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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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Get ready to join us in a 40 day challenge leading up to the premier of the upcoming new season of The Chosen
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Rosary Reflection
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This week we take a look at our Three Hail Mary Chaplet.
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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 the Holy Archangels, protect our families and guide our steps. Through the dedication of St. Jerome, give us a hunger for Your Holy Scriptures. Through the "Little Way" of St. Thérèse, help us perform our daily duties with great love. And through the example of St. Francis of Assisi, grant us peace, generosity, and a spirit of simple praise. 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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- Tuesday - Feast of the Archangels
- Wednesday - St. Jerome
- Thursday - St. Therese of Lisieux
- Saturday - St. Francis of Assisi
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Along the Way
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There has been growth this summer. It just wasn't all growing in the backyard.
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We have been fans of the TV show The Chosen since the very first season came out in 2019. There have been five seasons so far, and season six is about to be released. With eight episodes in each season, that means, after five seasons there are now 40 episodes available to watch.
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Earlier this year, before Lent, the creators of the series invited everyone to watch an episode a day during the 40 days of Lent—one episode for each day. The best part was that Season 5 was all about the Last Supper and ended in the Garden of Gethsemane, so it lined up perfectly for us to watch those specific episodes during Holy Week. It ended up being a wonderful addition to our Lenten journey.
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It was the first time we watched every episode in a row like that, and what really surprised me was how differently they hit me compared to when I first watched them. Some of my favorite moments—the ones that brought me to tears the first time—didn't have the exact same impact during the rewatch. I don't think it's because I already knew what was going to happen; rather, I think it's because I am in a different place in my life than I was in 2019. Much like Holy Scripture, what impacted me years ago hits differently today. Conversely, things I read or hear today—even passages I’ve read dozens of times—strike me as if I’m hearing them for the very first time.
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I even remember hearing a reading at Mass once and being so amazed that I had no memory of it that I opened my Bible as soon as I got home just to confirm it was really there!
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The main reason we are such huge fans of The Chosen is how faithful they are to Scripture and history. While they do add fictional backstories and dialogue, it is done so thoughtfully that it feels right. I often get the feeling that those imagined details fit the story so seamlessly that they very well could have happened. The creators have done a remarkably careful job ensuring that nothing portrayed could be considered blasphemous or heretical to any Christian tradition.
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"Anointed" might sound like too strong a word, but I truly believe Jesus is working through this show. It has been an absolute blessing in my life, and I am deeply looking forward to the new season.
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With that in mind, I checked the calendar and realized that October 4 is exactly 40 days away from the release of the first three episodes of Season 6. So, we have decided to rewatch all 40 episodes again starting on October 4. Since Season 6 focuses entirely on the Passion of Our Lord, we know it will be heavy and difficult to watch at times.
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We invite all of you to join us on this 40-day journey leading up to what is sure to be a powerful depiction of what Our Lord endured for our salvation. Over the next few issues of the newsletter, we’ll be sharing our thoughts each week on the moments that touched us most. Be sure to follow along and connect with us on Facebook as well, where we'll be posting regular updates. That way, you can share your own experiences with us—we would love to hear how Jesus speaks to you through the show!
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The Weekly Saint | Reflections for September 28 – October 4
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Welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Saint. As we transition into October—the month traditionally dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary—the Church’s liturgical calendar offers us an inspiring collection of saints. These holy men and women remind us that holiness is found in childlike trust, fierce dedication to truth, total surrender to divine providence, and seeing the Creator’s presence in all of creation.
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Here are the feast days and saints guiding our reflections for this week
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Tuesday, September 29: Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
Defenders, Messengers, and Healers
We open our week with the solemn celebration of the Archangels, the heavenly messengers who serve God and protect His people throughout salvation history:
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- St. Michael ("Who is like God?"): The leader of the heavenly host who defends against spiritual darkness and stands as a guardian of the Church.
- St. Gabriel ("Strength of God"): The herald of the Incarnation who brought the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- St. Raphael ("God Heals"): The companion of Tobit who brings physical and spiritual healing and guides travelers on their journey.
