When Are We Going to Take Back Halloween?

                                          Orthodox icon of All Saints (wikicommons)

Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS

Remember the days when Halloween meant flocks of children dressed as cowboys and princesses who actually did tricks on your doorstep in exchange for a treat? How did we get from that innocent celebration to the parade of ghouls, witches, and zombies that arrive on our porches today, impatiently grabbing candy out of the bowl as they rush off to the next stop?

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Our Lady’s Rosary

October 31

Our Lady’s Rosary

Dear Mother, I bring Thee roses
Because they are so sweet,
But lilies, my favorite flowers
I am placing at Thy feet.
Accept with each Hail Mary
A rose for Thy crown so bright,
Please don’t forget the lilies,
The lilies so pure and white.
Let them be a bond of love
And understanding rare,
And send a blessing from above
In answer to my prayer.
Loneliness would be unknown
If more people came to Thee,
With their trials and sorrows
And said their Rosary.
With each Hail Mary, they would find
Their load much lighter grow,
And in humility, kiss the cross
In peace, would onward go.
-Alice W. Sparks

 

For Reflection:

How has my load been made lighter this past month as I have prayed the Rosary? Am I willing to make the Rosary a daily prayer? Why or why not?

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Judge Reopens Covington Teen’s Defamation Case

A federal judge has decided to partially reverse his decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Covington High School teen Nicholas Sandmann against the Washington Post and is now allowing the case to move forward on several counts.

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Take up the Rosary

October 30
“I look to all of you, brothers and sisters of every state of life, to you, Christian families, to you, the sick and elderly, and to you, young people: confidently take up the Rosary once again. Rediscover the Rosary in the light of Scripture, in harmony with the liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.
May this appeal of mine not go unheard!”
-St. John Paul II
For Reflection:
How will I respond to this urgent appeal of Pope John Paul II?

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Is the Day of the Dead a Pagan Celebration?

I recently spoke at the Deliverance Ministry Workshop, hosted by the Missionaries of the New Evangelization in Castle Rock, Colorado, and was explaining why the very non-Christian version of the Day of the Dead featured in the Disney movie, Coco, was a non-starter for both kids and parents. Afterward, a Hispanic man schooled me on exactly why this this feast is okay when celebrated the Christian way.

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New Low for Planned Parenthood: Playing “Bra Pong” to Raise Money

Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS

The organization that claims to be fighting for women stooped to a new low last week when it hosted a “Bras and Brews” event in Texas to raise money for cancer research, an event that featured “bra pong” and a chance to meet “your favorite Planned Parenthood Texas Votes cuties.”

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Whole life

October 29

“Into [the Rosary] one may take his whole life – joys and sorrows, men and things, everything – as he would take it to someone whose presence he finds restful, not to find out how he might act with more success,
but to put everything into a proper light.”

-Romano Guardini

 

For Reflection:

Do I bring the whole of my life to the Rosary when I pray? What is the difference between going to pray searching for an answer and going to prayer seeking wisdom? Which is the greater gift? How can the Rosary help me to attain it?

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Delivered from sin

October 28
“The immense good which this noble devotion (the Rosary) has done to the world is well known. How many, by its means, have been delivered from sin! How many led to live a holy life! How many to a good death,
and are now saved!”
-St. Alphonsus Liguori
For Reflection:
Do I know anyone who needs to be delivered from serious sin? Who is living a life lacking in holiness? Who is now confronting his or her death? Today, I will use the weapon of the Rosary to fight for them through my prayers.

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Household of Nazareth

October 27
“The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the center; they share his joys and sorrows; they place their needs and their plans in his hands; they draw from him the hope and strength to go on.”
-St. John Paul II
For Reflection:
What about my home and my homelife reflect the household of Nazareth? What about it does not? How can I help my family enter into the mysteries of the Rosary so that Jesus is at the center of all we do and say?

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