Operation Overlord of Spiritual Warfare!

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

 🌍 Dara’s Corner: Aboard The World

🌍            Madagascar Coastal Pilgrimage — October 8–15, 2025

Theme: Waters of Mercy & Thresholds of Fire — Sailing off East Africa’s shores (Coordinates: –23.36166 S / 43.63000 E)

🐚 Day 1: October 8 — Offshore Nosy Be
• Sunrise Rosary on deck, invoking Our Lady of the Isles
• Symbolic Meal: Grilled barracuda with ylang-ylang rice and passionfruit glaze
• Evening Ritual: Anointing with vanilla and vetiver oils, Psalm 104: “You make the winds your messengers, flames of fire your servants.”

🌿 Day 2: October 9 — Sailing toward Antsiranana
• Fast-before-Feast: Silent morning in honor of guardian angels
• Reflection: The Little Prince — innocence, exile, and return
• Meal: Coconut-lentil curry with starfruit and angel cake
• Hospitality Arc: Write a letter to your guardian angel; seal with wax and prayer

🕌 Day 3: October 10 — Offshore Île Sainte-Marie
• Pilgrimage Imaginarium: Envision a Marian shrine at the estuary
• Meal: Zebu steak with green pepper sauce, lychee wine
• Evening Ritual: Fire circle with Malagasy hymn and Psalm 42: “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls…”

🌊 Day 4: October 11 — Approaching Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro)
• Feast Reflection: Canticle of the Creatures — praise for water, wind, and fire
• Symbolic Meal: Breadfruit stew with tamarind and wild greens
• Sunset Ritual: Blessing of the sea with salt and rose petals

🕯️ Day 5: October 12 — Crossing the Mozambique Channel
• Vigil: Night-watch prayer, asking Mary for guidance through open waters
• Meal: Crab coconut curry, Eucharistic rice, mango wine
• Reflection: “Hospitality is the courage to welcome the stranger as Christ”

🍃 Day 6: October 13 — Near the Glorieuses Islands
• Sunrise Anointing: Oils of lemongrass and coconut for ecological blessing
• Meal: Smoked eggplant with ginger, honey, and goat cheese
• Hospitality Arc: Share stories of healing—physical, emotional, spiritual
• Evening Psalm: “You turned my mourning into dancing…” (Psalm 30)

🌅 Day 7: October 14 — Offshore Mayotte
• Pilgrimage Station: Threshold of roots and release—prayer at the rail
• Meal: Fish satay with tamarind glaze, vanilla-infused rice
• Reflection: “Mercy doesn’t knock—it unlocks the doors of fear.”

🕊️ Day 8: October 15 — Anchoring near Zanzibar
• Closing Rosary Procession on deck—each decade a threshold crossed
• Final Meal: Swahili feast—coconut rice, grilled tilapia, banana fritters, rosé
• Final Toast: Psalm 27: “One thing I ask… to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.”

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·         Foodie- Pan-Fried Alaskan Cod and Oven-Roasted Vegetables

·         Spirit Hour: The Doctor, a daiquiri-ish drink with Swedish Punsch

Watch “Alien” today is Sigourney Weaver’s birthday.

·         How to celebrate Oct 8th

o   Embrace the unknown like Alvin C. York facing the battlefield!

o   Next, take charge of your day like it’s Own Business Day. Set goals and make a to-do list. Being organized will help you feel in control and productive.

o   Treat yourself to some comfort food on National Pierogi Day. Whether you make them from scratch or buy them frozen, indulge in these delicious dumplings for a cozy meal.

o   After all that activity, pamper your feet on International Podiatry Day. Soak them in warm water, trim your nails, and massage them for some well-deserved relaxation.

o   End the night by registering a birth announcement to honor International Birth Registration Day. Reflect on the circle of life and the importance of documentation in our world. What famous people were born in Kenya?

o   Embrace the uniqueness of World Octopus Day with adaptability and creativity, like the eight arms of this fascinating creature. Remember, every day is what you make of it, so seize the weird and wonderful moments that come your way!

o   National Face your Fears Day

OCTOBER 8 Wednesday

Our Lady of Good Remedy

 

John 20, Verse 19

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “PEACE be with you.” 

The doors were lock they were afraid, very afraid; they had no peace.

