? by Carson

Some people who know me personally might notice that I wear a small chain on my left wrist. What's with that? No, I'm not just trying to look punk. It represents something important. Stay tuned and you'll find out just what that is!

There are basically two different levels of what this chain on my wrist represents. The first is a more general, simple symbolization. We know that chains usually mean slavery, representing the unbreakable bond between the slave and his master. In a way, this is what the chain represents: If we are slaves of Jesus, we will not be slaves of sin. The most sure way of staying out of sin in this life is chaining ourselves fully to Jesus, doing his will completely, as a slave would. The only difference is that while an earthly master may be cruel and abusive, the real Master is all kind and merciful, and actually wants the best for us.

The second level of symbolization is who the chain itself represents: The Blessed Mother Mary. Now, I'm probably going to get more than a few raised eyebrows from those of our non-Catholic friends reading this. That's okay, I'll explain a little bit of the reasoning behind this to see if it helps some to understand. 

No, having the Blessed Mother be our chain doesn't mean that I - and the hundreds of other Catholics who strive to chain themselves to Christ - worship Mary. Let's make that clear. We don't. But we do honor her, and believe we can greatly benefit by asking her to pray for us. This isn't going around Jesus, but instead strengthens our relationship with Him. 

By the way, this isn't just something that I'm doing. Like I said earlier, hundreds of other Catholics strive to chain themselves to Jesus with the Blessed Mother's help. You might just notice some people you know who also wear the chain. Also, the chain doesn't come off. It's meant to be that way!

So, in conclusion, I, and many others, wear these chains as a symbolization of the bond between us Christian slaves and our loving Master. If you have any questions about anything mentioned in this post, feel free to send an email to actsoftheacostas@gmail.com and I'll try my best to answer you!

God Bless, 

Carson!