Our Lady of the Rosary

On Sun 7 Oct 1571 there was a sea battle at the straits by the port city of Lepanto between the Turkish fleet of 208 galleys and 66 small ships & the combined Papal, Spanish, Venetian, and Genoese fleets (total size similar to Turkish fleet) under the command of Don John of Austria. This is considered the last great sea battle using oared ships. While the battle was going on Pope St. Pius V called people to pray at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore & throughout Rome. People gathered together to pray the Rosary. Others prayed in processions thrughout the city. When the battle was over the Christian fleet had lost 17 ships and 7500 men but 15 Turkish ships were sunk and 177 taken, from 20,000 to 30,000 men disabled, and from 12,000 to 15,000 Christian rowers, slaves on the Turkish galleys, were delivered. The Turkish fleet was defeated. The Pope was in a working session with the Cardinals when he had a vision of the victory. He stopped work, openned a window, looked to the sky & shouted out: ""A truce to business; our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army". " When official word came to him, he burst into tears of joy.

In thanksgiving to God for the victory won, he istituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. The title was later changed to that of Our Lady of the Rosary.

This feast is a reminder of the power of prayer. I know there are some that would doubt this & say that the Rosary isn't authentic Christian prayer & it proves nothing. I disagree. The Rosary is definitely a Christ-centered, Scripturally based prayer.

1st of all, lets look at the various prayers used in the Rosary. The openning prayer is the Apostles' Creed. This prayer is a statement of the basics of the Christian faith. This prayer is used by Catholics, Orthodox & Protestant Christians. Next is the Lord's Prayer or Our Father. Everyone knows this is taken from Matthew 6:9-13. Then there is the Hail Mary. The 1st half of this prayer is taken from Luke 1:28, 42. So, we are praying Scripture. the 2nd half of the prayer is simply asking a Saint in heaven to pray for us. This is no different than you asking a fellow Christian here on Earth (also called saints in Scripture) to pray for us. Remeber, St Paul often asked the saints he wrote to in his various Epistles to pray for him. The Glory Be is a old form of prayer called a doxology, a prayer that gives praise & glory to God. Doxologies are found at the end of each of the 5 books that make up the book of Psalms, esp Psalm 150 which is a doxology.

Now, lets look at the various mysteries that are meditated on while praying the Rosary. (All I am going to do is list the mystery & the Scripture reference(s) for it.

JOYFUL MYSTERIES:

1. Annunciation to Mary by Gabriel - Luke 1:26-38
2. Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth - Luke 1:39-56
3. Nativity of Jesus - Luke 2:1-21, Matthew 2:1-11
4. Presentation of Jesus in the Temple - Luke 2:22-39
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple - Luke 2:41-51

LUMINOUS MYSTERIES:

1. Jesus' Baptism by John - Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34
2. Jesus changes water to wine - John 2:1-11
3. Proclaiming of the Gospel by Jesus - Luke 4:43 (desribing most of what is in Gospels)
4. Transfiguration of Jesus - Matthew 17:1-6, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36, 2 Peter 1:16-18
5. Eucharist is instituted - Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES:

1. Agony in the Garden - Matthew 26:36-45, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46
2. Jesus is scourged - Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1
3. Jesus is crowned with thorns - Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2
4. Jesus carries His Cross - Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:20-22, Luke 23:25-33, John 19:16-17
5. Jesus' Crucifixion/Death - Matthew 27:33-54, Mark 15:22-41, Luke 23:33-48, John 19:18-38

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES:

1. Resurrection - Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-18
2. Ascension - Mark 16:16-19, Luke 24:50-53 Acts of the Apostles 1:1-9
3. Descent of the Holy Spirit on Mary & Apostles - Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4
4. Assumption of Mary* - Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 1:1-11
5. Coronation of Mary# - Revelation 12:1, 4:4,10, 2:10, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4

* Scripture doesn't say Mary was assumed body & soul into Heaven. But, it does give 2 precidents in the stories of Enoch & Elijah being taken up body & soul. & remeber this was before Jesus died on the Cross. Heaven was still closed to humans. So, it would seem that God was allowing the fruits of what was yet to happen in terms of human time to be applied to them. (Thus also giving a Scriptural precedent for the dogma of Mary's Immaculate Conception.)

# Throughout the history of the Church from the 1st centuries, Christian writers have seen the woman of Rev 12 as being Mary. It shows her with a crown. That aside these other readings all refer to the saints in heaven receiving a crown. That would include Mary.

These last 2 mysteries are also a foreshadowing of what lies in store for all of us who make it to Heaven. Mary's Assumption, her Coronation, our bodily resurrection & our crowns are all a fruit of what Jesus did on the Cross. They are a sign of what the Holy Spirit can & will do through us if we let Him. They are our reward for living out John 3:16.

St. Bernard gave a homily challenging all Christians to meditate on the truths of what God did through Jesus. He said: "And so the idea of peace came down to do the work of peace: The Word was made flesh and even now dwells among us. It is by faith that he dwells in our hearts, in our memory, our intellect and penetrates even into our imagination. What concept could man have of God if he did not first fashion an image of him in his heart? By nature incomprehensible and inaccessible, he was invisible and unthinkable, but now he wished to be understood, to be seen and thought of.But how, you ask, was this done? He lay in a manger and rested on a virgin’s breast, preached on a mountain, and spent the night in prayer. He hung on a cross, grew pale in death, and roamed free among the dead and ruled over those in hell. He rose again on the third day, and showed the apostles the wounds of the nails, the signs of victory; and finally in their presence he ascended to the sanctuary of heaven.

How can we not contemplate this story in truth, piety and holiness? Whatever of all this I consider, it is God I am considering; in all this he is my God. I have said it is wise to meditate on these truths, and I have thought it right to recall the abundant sweetness, given by the fruits of this priestly root; and Mary, drawing abundantly from heaven, has caused this sweetness to overflow for us"

This homily is the 2nd reading for the Latin Rite Office of Readings for this feast. As I said, it calls us to contempate & meditate on what God did. Praying the Rosary is a great way to do this.