October is the Month of Our Lady of the Rosary & Respect for Life

October joyfully celebrates Our Lady of the Rosary, whose feast is on the 7th and encourages devotion to this great gift, given through Saint Dominic.  It is especially consoling to pray the Holy Rosary during difficult times.  It may be a chore to pick up those beads and get it started, but you will never regret it.  Spiritual effort always comes back to you in blessings 100-fold!  October also, sorrowfully remembers the unborn and all those in our society whose lives are considered of less value, such as the handicapped and elderly.  Death will not remain in confinement.  It will continue to take more and more human territory until no one is safe.  This obvious fact mysteriously eludes so many.  We all must fight this fight.  The innocent and vulnerable need us.  Judgement is now upon us and has been a long time coming. 

+++   Lord have mercy.  Christ have mercy.  Lord have mercy.   +++

The feast of the Annunciation is exactly 9 months before Christmas Day, March 25th.  On October 11th, we commemorate the Divine Maternity, as the Mother of God enters the final stages of carrying Our Lord in her womb.  How appropriate it is to remember pro-life intentions this month.

We continue to meditate here, upon the “Marian Triad of the Months.”  We have contemplated her most loving heart, her great sorrows and now her glory as Our Lady of the Rosary, which streams from her Immaculate Heart and is the antidote to our own sorrows.  Let us consider this Mariology and pray on it during the coming month, as many polycrises are heating up in the world and the future is quite uncertain.  Let us flee to Mary for consolation and guidance in examining our consciences well, so we may obtain mercy and not wrath, for ourselves, Holy Mother Church and the world.

On the last Sunday of October, we honor the King of Kings, Christ the King, in the traditional calendar.  We then enter into the “Triduum of Death,” to contemplate our mortality, roughly 4 weeks before a new Church year and our meditation upon the Incarnation!

Notable feasts of October:

1st-Saint Therese of Lisieux (new)

2nd-Holy Guardian Angels

3rd-Saint Therese of Lisieux (trad)

4th-First Friday of the Sacred Heart/Saint Francis of Assisi

5th-First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart/Saint Faustina

7th-OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

11th-DIVINE MATERNITY OF OUR LADY/Saint John XXIII

16th-Saint Margaret Mary (new)

17th-Saint Margaret Mary (trad)

18th-Saint Luke, Evangelist

19th-Saint Isaac Jogues & Companions, Martyrs of New York territory under the Native Americans

22nd-Saint John Paul II

24th-Saint Raphael the Archangel

27th-CHRIST THE KING

28th-Saints Simon & Jude

31st-Triduum of Death (till Nov 2nd)/All Hallows Eve

November 1st to 8th-Be Ready for the Plenary Indulgences!  Get 8 Loved Ones into Heaven!  (Get your instructions right here in the coming month.)

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary & Respect for Life

The first week of October is jam-packed with amazing feasts.  October 1st is the new feast of Saint Therese and the 3rd is her trad feast.  The 2nd is devoted to the Holy Guardian Angels, the 4th is Saint Francis of Assisi, the 5th is Saint Faustina Kowalska (stay tuned for a post on our recent visit to the Divine Mercy Shrine) and the 7th, Our Lady of the Rosary.  On the 11th, we have the Divine Maternity of Our Lady & Saint John XXIII, 20th Century Pope.  The month goes on:  13th-Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima (not a feast), 16th  & 17th (new/trad)-Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, 18th-Saint Luke, 22nd-Saint John Paul II, another 20th Century Pope, 24th-Saint Raphael the Archangel, 28th-Saints Simon & Jude, 29th-the traditional CHRIST THE KING and the 31st-All Hallows’ Eve, beginning the Triduum of Death. 

Don’t forget the wonderful November plenaries the first week of November.  Your departed loved ones will be eternally grateful!

In the last of the Marian Triad of the Months, we honor Mary under the title Our Lady of the Rosary…so important is this great devotion!  Through Our Lady of Fatima, we know the Holy Rosary is the antidote to these unprecedented times of evil.  One of the worst of these evils is the sin of abortion and all of the offenses against human life which are becoming more prevalent in a post-Christendom world.  One of Our Lady’s requests at Fatima was the recitation of the Rosary daily.  She saw what was coming upon the world and this great meditative prayer was given to us to obtain mercy and mitigate these evils.  Let us pray the Holy Rosary for the sanctity of life this month and encourage others to do so as well. 

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

O Lord have mercy upon the world for its crimes against Thee and humanity!

