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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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What is your soil like? A reflection on last Sunday's Gospel reading.
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Rosary Reflection
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We are highlighting the St. Charbel Chaplet 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. Mary Magdalene, fill our hearts with a burning love for Your Son. Through the prayers of St. Sharbel, grant us the grace to find peace in quiet prayer amidst our busy days. And through the wisdom of Saints Joachim and Anne, protect and bless our families and homes. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Saints of the Week
A short reflection on the saints of this week.
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- Wednesday - St. Mary Magdalene
- Friday - St. Charbel Makhkouf
- Sunday - Sts. Joachim and Anne
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Along the Way
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Sharing a little poem along the way.
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Moments of Grace
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| The Gospel reading for last Sunday was Matthew 13:1-23, which contains the Parable of the Sower. Jesus teaches the crowds from a boat, explaining how the "seed" (the word of God) is received differently depending on the condition of a person's heart. |
| While listening to this I imagined three pots. One with good soil, one with dry soil and one with weeds in it. I looked at them from the perspective of the Father. If the Father had to choose one of those pots to plant something in, the choice is clear. The pot with the good soil would give the best chance to grow whatever the Father wanted to plant and produce fruit. |
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| Last spring we created a garden with several raised garden beds where we grow vegetables and herbs. So we know that the process of preparing the soil before we plant is as important as tending to the garden while they are growing. We prepare the soil in hopes of a bountiful harvest. Last year we got a ton of tomatoes and cucumbers. We had so many tomatoes that we were able to make several jars of sauce. This year we already are harvesting zucchini and cucumbers and we have plenty of tomatoes. We are hoping for another big tomato harvest so we can make more sauce. |
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| So thinking about the three pots I thought about my heart and what the Father would see if He wanted to plant something in me. To be honest, the third pot would best represent my heart at this moment. I have a few weeds that need to be pulled out by the roots. It was a wake up moment for me. We never know when the Father wants to plant something in our heart so it is important to keep it ready to receive it when He does. I was thinking about why my prayer life was suffering lately. I had a blessed Lenten and Easter season, but here in Ordinary time I have to admit that my prayer time has been lacking. I don't know why. But I do know that there is a direct correlation between my prayer life and the softening of my heart. |
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It might just be my human nature that we all go through seasons. Maybe that is why we have different seasons in the Church Calendar. Maybe that's why the Church has placed this Gospel in the middle of Ordinary time. I might not have been the only one who needed a wake up call last week. Our Lord wants to shower us with blessings, but the impact relies on our hearts being open and ready to receive it. Open-ness is something I have been pondering for awhile now and how important it is in the spiritual life. But let's save that for another day to unpack.
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The Weekly Saints | Late July Reflections
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| Welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Saint. As we journey into the latter half of July, the Church's liturgical calendar brings us a beautiful collection of witnesses. These lives remind us that Christ meets us exactly where we are—whether we are grappling with deep grief, searching for a path forward, or balancing the everyday demands of a home or a small business. |
| This week, we look at three incredible models of holiness whose feast days fall between July 20th and July 26th. From the shores of Galilee to the quiet corners of family life, these guides are walking right alongside us. |
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Wednesday, July 22: St. Mary Magdalene
The Apostle to the Apostles
| We begin our mid-week reflections with one of the most prominent and deeply misunderstood figures in the Gospels. Mary Magdalene was a devoted follower of Jesus who stayed by His side through the agony of the crucifixion when many others fled. |
| Her crowning moment in salvation history happens on Easter Sunday morning. Weeping at the empty tomb, she is the very first person to encounter the Risen Christ. Jesus commissions her to go and tell the disciples what she has seen, earning her the beautiful ancient title Apostolorum Apostola—the Apostle to the Apostles. |
- Patronage: Converts, contemplative life, hairdressers, and people ridiculed for their piety.
- Takeaway for the week: Mary Magdalene's life shows us that our past does not define our future in Christ. Her deep love and fidelity turned her grief into unshakeable joy. Where is Jesus calling you to bring a message of hope to someone this week?
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Friday, July 24: St. Sharbel Makhlouf (1828–1898)
The Quiet Power of Hidden Prayer
| On Friday, the Church honors a modern giant of the Eastern Catholic Church. Sharbel was a Maronite monk and priest who lived a life of radical humility, spending his final 23 years entirely as a hermit in the rugged mountains of Lebanon. He spent his days in silent adoration of the Eucharist, manual labor in the monastery vineyards, and intense prayer for the world. |
| While his life on earth was hidden and quiet, his legacy after death became extraordinary. For months after his burial, a mysterious, brilliant light emanated from his tomb. Since his passing, thousands of miraculous physical and spiritual healings have been documented through his intercession, making his shrine a beacon of hope for believers worldwide. |
- Patronage: Lebanon, those suffering from severe illness, and family unity.
- Takeaway for the week: In our noisy, digital world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the chaos of daily life. St. Sharbel reminds us that the quietest prayers can move mountains. Try to carve out just five minutes of absolute silence today to rest in God's presence.
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Sunday, July 26: Saints Joachim and Anne
The Grounding Gift of Family
| We close our week with a beautiful celebration of family and heritage. Saints Joachim and Anne are traditional names given to the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary—making them the earthly grandparents of Jesus. |
| According to ancient tradition, Joachim and Anne suffered from years of infertility and prayed with deep faith, promising to dedicate any child they received to the service of God. In their old age, their prayers were answered with the birth of Mary. They provided the loving, faithful home where the Mother of God was raised, teaching her the scriptures and preparing her heart to say her radical "Yes" to the Angel Gabriel. |
- Patronage: Grandparents, parents, married couples, and those struggling with infertility.
