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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 is a reflection on an excerpt on a letter from Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
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Rosary Reflection
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This week we are going to look at olive wood beads. How the simple beauty lends to the simplicity of our prayer.
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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. Bartholomew, grant us hearts without duplicity. Through the tears and prayers of St. Monica, strengthen our hope for our loved ones. Through the wisdom of St. Augustine, bring rest to our restless hearts. And through the courageous witness of St. John the Baptist, grant us the fortitude to live faithfully each day. 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. Bartholomew the Apostle
- Thursday - St. Monica
- Friday - St. Augustine of Hippo
- Saturday - The Passion of St. John the Baptist
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Along the Way
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"The Lord is at Hand" A reflection on Saint Paul's Letter to the Philippians
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Moments of Grace
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This week I had the opportunity to ponder part of Saint Mother Teresa's famous Varanasi or "I Thirst" letter to her fellow sisters in the Missionaries of Charity. The part that was pondered was this,
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“I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus — one to one — you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel — but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus — not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you?
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Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying, “I thirst” in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person — not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say, “I love you” — impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead — meditation only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him — speaking in the silence of your heart."
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What immediately stood out to me was the part where she says, "Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it." I thought of the many times I have asked to hear Him speak to me and heard nothing. The many times I have cried from mercy but felt none. Don't get me wrong I have heard His voice and felt His mercy but it does not happen every time I ask. This probably has more to do with something in my heart that is blocking it. Many, even Saint Mother Teresa experience "dry" periods when we receive no consolation in prayer. Thanks to those times when Jesus has touched my heart, I keep coming back for more. The other thought that hit me was that the times that I have heard His voice it was not a booming sound. It was more like what Elijah experienced on the mountain, God's voice came in a gentle whisper. It takes great attentiveness to hear a gentle whisper and I am rarely that attentive in prayer so I should not be shocked that I do not hear His voice that often. Then I was consoled with the thought that there is a veil between us and heaven. This world we live in prevents us from being able to see clearly the things of heaven and to hear God's voice fully. Only in heaven will we be able to see Jesus as He truly is and hear His voice like will echo like thunder. Then what truly blew my mind was how blown away I am by the gentle whisper when I hear it or the sense of His love and mercy surrounding me. It is but a faint glimpse of fullness of God, yet it always overwhelms me. That the Creator of the Universe even knows my name is inconceivable but to know that He loves me is beyond measure. Now imagine the veil of this world being lifted and seeing Jesus in the fullness of His grace! I hope your mind is blown by this thought as mine was. That this is even a possibility, amazing. So whether we have those moments of grace or are in a dry period we know what awaits us and long to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." and all of heaven rejoice.
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The Weekly Saint | Reflections for August 24 – August 30, 2026
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Welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Saint. As we approach the final week of August, the Church’s liturgical calendar presents us with a deeply personal collection of witnesses. These holy men and women remind us that holiness is woven into the messiness of real life—in persistent prayers for loved ones, in intense internal struggles, and in the quiet work of serving our communities.
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Here are the feast days and saints guiding our reflections for this week
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Monday, August 24: St. Bartholomew the Apostle
Radical Honesty and Unshakeable Faith
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We open our week with one of the original twelve apostles, also known in the Gospels as Nathanael. When his friend Philip first told him that they had found the Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth, Bartholomew famously replied with skeptical honesty: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
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Yet, when he met Jesus face-to-face, the Lord did not rebuke him, but praised his sincerity: "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no duplicity." Bartholomew recognized Jesus instantly as the Son of God, going on to preach the Gospel across India and Armenia, where he eventually gave his life as a martyr.
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- Patronage: Tanners, leatherworkers, plasterers, and Armenia.
- Takeaway for the week: Jesus welcomes our honest questions and doubts. Approach Him in prayer this week exactly as you are, without pretense or spiritual "masks."
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Thursday, August 27: St. Monica (c. 331–387)
The Power of Patient, Persistent Prayer
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On Thursday, we honor a saint who speaks deeply to every parent, family member, or friend who has ever worried about a loved one who has drifted away from the faith. St. Monica was born in North Africa and endured a difficult marriage, yet her quiet patience and witness eventually brought her husband and mother-in-law to Christ.
