
Hosted by Greg and Jennifer Willits · EN

As Lent approaches, Greg and Jennifer focus on three ways to have a stellar lead-up to Easter: pray the Rosary daily, fill the "vacuum" with something holy (like Greg's new book), and make or renew your yes to Jesus through Mary. Lent has a way of making us think we need to do more—more prayers, more sacrifices, more plans. All good things. But in this episode, Greg and Jennifer talk about a simpler (and more lasting) approach: choosing one or two meaningful practices that actually make space for God, are protected from distractions, and can lead to genuine lifelong transformation. Greg reflects on the "vacuum" that forms when we give something up, and why it matters what we allow to fill it. Jennifer shares about a major transition in her life, one that requires real discernment about time, energy, and responsibility regarding family and Rosary Army. Her experience reflects the same question many of us face during Lent: what needs to be set aside so we can be more faithful where God is truly calling us? This Lent, consider choosing one or two simple practices that truly make space for God—perhaps praying the Rosary each day with more stillness, or renewing your consecration to Jesus through Mary. Rosary Army is here to help. 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 A listener email, the "living room" feel, and the socks joke 02:50 Costco socks, comfort, and why this set matters 07:15 Retreat update and early interest for a summer weekend 10:40 Jennifer's crossroads and a change in how she'll spend her days 15:15 The pressure of low-budget ministry, and renewed focus 18:20 "Joint venture" as a practical way to collaborate and grow 23:00 Lent is coming: creating a real plan instead of vague intentions 24:15 The "vacuum" problem: what fills the space when you give something up? 27:00 Daily Rosary challenge, and the stillness that deepens meditation 29:40 Consecration to Jesus through Mary as a Lenten anchor

We live surrounded by information, yet many of us feel more anxious and less peaceful than ever. In this episode, Greg and Jennifer discuss distraction, wisdom, and why the Rosary helps restore inner peace. --- We live in a world where we're expected to know everything—news, opinions, controversies, updates—often in real time. But knowing more doesn't always bring peace. In fact, it can leave us anxious, distracted, and spiritually exhausted. In this episode of the Rosary Army Catholic Podcast, Greg and Jennifer reflect on our addiction to information and the quiet cost it has on our interior life. Drawing from personal experience, Scripture, and the wisdom of the Church, they explore the difference between knowing things and truly knowing Christ. They also talk practically about prayer, especially the Rosary, as a way to retrain our attention, calm an overstimulated mind, and reconnect with Jesus through Mary. • Video Version of This Episode 🙏🏻 BUY GREG'S NEW BOOK - God Doesn't Hate Me After All: Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom: • From Sophia Institute Press • From Amazon • From Audible 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Introduction and First Two Chapters of Greg's Book - FREE DOWNLOAD! 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why we feel pressured to know everything 03:52 The anxiety of constant information 07:15 The Garden of Eden and the hunger for knowledge 10:56 Detaching from the internet and news 14:19 Does ignoring the news make us irresponsible? 16:48 Why peace is more attractive than outrage 20:06 Anxiety vs. Christ's gift of peace 23:29 Learning how to pray the Rosary well 27:21 Distraction, meditation, and slowing down prayer 33:04 Why wisdom—not information—changes lives

Want an amazingly simple prayer you could add to your day right now? In this episode, we share Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom (and time it: 2.5 minutes). We also talk about something St. Louis de Montfort wrote in The Love of Eternal Wisdom (which is included in Greg's new book), which is the difference between aiming for the outer rings of the target and learning to aim for the center: Jesus Christ. We're also asking for your prayers as we discern a possible Rosary Army retreat, tentatively scheduled for June 2026, at a beautiful retreat center east of Atlanta. Nothing is final yet—but we're taking actual steps, and we'd appreciate your prayers for clarity and wisdom. • Video Version of This Episode FREE DOWNLOAD: Introduction and First Two Chapters of Greg's Book! 🙏🏻 BUY GREG'S NEW BOOK - God Doesn't Hate Me After All: Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom: • From Sophia Institute Press • From Amazon • From Audible 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Video Version of This Episode • Heritage Retreat Center • Pray More Novenas 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro + Marty the cat returns 01:35 Speaking at Legatus in Atlanta 03:20 Aiming for the center (De Montfort + knowing Jesus) 07:23 Why Q&A moments matter 10:19 Intimacy vs big crowds when speaking 11:24 Vulnerability in prayer 12:05 God's long game (Rosary Army story from 2003) 16:02 "How can we help?" – the real needs of Rosary Army 18:06 Why wisdom is the root virtue 21:26 The idea: 30-Day Prayer for Wisdom challenge 22:34 What the Impact Survey revealed 23:23 Helping people form daily prayer habits 26:52 The Prayer for Wisdom (2.5 minutes) 29:55 Request: Amazon reviews for the book 31:03 Discerning a Rosary Army retreat 34:07 Vision for the retreat (walking and praying together) 36:08 Capturing the retreat for those who can't attend 37:12 Gratitude + prayer requests 38:35 Final encouragement + closing

