TASTE EVENTS

• LAST WEEK — We welcomed Sr. Donata Farbaniec as she gave a talk entitled "Divine Mercy." Sr. Donata gave a reflection on Divine Mercy, making use of several readings from the diary of St. Faustina. She gave a beautiful meditation on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the profound love He has for for each of us. He desires to fill us with His limitless Love and Mercy. Sister used the image of Divine Mercy to help us see and understand this extraordinary gift of Jesus. To venerate the image of Divine Mercy is to venerate Divine Mercy itself; to venerate Divine Mercy is to trust in God and be merciful to others. Jesus wants us to place our trust completely in Him. It is OK to have questions, but it is important to bring them to the Lord. The battle field is trust, our worries about trust. Is He really so good? And secondly, we have to show mercy to others. The sacrament of reconciliation is the fruit of His passion, the peak of His mercy. And we are invited to do the same – to receive His mercy and be the channels of His mercy, to be Christ-like in the world. Jesus is interested in a heart to heart relationship with us, with mutual trust. How much are we open to Him? How much do we let Him in? The nature of the heart as created by God is to love and to receive love. Only when we receive love and respond with love can our hearts be truly happy, fulfilled and alive. If we do not have the desire for a deep relationship with Jesus, we can ask to have the desire. Towards the end of her meditation Sr, Donata shared a story of a personal encounter with Jesus’ Sacred Heart through an image that kept appearing in places she went, almost as if He was seeking her out. This pursuit led her to meditating on the image, and resulted in a profound and deeply personal change in her. Ultimately, Jesus wants to have a deep and personal relationship with each one of us where we are one with Him.

• NEW TALK — This week, we welcome Fr.  Virginus Osuagwu as he gives a talk entitled "Focus on the Goodness of God and Overcome Your Anxiety."

• THIS WEEK'S DISCUSSION — We will discuss  Sr. Donata Farbaniec's talk entitled "Divine Mercy." The audio, video, reflection questions and other related material can be found HERE. The Zoom small group meets on the following Tuesday morning. Details on how to join can be found in a link at the bottom of this message.

OTHER EVENTS / INTEREST ITEMS

• 10/12 —CARLO ACUTIS FEAST DAY — Yesterday, Oct. 12 was the first time that Catholics around the world finally celebrated the feast day of Saint Carlo Acutis.  For Catholics who have been following his life story and message, his canonization in September was the culmination of years of devotion to this extraordinarily popular saint who documented over 100 Eucharistic Miracles.  See LINK

• 10/16-18 —WOMEN'S CONFERENCE — Fr. Virginus is hosting "The Women's Project International Conference 2025" — October 16-18.  The theme is "From Deborah to You: Awaken the Warrior Within." See LINK

• 10/18 — WOMEN'S RETREAT — Saint Andrew Apostle Catholic Church is offering a Women’s Retreat "No Greater Love" on Saturday, October 18, led by Father Tom Czeck, OFM, Conv. You are warmly invited to a special time of grace, reflection, and community, an invitation to greater intimacy with Jesus through Mary, with the help of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Cost is $25. For more information and to register, visit LINK.

• 10/18 — K of C BENEFIT — Come enjoy live music from Lost ‘N’ Found at St. Mary of the Mills Parish Keesler Center on Saturday, October 18 for a Knights of Columbus Benefit for the Sisters of Mary World Villages for Children.  Tickets are $10 per person or $20 per family (available at the door) . Snacks and drinks may be purchased for modest prices. All proceeds and donations directly benefit the Sisters of Mary World Villages for Children. (NOTE: Two of our speakers have talked about how this mission empowers children from impoverished backgrounds to build a brighter future.)

• SACRED STORY REGISTRATION — Elizabeth Leon has been a speaker for TASTE three years in a row with her last series of talks focused on healing.  During those talks, she mentioned that she hosts "Sacred Story Groups" twice a year.  She has two upcoming Sacred Story groups that are limited to 5 women per group which currently have availability.  For details, see LINK and IMAGE.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• We want to start with a prayer of thanksgiving. We thank You Lord for the end of the war between Israel and Hamas, for the safe return of the hostages to their loved ones, and for the hope of healing in the region. Grant lasting peace to all involved that Your light may shine upon them forever.
• Please continue to pray for our TASTE program and our speakers. This week, please pray for:

• OUR SPEAKERS AND FRIENDS OF TASTE:
  • For all of our speakers — especially in thanksgiving for our last speaker and for the Holy Spirit to guide our upcoming speaker.

• OUR TASTE MEMBERS AND FAMILIES:
  • For the repose of the soul of Margaret Brown, sister of Helen Martin.
  • Nancy Beckfeld, mother-in-law of Joy Parker, for peace and comfort as she receives palliative care for a brain tumor.
  • Hope Collins, granddaughter of Evelyn, who is having open heart surgery on Dec. 3rd.
  • Karen Giermek’s friend, Katie M. who suffers from a chronic debilitating illness, that she receives healing so that she can fully participate in life and especially that she can enjoy her son’s wedding a few months from now.

• BEYOND OUR TASTE COMMUNITY
  • For all people caught in war-torn regions across the world—especially in Ukraine/Russia, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, and other areas plagued by conflict. May God protect the innocent, comfort the grieving, free the hostages, and guide leaders toward justice and lasting peaceful resolution.
  • For our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering persecution for their faith around the world. We pray for their strength, courage, and protection and that they may remain steadfast and find hope in Christ even amid danger. May their witness inspire us to live our own faith more boldly and faithfully.
  • We also pray for peace and comfort to the families of each of the people mentioned above.   New prayer requests can be sent to Joy Parker at joyparker73@gmail.com.