“Italians come to ruin most generally in three ways ~ women, gambling, and farming."
Saint Pope John XXIII, feast October 11th
I'm half Italian (in case you didn't already guess that from my name), so I can put up an Italian joke....and Pope John XXIII was Italian too, so I guess he knew what he was talking about! FARMING! Hysterical! Though I have always thought of Italians as good farmers and gardeners. Maybe I was wrong. My father seemed okay at it. He grew eggplants on our front lawn in Levittown, Long Island. I feel pretty sure we were the only people on the block with eggplants on the lawn.
October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary (see prayer on Home page) and dedicated as "Respect Life Month" by the USCCB-this year's theme is "Moved by Mercy," echoing the Holy Father's Jubilee Year of Mercy, which ends November 20th. May we pray the rosary for the unborn and all threatened human life and participate this month in any pro-life activities that we can.
October also gives us an array of interesting feasts. Some great and famous saints: Saint Therese, Saint Francis, St. Faustina, Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Margaret Mary....2 saints invoked for headaches, 2 invoked for demons, 2 female Doctors of the Church and 2 recent popes. Also, Christ the King on the 30th!
So what can we do about the Rosary this month? If you're already praying it every day, then....you....probably don't have to do anything.....okay, try to get someone else to pray it, how's that? If you're not praying it every day, then why not heed the requests of Our Lady of Fatima and begin doing so? Here are some notable feasts of this month-remember these saints on their feastdays-read about them, pray to them, develop friendships with them.....
10/1-Saint Therese of Lisieux, Virgin, Religious, Doctor-patron of missions (new)
10/2-Holy Guardian Angels/Respect Life Sunday
10/3-Saint Therese of Lisieux (trad)
10/4-Saint Francis of Assisi, Founder of Franciscan Order, Stigmatist
10/5-Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin, Religious, seer of the Divine Mercy
10/6-Saint Bruno, Priest, Founder of Carthusian Order-patron of those possessed by demons
10/7-Our Lady of the Rosary
10/9-Saints Denis, Bishop, Rusticus & Eleutherius, Martyrs-Saint Denis invoked against demons and headaches
10/11-Divine Maternity of Our Lady/Saint Pope John XXIII, 20th Century Pope
10/15-Saint Teresa of Jesus (Avila), Virgin, Religious, Doctor-invoked against headaches
10/16-Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin, Religious, Seer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (new)
10/17-Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (trad)
10/18-Saint Luke, Evangelist, Martyr-patron of doctors, painters & sculptors
10/22-Saint Pope John Paul II, 20th Century Pope
10/24-Saint Raphael the Archangel-patron of happy meetings, travel, marriage, healing, the blind & youth
10/28-Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles, Martyrs (brothers)-Saint Jude patron of hopeless cases
10/30-Christ the King
10/31-All Hallows Eve