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Her greatest trial, however, was her brilliant but rebellious son, Augustine. For over seventeen years, Monica shed countless tears and followed Augustine across the Roman empire—from Carthage to Rome to Milan—never ceasing her prayers for his conversion. A bishop famously comforted her by saying, "It is impossible that the son of so many tears should perish." Her prayers were finally answered when Augustine was baptized, becoming one of the Church's greatest saints.
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- Patronage: Mothers, wives, difficult marriages, and alcoholics.
- Takeaway for the week: Never give up on praying for the people you love. God hears every tear and every quiet petition offered on their behalf.
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Friday, August 28: St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
A Heart Restless Until It Rests in God
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Directly following his mother's feast day, Friday belongs to St. Augustine—Doctor of the Church and one of the most brilliant theologians in history. In his youth, Augustine lived a life driven by worldly ambition, philosophical pride, and personal vice. Yet, despite his worldly success, he felt a deep, persistent ache of dissatisfaction.
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His dramatic conversion occurred in a Milan garden when he heard a child’s voice chanting, "Tolle, lege" ("Take up and read"). Opening the Bible to St. Paul's letters, his heart was transformed. Augustine went on to become the Bishop of Hippo, writing spiritual classics like Confessions and The City of God.
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- Patronage: Theologians, printers, scholars, and sore eyes.
- Takeaway for the week: Augustine famously wrote, "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You." When you feel anxious or dissatisfied, bring that restlessness directly to the Eucharistic heart of Christ.
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Saturday, August 29: The Passion of St. John the Baptist
Standing Uncompromisingly for Truth
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We close our week remembering the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. As the forerunner to Christ, John preached repentance in the wilderness and prepared the way for the Lord. He met his death because he had the courage to speak truth to power, calling out King Herod Antipas for his unlawful marriage.
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Herod threw John into prison, and during a lavish banquet, promised his stepdaughter anything she wished. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. John died as a precursor to Christ not only in His birth and preaching, but in giving his life for moral truth.
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- Patronage: Monks, tailors, baptism, and freedom from persecution.
- Takeaway for the week: Standing up for truth and integrity isn't always popular or comfortable, but it grounds our souls in God's eternal peace.
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A Prayer for Your Week
Heavenly Father, through the intercession of St. Bartholomew, grant us hearts without duplicity. Through the tears and prayers of St. Monica, strengthen our hope for our loved ones. Through the wisdom of St. Augustine, bring rest to our restless hearts. And through the courageous witness of St. John the Baptist, grant us the fortitude to live faithfully each day. 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 Olive Wood Beads.
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The very first pair of rosary beads I learned to make were what are called mission rosary beads. Our Lady Rosary Makers is a group founded in 1949 to make rosary beads for missionaries to distribute around the world. They focus on low cost materials and volunteer rosary makers to provide rosaries to missionaries for free. My mother, grandmother and some of their friends would make rosaries using the supplies from this group. It was a great introduction into rosary making but I have to be honest, while the plastic beads made them affordable enough to make them by the hundreds, I was never a fan of how they looked. It made them look more like a toy than a spiritual weapon.
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The first pair of rosary beads I used on a regular basis was olive wood. I loved the simple nature of the wood. The way it looks and feels. How it smooths and darkens overtime from our fingers. So when I decided that I wanted to make beads for my sharing group it had to be olive wood. My spiritual director at the time saw rosary making as good discipline for me and had me making olive wood rosaries for him on a regular basis. As you may remember from an earlier newsletter, one of those rosary beads ended up in the hands of my beloved before we even met.
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When we started our rosary business we knew that olive wood beads would be a part of it.
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In our search for a supplier we ran across a business based out of Bethlehem, Israel. With our business being founded in honor of the three hearts of the Holy Family we knew this was a perfect fit! The cost of the beads was very reasonable and that allowed us to keep the cost of our rosary beads low too. We learned the olive wood is harvested from limbs pruned from the trees so no trees are cut down to create the beads we get. Very cool! Since October 7, 2023 attack, the following conflict with Hamas and the Iran war we have seen some supply issues but have been able to manage and we have reached out to our vendor to offer our prayers during this difficult time for them and all the Israeli people.
