By Michael Howard
THE Holy Rosary has been drawing people to Jesus’ side for more than 800 years.
Its significance to the life of the Church is difficult to overstate.
Today, October 7, marks the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The beads had ancestors in other forms like psalters but the rosary, as we know it today, arrived in the hands of the faithful in the 13th Century thanks to the Dominican Order.
The Order of Preachers formalised the long-standing Christian tradition of using prayer beads alongside the Hail Mary.
This basis flourished into the Mysteries of the Rosary, which cover the life and death of Jesus.
The joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries tell the story of Jesus from the Annunciation through to the Crowning of Mary in Heaven.
The rosary epitomises the rightful exaltation of Mary.
Perhaps then, it should be no surprise that it holds such a special place amongst Catholics.
This feast day itself, Our Lady of the Rosary, shows how people have relied on Mary across history.
The day commemorates the Battle of Lepanto, in which the decisive Christian victory is attributed to the Blessed Mother.
Catholics across Europe collectively prayed the rosary so that Christian forces could repel the oncoming Ottoman hoards.
Out-manned and out-gunned, the combined forces of the Holy League (Spain, Papal States, Italian States and Malta), all but destroyed the Ottoman navy, and ensured the safety of the Western Rite.
The feast was traditionally known as Our Lady of Victory, a rather apt title considering the Battle of Lepanto was one of the most influential naval battles in history.
Yet, commemorating this feast as Our Lady of the Rosary, is no less victorious than Our Lady of Victory.
For the rosary is a victory.
The victory at Lepanto, in which Christendom collectively rallied alongside the Mother of God, hints to the power of the rosary.
Or in 20th century Italy, in which St Padre Pio described those humble beads as ‘his weapon’ against Satan.
Or perhaps even in our own lives, the rosary may play just as important a role as it did for Pope St Pius V or St Padre Pio.
The rosary is a victory of God whenever and wherever it is prayed.
The prayer takes us through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, all the while accompanied by she who knew Him best, his Holy Mother.
This feast day, let us be reminded of the rosary’s unique power in drawing us closer to God.
