The roots of the rosary go back pretty far in the history of our Faith. It is a very powerful form of prayer to our most powerful intercessor, the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Dominic preached praying the rosary when he worked to stop the Albigensian heresy. During the battle of Lepanto the navy ships of the Ottoman Empire fought against the Catholic fleet of the Holy League. Knowing that the Holy League was greatly outnumbered, St. Pius V asked that the rosary be prayed asking the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession to gain a victory over the Muslim fleet. The Christian sailors followed the Holy Father’s request and prayed the rosary on their knees the night before the battle and were victorious in the great battle that ensued that next day.
As Catholics today we face many battles in remaining steadfast in living the Faith and we have no more powerful helper than our most blessed mother Mary. The family, in our day and age, is particularly under attack from all sides. The rosary is a powerful weapon against all the forces from the world, the flesh, and the devil that work to tear each family apart. Pope St. John Paul II published a document called Rosarium Virginis Mariae in which he talks about the importance of the rosary for the whole Church. He also talks about the rosary’s importance for the family. He says that the family, which is the primary cell of society, is under such attack from all sides. He says that as the Catholic Church works to minister to the family, the rosary, “will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.” It is a very good practice to pray the rosary on a regular basis as a family and to ask Mary’s intersession for your family. Mary is also a powerful intercessor in the fight to bring Catholic family, friends, and neighbors back to the practice of the faith. For the last 40-50 years Catholics have slowly stopped practicing of their faith. Our Lady desires nothing more than for them to come back to the Church and the faithful practice of the Faith. Let us put to use this powerful tool in the fight against evil, praying the rosary for our families and our Church.
Fr. Jacquemin
