Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

Today, October 7, is the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

In the Roman Catholic Daily Missal, the Feast is described in this way:

"In its present form the Rosary (according to the accepted tradition) is due to St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, his objective being to stem the flood of the Albigensian heresy, then spreading far and wide throughout Europe. He propagated this form of prayer in obedience to a revelation received from the Blessed Virgin, to whom he had recourse for this purpose, about the year 1206, and to him we owe the spread of a devotion, which for many centuries has produced the most marvelous results in the Christian world. The decisive defeat of the Turks at the famous battle of Lepanto (1571) and at Belgrade (1716) gave occasion to the institution of this feast and to its extension to the Universal Church."

Therefore, the Holy Rosary given to Saint Dominic has not only vanquished the Albigensian heresy––which believed that the body was an intrinsic evil, akin to the Manichaeism Saint Augustine had encountered––but led to victory in battle as well. At the Battle of Lepanto, Christians were vastly outnumbered by the Ottoman Turks. They began to pray the Rosary at this point, and on October 7, 1571, they miraculously won the battle. Hence, Pope Saint Pius V (a Dominican, mind you! His white Dominican habit became the model for the white cassock popes wear today) declared October 7, "The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary."

Domino Gloria!

German artist Ludwig Seitz, who was fond of Saint Thomas Aquinas, was commissioned by Pope Leo XIII to paint some frescoes in the Vatican Museums. Here is one pertinent to today's feast:

The words inscribed on the fresco read, "Est Rosarium præcipue implorando matris Dei patrocinio adversus hostes catholici nominis institutum." This roughly translates to, "The Rosary has been instituted especially, by imploring the patronage of the Mother of God, against the enemies of the Catholic name."

The Rosary is a weapon, which countless saints––such as Saint Louis de Montfort and Saint Maximilian Kolbe––have equipped themselves with to "fight for Mary." In True Devotion to Mary, Saint Louis de Montfort describes how Mary takes our prayers and presents them on a golden platter before God. Ad Jesum per Mariam. To Jesus through Mary. She is the Mediatrix of All Graces, so she interceeds for us always. The words of the Memorare, which is often attributed to the Mellifluous Doctor, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, go:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

The Rosary, too, weaves a crown of roses for Our Blessed Mother. Each Ave prayed is a flower; each decade is a spiritual bouquet that we can offer up to the hands of Our Lady.

And so, I leave you with the quote from The Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux:

"By the Rosary you can obtain everything. According to this comparison, the Rosary is a long chain that links Heaven and Earth. One end of it is in our hands and the other end is in the hands of the Holy Virgin. As long as people pray it, God cannot abandon the world, because this prayer moves His heart powerfully."

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei. Ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Holy Mary, Mother of God. Pray for us sinner now and at the hour of death. Amen.

Pray the Holy Rosary! Love Our Lady, Our Mother.

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!