What are "open loops," and why do they steal our peace? We discuss starting the new year with tiny experiments instead of endless to-do lists, and share a hopeful first step toward a possible Rosary Army retreat (nearly 20 years in the making). Plus, Marty the cat crashes the studio, we ask for continued prayers for our son Ben in his mechanical engineering job search, and we remember to pray for souls who have died. Oh, and Jennifer has a menopausal hot flash right in the middle of the show. • Video Version of This Episode FREE DOWNLOAD: Introduction and First Two Chapters of Greg's Book! 🙏🏻 BUY GREG'S NEW BOOK - God Doesn't Hate Me After All: Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom: • From Sophia Institute Press • From Amazon • From Audible 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Video Version of This Episode 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Marty the "ancient old man" cat joins the show 02:10 Do screens show up in dreams? 06:18 What dreams do (and trauma processing) 10:03 The problem with to-do lists 11:34 "Open loops" and why they drain you 14:52 Tiny Experiments (instead of goal obsession) 17:25 A local volunteer experiment (and what we learned) 21:27 The long-standing dream: a Rosary Army retreat 24:13 First step: planning call + "bird by bird" 30:06 Praying for souls (Scott Adams, friends, Rosary Army supporters) 37:50 Closing thoughts + prayer request + mission outro

A new-year reset, our son is deep in his mechanical engineering job search, and what we learned from an early Rosary Army impact survey—including the simple thing we're doing that seems to be making the greatest difference. Plus, Greg talks through a simple idea for a short daily "commute prayer" podcast and what we're discerning for the year ahead. • Video Version of This Episode FREE DOWNLOAD: Introduction and First Two Chapters of Greg's Book! 🙏🏻 BUY GREG'S NEW BOOK - God Doesn't Hate Me After All: Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom: • From Sophia Institute Press • From Amazon • From Audible 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Video Version of This Episode 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com

Crosses in life are inevitable — in marriage, family life, ministry, and even our spiritual growth. How we carry them changes how heavy they are. Diving into Archbishop Fulton Sheen's Cries of Jesus from the Cross, we share what's been going on behind the scenes, including what we've been learning (and struggling with) along the way. Also: 🔹 Jennifer finishes her first-ever knitting project 🔹 A BIG SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT! 🔹 How Fulton Sheen is shaping Greg’s prayer life 🔹 Why embracing suffering as a couple brings us closer to Jesus We don’t have everything figured out, but we’re walking through it with you. We’re glad you’re here. 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Video Version of This Episode • Cries of Jesus from the Cross by Fulton Sheen 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro + Jennifer’s Mission Accomplished 03:00 - Big Family News 06:00 - Crosses in Marriage and Ministry 09:00 - How Fulton Sheen’s Writings Are Impacting Us 15:00 - Spiritual Attacks and Carrying the Cross 22:00 - Righteous Anger vs. Imperfect Anger 26:00 - The Power of the Crucifix in Daily Life 27:45 - Final Thoughts + Rosary Army Stuff

We’ve heard the Beatitudes countless times at Mass or when reading the Bible, but how much do we actually understand them? In this episode, we wrap up our two-part discussion on Matthew 5 and what the Beatitudes really mean—and honestly, some of these hit harder than we expected. 🔹 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” Are we actually yearning for the right things? 🔹 “Blessed are the merciful…” But what about mercy for ourselves? 🔹 “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Does this mean avoiding conflict, or something more? If the Beatitudes have ever felt confusing, intimidating, or just out of reach, this episode is for you. When we started looking at them through a different lens, everything changed. 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Video Version of This Episode 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 VIDEO CONTENTS 00:00 - Introduction: Jesus’ Hardest Teachings 02:15 - Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness: More Than Morality 07:48 - What Being Merciful Really Means 12:32 - The True Meaning of “Pure in Heart” 18:10 - Peacemakers: Are You One? 22:55 - The Cost of Following Christ: Why Persecution is a Blessing 29:40 - Why This Teaching is So Misunderstood #rosary #catholic #podcast #catholicpodcast

