In today’s fast paced world, it is easier to be occupied or at least pretend to be occupied with no time to spare. So busy, that we have no time to recite the Rosary. October is the month traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary. Pope Leo XIII, advocated the devotion in the late 19th century. Although the origin of October, as the month dedicated to Mary is unclear, most attribute it to Fatima and the Battle of Lepanto. Whatever be the origin, the role of Mother Mary in salvation history can never be emphasized enough.
This October let us try to retrace our steps back in time when Mary had stood at the foot of the Cross. Our Lord is close to all who call on Him, especially through the intercession of our Blessed Mother. He never refuses Her. Even when His time had not yet come, at our Blessed Mother’s behest, He performed His first miracle at Canna and saved the honor of a family in anguish. History has documented evidences that Mother Mary has always shown up and pleaded for us in front of the throne of God, Her Son never refuses Her. Apostle St James called on Mother Mary when he felt that he was failing in his mission of spreading the Good News in the Iberian Peninsula. Our Lady who was still living at that time in Jerusalem appeared to him and reassured him that the region would be responsible for spreading Catholicism to the world. This apparition went on to be known as ‘Our Lady of Pillar’. Mother Mary instructed St James to build a chapel on the exact site and promised that the sanctuary would remain until the end of times. Before returning, she left behind the “jasper pillar” and the wooden image which are traditionally housed today inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Pillar in Zaragoza, Spain. This is the oldest know apparition of Our Blessed Mother while she was still alive.
Between the 11th and 13th centuries, a heretical doctrine developed in Europe, particularly in France. It refuted doctrines like the Incarnation, rejected sacraments and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. This teaching was called “Albigensianism”. The Church called it “heresy”. St Dominic Guzman, a Spanish priest travelled to France preaching against the Albigensian heresy. But his efforts failed to yield fruits. Disappointed, he went to the forest to pray. Legend has it that, after three days of prayer and fasting, three angels appeared in the sky along with a ball of fire. When they disappeared the Virgin Mary spoke, telling the priest that he must preach her “Psalter” in order to succeed in his struggle to overcome the Albigensians. The Psalter eventually went on to form, the present day Rosary. The Virgin Mary presented the beads to St Dominic. She even taught him how to recite it. Slowly things began to change. France was returning to the faith. The Albigensians, not the ones to give up wanted to take over France. In 1213, only five years after St Dominic was given the Rosary, Catholic forces under the joint command of Count Simon de Montfort and St Dominic were set to fight the Albigensian in Muret, France. Unfortunately, reinforcement had failed to arrive for the Catholic forces. The Catholics had only 1,500 men while their foe had 30,000. Confident of their upcoming success, the Albigensian spent the night before the battle celebrating in drunkenness and debauchery. The Catholics, on the other hand spent their night praying the Rosary, their celebration was focused on the mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Finally, St Dominic went to church of St Jacques in Muret to pray the Rosary for victory, while the Count went into Battle. The Catholics were able to rush upon the hung-over Albigensians, routing the enemy army and declaring a victory for Christ and Our Lady. After the battle, every Catholic in the area attributed the victory to the Rosary.
Marian wonders don’t stop here. In the 16th century, Catholic Europe was in disarray. England had broken away from the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther and John Calvin played pivotal role in the Protestant Movement. These movements had weakened the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time, the Ottoman Turks had grown into a formidable force. Driven by extremist ideology, they wanted to expand into Europe. Pope Pius V, sensing the impending danger and its subsequent consequences, approached Christian Europe. Some of the kingdoms failed to respond. The King of Spain Philip II, along with Venice formed the Holy League to combat the Turks. The Archbishop of Mexico sent an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, touched to the original ‘Tilma’ to be mounted on the ship of Philip II. Pope Pius V urged the faithful to continuously recite the Rosary. On 7th October 1571, the Holy League encountered the Ottomans near the Gulf of Corinth. They were outnumbered by the vast, well equipped, naval supremos – the Turks. Suddenly, the wind blew against the Turks and pushed the Turks back. And just like that, on a warm, breezy afternoon, the Holy League claimed Victory over the powerful Ottoman Empire. Pope Pius V credited the victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Gregory XIII later renamed the celebration as Our Lady of the Rosary.
The apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in October 1917 also deserves a special mention. Our Lady appeared alongside St Joseph and Baby Jesus. She requested for a Chapel to be built at the site of Apparition and the recitation of the Holy Rosary. She promised that the deadly World War I fought at that time would soon end. When the children asked for her name, She said, “I am the Our Lady of the Rosary”. On that day, a crowd of approximately seventy thousand pilgrims reported witnessing what became known as ‘the Miracle of the Sun’.
Today, the world needs Mary even more. The world is staring at a nuclear holocaust, the family unit is falling apart, divorce is at its highest ever in history, persecution of Christians is at an all-time high, millions of babies are lost in the womb, despair and gloom surround us. Whatever is your situation, however heart breaking, Curre ad Mariam (run to Mary). The Rosary is the spiritual weapon that will deliver us from the evils of this world. As we trust in our Heavenly Mother, let us be hopeful of ushering a new era of peace and prosperity.
– Valessa Maria Quadros