Orthodox icon of All Saints (wikicommons)
Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Remember the days when Halloween meant flocks of children dressed as cowboys and princesses who actually did tricks on your doorstep in exchange for a treat? How did we get from that innocent celebration to the parade of ghouls, witches, and zombies that arrive on our porches today, impatiently grabbing candy out of the bowl as they rush off to the next stop?
October 31
Our Lady’s Rosary
Dear Mother, I bring Thee roses
Because they are so sweet,
But lilies, my favorite flowers
I am placing at Thy feet.
Accept with each Hail Mary
A rose for Thy crown so bright,
Please don’t forget the lilies,
The lilies so pure and white.
Let them be a bond of love
And understanding rare,
And send a blessing from above
In answer to my prayer.
Loneliness would be unknown
If more people came to Thee,
With their trials and sorrows
And said their Rosary.
With each Hail Mary, they would find
Their load much lighter grow,
And in humility, kiss the cross
In peace, would onward go.
-Alice W. Sparks
For Reflection:
How has my load been made lighter this past month as I have prayed the Rosary? Am I willing to make the Rosary a daily prayer? Why or why not?
A federal judge has decided to partially reverse his decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Covington High School teen Nicholas Sandmann against the Washington Post and is now allowing the case to move forward on several counts.
I recently spoke at the Deliverance Ministry Workshop, hosted by the Missionaries of the New Evangelization in Castle Rock, Colorado, and was explaining why the very non-Christian version of the Day of the Dead featured in the Disney movie, Coco, was a non-starter for both kids and parents. Afterward, a Hispanic man schooled me on exactly why this this feast is okay when celebrated the Christian way.
Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
The organization that claims to be fighting for women stooped to a new low last week when it hosted a “Bras and Brews” event in Texas to raise money for cancer research, an event that featured “bra pong” and a chance to meet “your favorite Planned Parenthood Texas Votes cuties.”
October 29
“Into [the Rosary] one may take his whole life – joys and sorrows, men and things, everything – as he would take it to someone whose presence he finds restful, not to find out how he might act with more success,
but to put everything into a proper light.”
-Romano Guardini
For Reflection:
Do I bring the whole of my life to the Rosary when I pray? What is the difference between going to pray searching for an answer and going to prayer seeking wisdom? Which is the greater gift? How can the Rosary help me to attain it?
Pope John Paul II at Yankee Stadium, NY, 1979 (WikiCommons)
The Polish Bishops’ Conference has sent a request to Pope Francis, asking him to consider naming St. John Paul II a patron of Europe and doctor of the Church.