From cowards to bold witnesses[1]

How could one explain the transformation in Jesus’ followers? 

One day they are cowering in fear, hiding themselves from the public, the next they are all boldly proclaiming that Jesus is alive! 

What happened?

At his arrest, all of his disciples fled away and were scared for their lives: Mark 14:50 “Then everyone deserted him and fled.” Matt 26:56 “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” The day of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were still hiding for fear of the Jews. Jesus’ disciples were clearly cowards and were trying to preserve their lives. However, look what happens a few weeks later: Acts 4:31, 33 “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly…With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” They all of a sudden were not scared for their lives any longer and risked imprisonment, persecution and certain death for testifying about the risen Saviour. 

Eleven of the twelve apostles died a martyr’s death! Look at the way the following followers of Jesus died:

Andrew was crucified.

Bartholomew was crucified.

James, brother of Jesus was stoned.

James, son of Alphaeus was crucified.

James, son of Zebedee was killed by the sword.

John died naturally.

Matthew was crucified.

Peter was crucified upside down.

Philip was crucified.

Simon was crucified.

Thaddeus was killed by arrows.

Thomas died of a spear thrust.

Who in their right mind would die for a lie? 

Maybe if that person was a lunatic. 

But how can one explain a group of people being willing to die for a lie? 

This is just impossible.  What compelled these disciples to preach the message of a risen Saviour is the fact that they had witnessed with their own eyes that Jesus had been risen indeed! Their changed lives provide a solid testimony that Jesus is alive! BE AT PEACE

Today if you have time today would be a good day to read Saint John Paul II’s encyclical letter-“Rich in Mercy”.[2]

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine.

Copilot’s Take

 

On October 8, the Church honors Our Lady of Good Remedy, a Marian title born from mercy in action. In the 12th century, when Christians were being sold into slavery, St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarian Order to rescue them—and entrusted the fundraising to the Virgin Mary. Her intercession was so effective that she became known as Our Lady of Good Remedy, a patroness of impossible situations and urgent needs. This feast day invites us to reflect on the locked doors of fear that once held the apostles captive. As John 20:19 recounts, they were hiding in terror when Jesus entered and said, “Peace be with you.” That peace was not just a greeting—it was a remedy. The disciples, once cowards fleeing arrest, became bold witnesses willing to die for the truth they had seen with their own eyes: the risen Christ. Eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred, not for a myth, but for a Person they had touched and known. Their transformation was not psychological—it was spiritual, ignited by the Holy Spirit and sustained by mercy. Today, we are invited to ask: where are our own doors locked? What fears keep us from bold witness, creative hospitality, or civic renewal? Our Lady of Good Remedy reminds us that mercy is not passive—it acts, heals, and unlocks. For those seeking deeper reflection, Saint John Paul II’s encyclical Rich in Mercy offers a luminous guide to how divine mercy transforms individuals and societies. As Psalm 33 declares, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him… to deliver their soul from death.” May this feast stir us to open the doors of our hearts, receive peace, and become remedies in a wounded world.

 

Our Lady of Good Remedy[3]

In 1519 Cortez brought with him a famous little statue to participate in the conquest of Mexico. The statue was first set up in a temporary chapel in one of the rooms of Montezuma’s palace where the Spanish officers made their devotions. On the terrible night when the Indians rose against the Spanish conquerors, the Night of Sorrows, one of the officers rescued the statue before fighting his way out of the palace. He did not get far when he was cut down by Aztec arrows and died at the foot of a Maguey tree. The tiny statue was either pushed or fell into the roots of the tree where it was overlooked by the Indians.

Some twenty years later, an Aztec convert, Prince John the Eagle, was walking near the tree when he heard a sweet voice calling him. Puzzled, he went to the nearby mission of the Franciscan Fathers and told them about it. They thought it was his imagination. Some days later John met with an accident, a large pillar of a church under construction fell on him. Badly crushed, he was given the Last Sacraments.

During the night when he was thought to be dying, the memory of the sweet voice kept returning to him. He prayed to Our Lady to help him. Very early in the morning the Virgin Mary appeared to him and gave him a sash to wear which cured him. A few days later he passed the tree again, and heard the sweet voice; curiously, he looked carefully around the roots of the tree; half buried in the sand, he found the tiny statue of Our Lady.