📖 Are the Beatitudes just a list of rules, or do they reveal something deeper? Many Catholics and Christians misunderstand these powerful words of Jesus in Matthew 5—especially what it means to be “poor in spirit,” to mourn, and to be meek. 📢 Unlock the hidden meaning of the Beatitudes—and how they can transform your faith today: ✅ “What ‘poor in spirit’ REALLY means in Matthew 5 (Hint: It’s NOT about being broke!)” ✅ “Why ‘Blessed are those who mourn’ is more than just grief—and how it strengthens your faith” ✅ “True meekness is a hidden superpower (Here’s why it’s NOT weakness)” 🙏🏻 LINKS: Video Version of This Episode Ignatius Study Bibles 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction: Are We Reading the Beatitudes Wrong? 02:38 - The Real Meaning of “Poor in Spirit” 07:32 - What It Means to Mourn (More Than Just Grief) 11:04 - Meekness Is NOT Weakness (The True Definition) 15:15 - How the Beatitudes Transform Your Faith 19:51 - Why These Teachings Challenge Our Modern Mindset 23:42 - Applying the Beatitudes in Daily Life 26:55 - Final Thoughts & Next Steps #rosary #catholic #podcast #catholicpodcast

💡 Want a deeper, more powerful Catholic prayer life? Discover Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary—an ancient devotion that has changed countless lives. Whether you’re a new Catholic or a lifelong believer, this practice will help you grow closer to Christ in ways you never imagined. Total Consecration isn’t just another devotion—it’s a life-changing commitment that has helped countless saints and faithful Catholics grow in holiness. In this episode, we break down what it is, how it works, and why it’s NOT as intimidating as it sounds. Plus, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to begin your own consecration with free resources at School of Mary. ✅ Watch now to discover how Total Consecration can transform your faith—and why so many Catholics call it life-changing. Ready to start? Get our free step-by-step preparation guide at School of Mary! 🙏🏻 LINKS: • Video Version of This Episode 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF: • Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST: • SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY: • Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction: The Challenge 01:11 - What Is Total Consecration? (Quick Explanation) 02:38 - Why Do It? (And Why Some Hesitate) 04:49 - Should New Catholics Do This? 07:32 - How It Changes Your Faith Forever 11:04 - Total Consecration and the Eucharist 15:15 - The Struggle With Surrender 19:51 - The Only Self-Help That Actually Works 23:42 - Ready to Take the Next Step? 26:55 - Final Thoughts & Call to Action #TotalConsecration #CatholicPrayer #MarianConsecration #CatholicFaith #DeepenYourFaith #GrowCloserToJesus #HowToPray #CatholicConvert #SpiritualRenewal #RosaryArmy

Explore how engaging in creative activities like Holy Leisure lets you share in God’s creative power and deepen your faith. 🙏🏻 LINKS:• Video Version of This Episode 🙏🏻 FREE STUFF:• Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosaries • School of Mary • Audio Rosaries 🙏🏻 ROSARY ARMY CATHOLIC PODCAST:• SPOTIFY • APPLE PODCASTS 🙏🏻 MORE FROM GREG AND JENNIFER/ROSARY ARMY:• Rosary Army Mobile App • Greg's serialized novel 🙏🏻 CONTACT & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: feedback@rosaryarmy.com 🙏🏻 VIDEO CONTENTS00:00 - Jennifer's Stress Test Results 1 7:30 - Introduction to Holy Leisure 18:57 - Knitting as Jennifer's Form of Holy Leisure 27:53 - Spiritual Reflections on Crafting 33:25 - Jennifer’s Personal Insights on Knitting 35:08 - Discussing the Deeper Impact of Creative Activities 37:23 - How Holy Leisure Connects Us to Divine Creativity 38:28 - The Role of Holy Leisure in Spiritual Life 38:46 - Wrap It Up, Baby. #rosary #catholic #podcast #catholicpodcast