Just a few weeks ago I purchased a beautiful antique Italian ex voto to mark the entrance of my house. I thought it would be the perfect thing to remind me of answered prayers and life's many blessings. Many times you might have noticed these items on blogs, in decorative magazines and in other places. They are often pictured as hearts sometimes with small religious markings, adornments in silver, gold, enamel or sometimes even jeweled. I have seen some that were made into lockets for holding a prayer inside. Some of the ex votos were designed with a small flame attached to illustrate the Sacred Heart, such as the one that I purchased. Here is a picture of the one that I bought and hung in my entrance hall. To me the Sacred Heart ex votos are some of the most beautiful.
For those of you not familiar with an ex voto, Wikipedia says: An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ex voto suscepto, "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. Ex-votos are placed in a church or chapel where the worshipper seeks grace or wishes to give thanks. The destinations of pilgrimages often include shrines decorated with ex-votos. Ex-votos can take a wide variety of forms. They are not only intended for the helping figure, but also as a testimony to later visitors of the receieved help.
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