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Hand crafted rosaries. Shared Stories. A Journey of Faith.
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Our Newsletter is here to share more about our mission, faith and the story behind what we do and what we make. We hope you join us each week to learn more about how this mission impacts our lives and those we serve.
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Moments of Grace
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This week I will be sharing about why openness is more important to our spiritual journey than you might think.
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Rosary Reflection
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We are highlighting our Decolores Rosary and the story behind its creation.
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A Thought to Carry with You
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Something to ponder or journal on
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A Prayer for Your Week
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Heavenly Father, through the intercession of St. Lawrence, teach us to cherish the poor and suffering as Your true treasure. Through the prayers of St. Clare, grant us a clear vision of Your peace in simple living. Through the sacrifice of St. Maximilian Kolbe, give us the courage to put others before ourselves. And through the maternal protection of Our Lady assumed into heaven, draw our hearts toward the glory of Your eternal kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Saints of the Week
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A short reflection on the Saints of this week.
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- Monday - St. Lawrence
- Tuesday - St. Clare of Assisi
- Friday - St. Maximillian Kolbe
- Saturday - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Along the Way
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Maybe one of the gifts of traditions is not merely preserving what was given to us, its keeping it alive.
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Moments of Grace
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For a while now I have been pondering the importance of openness in the spiritual life. I have to admit that I have never considered openness as an important virtue to work on. The Holy Spirit surprised me when He revealed its importance to me.
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A year or so ago I was pondering what it was about the Disciples that Jesus saw in them that caused Him to choose them. Jesus could have called anyone to be His disciples, so what was it about them that was so different? The Disciples were not the most learned men around, they were not leaders, well respected or influential. They had none of the qualities I would think would be important if I were looking to start a movement or a new church. So what was Jesus looking for that I could not see in them? The Holy Spirit answered me and said, "Openness, Jesus only needs an open heart that is ready to listen and follow Him."
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Well that hit like a ton of bricks! At first I did not believe it and had to think it over, but the more I thought about it the more I saw the wisdom in the answer. Jesus was preaching a whole new way of seeing the Father. He was speaking in a way that nobody had seen or heard before. So someone who was close-minded or whose heart was hardened was not able to accept the message that Jesus was invoking upon them. Only those who truly loved God and earnestly wanted to worship the Father in spirit and truth were able to accept His message. So the Disciples must have been those kind of men and women.
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We learn in the Gospel of John chapter six, what is known as the Bread of Life discourse, that all but the twelve abandoned Jesus because they were not able to accept the words He spoke that day. And when Jesus turned to them to ask them if they would leave too, Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall I go? you have the words of eternal life." What Jesus said about eating His flesh and drinking His blood was so radical and impossible to truly understand that it must have required a great deal of openness to say what Peter said. He did not claim to understand or fully accept what Jesus had said but he had enough faith in Jesus to know that he would not find the truth anywhere else and he was open enough to continue to listen to the man he knew was the Messiah.
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So openness requires us to be open to new things and new ideas. I have heard that certainty is enemy of truth. Once we think we know for certain, we no longer can even entertain new information that could potentially reveal that we have been wrong the whole time. Another saying that I like is that one needs to be able to entertain an idea without having to accept it. Because of openness I was able to entertain what I thought I heard the Holy Spirit saying to me but only after some discernment was I able to accept it. What makes openness difficult is it's dependence on other virtues like humility(not thinking I know it all or have to be right all the time), vigilance(there are many voices we need to ignore based on experience and we need to keep those out), and discernment(to decide wether to pursue this new idea or not). One of the things I love about our Church is we have many who have come before us and have left us with writings that can help us with choosing to accept new ideas or not. We also need people we can trust to share these ideas with. I am always sharing these crazy notions that pop into my head with my beloved. She will let me know if what I am thinking about makes any sense or not. So we need the humility to ask for other's opinions and more openness to hear what they have to say.
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Ever have a conversation with someone who knows they are right and nothing you can say will change their mind? If you have teenagers you know what I'm talking about. So we need to ensure that we are not like that. This is especially important when we disagree. We can have the attitude of I'm right, you're wrong so just listen to me. Or we can say that I don't understand why you feel that way, please explain it to me. I'm so grateful that my beloved is willing to listen to my crazy thoughts that don't always make sense. Sometimes she makes more sense than I do and sometimes we have to agree to disagree but the important thing is to remain open and truly try to listen. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. But we can choose to do hard things.
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The Weekly Saints | Mid August Reflections
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Welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Saint. As we enter the middle of August, the Church’s liturgical calendar brings us a deeply moving group of witnesses. These holy men and women remind us that Christ’s love gives us the strength to face intense trial, embrace selfless care for others, and look with hope toward the promise of eternal life.
