October is the yearly attendance count for the Diocese. We track how many people show up to Masses each weekend in October so that over the course of the years we can compare and see whether attendance is rising or falling. Don’t worry, we don’t keep track of who it is while counting (though we used to do that year round based on your donation envelopes in the basket!). So, in order to satisfy my own curiosity, I’m wondering how many people actually read the bulletin articles. If you would therefore please send me an email right now at  FrJames@OLMercy.com   with the subject line or content being READ THE BULLETIN, I’ll be happy to report the results to my boss! It’ll also look good on you, unless of course I receive the email during one of the Mass times. Then I’ll just know you weren’t paying attention during Mass!

Thanks. Now that that’s over, October is also the month of the rosary. While the origins of the rosary are long debated and have several variations, let’s just say that it has a long historical pedigree. The 150 Hail Mary’s of all three sets of mysteries are often connected with the 150 psalms, making the rosary the ‘layman’s psalter’ of sorts. Another origin story calls the practice a “rosarium”, or, “rose garden”. Given the fact that St. Therese of Lisieux kicks off this month with her feast day, and the fact that her prayer cards are often adorned with the prayer: “St Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the Heavenly Garden and send it to me with a message of Love,” I enjoy the idea of our rosaries being like us picking roses one by one and laying them at the feet of our Mother Mary! Nevertheless, the rosary is so universally revered in the Catholic world because it is so wonderfully universal! It leads us into vocal, meditative, and contemplative prayer alike, while inviting us into both Scripture and Tradition and ultimately a deeper relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ. This month, let’s count off those beads and offer the fragrance of our prayers to Our Lord through the hands of Our Lady of the Rosary!

Father James