The Aztec convert thought he should do something about it. “Come home with me, gracious Lady,” he said, “I will see that you have a good home and are cared for.” He brought the little statue home wrapped in his cape and placed it on a rough altar.

Here Mary reigned as queen in the humble home for ten or twelve years. John kept the little shrine supplied with flowers, and occasionally with fruit and pretty stones. Gradually people came to pray at the shrine, their number increasing so that they were underfoot day and night. John took up the local schoolmaster’s suggestion to build a little chapel. He set about building a shrine and enthroned Mary, Our Lady of Good Remedies, there.

—Excerpted from Roman Catholic Saints

Bible in a Year Day 94 The Sin of Benjamin

As we conclude the book of Judges, we hear about the horrifying events that occurred among the tribes of Israel in the days when "every man did what was right in his own eyes". The readings for today are Judges 19-21 and Psalm 148.

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection of Traditional Marriages

·         Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

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[1] http://answers2prayer.org/bible_studies/jesus/reactions.html

[2] http://www.christendom-awake.org/pages/divinemercy/richinmercy1.htm

[3]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2022-10-08

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

 

Candace’s Corner

o   Foodie: Grilled Vegetable Salad with Chicken, Shrimp and Lobster

·         Pray Day 7 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops

• Bucket List: Vineyard World Tour: D.H. Lescombes Winery & Tasting New Mexico

·         Spirit Hour: Turkish Blood

·         How to celebrate Oct 7^th

o   Start your day by soaking in a relaxing bubble bath, celebrating cleanliness and relaxation.

§  Spruce up your living space with a DIY architecture project, embracing creativity and innovation.

§  Consider decluttering your home or donating items in honor of National Consignment Day, promoting sustainability and community support.

o   Next, fire up the grill for a barbecue using propane, unleashing your inner chef and hosting a small gathering.

§  Reach out to someone you’ve had a disagreement with, fostering positive relationships on Forgiveness and Happiness Day. Stand up against bullying, whether by spreading awareness or standing up for someone in need.

·         Take a moment for self-care, appreciating your inner beauty through meditation or pampering.

o   Educate yourself on stem cell and bone marrow donation, potentially saving a life in the future.

o   Switch to energy-efficient LED lights, contributing to a sustainable environment.

OCTOBER 7 Tuesday-Our Lady of the Rosary

John 16, Verse 33

I have told you this so that you might have PEACE in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” 

This was the labor of Christ to give us peace with God and to conquer the world of sin. We have peace in his love. In order to follow our Lord, me must not only receive and accept His love but pour that love out on others. We must not keep this love but in courage reach out to others knowing He has already conquered ahead of us. To be great we must be filled with a foundation of Love. Pray for this Nation that it may be dedicated to love of life, liberty and then the pursuit of happiness; thus, being a great Nation founded in love.

Are lawyers a necessary evil?

Celebrate the contribution of lawyers to upholding a civilized society on Love Litigating Lawyers Day, no matter how unpopular we generally consider them to be… #LoveLitigatingLawyersDay 

🕊️ Copilot’s Take: Love, Law, and the Labor of Peace

On this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we’re reminded that peace is not passive—it is labored into being through love, courage, and the Cross. Christ’s words in John 16:33 are not a gentle lullaby but a rallying cry: “Take courage, I have conquered the world.” His victory is not just cosmic—it is personal, communal, and national. It invites us to build a society where love is not sentimental but structural.

💼 Lawyers: Guardians of the Covenant

On Love Litigating Lawyers Day, we might chuckle at the irony—but let’s not miss the deeper truth. Lawyers, at their best, are stewards of justice, defenders of the vulnerable, and architects of peace through law. They translate love into precedent, liberty into protection, and happiness into possibility. In a world of trouble, they help uphold the covenant that binds a nation together.

🇺🇸 A Nation Founded in Love

To be great, a nation must be rooted not merely in power or prosperity, but in love—love of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are not abstract ideals; they are daily disciplines. They require courage to confront injustice, humility to serve the common good, and hope to believe that renewal is possible. Let us pray for a national reawakening—where love is not just preached but practiced in policy, in law, and in neighborly care.