- Takeaway for the week: You do not walk your spiritual journey alone. Turn to the archangels in moments of fear, confusion, or illness, invoking St. Michael's prayer for protection over your home and family.
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Wednesday, September 30: St. Jerome (c. 347–420)
A Passionate Love for Sacred Scripture
On Wednesday, the Church honors one of its greatest scholars and Doctors of the Church. St. Jerome spent decades living in a cave near Bethlehem, translating the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into Latin (creating the Vulgate, the standard Bible of the Western Church for over a millennium).
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Known for his fiery personality and sharp intellect, Jerome was entirely transformed by his devotion to God's Word. He famously wrote: "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."
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- Patronage: Librarians, translators, scholars, and Bible students.
- Takeaway for the week: Dedicate ten minutes each day this week to reading a chapter from the Gospels. Let the living Word of God shape your thoughts and decisions.
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Thursday, October 1: St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897)
The Little Way of Love and Trust
On Thursday, we celebrate the "Little Flower"—a young French Carmelite nun who became one of the most beloved saints in modern history and a Doctor of the Church, despite dying at just 24 years old.
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Thérèse recognized that she was too small to achieve great, heroic deeds on her own. Instead, she developed her famous "Little Way"—doing tiny, routine, everyday actions with extraordinary love for God. Whether picking up a dropped pin or smiling at a difficult convent sister, she offered everything as a rose tossed to heaven.
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- Patronage: Missionaries, florists, pilots, and loss of parents.
- Takeaway for the week: You don't need a grand platform to become a saint. Look for small, hidden opportunities today—a kind word, patient listening, or a quiet task—and offer them up with great love.
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Saturday, October 4: St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)
Simplicity, Peace, and Creation
We close our week with one of the most recognized saints in world history. Born to a wealthy silk merchant in Italy, Francis abandoned a life of luxury and worldly ambition after hearing Christ speak to him from the crucifix at San Damiano: "Francis, go and repair My house, which is falling into ruin."
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Embracing radical Gospel poverty, Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans). He saw the beauty of God reflected in all creation, calling the sun, moon, and elements his "brothers and sisters," and lived as an instrument of Christ's peace.
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- Patronage: Animals, ecology, merchants, peace, and Italy.
- Takeaway for the week: Take a walk outdoors this week to reflect on the beauty of God's creation, or pray the famous Peace Prayer of St. Francis: "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace."
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A Prayer for Your Week
Heavenly Father, through the intercession of St. Matthew, grant us prompt obedience to Your Son's call. Through the prayers of Padre Pio, quiet our worries and fill our hearts with trust. Through the example of Saints Cosmas and Damian, bless all medical workers and inspire us to serve others generously. And through the zeal of St. Vincent de Paul, open our eyes to the needs of the poor. 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 Look At Our Three Hail Mary Chaplet
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Last year, a friend reached out to ask if we could make some Three Hail Mary Chaplets. This was another instance where we had no prior knowledge of what a Three Hail Mary Chaplet was, but she was kind enough to send us a few links so we could educate ourselves and begin the design process.
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She shared that she had recently discovered the Three Hail Mary devotion and felt it would make a wonderful gift for her family. She has a large extended family—one of whom is now a priest—so every year around Christmastime, they gather to celebrate Mass and exchange gifts.
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She requested purple beads and a Fleur-de-lis medal, as both hold special meaning for her family. While the purple beads were easy to find, the Fleur-de-lis medal turned into a bit of a project. I already had Fleur-de-lis rosary centers on hand that we love because they are the "Fiat" version, which features images of Our Lady, St. Bernadette, and St. Thérèse. I knew this design would be perfect for a Three Hail Mary chaplet, but to my surprise, I couldn't find it in medal form; it was only available as a rosary center.
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This is where the extra work began. I decided to modify the centers by clipping off the two extra loops, then used a Dremel tool to smooth down the edges. It took some extra effort, but it was well worth it—none of the standard Fleur-de-lis medals I found were as beautiful, and none featured Our Lady.
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We also decided to add bead caps. Because the chaplet is so simple with only three beads, the caps added the perfect touch to dress it up. Since the chaplet honors Our Lady, finishing it with the Sorrowful Mother Crucifix was a must.
