To Jesus through Mary! October greetings to you and your loved ones!
Before we get this email underway, we wanted to make sure that we remind everyone that the Marian Center is having Mass this morning at 11 am! We will be honoring the Archangels in a special way, but also some of the other momentous feast days that have recently passed (Guardian Angels and St. Therese of Lisieux) and the upcoming Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on the 7th! Please bring a mask and join us!
In tomorrow’s readings, there is a lot of talk about vineyards and producing good fruit and what happens when there isn’t a good harvest. With those readings in mind, we’ve tried to put together some gems for you to grow in your spiritual life as well as provide some fun and helpful resources for living liturgically!
So, without further ado, let’s get into this!
Bearing Fruit
At our judgement, we will be held accountable for our work in the vineyard of The Lord. This pertains to our personal walk of faith (our prayer life, etc.), but also how we took the graces from our relationship with Jesus and shared that life-saving gift with others. When we read Bearing Fruit for Christ’s Kingdom, we felt inspired and motivated to cooperate with God’s will in our lives! Hopefully you will too! (Also- this piece was written by Fr. John Bartunek from his book, The Better Part. We HIGHLY recommend this book as a companion to scripture study. We are using it ourselves right now and it is bearing fruit!)
Where’s the Bread
Sometimes we can get caught in the weeds of figuring out how to evangelize. We over complicate it by trying to figure out what we’re going to say to others to convert them or what argument and counterpoints will turn hearts to Jesus, when in reality, it’s not supposed to be that complex. It’s been said that “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another where to find the bread.” The article, An Approach to Evangelization for Catholic Men does a good job outlining the easy basics- and it’s not just for men!
Saint Spotlight
Tomorrow is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, however, it will take a backseat to the Sunday liturgy. A popular saint, he has unfortunately, in recent years, been relegated to an animal-loving hippie, but his life and love for God went way past the modern-day conception of him. We found these Words of Wisdom from St. Francis to tell a clearer story of who he really was. Check it out!
Marian Minute
On Wednesday, October 7, we will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (also called Our Lady of Victory). G.K. Chesterton’s poem, Lepanto, tells of the harrowing and glorious victory of Christendom over the Turkish Ottoman Empire. We thought reading this classic Catholic poem would be a nice way to honor her on her feast day! The first time we remember hearing it was at the Marian Conference 20 years ago when Fr. Joseph Fessio read it aloud and it had such an impact. Enjoy!
The Power of the Rosary
The rosary is such a powerful weapon. Do you know the history of how the Rosary has conquered? Follow that link to hear how, throughout history, Our Lady has interceded on behalf of mankind to end battles and wars, like Lepanto. The rosary isn’t only just a weapon in our arsenal of prayer, it is also a healing balm by which we meditate on the life of Christ.
October: Month of the Rosary
This whole month is dedicated to praying the rosary. Many of you already pray the rosary and a good number of you pray it daily, so in a way you already check the box for “getting your rosary in.” However, there are always ways to grow in holiness and closer to Jesus through Mary, right?! 12 Things to Make the Rosary a Life-Saver This Month has some tried and true suggestions for this special prayer, but we also found some that we really liked and haven’t done before! It’s worth a look!
Nifty News
Much like St. Gianna Beretta Molla, this Italian mother was given a devastating diagnosis when pregnant with her second child. Refusing abortion, she was determined to give the baby life, even if it meant her own. Unlike St. Gianna, this story has a successful ending for both mother and child. Check it out here! Praise God!
Liturgical Living
Here are some links to celebrate some important feast days this week.
—St. Francis of Assisi, October 4
—Celebrating the Month of the Rosary, October 7 & all of October
Marian Center Update
If you’re in the area, join us for Mass this morning! (Bring a mask with you.)
It’s easy to practice social distancing while attending our exhibit on Marian Apparitions! And you can shop at the Marian Center Gift Shop.
We are now on our Fall schedule. Come visit us from Tuesday-Saturday, 10 to 3. And don’t forget about Mass at 11 am on Saturday, October 3. Hope to see you soon!
To Christ Through Mary,
Katie Moe and Lori Mercer
P.S. Please forward this email to friends and encourage them to sign up for our email newsletter.
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