Our Lady of Guadalupe

Date: October, 7

• “Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” – Blessed Pope Pius IX
• “The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.” – Saint Francis de Sales

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Albigensian heresy was flourishing in southern France. The Albigensians were Christian dualists who believed the Old Testament God was the source of the material world, which was evil, and the New Testament God was the source of the spiritual realm that was good. They rejected the sacraments and promoted extreme asceticism as a way of rejecting the material world.

In 1203, Saint Dominic was traveling through southern France on a diplomatic mission when he encountered this grave heresy. In the two decades to follow, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to rooting out this heresy through preaching and debates.

Legend has it that at some point, frustrated with the difficulties he was facing in that mission, he retreated for a few days of prayer and fasting to beseech Our Lady for guidance.

Our Lady appeared to him, giving him the Rosary, revealing the mysteries to be meditated upon during the fifteen decades, and exhorting him to preach the mysteries and to pray the decades as a spiritual weapon.

The word “Rosary” comes from the Latin rosarium, which means “rose garden.” Each Hail Mary is a spiritual rose; together, they make up the garden of roses. Saint Dominic did as Our Lady instructed him and became quite successful in converting the heretics.

“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.” ~Saint. Dominic

The Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. On this day, we celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571.

Even though the Turkish forces were very powerful, the Christians won due to the intercession of Mary and the prayer of the Most Holy Rosary.

At the time when the Battle of Lepanto was fought, the Ottoman Empire had not lost a major battle since the previous century. Pope St. Pius V realized that the Holy League needed great spiritual assistance, so he asked the Holy League, as well as all of the faithful, to pray the Rosary, asking Our Lady’s intercession for a victory in the upcoming battle.

The evening before the famous battle, the sailors prayed the Rosary on their knees. On October 7, 1571, the Christian fleet went into battle carrying a banner blessed by the Pope. Some evidence also suggests they carried a painting sent to the King of Spain from Mexico depicting the miraculous image known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Holy League encountered the Ottoman warships deployed in the shape of a crescent, the symbol of Islam. The Holy League’s ships took the shape of a cross. Between the two forces, there were more than 400 warships, making this one of the largest naval battles in history.

After five hours of battle, the Holy League won. Pope St. Pius V knew that Our Lady had interceded for the Holy League, ensuring their victory.

In fact, on the day of the Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571, he saw the Blessed Mother in a vision, and she revealed the victory to him. As an offering of thanksgiving, the Pope declared this day as the Feast day of Our Lady of Victory, later known as Our Lady of the Rosary.

PRAYER: 

Our Lady of the Rosary, you entrusted this holy prayer to Saint Dominic, and through him to the world. You are always attentive to the prayers of the Rosary and never fail to pour forth God’s grace in response.

Please pray for me, that I will more deeply comprehend the power of the Rosary and will never fail in my duty to pray it every day. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.