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We loved how it turned out, but more importantly, so did our friend—she later shared that her family absolutely adored them.
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We fell so in love with the Three Hail Mary Chaplet that we decided to create our own version to offer on our website. It comes with a prayer card we designed that includes instructions on how to pray the devotion. You can find a link to it at the end of this newsletter!
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“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
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This season of our lives has brought a great many adjustments.
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Some have come more easily than others. Things I once did without giving them much thought now require planning. What used to take me a few hours in the kitchen may take a few days of preparing a little, resting, doing a little more, and resting again.
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The same is true of ordinary chores, activities and time away from the comfort of home, my bed or a supportive chair. Anyone who has experienced chronic pain or limited mobility probably understands how quickly the ordinary things of life can become things that have to be calculated.
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What will this cost me physically afterward?
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For someone who loves to cook, garden and simply do, it has been an adjustment. This is my “new normal” right now. I emphasize right now because I remain hopeful. I am doing what I can to help my body heal, and I pray that with time I will have less pain and greater function and will return to more of the things I love.
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But I don't know exactly what that will look like. And perhaps that is part of what the Lord is teaching me. I have always known that my strength—my steam, as I call it—and every breath I take come through God's grace.
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Grazie a Dio and Si Dio vuole were woven into me by my family long before I understood how deeply those words would become part of my own life.
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They are easy words to say. Living them is something else entirely.
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I am a doer. I see something that needs attention and my instinct is to jump in and take care of it. See the problem. Make the list. Find the answer. Do the work. But this season has repeatedly placed me in situations where I simply cannot do that. And sometimes it takes a while for that reality to sink in.
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As summer began winding down, I looked out at our backyard oasis. I saw the overgrown garden, weeds in the flower beds and projects my beloved and I had planned for spring and summer that simply didn't happen.
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For a moment, I saw everything we hadn't done. And then I looked again.
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Because despite how little attention we had been able to give it this summer...
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the garden still produced. There were vegetables and goodies for us to enjoy and enough abundance to share with others. The garden hadn't followed our plans. But there was still fruit. And that realization stayed with me.
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“A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9
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I have known that Scripture for years. This year, my beloved and I have been living it. We had plans for this summer. God apparently had some other lessons tucked into it. And lately I've begun to realize something rather beautiful.
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Maybe this wasn't the summer for us to tend the garden. Maybe this was the summer for the Lord to tend us. While the weeds grew and some of our projects waited, God was doing some cultivating of His own—in our hearts, in our souls, in our marriage and in our relationships with Him.
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There has been growth this summer. It just wasn't all growing in the backyard.
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I am learning to accept what is rather than continually measuring it against what I thought it would be. I'm learning to make adjustments without seeing every adjustment as a defeat. I'm learning to focus more on what I can do than on what I temporarily cannot. And perhaps most difficult for this lifelong doer: I'm learning that not everything requires action. Sometimes the faithful response is to move. Sometimes it is to advocate, make the call, go to the appointment, ask the question or do the work. But sometimes the faithful response is to be still.
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That doesn't always come naturally to me. Perhaps that's why the image accompanying this reflection touched me. A little girl is holding tightly to something she loves while Jesus gently asks her to trust Him. She cannot see what He sees. And neither can I.
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I don't know exactly where this road leads. I don't know what healing will look like, what adjustments may be temporary or permanent, or what plans God has for my beloved and me beyond the little piece of road we can see today.
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But I know the One who walks it with us. And every now and then I feel that gentle tug reminding me: Linda, you don't have to take care of everything. Jesus continues to do for me what I sometimes cannot do for myself. So I will continue doing the things that are mine to do. And I will keep practicing something that may take this doer a lifetime to learn:
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Be still.
Ask.
Listen.
Trust.
Surrender.
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The garden may be a little overgrown. Some plans may have to wait until another season. But when I look more carefully, I can see that there has been an abundance of growth after all.
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And for that— Grazie a Dio. Always.
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A Thought to Carry with You
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What are the projects in my life that have been left undone because Jesus has called me to grow in ways I was not expecting to?
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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 week's Newsletter
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