- Takeaway for the week: Holiness is built in the ordinary rhythms of home life. Whether you are caring for children, supporting elderly relatives, or honoring the memory of your ancestors, your daily acts of family love are a direct reflection of God's devotion to us.
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A Prayer for Your Week
Heavenly Father, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, fill our hearts with a burning love for Your Son. Through the prayers of St. Sharbel, grant us the grace to find peace in quiet prayer amidst our busy days. And through the wisdom of Saints Joachim and Anne, protect and bless our families and homes. 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 The St. Charbel Chaplet
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Our local retreat house is St. Basil's Salvatorian Center run by Priests of the Basilian Salvatorian Order. This order was founded in Lebenon and is one of the Eastern Rite Catholic traditions within the Holy Catholic Church. It is very different from the Roman Catholic tradition that most Catholics are accustomed to. The Churches look different. They use icons instead of Statues and they celebrate the Mass using the version written by St. John Chrysostom that was refined and standarized in 398 AD. So it's very ancient and very beautiful because most of it is sung in a chanting style. On the grounds of Saint Basil's there is also a Seminary and a Chapel where Mass is celebrated. Linda and I have grown very fond of the Eastern Rite Liturgy. It reminds us of what St. Pope John Paul II said, "The Church must breathe with her two lungs" meaning the Eastern and Western Traditions. There is such beauty and wisdom in both and we are so blessed to be able to celebrate both.
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Because of the Salvatorian Order's ties to Lebanon, we were familiar with St. Charbel (Patron Saint of Lebanon) but we were not familiar with the St. Charbel Chaplet. So when a good friend's daughter asked if we could make one for her we gladly accepted but had no idea what it was. Thankfully, these days, you can easily research anything online. So we did our research, prayed on it and started the design process.
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| The chaplet mainly consists of 5 sets of 3 beads. The first three sets of beads are red and represent St. Charbel's vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The next set of beads are white to represent his love of the Eucharist. The last set of beads are blue in honor of his devotion to Our Blessed Mother. We decided that pure white, blue or red would not work. Like all of us, no saint is perfect so it felt right to have beads that would invoke that sentiment. The first one we found was the white howlite beads. It's a natural gemstone that has shades of grey and black in it. It reminds us that only when we are washed in the blood of the Lamb will we be white as snow. After that we found blue and red beads that closely matched the howlite beads. Because of his love of the Blessed Mother or Theotokos*, as is widely used in Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions, we knew St. Charbel would love the Holy Family center we chose. As much as we know that he would not want his own image used we had to include a St. Charbel medal. We also knew that we could not create this chaplet without a crucifix so we were happy to have found a small version of the Sorrowful Mother crucifix. We knew St. Charbel would love a crucifix that included the Blessed Mother on it. |
| *Theotokos is a Greek term meaning "God-bearer" or "Mother of God" |
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| We love how beautiful this chaplet came out. It has become our best selling chaplet so it appears that others do too. We even had a customer who ordered one online and as soon as they got their hand on it, ordered a second one. |
| We also created a prayer card with instructions on how to pray the chaplet. We don't pray the chaplet often so when we do, it's so helpful to have the prayer card. |
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Last week I shared about an unexpected pilgrimage to San Bartolomeo's Hermitage in Legio. And how as the sun began to set over the Maiella Mountains, I stood on a narrow stone ledge built into the face of a mountain and looking across the valley below, I stretched out my hand because in that moment I felt that I could touch the face of God.
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Later that night, back at my Zio's Donato's house after everyone went to bed. I stayed up late into night sitting outside under a blanket of brightly shining stars in the beautiful night sky and reflecting and journaling about the day and all that was flooding my heart.
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As I enjoyed the gentle breeze in the stillness of the countryside, I recalled our wonderful excursion to San Bartolomeo's Hermitage and the peace and pure joy that filled my heart while we were there.
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I recalled how I stood in the narrow ledge of the hermitage looking out at the vastness of the mountains and the beauty around me thinking about my mom who went to glory seven months earlier. And I recalled how in that moment, I stretched out my hands, reaching towards the setting sun that felt so close, so close that I felt like I could touch the face of God. And I recalled how in that moment I knew without a doubt that God was touching my heart in a powerful way. A way I had never experienced before. The grace, gratitude, thankfulness and peace that flooded my heart was palpable and so vivid in my remembrance. And before I knew it, my journaling stopped and I wrote a little poem I called "Little Sweater"
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| It's been my experience that there are many seasons in our journey. I was definitely deep in grief and questioning, I was searching for hope, peace and understanding. I wanted to know my mother was at peace now that her earthly suffering was over. And I received that grace. The Lord was beside me every step of the way. How grateful I am that through His grace the eyes of my heart were open to see His goodness and faithfulness in that moment and in so very many other tangible ways that summer. |
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The glorious splendor of the mountainside posseted my soul.
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It has awakened my senses with its dizzying heights, steep ledges and deep valley's.
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I am drunk on the pure, clean and fragrant air that fills my lungs with each breath I take.
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I am whole, at peace, content to be swallowed in its vastness and surrounded by its beauty.
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With a reach of an outstretched hand I am one with the Maker as I stand at the top of the world in what can only be God's Country.
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| Cepagatti - June 30, 1998 |
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A Thought to Carry with You
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| When you look back over your life, where can you now see God's hand that you couldn't see at that time? |
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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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