Monday, October 7, Our Lady of the Rosary
This
Feast was established by St. Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won
by the Christian fleet at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The victory over the Muslim forces was
attributed to the intercession of Our Lady whose aid was invoked through
praying the Rosary.
The month of
October is the month of the Holy Rosary
Pope Benedict XVI, in an address at the Basilica of St.
Mary Major where he prayed the rosary with the faithful said:
Today, together
we confirm that the Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past,
like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia. Instead, the Rosary is
experiencing a new Springtime. Without a doubt, this is one of the most
eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his
Mother, Mary. In the current world, so dispersive, this prayer helps to put
Christ at the centre, as the Virgin did, who meditated within all that was said
about her Son, and also what he did and said. When reciting the Rosary, the
important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various
steps of Christ's mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward
the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the centre of our life, of our time, of
our city, through the contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of
joy, light, sorrow and glory. May Mary
help us to welcome within ourselves the grace emanating from these mysteries,
so that through us we can "water" society, beginning with our daily
relationships, and purifying them from so many negative forces, thus opening
them to the newness of God. The
Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanically and superficially,
but profoundly, it brings…peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself
the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love
at the centre of each "Hail Mary".