Most Holy Trinity, deliver us!

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary

From the Tridentine Mass of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, October 7th:

LET us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a festival-day in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, for whose solemn festival the angels rejoice and give praise to the Son of God. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King.

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, His death and His resurrection hath purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same our Lord.

Because of truth, and meekness, and justice: and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear, for the King hath greatly desired thy beauty.

Alleluia, alleluia. The solemn festival of the glorious Virgin Mary of the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, of David’s royal race. Alleluia.

In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Like a rose planted on the rivers I have borne fruit.

Send forth flowers as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in His works.

We will discuss the month of October further in the coming week. Here is the calendar: calefactory.org

Image from catholicfaithwarriors.blogspot.com

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary & Respect for Human Life

The month of October is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary, given by Our Lady to Saint Dominic in the year 1214.  More recently, October has also been dedicated to the sanctity of human life, particularly the most vulnerable who have lost their rights in this post-Christendom society.  May the Lord have mercy upon us. 

As Catholics, the obvious practice for this month, would be the recitation of the Rosary for the intentions of the unborn and all others in danger (and the list is growing).  It is wonderful to take this opportunity as a family, perhaps praying it daily this month, to educate your children on life issues and show them from a young age, how precious every life is.  The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on the 7th and her Divine Maternity is celebrated on the 11th!  Here we can see a juxtaposition with these 2 dedications.  Of course, we also have the 40 Days for Life Fall 2021 Campaign, which began September 22nd and runs until the end of the month.  A common aspect of this international bi-annual campaign, is prayer at the abortion clinics.  Please consider taking part.

October begins by honoring Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, the “Little Flower.”  She is the sole Doctor of the Church this month, an extraordinary achievement for one who passed from this life at the tender age of 24.  We also honor two 20th century popes.

This October ends with the traditional Feast of Christ the King, as the Triduum of Death begins on All Hallows Eve.  He is the great Victor over death!  Here are some of the notable feasts of this month…

10/1-First Friday / St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, author Story of A Soul

10/2-First Saturday / Holy Guardian Angels

10/3-St. Therese of Lisieux (trad) / Respect Life Sunday

10/4-St. Francis of Assisi, Founder Franciscans

10/5-St. Faustina Kowalska, Seer of the Divine Mercy

10/7-OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

10/11-DIVINE MATERNITY OF OUR LADY / Pope St. John XXIII, 20th Century Saint

10/16-St. Margaret Mary, Seer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

10/17-St. Margaret Mary (trad)

10/18-St. Luke, Evangelist

10/22-Pope St. John Paul II, 20th Century Saint

10/24-St. Raphael the Archangel

10/28-Sts. Simon & Jude, Apostles

10/31-FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING / All Hallows Eve

A personal note:  The day after my dear father-in-law passed last week, we were getting together his suit for the funeral home.  Someone found a beautiful pair of wooden Rosary beads to place in his hands, and put them on a desk.  I was worried they would be forgotten, so I took them and placed them around the hanger of his suit jacket.  At that point, I just broke up…the wake was this past Sunday…it was wonderful to see the beads in his hands and a peaceful look on his face, after so much suffering.  Above him, attached to the inner top of the casket, was a large Rosary made out of tiny red roses, the crucifix hanging above his head.  It was very dignified and very Catholic, just like him.  My mother-in-law and I prayed the Glorious Mysteries in the front row, before his body.  It was deeply consoling to meditate upon the Resurrection and the rest of the Mysteries.  It was also an intimate and precious moment with my mother-in-law, that I will always hold in my heart.  Such are the riches of the Most Holy Rosary, that Holy Church reminds us of this month.  It may seem a chore at times to pray it, but like confession, you come out of it feeling bright and much better for it.  I can say with certainty, that no one will ever regret praying the Holy Rosary!

Image courtesy www.catholicnewsagency.com

October: Month of the Holy Rosary / Respect Life

Traditionally, October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and more recently, to the sanctity of human life. We can easily see the connection between Our Lady, who bore the Savior, and the precious life in the womb (and all the vulnerable). We can also easily combine the two, by reciting the Rosary diligently this month, for the intention of life. As the world unravels, all the more important it is to seek God’s mercy through prayer…and to participate in whatever pro-life activities we can this month.

