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!

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary / Month of October

[Edited since posting.]

The Gospel for today’s feast in the old rite, is the Annunciation…

And the angel being come in, said unto her:

“Hail full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art thou among women.”

Luke 1:28

This angelic salutation became one of the most repeated quotes in all human history, as the first part of the “Hail Mary” prayer.  It is fitting that this should be the Gospel on the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, since the Annunciation is the first Mystery we contemplate when reciting a complete Rosary…the first in the timeline of the Joyful Mysteries, proceeding to the Luminous, the Sorrowful and finally, the Glorious.  Never forget, the story ends with the Glorious.

We celebrate Our Lady’s Divine Maternity on October 11th, further calling to mind in this month dedicated to the Rosary, the Joyful Mysteries.  Each Mystery contains some aspect of her Divine Maternity.  Mary is also called to mind in the Mysteries of Our Lord’s First Miracle at Cana, the Assumption and the Coronation.

Saint Therese of Lisieux is the lone saint this month to be given the title “Doctor of the Church.”  Her feast in the new was on the 1st and in the trad, on the 3rd.  Please take a look at her bio from the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent.

We did not cover the Doctors of the month of September, except for Saint Gregory.  Here they are:  Saints John Chrysostom, Robert Bellarmine, Hildegard of Bingen and Jerome.

At the end of this month, let us remember the Feast of Christ the King on the 30th and the beginning of the Triduum of Death, All Hallows Eve, on the 31st.  Along with the Easter Triduum, Holy Church in her wisdom gives us these 3 days to consider our mortality.  It’s how the story ends that matters.

As this is also Respect Life month, what a great time to pray the Rosary for life!

Last year, I decided to make a decorative design with gourds and interesting squash. It is now a “thing.” This is what I put together today. The “Faith” ornament I bought at a drug store. It’s amazing, the vestiges of Christendom which you can still find in unexpected corners, here and there. Last fall, when my squash deteriorated to the point of being embarrassing, I threw them around the edges of my property, in the hopes they would reappear (they didn’t). That is not as crazy an idea as it sounds. When I was involved in a community garden 10 years ago, old crops would regularly pop up in abandoned gardens. Free food just sitting there. There are forward-minded people thinking along these lines…planting edibles in public places for all to access…let’s just hope there aren’t any food fights!

Actually, there are already plenty of edibles all around, you just need to know what you’re doing. See if there are any “herb walks” in your area, you’ll be amazed at what you learn…there are many other resources and books out there and it’s a really fun thing to do with children:) Disclaimer: Don’t eat anything wild unless you REALLY know what you’re doing-you also have to consider it may have been sprayed. BTW, please don’t come to my house and steal the squash. Thanks.

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

Month of the Holy Rosary: Do you have difficulty praying it?

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary.  If you have not been praying it, there are still 8 days left!  If you're having difficulty getting around to it, please read this post and see if any of this resonates with you.....

5 Reasons Why We Should Pray the Rosary

1) The Mother of God has Requested it-What better reason could there be?  Our Lady gave the Holy Rosary to Saint Dominic and has continued through history, to request that it be prayed.  At Fatima, she implored, "Pray the Rosary every day."  She has given 15 Promises to those who pray the Rosary.  The following 4 reasons come from her own list!

2)  Protection and Graces-The first Promise Our Lady gives is this:  "To all those who shall recite my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and very great graces."

3)  Armor Against Hell-"The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against Hell.  It will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy."

4)  Improves Earthly Life and Obtains Mercy-"The Rosary will make virtue and good works flourish and will obtain for souls the most abundant Divine Mercies.  It will substitute in hearts love of God for love of the world, and elevate them to desire heavenly and eternal good.  O that souls would sanctify themselves by this means!"

5)  Eternal Salvation-"Those who shall recite my Rosary piously, considering its Mysteries, will not be overwhelmed by misfortune nor die a bad death.  The sinner will be converted, the just will grow in grace and become worthy of eternal life."

5 Reasons Why We Don't & the Solutions

1)  Time-In this profoundly inauthentic life that we are living today, we are pulled in many directions and the spiritual life is not made a priority.  Our Lord said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:31)  We must place the Kingdom of Heaven first, above all earthly concerns.  We all need to examine our lives and ask God how we can do things differently and re-structure our days.  Praying one of the Mysteries (5 decades) of the Rosary should only take about 15 minutes.  If we really do not have that much time, praying only one decade is an option.  It is understandable, some people (think of a mother with 8 children-or any children for that matter!) may be so busy that they cannot find the time and simply fall into bed at night, completely exhausted.  Chances are, if this is you, you are also pretty wound up mentally at this point!  Meditating on just one Mystery as you fall asleep will be a gift to Our Mother, which she will hold precious to her heart.  And it will probably help you fall asleep!

2)  Difficulty Establishing Habit-Even though the Rosary does not take much time, it may seem daunting before you have established the habit.  If this is the case, starting with only one decade will help break the ice.  Get used to praying one decade and then systematically add a decade until you are praying all 5 Mysteries!  Take a time of day when you have a relaxed space of time to pray...for some, this may be the morning (if you're an early bird!), for some, mid-day or evening.  Just stick with it and know that you've got Heaven on your side!

3)  Difficulty Praying Alone-Admittedly, praying the Rosary alone is an intensely internal experience.  Of course, you are never REALLY alone, for all of Heaven is at your side.  But for some, praying alone is difficult.  Many churches have groups which pray the Rosary after daily Mass.....or, pray it as a family.  Another option is to start your own Rosary group at your church or home.  You can be creative!  Rosary praying can be done with children, focused on a particular intention or combined with other activities, such as crafts, Scripture reading or learning religious songs.

4)  Lack of Comfortable Space-For some, the problem may be as simple as having no place to pray.  If you want to pray during your lunch hour at work, think about finding a quiet spot in another area of the building or perhaps outside.  Don't be embarrassed to be seen praying your Rosary!  You are giving a great witness to others and may even be instrumental in someone's conversion.  At home, there may be constant distractions around you.  Your bedroom may be no help if you are not comfortable sitting up in bed.  Every home should have a quiet place where prayer can take place.  You can devote a small room to this, your basement or part of a room.  It's a great place to display statues and other religious art and objects.  It should also be a comfortable place to be.  Soft chairs and soft light, maybe some floor pillows....an inviting, welcoming, peaceful space.  A place your family will want to be, where the spiritual life can be cultivated.  This prayer space will stand in direct contrast to all the electronics, bells, whistles and distractions, much of which is unholy, that this culture makes us think we need.

5)  Scrupulosity-The reason some of us don't pray the Holy Rosary more often, may be that we feel we don't pray it perfectly.  We expect so much of ourselves that we become discouraged and lose motivation.  The solution is to accept that no human being is perfect and that includes you.  We get distracted, our thoughts wander, we might be sleepy.  THAT'S OKAY!  Who's to say that these even are imperfections?  God uses our humanity to humble us, to break us, to refine us, to learn to trust HIM.  So if scrupulosity is your problem:  Get over yourself!  See "Difficulty Establishing Habit" above.  Starting small may help you to get started....and trust in God, not in yourself.

What a better place the world would be if from pole to pole the Holy Rosary resounded from every home to the Heavens!

Please note, I do allow all my posts to be shared via internet, email or printed, as long as this website is included.  Feel free to distribute this or any of my posts.  CM

Image courtesy http://blogs.nd.edu/oblation/2011/05/06/teaching-catholic-practice-praying-the-rosary-with-middle-school-students/