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
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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.

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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:

[email protected]

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

For the first time in Rosary Army's history, we hit our fundraising goal on Christmas Day! In this update, Greg also shares a story of how God has brought miracles in the past to this apostolate. Thank you to all who supported Rosary Army for 2026!

• Video Version of This Episode

🙏🏻 DONATE TO THE 2026 GIVING CAMPAIGN

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 Barnes & Noble

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

WE GOT A MATCHING DONATION! Greg and Jennifer share the fantastic news: every donation in Rosary Army's 2026 Giving Campaign is now matched up to $100,000! We only need to raise $25,000 to now reach our goal!

• Video Version of This Episode

🙏🏻 DONATE TO THE 2026 GIVING CAMPAIGN

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 Barnes & Noble

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

In this shorter-than-normal podcast episode, Greg flies solo to offer an honest perspective on how things are looking for Rosary Army in 2026.

• Video Version of This Episode

🙏🏻 DONATE TO THE 2026 GIVING CAMPAIGN

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 Barnes & Noble

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

Decaf pour-over coffee, simplifying Christmas as the kids grow up, and an Advent practice Jennifer feels called to begin—plus a quick update on the Rosary Army giving campaign.

• Video Version of This Episode

🙏🏻 DONATE TO THE 2026 GIVING CAMPAIGN

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 Barnes & Noble

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS

0:00 The "white stripe" editing trick 1:15 Today's sponsors: haircut, decaf, and the cat 2:16 Pour-over coffee and measuring by grams 4:36 Roasting decaf coffee for the first time 5:25 Why decaf matters more in your 50s 8:14 Forgetfulness and the wrong-church story 10:44 Simplifying Christmas this year 15:10 Advent preparation: confession and adoration 16:39 A Holy Souls novena from Dec 17 to Christmas 20:09 Rosary Army giving campaign update 22:38 A surprise gift and early Rosary Army memories 24:09 Donate, newsletter, and the book 25:55 Closing and blessing

Greg and Jennifer share how the launch of God Doesn't Hate Me After All connects directly to Rosary Army's mission, then open up about their Advent giving campaign, financial shortfalls, and why someone now asks them for a rosary every six hours. It's an honest conversation about trust, almsgiving, repentance, and helping the next generation discover the love of Jesus through the Rosary.

• Video Version of This Episode

🙏🏻 DONATE TO THE 2026 GIVING CAMPAIGN

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 Barnes & Noble

🙏🏻 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:

[email protected]

🙏🏻 TIMESTAMPS00:00 – "Apparently I'm a mystic now" (book launch update) 01:15 – Amazon reviews, bookstores, and surprise photos 03:01 – Interviews, radio, and late-night priest show 05:35 – Liturgical New Year and Advent resolutions 06:40 – 20 years of Rosary Army giving campaigns 09:09 – Fasting, almsgiving, and worthy fruits of penance 13:10 – Weakness, repentance, and God's mercy 17:16 – Three years of deficits and rising costs 19:04 – New pope, jubilee year, and growing OCIA interest 20:10 – Two branches of the mission: newcomers and long-timers 22:22 – Original mission: Make them. Pray them. Give them away. 23:45 – Admin strain, unfinished projects, and real limits 25:14 – "Behold, I make all things new" and next-generation Rosary Army 26:48 – Every six hours, someone asks for a rosary 29:06 – Hoping for more knocks on the door 29:42 – This year's goal: $200,000 31:07 – Early gifts, hope, and prayer requests 32:10 – Fruits you can't always see 33:14 – Final appeal and Advent hope