Our National Principles[1]

Declaration of Independence in July and the Constitution in September, let us once again reflect on the marvelous principles underlying these two documents. The following is a review of these principles together with a comment or a quote by the Founders. Documentation may be found in The Five Thousand Year Leap.

Principle 1–The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.

Natural law is God’s law. There are certain laws which govern the entire universe, and just as Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence, there are laws which govern in the affairs of men which are “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.”

Principle 2–A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” – Benjamin Franklin

Principle 3–The most promising method of securing a virtuous people is to elect virtuous leaders.

“Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who … will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.” – Samuel Adams

Principle 4–Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…. And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” – George Washington

Principle 5–All things were created by God, therefore upon him all mankind are equally dependent, and to him they are equally responsible.

The American Founding Fathers considered the existence of the Creator as the most fundamental premise underlying all self-evident truth. They felt a person who boasted he or she was an atheist had just simply failed to apply his or her divine capacity for reason and observation.

Principle 6–All mankind were created equal.

The Founders knew that in these three ways, all mankind are theoretically treated as:

1. Equal before God.
2. Equal before the law.
3. Equal in their rights.

·         The Freedom to try.

·         The Freedom to buy.

·         The Freedom to sell.

·         The Freedom to fail.

Principle 7– The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things.

The Founders recognized that the people cannot delegate to their government any power except that which they have the lawful right to exercise themselves.

Principle 8 – Mankind are endowed by God with certain unalienable rights.

“Those rights, then, which God and nature have established, and are therefore called natural rights, such as are life and liberty, need not the aid of human laws to be more effectually invested in every man than they are; neither do they receive any additional strength when declared by the municipal [or state] laws to be inviolable. On the contrary, no human legislation has power to abridge or destroy them, unless the owner [of the right] shall himself commit some act that amounts to a forfeiture.” – William Blackstone

Principle 9 – To protect human rights, God has revealed a code of divine law.

“The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures. These precepts, when revealed, are found by comparison to be really a part of the original law of nature, as they tend in all their consequences to man’s felicity.” – William Blackstone

Principle 10–The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.

“The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of the consent of the people. The streams of national power ought to flow immediately from that pure, original fountain of all legislative authority.” – Alexander Hamilton

Principle 11–The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical.

“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes … but when a long train of abuses and usurpations … evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.” – Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence

Principle 12–The United States of America shall be a republic.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic or which it stands….”

Principle 13–A Constitution should protect the people from the frailties of their rulers.

“If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary…. [But lacking these] you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” – James Madison

Principle 14–Life and liberty are secure only so long as the rights of property are secure.

John Locke reasoned that God gave the earth and everything in it to the whole human family as a gift. Therefore, the land, the sea, the acorns in the forest, the deer feeding in the meadow belong to everyone “in common.” However, the moment someone takes the trouble to change something from its original state of nature, that person has added his ingenuity or labor to make that change. Herein lies the secret to the origin of “property rights.”

Principle 15–The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations.

Prosperity depends upon a climate of wholesome stimulation with four basic freedoms in operation:

Principle 16–The government should be separated into three branches.

“I call you to witness that I was the first member of the Congress who ventured to come out in public, as I did in January 1776, in my Thoughts on Government … in favor of a government with three branches and an independent judiciary. This pamphlet, you know, was very unpopular. No man appeared in public to support it but yourself.” – John Adams

Principle 17–A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power by the different branches of government.

“It will not be denied that power is of an encroaching nature and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it.” – James Madison

Principle 18 –The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written Constitution.

The structure of the American system is set forth in the Constitution of the United States and the only weaknesses which have appeared are those which were allowed to creep in despite the Constitution.

Principle 19–Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained by the people.

The Tenth Amendment is the most widely violated provision of the bill of rights. If it had been respected and enforced America would be an amazingly different country than it is today. This amendment provides:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Principle 20–Efficiency and dispatch require that the government operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to protect the rights of the minority.

“Every man, by consenting with others to make one body politic under one government, puts himself under an obligation to every one of that society to submit to the determination of the majority, and to be concluded [bound] by it.” – John Locke

Principle 21–Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom.

“The way to have good and safe government is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one exactly the functions he is competent [to perform best]. – Thomas Jefferson

Principle 22–A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men.

“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings, capable of laws, where there is no law there is no freedom. For liberty is to be free from restraint and violence of others, which cannot be where there is no law.” – John Locke

Principle 23–A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education.