Most importantly, we celebrate the traditional feast of Christ the King on October 25th. Below is a listing of additional notable feasts. There is only one Doctor of the Church, Saint Therese of Lisieux, who extraordinarily acquired this title after spending only 24 years on this earth. We have a feast for the Guardian Angels and also St. Raphael the Archangel. We have 2 Marian feasts, along with the 103rd anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun on the 13th (don’t forget our Fatima Holy Hour!). Also, two 20th century popes and several great visionaries, including St. Faustina Kowalska (this is the first year of her feast, which was announced in May!). Our month concludes with All Hallows Eve, the Triduum of Death.

1-St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor, “Doctor of the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood & Merciful Love” (new)

2-First Friday / The Holy Guardian Angels

3-First Saturday / St. Therese of Lisieux (trad)

4-St. Francis of Assisi

5-St. Faustina, Seer of the Divine Mercy

7-OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

8-St. Bridget of Sweden

11-DIVINE MATERNITY OF OUR LADY / Pope St. John XXIII

16-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Seer of the Sacred Heart (new)

17-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (trad)

18-St. Luke, Evangelist

22-Pope St. John Paul II

24-St. Raphael the Archangel

25-CHRIST THE KING

28-Sts. Simon & Jude, Apostles

31-All Hallows Eve (not a feast, though evening prayer prior to All Saints Day, is part of liturgical observance)

Please don’t laugh at my photography…it's conceptual!

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary!

First of all, the major features of this month of October in the Roman Catholic Church are:  Dedication to the Holy Rosary given to St. Dominic, the celebration of the centennial of the final apparition at Fatima, the great Miracle of the Sun seen by thousands and a general focus on pro-life issues, the first Sunday of the month being dedicated to this cause....the annual "40 Days for Life," a Christian initiative, overlaps with the month of October-it began September 27th and extends till November 5th-this involves a three-point approach:  Prayer & Fasting,  Constant Vigil and Community Outreach.  Think about getting involved-these efforts have saved many lives!

We also have the trad feast of Christ the King, last Sunday of October and several Marian feasts, including Our Lady of the Rosary, corresponding to this month's theme.  We celebrate only one Doctor of the Church this month, St. Therese, probably (but I haven't researched this) the youngest of all the Doctors, only reaching the age of 24-what an accomplishment for such a young woman to attain a distinction reserved in all 2,000 years of Church history, for only 35 people!  We also honor several saints of the Gospel, companions of Christ, this month, along with one of the writers of the Gospel, Saint Luke.

So there are many things to think about in the coming weeks-if you can't do it all, pick one thing and devote yourself to it.  That is the beauty of being a Catholic-it is such a rich and varied tradition, there is something for everyone!  Here is sampling of this month's feasts:

10/1-St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, 1897/Respect Life Sunday

10/2-Holy Guardian Angels

10/3-St. Therese of Lisieux (trad)

10/4-St. Francis of Assisi, 1226

10/5-St. Faustina Kowalska, Seer of the Divine Mercy, 1938-pray the chaplet!

10/6-First Friday

10/7-First Saturday/Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary-what a day to celebrate the First Saturday devotion, in the month of the Holy Rosary and also the month of the final Fatima apparition-remember, this devotion was given to Sister Lucia!

10/8-Our Lady of Good Remedy

10/11-Divine Maternity of Our Lady

10/12-Our Lady of the Pillar

10/13-CENTENNIAL OF THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN AT FATIMA, PORTUGAL-the final Fatima apparition-Don't forget our Holy Hour right here on the blog!  What special gift would you like to give Our Lady on this joyful day?  My gift will be to spend the day at the World Apostolate of Fatima Blue Army Shrine in New Jersey-Mass will be said by Bishop Frank Caggiano, Bishop of Bridgeport, CT-he is the very first clergy member I met with in Brooklyn 4 years ago, to discuss Nomen Christi Apostolate and we had a great meeting!  Maybe I'll see you there?

10/16-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Seer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1690/St. Gerard Majella, 1755-patron of pregnant women

10/17-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (trad)

10/18-St. Luke the Evangelist

10/21-St. Ursula & Companions, Martyrs, 4th Century-legend states she had up to 11,000 companions martyred with her, perhaps even more, but no one knows for sure what the actual number was

10/22-Pope St. John Paul II, 2005/St. Mary Salome, Mother of Saints James & John, Apostles

10/24-St. Raphael the Archangel-patron of travelers & the blind

10/28-Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles

10/29-Christ the King

10/31-All Hallow's Eve-pray for those who perform occult practices on this day in direct response to Holy Church's devotion to the saints in Heaven....and for reparation for these sins

October: Month of the Holy Rosary & Respect Life Month

“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