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We started out this just rosary beads and then, because of our love of the Jesus prayer, we started making Jesus beads. For such a simple prayer we knew olive wood beads would be perfect for them. Then during the Year of Saint Joseph we knew we had to make St. Joseph rosary beads and nothing could be more fitting for a carpenter than wooden beads. We have had a few requests for single decade beads, also known as tenners. A Tenner was popular in Ireland during the times of anti-Catholic persecution as the tenner was easy to conceal when needed. We also had the honor to make Our Holy Family Chaplet for friends who are praying for their family and wanted to put those prayers at the feet of the Holy Family.
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We love working with olive wood. It always add depth and texture to everything we make and we love that it comes from the Holy Lands. It's a privilege to be able to offer products with ties to the place where our Savior was born. We will include a link to all the olive wood items we have available on our website at the end of the newsletter.
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One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me”.
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I had been praying one verse for years, but when I finally read the whole letter, I discovered what surrounded it.
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And what surrounds it is contentment.
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Last week I reflected on surrender, I surrender, I take it back, and I surrender it again. And what can surrender begin to produce in us? Contentment – not because circumstances are easy, but because Christ is enough within them.
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St. Paul has traditionally been associated with thirteen letters in the New Testament. Hebrews was also attributed to St. Paul for many centuries, although its authorship remains uncertain. Either way, St. Paul's letters to the early Church and God's people are inspiring and filled with wisdom.
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According to the introduction and footnotes in my Revised Standard Bible, St. Paul was writing to the Christians at Philippi in Macedonia. He was imprisoned, living under guard, awaiting an uncertain outcome and contemplating the possibility of death—and yet he wrote a letter overflowing with affection, hope and joy in Christ.
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And I realized how much I had been missing by sometimes reading familiar verses in isolation instead of spending time with the Scripture surrounding them. Philippians 4:13 had lived in my heart for years but now verses 11 and 12 changed the way I heard verse 13.
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St. Paul is saying, in essence:
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I know what it is to have plenty.
I know what it is to have little.
I know hunger.
I know abundance.
I have learned to be content in all of it.
And I can endure all of it through Christ who strengthens me.
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And it is a reminder that whatever the circumstances bring, Christ will give me what I need to walk through them.
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It also reminded me that contentment isn't pretending that difficult circumstances aren't difficult. It isn't denying pain, fear, uncertainty or sorrow. St. Paul knew all of those things. His contentment rested somewhere deeper—in knowing that whatever his circumstances, Christ was with him and Christ would give him the strength he needed.
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It is a powerful reminder for me in this season, and especially for my beloved and me as we prepare for his surgery this week. We don't know everything that lies ahead. We don't have to. Whatever the trials or circumstances, whatever the joys or sorrows, we will not face them alone. Christ is beside us. He is our strength, our hope, our peace and our joy.
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The Letter to the Philippians is filled with reminders of how the Lord is with us. In Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand, have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”
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The verse “The Lord is at Hand” jumped right out. There it was again – the reminder I seem to keep receiving along the way: He is here. With us always in all seasons, in joyous times, in difficult trials, in moments of darkness, in moments of grace, in the pit or on the mountaintop, the Lord is always at hand.
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Gratitude and thanksgiving have always come naturally to me. Perhaps it is because I heard them so often growing up. My parents, my Nonna, and my Zio's and Zia's in Italy were always giving thanks to God.
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“Grazie a Dio.” Thanks be to God.
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And whenever we spoke about something we hoped or planned to do:
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“Se Dio vuole.” If God wills it.
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Gratitude for what God had already given us and surrender of what came next.
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I didn't realize as a child how deeply those simple words were forming me.
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I opened Philippians this morning thinking I was going to spend some time with a familiar verse. Instead, the Holy Spirit invited me to see an old friend with new eyes.
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“I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” means something different to me tonight than it did this morning.
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I don't need Christ's strength only to change my circumstances. I need His strength to live faithfully, peacefully and joyfully within whatever circumstances He permits—to know abundance and want, joy and sorrow, mountaintops and valleys, and still be able to say, “Grazie a Dio.”
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And perhaps therein lies the secret Paul learned:
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We are never walking alone.
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Se Dio vuole, we keep walking—with gratitude, trust and Christ as our strength—along the way.
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A Thought to Carry with You
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What part of the excerpt from the letter from Saint Teresa of Calcutta stood out to you?
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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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