October, The Month of the Most Holy Rosary

The month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.

In 1569, St. Pius V officially approved the Rosary in its present form, and in 1883, Pope Leo XIII proposed the Rosary as an effective spiritual weapon against the evils afflicting society. It is attributed to saving Austria, Brazil, Chile and Portugal from the wiles of communism and was largely responsible for the victory of The Holy League (Spain, Venice and the Papal States) against the Turks in 1571 at Lepanto.

In the words of St. John Paul II, “the Rosary is and exquisitely contemplative prayer”. Let us honour Our Lady by being obedient to her request at Fatima:“Pray the Rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world.”

Monastic Rosary

This small rosary with 3/16” wood beads was handmade by monastery nuns in France, and is available in natural wood and tan colors.

The overall length is approximately 10 1/2". It is also available in a dark brown color with slightly larger wood beads.

Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels

The Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels (October 2nd) was placed on the Roman calendar by Pope Paul V in 1607. The Council of Trent, 1545 to 1563 in Trent, Italy, was convened in response to the Protestant Reformation.

The following is pulled from its Catechism: By God’s providence Angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and of accompanying every human being in order to preserve him from any serious dangers…

Our heavenly Father has placed over each of us an Angel under whose protection and vigilance we may be enabled to escape the snares secretly prepared by our enemy, repel the dreadful attacks he makes on us, and under his guiding hand keep to the right road, and thus be secure against all false steps which the wiles of the evil one might cause us to make in order to draw us aside from the path that leads to Heaven.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Saint Therese of Lisieux

October 3rd is the Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. Also known as St. Teresa of the Child Jesus or the Little Flower, she was born in 1873, and is the patron saint of missions and florists. Although she died at the young age of 24, St. Therese achieved great holiness in her ordinary life.

A cloistered Carmelite nun from the age of 15, it was through obedience that she wrote her autobiography (The Story of a Soul) which has become a spiritual classic of the Catholic Church, and her “Little Way of Love and Confidence” is a way to holiness for all.

Pope Pius X called her the greatest saint of modern times and in 1997 Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church, being the youngest ever to achieve such status.

St. Therese suffered for a long period of time from tuberculosis before her death in 1897.