Feast of Our Lady of the
Rosary
Oct 7
LÃ¥tefossen is unique among Norwegian waterfalls: two streams coming together on
the side of a mountain just before they merge into another river in the valley below.
"Jesus gave
Himself as spiritual food
and True Presence among us
in the Blessed Sacrament. In our own
century at Fatima,
Mary asked the three children and us to,
'Pray the Rosary every day.'
Here we see two marvelous fonts of grace
flowing together.
When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we become united with
Him.
Adoring His presence exposed on the altar or in the tabernacle
we bask
in His warmth. Meditating on the Rosary, we recall Jesus'
life, death
and resurrection and the union of His mother in the work of
our salvation.
Through the
Eucharist and the Rosary,
two hearts are joined in love,
and we, in love, are joined to those two
hearts."
From the article, "Mirroring Divine Love," by
Michael Six
More on...the FEAST of Our Lady of the Rosary
To commemorate the victory
of the Christian Armada over the Turks on Oct 7, 1571, Pope Pius V introduced
the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. Christian Europe had been at
risk of being conquered by the Ottoman Empire
(Muslim). The year leading up to the battle had been declared the Year of the
Rosary. At the beginning of that year, each mariner of the Holy League was
given a rosary and instructed to pray it daily. The rosary also served to unite
the contentious factions of the Holy League during the year of its formation and
proved equally important for getting the Holy League to the battle as
winning the battle. When faced with unfavorable wind at the onset of
the battle, the men picked up their rosaries and began praying. Miraculously
the winds shifted and served to be a key factor in the ensuing victory.
The
Feast's name was changed in 1969 to Our Lady of the Rosary
and it is now a mandatory memorial. It is now attached to and starts Respect
For Life Month.
Many complain that the Mass and Rosary
are repetitious. However, the “repetition” of the Mass and Rosary alike
can work a slow but deep transformation of one's heart. One could also point out
that repetition is not necessarily a sign of a lack of imagination. It may be
sheer exuberant pleasure that makes us repeat an activity. G. K. Chesterton
argued that repetition is a characteristic of the vitality
of children. They like the same stories, the same words, time and time
again, not because they are bored and unimaginative but because they delight in
life.
Chesterton wrote:
“Because children
have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore
they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it
again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead, for
grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is
strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every
morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening “Do it
again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all
daisies alike; it may be that God makes each daisy separately, but has never got
tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for
we have sinned and grown old and our Father is younger than we. The repetition
in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore. Heaven
may encore the bird who laid an egg."
Many complain that the Mass and Rosary are repetitious. However, the “repetition” of the Mass and Rosary alike can work a slow but deep transformation of one's heart. One could also point out that repetition is not necessarily a sign of a lack of imagination. It may be sheer exuberant pleasure that makes us repeat an activity. G. K. Chesterton argued that repetition is a characteristic of the vitality of children. They like the same stories, the same words, time and time again, not because they are bored and unimaginative but because they delight in life.
Pray the
Rosary. Pray the Mass.
Exult in the
monotony. Transform your heart.
By word and
example bring others close to Jesus
in the
Blessed Sacrament and the Rosary!
"Love is expressed with few words,
always the same and always repeated." ~ St
Charles de Foucauld
"May the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for all humanity, so that hate and death never have the last word!" ~ St John Paul II
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