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Monday, August 10: St. Lawrence (d. 258)
Joyful Courage and the True Treasures of the Church
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We begin our week with one of the most beloved martyrs of the early Church. As a deacon of Rome during the Valerian persecutions, Lawrence was responsible for managing the Church's material goods and caring for the poor. When the Roman prefect demanded that Lawrence surrender "the treasures of the Church," Lawrence gathered the poor, the sick, the blind, and the suffering from across the city, brought them before the prefect, and declared: "Here are the treasures of the Church!"
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Enraged, the prefect sentenced him to be martyred on a red-hot iron gridiron. Tradition holds that Lawrence faced his suffering with heroic joy and peace, even famously remarking with good humor to his executioners, "Turn me over; I’m done on this side!"
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- Patronage: Deacons, cooks, comedians, and the poor.
- Takeaway for the week: True riches are found in how we love and serve those around us. How can you share your time, resources, or kindness with someone in need this week?
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Tuesday, August 11: St. Clare of Assisi (1194–1253)
The Light of Radical Poverty and Prayer
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On Tuesday, we honor the co-founder of the Order of Poor Ladies (now known as the Poor Clares). Inspired by the preaching of St. Francis of Assisi, Clare fled her wealthy noble family at age 18 to embrace a life of radical gospel poverty and prayer.
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She established a quiet convent at San Damiano, where she lived a deeply contemplative life centered on the Eucharist. When an army of mercenaries threatened Assisi, Clare—though severely ill—had the Blessed Sacrament placed at the monastery door and prayed fervently; the invading soldiers were seized with sudden panic and fled.
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- Patronage: Television, eye diseases, laundry workers, and embroiderers.
- Takeaway for the week: In a world that often measures worth by material possessions, St. Clare reminds us that simplicity and deep prayer anchor the soul. Take time this week to unclutter your heart and rest in Christ's presence.
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Friday, August 14: St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894–1941)
Selfless Love in the Darkest Places
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On Friday, the Church remembers a heroic Franciscan priest who gave his life for a stranger. Father Maximilian Kolbe was a passionate missionary who utilized modern print media and radio to spread devotion to the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
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During World War II, he was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. When a prisoner escaped, the camp guards selected ten men to be starved to death in a dark bunker as retribution. Hearing a father cry out for his wife and children, Father Kolbe quietly stepped forward and volunteered to take the man's place. During his two weeks in the starvation bunker, he led his fellow sufferers in prayers and hymns until his death.
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- Patronage: Prisoners, journalists, family men, and the pro-life movement.
- Takeaway for the week: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13). While we may not be called to make the ultimate sacrifice, we can lay down our pride, time, or comfort for others each day.
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Saturday, August 15: The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A Hope-Filled Glimpse of Eternal Glory
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On Saturday, we celebrate one of the major Holy Days of Mary's life. The Church dogmatically proclaims that at the end of her earthly life, the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
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Because Mary said a complete, unreserved "Yes" to God throughout her life, her Assumption serves as a joyful promise to all believers: where she has gone, we hope to follow in the resurrection of the body.
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- Takeaway for the week: Mary's life teaches us that when we surrender our plans to God, He brings forth extraordinary grace. Offer your week ahead into her maternal care.
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A Prayer for Your Week
Heavenly Father, through the intercession of St. Lawrence, teach us to cherish the poor and suffering as Your true treasure. Through the prayers of St. Clare, grant us a clear vision of Your peace in simple living. Through the sacrifice of St. Maximilian Kolbe, give us the courage to put others before ourselves. And through the maternal protection of Our Lady assumed into heaven, draw our hearts toward the glory of Your eternal kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Have a blessed and beautiful week of prayer!
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Let's Take A Closer Look At Our Decolores Rosary
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Decolores! This is the greeting shared by those who have lived a Cursillo. Cursillo is weekend experience based on the movement that started in the Catholic Church back in the 1940's. The Cursillo movement originated in Majorca Spain. This is why many of the terms used in Cursillo are Spanish words. "Cursillo" is short for Cursillo de Cristiandad, which translates to "a short course in Christian living".
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Decolores comes from an old Spanish folk song which became the unofficial anthem of the Cursillo movement. It roughly translates to "of colors". The meaning for those who have lived a Cursillo is that many experience a profound transformation on the weekend. It is like going from seeing the world in black and white to now seeing it in color for the very first time. The song is also where we get the rooster as the unofficial mascot and the use of the rainbow.
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Early on in our business a fellow cursillista (someone who has lived a Cursillo) reached out and wanted a rainbow colored pair of rosary beads that she wanted to use at her local Ultreya (a large gathering of fellow cusillistas, see I told you there were a lot of Spanish words). I have to admit that at first I was not thrilled with the idea of a rainbow colored rosary. This was because my first thought was a rosary with multicolored plastic beads. Those were the only kind of beads I was aware of that I could get in every color in the rainbow. We strive for quality, handmade rosaries and I could not imagine how we could come up with something that didn't look cheep.
