Illuminated By Joy

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting! Anyhow, Happy late All Saints Day and  All Souls Day! These are two days of the year when we can really reflect that we're not alone; we have souls up in Heaven and Purgatory that are praying for us. Together, these three parts of the Church, the Church Militant (us, here on earth), the Church Suffering (those in Purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (those in Heaven) make up the mystical Body of Christ. We can get a small taste of that on earth by partaking in Holy Communion at Mass, where Heaven really does become one with earth. Jesus is really present there, but so is Mary, and all of the saints! It can just make us all reflect on just how amazing it will be when we do get into Heaven. We will all be One in Christ. We will also all be saints, whether the rest of the world knows our story, or not.  Let us all, then, strive to become saints and see one another in the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the evening of May16, 2020, I received a text from a friend asking me if I wanted to join a prayer group. I said yes, and I am definitely glad I made that decision. She created the group with me and a few other friends the following day. It was hard to manage things at first-- we had to find a time that worked for everyone, what prayers we said at the end of the Chaplet or Rosary, and what some of our "customs" were-- but eventually we came through.   I always looked forward to the sessions every day except for Sunday. We video chatted and prayed a rosary or chaplet (it depended on the circumstances of each day) and we concluded with our closing prayers, a litany of our patron saints, and our motto: "Pray, hope, and don't worry." ~St. Padre Pio We were able to continue the group for more than two years, and it helped me in so many ways. It gave me a chance to get to know my fellow members better, and a community I could turn to if I needed support. We were a

 Happy feast of the Holy Rosary all!  I decided to pop in today to talk about the feast of the rosary, and why it's today. Because today is not the anniversary of our Lady appearing to St Dominic or anything like that. Actually it's the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto!  The battle of Lepanto happened when a huge navy of Turks threatened to sweep all over Europe in the 16th century. A few countries banded together at the call of the Pope, led by the only person who would lead them, the half brother of the Spanish King, Don Juan of Austria.  They had a much smaller fleet than the Turks. The whole of Christendom was in danger. The Pope asked the entire Church to pray the rosary for victory and due to her intercession the Catholic fleet had a decisive victory. And so from then it was at first our Lady of Victory and now it is our Lady of the Rosary!  If you want to hear the battle recounted in epic proportions read G. K. Chesterton's poem, the Battle of Lepanto! It's a