Jennifer invited Catholic mothers to our house to pray the Rosary for their teenagers, while Greg considers how God uses supposed failures, long-built skills (once thought trivial), and unexpected opportunities to do more for the Kingdom.

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After seeing Catholic mothers (including herself) often struggling with how to raise holy teenagers in a Godless culture, Jennifer took a risk and invited local Catholic moms into our home to pray the Rosary. At the first gathering, six women arrived. It was small, but it was awesome, and it offered a glimpse of how even the tiniest local Rosary groups could grow.

For the gathering, Greg was motivated to finish his long-in-development Rosary meditation booklet, which brings together all 20 mysteries, Scripture, and St. Louis-Marie de Montfort's meditations. Years of seemingly unrelated work may have prepared him for all of this. Plus, a listener's question about ministry and fiction widens the discussion into how God uses our gifts, redirects old dreams (and sometimes failures), and opens the right doors at the right time.

Free From Rosary Army:

• Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
• School of Mary
• Audio Rosary Podcast
• Video Version of this Episode

Subscribe to the Podcast:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):

• Download Free Sample Chapters
• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Audible
• Buy from Sophia Institute Press

More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:

• Rosary Army Mobile App
• Greg's serialized novel
• Contact & Speaking Engagements

Timestamps

00:00 Jennifer starts a Rosary group for mothers of teens
05:00 Building the 20-Mystery Rosary booklet
09:24 Learning to pray all 20 mysteries
12:10 Could local Rosary groups spread?
16:38 A listener's question about calling and creativity
19:43 Co-creating with God through art
22:33 Greg's struggle with writing and rejection
26:00 When to persevere—and when to walk away
31:43 Praying all 20 mysteries through School of Mary
34:23 A prayer for surrendering worry

Greg and Jennifer question crowded schedules, endless to-do lists, and whether planning less can leave more room to recognize and follow God's will.

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Greg and Jennifer have spent years trying to simplify their lives, yet slowing down can still feel like failure. A passage from Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks gets them talking about the pressure to stay productive, keep up with everyone else, and fill every open hour.

Greg explains why he now limits his daily list instead of chasing the next task. Jennifer talks about the good that can come from an empty schedule or even a feeling of emptiness. That space may be necessary if they want to hear what God is actually asking of them. One teacher's yearly gift of handmade rosaries has already reached hundreds of children and could keep changing families for years.

Free From Rosary Army:

• Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
• School of Mary
• Audio Rosary Podcast
• Video Version of this Episode

Subscribe to the Podcast:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):

• Download Free Sample Chapters
• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Audible
• Buy from Sophia Institute Press

More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:

• Rosary Army Mobile App
• Greg's serialized novel
• Contact & Speaking Engagements

Timestamps

00:00 Handmade rosaries for third graders
02:25 The unseen ripple effects of a rosary
05:25 Remembering what the year has produced
06:09 Commonplace books and Four Thousand Weeks
15:42 The fourth quarter of the year—and life
18:13 A ripple list instead of a bucket list
19:26 Why simple living can feel like failure
23:03 Surrendering each day to God
28:01 Planning less to follow God's will
29:25 The good of an empty schedule

After musician Glen Hansard's sudden death and Greg's recent talk about God's love, we tackle the sobering question of being ready for eternity.

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Just a few days after giving a talk in Texas about God's love and mercy, one of Greg's favorite musicians suddenly died in a tragic motorcycle accident. As a result, we find ourselves grieving someone we never personally met. Glen Hansard's death raises a larger question: why do people so quickly assume someone is in heaven instead of praying for the dead?

We also talk about Catholics who intentionally withheld sins in confession because of shame and explain that preparing to die can be as simple as making a full confession, receiving God's mercy, and staying close to the sacraments. And ultimately, we come to the realization that Rosary Army's work is meant to help people die well.

Free From Rosary Army:

• Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries
• School of Mary
• Audio Rosary Podcast
• Video Version of this Episode

Subscribe to the Podcast:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

Greg's Latest Book (God Doesn't Hate Me After All – Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom):

• Download Free Sample Chapters
• Buy on Amazon
• Buy on Audible
• Buy from Sophia Institute Press

More From Rosary Army and Greg & Jennifer Willits:

• Rosary Army Mobile App
• Greg's serialized novel
• Contact & Speaking Engagements

Timestamps

00:00 San Antonio and the fear of confession
01:29 The sudden death of Glen Hansard
04:17 Why Catholics pray for the dead
06:18 "Die before you die"
08:51 It is simple to be ready to die
11:20 Rosary Army helps people die well
13:26 Making a full confession
19:14 Purgatory and the state of the soul
23:03 A raindrop in the fire of God's mercy
29:03 Daily examen and funeral wishes