“They made an early provision by law that every town consisting of so many families should be always furnished with a grammar school. They made it a crime for such a town to be destitute of a grammar schoolmaster for a few months, and subjected it to a heavy penalty. So that the education of all ranks of people was made the care and expense of the public, in a manner that I believe has been unknown to any other people, ancient or modern. The consequences of these establishments we see and feel every day [written in 1765]. A native of America who cannot read and write is as rare … as a comet or an earthquake.” John Adams

Principle 24–A free people will not survive unless they stay strong.

“To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” – George Washington

Principle 25–“Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations — entangling alliances with none.”-Thomas Jefferson, given in his first inaugural address.

Principle 26 –The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore the government should foster and protect its integrity.

“There is certainly no country in the world where the tie of marriage is more respected than in America, or where conjugal happiness is more highly or worthily appreciated.” Alexis de Tocqueville

Principle 27–The burden of debt is as destructive to human freedom as subjugation by conquest.

“We are bound to defray expenses [of the war] within our own time, and are unauthorized to burden posterity with them…. We shall all consider ourselves morally bound to pay them ourselves and consequently within the life [expectancy] of the majority.” – Thomas Jefferson

Principle 28–The United States has a manifest destiny to eventually become a glorious example of God’s law under a restored Constitution that will inspire the entire human race.

The Founders sensed from the very beginning that they were on a divine mission. Their great disappointment was that it didn’t all come to pass in their day, but they knew that someday it would. John Adams wrote:

“I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant, and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.”

Our Lady of the Rosary[2]

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope St. Pius V and all Christians had prayed the Rosary for victory. The Rosary, or the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the best prayers to Mary, the Mother of God.

Pope Benedict XVI invites all families to pray the Rosary for the intentions of the Pope, the mission of the Church and peace. "It is as if every year Our Lady invited us to rediscover the beauty of this prayer, so simple and profound." The Rosary, a "contemplative and Christocentric prayer, inseparable from the meditation of Sacred Scripture," is "the prayer of the Christian who advances in the pilgrimage of faith, in the following of Jesus, preceded by Mary," said the Pontiff.

Things to Do

·         Pray the Rosary, or 5 decades of the Rosary tonight with your family. Continue this practice through October, the month that is especially dedicated to the Rosary.

·         Read the encyclicals on the rosary, and the latest apostolic letter.

·         Learn the Luminous Mysteries. For families with younger children, it helps to have visual aids for the mysteries. Have a picture to flip at the beginning of each decade for the family Rosary. See the Activities Bar for ideas.

·         Learn how to make rosaries, cord and/or wire for missions.

·         Learn about the great victory of Our Lady at the Battle of Lepanto. You can also read more about Pope St. Pius V, who instituted the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

·         Read Cardinal Angelo Sodano's homily at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.

·         "The Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God." Read the Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy on the Rosary, particularly encouraging the practices of:

1.      [T]he recitation of the Rosary could be made more solemn in tone "by introducing those Scriptural passages corresponding with the various mysteries, some parts could be sung, roles could be distributed, and by solemnly opening and closing of prayer."

2.      The custom of making an insertion in the recitation of the Hail Mary, which is an ancient one that has not completely disappeared, has often been recommended by the Pastors of the Church since it encourages meditation and the concurrence of mind and lips.

Insertions of this nature would appear particularly suitable for the repetitive and meditative character of the Rosary. It takes the form of a relative clause following the name of Jesus and refers to the mystery being contemplated. The meditation of the Rosary can be helped by the choice of a short clause of a Scriptural and Liturgical nature, fixed for every decade.

·         Foods for this feast: Since the origin of this feast came from the Christian fleet defeating the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1570 through the intercession of Mary through the Rosary, why not make a cake in the shape of a ship? See the top bar for a cut-out cake, or make moderations to this Ship Cake. Read more about the Battle of Lepanto for ideas.

·         St. Pius V was a very holy Dominican, who wore his scratchy habit underneath his papal robes, and walked around Rome barefoot. He ate just to sustain himself and fasted frequently. We should use his example and remember to fast and pray the Rosary for the conversion of Islam.

 

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.

