Practice Homily 10.7.14
Practice Homily/Sermon
on the Feast of the Holy Rosary
“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the
world.” These strong words by Pope Blessed Pius IX
seem shockingly out of place in our
“enlightened” and politically correct contemporary world. But are they really? Often considered by its detractors as a quaint
tradition from a simpler time that has long outlived its usefulness, the rosary
is far from it! This priceless
sacramental is incredibly useful and is to be highly recommended to all. But don’t just take my word for it.
Throughout the history of Holy Mother
Church, the importance of the Rosary has been upheld by saints and popes alike,
not to mention the words of Our Lady herself in the various approved
apparitions that have occurred over the centuries.
In fact, the rosary is the reason
for todays’ memorial, which recalls the heroic victory of Christendom against
the overwhelming forces of the Turkish Ottoman Empire on October 7, 1571. This decisive naval battle, which was at that
time the largest the world had ever seen since the fall of the Roman Empire,
effectively saved the West and the light of the true faith from being snuffed
out and overrun. Prior to the battle,
Pope Pius V exhorted all believers to pray the rosary for victory and later
credited the miraculous outcome to Our Lady’s influence.
But what is it about the rosary
that makes it such a powerful tool in spiritual warfare? In praying with the rosary, one enters into
the mysteries of Christ’s life and together with our Blessed Mother, contemplates
the God’s plan of salvation in history.
In the busyness of everyday life, how very important it is for us to
take time to be with the Lord through contemplation and meditation! This truth is revealed in today’s Gospel
reading regarding the story of Martha and Mary.
Jesus tells Martha that her sister, Mary, has chosen the better part in
sitting at His feet and listening to His words.
The rosary indeed helps us to do precisely that, and like Our Lady, to
ponder these things in our heart.
The famous 20th
century saint, Padre Pio, spoke often on
the rosary and had a deep devotion to our Blessed Mother: He always made it a point to wear the Rosary
around his arm at night. A few days before his death, as he was getting into
bed, he said to the friars who were in his room, "Give me my weapon!" And the friars, surprised and
curious, asked him: "Where is the
weapon? We cannot see anything!" Padre Pio replied, "It is in my habit, which you have just
hung up!" After having gone through the pockets of his
religious habit, the friars said to him: "Padre,
there is no weapon in your habit! . . . we can only find your rosary beads
there!" Padre Pio immediately said, "And is this not a weapon? . . . the true weapon?!" "With
this, one wins the battles."
In this day and
age, when so much seems in turmoil and the world full of unrest, let us always
lean on the firm rock of the faith. Once
again Christianity in the West is under attack from many fronts and the banners
of the crescent seek to topple those of the cross. Do not let your hearts be troubled, for our
trust is in the Lord of Hosts, who together with our Blessed Mother watch over
us all. In the words of Saint Dominic, “One
day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.”
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