St. Thomas Aquinas wrote about memory in his Summa Theologiae, particularly in the section on the virtues associated with prudence. He regarded memory as an essential tool for practical wisdom, as it allows one to apply past experiences to present situations.

Aquinas believed that memory can be strengthened through specific techniques. He borrowed ideas from the Ad Herennium, a classical text on rhetoric, and he recommended the following methods:

1. Order: Aquinas emphasized structuring and organizing material in a logical order. This could involve breaking up complex information into smaller parts or placing items in a sequence that is easy to recall.

2. Association with images: He suggested associating ideas with vivid, often unusual or strange images, because such imagery makes information more memorable. The more striking or emotionally charged the image, the easier it is to recall.

“The Lord of the Rings” is a landmark in the history of fiction — widely imitated by many writers but (arguably) never equaled. It’s full of beauty, sorrow, destruction, hope, and heroism.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author, called the books “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work,” which surprised many readers.

This is partly because Tolkien wasn’t as overt with religious symbolism as C.S. Lewis. In Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia,” it’s hard to miss that the lion Aslan represents Jesus. “Narnia” is a great work in many respects, but too preachy.

People turn to sermons for preaching, but they read fiction to be immersed in a world where the religious element is more subtle.

Nevertheless, Catholic themes abound in “The Lord of the Rings.” Here are a few.

Goodness is objectively real.
Within the wider Middle Earth saga (beyond “The Lord of the Rings”), Tolkien explicitly identifies a creator who made the world good and who — despite the entry of evil into his creation — promised that he would bring an even greater good from the brokenness that plagued Middle Earth.

This stands in sharp contrast to some modern ideologies, which treat goodness as a purely subjective value or see good and evil as equal forces.

We need God’s grace to overcome our fallen nature.
The One Ring of Sauron exercises power over those who wear it in a similar way as original sin binds us. And as the characters in “The Lord of the Rings” couldn’t be completely free of the ring's power without aid, we rely on Christ to be free from sin.

Growth requires sacrifice.
The hobbits and other inhabitants of Middle Earth know that saving their world from the forces of evil requires heroic sacrifice, even to the point of losing one's life. This recalls Christ's words in Matthew 10:39: “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Even seemingly insignificant people have an important place in God’s plan.
There are many heroes in “The Lord of the Rings,” but the hobbits are the stars. These small creatures, who normally shirk adventures and prefer a peaceful life in the Shire, show that God doesn’t always choose the mighty to carry out His plans. In our world, for example, he chose a humble, relatively unknown virgin to be the mother of His Son.

There are many other Catholic themes to explore, including the Lembas bread and the Eucharist, Gandalf as Christ the priest, and Aragorn as Christ the king. If you’ve never experienced “The Lord of the Rings” or want to reread it, grab a boxed set from our online store and discover its rich symbolism for yourself!

The Rosary is one of the most beloved and powerful Catholic prayers. Countless miracles have been attributed to people devoutly reciting this prayer.

But where did the Rosary come from? Our modern form developed over a long period of time. Here are some key moments.

Monks develop rhythmic prayer.
Since the emergence of monastic life in the late third century, monks developed a habit of rhythmic prayer. For example, a monk told St. John Cassian that he often repeated these words: “God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.” Other monks repeated the Jesus Prayer several times in succession.

Early on, monks started chanting all 150 Psalms each week. Note: The number of Hail Marys in the Rosary — minus the three initial Hail Marys — is 150. Some monks used free beads in their pockets to keep track of the prayers. They then started adding passages from the New Testament to meditate on — a precursor to our Mysteries.