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Thankfully we have the internet and online shopping, so I got to searching. I wanted to find beads in every color in the rainbow that were beautiful. It took while but it was well worth the effort. We finally stumbled upon these cracked glass beads made by someone in Canada that was selling them online and they definitely fit the bill. We love how they catch the light almost like crystal beads but are smooth to the touch. The center features the Holy Family on one side and the Holy Spirit on the other. The crucifix is our favorite Schoenstatt Unity Cross, or as we call it the Sorrowful Mother Cross. This is the perfect rosary for our fellow crusillistas or anyone who loves rainbows. We will include a link to it at the bottom of the Newsletter.
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Linda's Hearty Summer Stew
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“And God said, “Behold I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.” Genesis 1:29
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Some recipes don’t really begin with a recipe; they begin in a garden.
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Linda's Hearty Summer Stew began in my parents' garden when I was a little girl. My mother would gather whatever was plentiful—tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, potatoes, herbs—and make a simple, hearty soup from what the earth had given us.
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Over the years I have added a few things of my own, just as we so often do with the traditions handed down to us. This week I made it again using tomatoes and zucchini from our own garden, and as the familiar aromas filled the kitchen, I was reminded that inheritance isn't always something we place on a shelf. Sometimes we plant it, tend it, stir it in a pot, and share it at the table.
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I think faith can be like that too.
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We receive something precious from those who came before us. We nurture it. God allows it to grow in us in ways uniquely our own, and then we have the privilege of sharing it with someone else.
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What I know to be certain in my life, is God’s unending and immeasurable love for us and God’s ever-present faithfulness. Along our journey the Lord sends us friends, family, acquaintances, shepherds; angels who enrich our lives and touch us in special ways, some remain, others are with us for only a short time. But the love and the joy that they bring to us is everlasting and their memories and remembrance of them remain close in our heart and the memories we create.
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My mother's stew isn't exactly my stew, and yet every spoonful still brings me back to her kitchen.
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Maybe that's one of the beautiful gifts of tradition: we don't merely preserve what was given to us, we keep it alive.
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LINDA’S HEARTY SUMMER STEW
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4-5 Zucchini, sliced (semi-thick)
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2-3 Summer Squash, sliced (semi-thick)
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4 stalks of celery, sliced into chunks
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1 large green or white onion (or 2 small), peeled and sliced
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1 head or 5-6 cloves of garlic peeled & chopped.
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Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
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2 cups of green beans, ends cut & cleaned
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2-3 potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
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Escarole, cleaned and chopped (make sure to wash it several times)
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2 stalks of fresh anise (optional) diced or sliced
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6 large tomatoes peeled and chopped (if using Plum/ Roma / San Marzano, no need to peel). You can also supplement with a large can or two of peeled canned tomatoes
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Seasoning Bouquet - make a bouquet of Fresh basil, Thyme, Marjoram, oregano and if you like tarragon. Tie the bouquet together with cooking twine or string (tie string to handle of pot to pull out easily, remove from soup before serving)
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3 Bay leaf (remove from soup before serving)
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Chop a few sprigs or parsley leaves, thyme, basil oregano, marjoram and tarragon together, about two tablespoons in total.
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Pitcher of fresh water (depending on the number of vegetables used)
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Grated pecorino Romano cheese to garnish and to taste
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In a large saucepan add olive oil, garlic and bay leaves. Briefly sauté onions and celery (anise if it is being used) in the olive oil; add zucchini, summer squash, green beans and tomatoes. Add some water and add the escarole and mix it all well. Add enough water to cover all of the vegetables.
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As the veggies cook, they will release more juices to the pot. And the liquid will increase on its own. Add the bouquet of herbs and stir frequently. As the tomatoes cook a light tomato broth will form. Let the veggies cook, when the zucchini and escarole begin to soften but are still firm, add the potatoes. When the potatoes are tender the stew is nearing completion.
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Taste for season and add salt and pepper to your liking. I tend to go low on the salt and add a large pinch of freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese. You can also add the rind of Romano or Parmesan cheese for additional flavor. Stir and simmer, once the veggies are tender your stew is ready. Cook to your liking. Sprinkle plated stew with freshly shaved or grated pecorino Romano cheese.
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Tip From Linda’s Kitchen:
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Use What the Garden Gives You. Like my parents I don’t measure. A stew and recipe like this don’t demand perfection. Use what is growing, what you have and more of and what you like. Make it yours. Some summers there are more zucchini, some years more tomatoes or beans. And always add an abundance of love, that gives it the best flavor. My mother and father cooked this way and so do I.
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A Thought to Carry with You
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Where in my life am I holding on to certainty, and what beauty or truth might enter if I loosen my grip and open my heart?
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Until Next Week
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Wherever this newsletter finds you today, whether your heart is full of joy or carrying a burden known only to you, know that you are remembered in our prayers. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus fill you with His peace, the Immaculate Heart of Mary wrap you in her loving mantle, and the humble and chaste Heart of St. Joseph guide and protect you this week. Until we meet again, may God bless you and those you love.
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Links for this weeks Newsletter
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