Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Tomorrow (October 7) is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1571 the Christian forces were fighting the Ottoman navy and were heavily outnumbered in manpower and ships.  Pope Pius V called on all the Christians in Europe to pray the Rosary and he led a rosary procession in Rome. A legend says that the Blessed Virgin gave St Dominic the Rosary as a weapon against heretics. Whether that really happened or not, the rosary has always been seen as an effective tool for invoking the help of the Blessed Virgin. It certainly worked in the case of the Battle of Lepanto where the Christians defeated the forces of Islam and kept them from overrunning Europe. (Unfortunately, the pagans now have accomplished there what the Moslems couldn’t.)

The rosary depicts events in the life of Jesus and Mary. Each decade begins with the Our Father, followed by 10 Hail Marys, concluding with the Glory Be. Meditating on each mystery while reciting the prayers is a way to deepen your spiritual life and become ever closer to God. 

The Joyful Mysteries are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the birth of Jesus, the presentation of the infant in the temple, and the finding of the child Jesus teaching in the temple. The Sorrowful Mysteries are the agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning of thorns, the carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion. The Glorious Mysteries are the Resurrection, the Ascension, the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption, and the crowning of the Blessed Virgin. Pope John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries which include the Baptism of Jesus, the miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, the proclamation of the kingdom, the Transfiguration, and institution of the Eucharist (and the Priesthood).

Whether by yourself or with your family, praying the rosary every day will not only enhance your spiritual life, but the life of the Church in fighting the forces of evil. Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us. Help us in our devotions to you and your Son.