Magdala Grove
Become an Apostle to the Apostles
Do you ever feel like no one sees?
You know. The toilet paper that magically never seems to run out. That third pile of dishes washed without a word. The umpteenth load of laundry folded in the fringe minutes. The meltdown you calmed even when you felt like melting down yourself. Or maybe it's another day isolated at home with no visitors. Another morning waking up to the same invisible pain that won't quit. Another sleep-deprived night of nonstop nursing, 3am wakeup calls, and a toddler who kicks you in the head every time you close your eyes.
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If you do, dear friend, you are definitely not alone.
And you've come to the right place.
Welcome to Magdala Grove.
An underground prayer apostolate where your hidden acts and unseen sacrifices are the very things that empower the ministry of Catholic priests, deacons, and lay leaders. Consider your circumstances a unique type of "cloister" in the springtime of a new evangelization. When you plant a Magdala Grove, you give meaning to your mental load, bottle up your invisible labor, and provide welcome shade for those laboring in the heat of Lord's Vineyard. You'll never look at the phrase "offer it up" the same way again.
"And when you pray,
you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Matthew 6:6
What is a Magdala Grove?
A Magdala Grove is a small prayer group made up of seven women who each offer up one day a week to provide unbroken prayer support for a specific Catholic priest, deacon, or lay leader who is faithfully laboring in the Lord’s Vineyard.
Each of the seven adopts her day of the week in a spirit of feminine receptivity, taking the day as it comes and praying it back to the Lord. She might offer a holy hour, or she might get a holy five minutes. She may make it through a Rosary, or she may get interrupted halfway through a Hail Mary. She could choose to fast, or she could end up with a cold cup of coffee and her toddler's leftovers. What she offers is less important than
the spirit in which she offers it.
After all, the Lord loves hidden things. Little ways. Small acts with great love. When offered to the Lord, the mundane work of daily life can become a profound form of intercession.
There’s no detailed to-do list or prayer rubric. Instead, we trust that the Holy
Spirit will guide you in how to pray the day. He might invite you to fast and pray. Or He might invite you to another day of chronic pain, another day home with the kids, or another day of that unfulfilled longing. The simple yet difficult secret of Magdala Grove is your "yes" to Christ's invitation, whatever it may be.
So it doesn’t matter if you’re a stay-at-home mom or empty-nester. Single, married, or widowed. Struggling with infertility or overwhelmed with more kids than you can handle. Traveling the world or homebound. Living your best life or stuck in a job you hate. When you are buried deeply in the soil where no one but God can see, consider your life a seed, bearing fruit and providing welcome shade to those laboring unprotected under the blazing sun of ministry. In this work, you (like Mary Magdalene) truly bring good news to the apostles!​
“In the shadow of His hand, He hid me.” Isaiah 49:2
Are you a woman in a hidden season of life?
You're in the right place! Make yourself at home. The Lord sees you (and we do, too). Click the picture above or keep scrolling to learn more about planting a Magdala Grove.
Are you a Catholic priest, deacon, or lay ministry leader?
Thank you for the gift of your yes to the Lord! Come explore this website to learn more about the apostolate and why you were the reason it got started.
Did you come across one of these little seed packets?
What a delight that your curiosity led you here! Click the picture above or keep scrolling to learn more about planting unique seeds of prayer to reap a joyful harvest.