 

Feast of the Holy Rosary[3] 

This feast was fixed for the first Sunday in October by Pope Clement XI; in perpetual commemoration of a celebrated feast was fixed for the first Sunday in October by him due to the double victory gained by the Christians at Lepanto, in 1571, under Pope St. Pius V., and at Belgrade, under Pope Clement XI., through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who had been invoked by saying the Holy Rosary. It is at the same time the principal feast of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Rosary. In 1885 Pope Leo XIII., ordered the Rosary to be recited every day during the month of October in every parish church and cathedral throughout the world, and those of the faithful who cannot be present at this recital he exhorted to say it with their families or in private. The Holy Rosary is a form of prayer in which there is first said the Apostles Creed, and then fifteen decades, each one of which consists of ten Hail Mary’s. Each decade has one Our Father to be said before it and is followed by a meditation upon one mystery of our redemption. It is called the Rosary, or Wreath of Roses, because the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious mysteries, aptly symbolized by the leaves, the thorns, the flower, of which the rose consists with the prayers and praises that are blended together compose, as it were, a wreath or crown. It is also called the Psalter, because it contains a hundred and fifty Hail Mary’s, as the Psalter of David contains a hundred and fifty psalms, and because it is used in place of the singing of psalms, as practiced in former times. There are three parts in the Rosary the joyful, the sorrowful, the glorious. The joyful part consists of the five first decades, to which are attached five mysteries of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, through which, full of joy, we speak to Mary of Him: 1. Whom she conceived while a virgin. 2. Whom she bore to Elizabeth. 3. Whom she brought forth while a virgin. 4. Whom she offered to God in the temple. 5. Whom she found Him in the temple. (This is said particularly in Advent.) The sorrowful part, in like manner, contains five decades, in connection with which there are presented for our meditation five mysteries of the passion and death of Jesus: 1. Who for us sweat blood. 2. Who for us was scourged. 3. Who for us was crowned with thorns. 4. Who for us bore the heavy cross. 5. Who for us was crucified. (This is said particularly in Lent.) The glorious part, consisting of the last five decades, reminds us of the glory of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin by five mysteries in which we commemorate Him: 1. Who rose from the dead. 2. Who ascended into heaven. 3. Who sent to us the Holy Ghost. 4. Who received thee, O Virgin, into heaven. 5. Who crowned thee, O Virgin, in heaven. (This part is said particularly at Eastertide.) 

How was this prayer introduced into the Church? 

St. Dominic had for many years preached against the errors of the Albigenses and other heretics, with such zeal and profound ability that they were often convinced. But nevertheless, the results were unimportant; but few returned to the bosom of the Catholic Church. In this discouraging state of things St. Dominic redoubled his prayers and works of penance, and in particular besought Mary for support and assistance. One day Mary appeared to him and taught him the Rosary. He zealously labored to introduce everywhere this manner of prayer, and from that time preached with such success that in a short period more than one hundred thousand heretics and sinners were converted. The divine origin of the Rosary is testified to by the bull of Gregory XIII of the year 1577. 

Is the Rosary a profitable method of prayer? 

Yes, for by bringing before the eyes of the spirit the fundamental mysteries of Christianity it supplies us with the strongest motives to love God, to hate sin, to subdue the passions, to condemn the world and its vanity, and to strive after Christian perfection, in order that we may gain those happy mansions which Jesus prepares for us. The Rosary, besides, brings before us living examples Jesus and Mary whom we must follow, and encourages us to good works by pointing to the all-powerful grace procured for us by Jesus, and the all-prevailing intercession of the gracious Mother of God. Let us not be ashamed to carry the beads with us, for otherwise we might be ashamed of being Catholics; let us say the Rosary often every evening as was the custom with Catholics in former times, and we shall find that, as in St. Dominic’s day it was a wholesome check to error, so too in our times it will be, if said aright, a powerful weapon against heresy and unbelief, and will increase faith, piety, and virtue.

 “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”– John 11:25-26

Bible in a Year Day 93 Strengths and Weaknesses

Today, Fr. Mike begins to read Samson's story and points out that Samson, despite his physical strength, has a lot of weaknesses. The readings are Judges 12-15 and Psalm 1

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy Bishops and Cardinals

·         Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

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[1]https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/the-founders-unchanging-principles-of-liberty-1

[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2016-10-07

[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.