20th Sunday after Pentecost 7.10.18 The Rosary
Today we acknowledge the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
There is prayer, and then there is the Rosary.
The Rosary has long occupied a special place in our treasury
of prayer. It is likely to be a standard part of any serious Catholic’s prayer.
There are all manner of other prayers, but everyone prays the Rosary.
It has so much endorsement from saints, and also so many
miracles associated with it.
The essence of the prayer is that we accompany Mary in her
relation to Our Lord, as He goes through the various stages of His saving work.
First she longs for Him to come, then He comes, amidst a
combination of joys and sorrows.
Then he suffers for the sins of the world. Then He rises in
triumph and pours out graces on those who look to Him.
In all these stages, there is found Mary, giving her perfect
assent to all that He wishes to achieve.
She is the one, and only one, who is fully in sympathy with
Him. Through the Rosary we can join her, expressing such faith as we have, and
asking for more.
As we go with her, she like a teacher will say: let us go
over the same ground until you know it.
It started with God's promise to save His people; then he
came among us. He lived, died and rose, and ascended, and will come again.
Have you got that yet?
It sinks in a little deeper each time, we hope.
We go with Mary as she travels the path from obscurity to
Queen of the whole universe.
She loved God perfectly at every moment of her life, but as
she took part in these mysteries her love increased. She grew into the role at
each stage. First Joy, then Sorrow, then Glory.
She grew ever deeper into love of Him and her role.
The Rosary transforms us as we pray it. One of the prayers
implicit in all intercessory prayer is that of the distraught father: I do believe, help my unbelief (Mk 9,24).
With that will come faith, and other virtues, especially the
charity to persevere through difficulties.
We are moving a few stones at least, in terms of breaking
through strongholds of evil. If nothing else we make reparation for evils done.
We can go as far as we dare in our own pathway from Joyful
to Glorious, our own rags-to- riches story.
All the time we try to help others to see the same vision.
Most people would have no clue about the Rosary or related matters. We can shed
some light where possible.
And we will be helping to make things happen. At certain
times in Church history there have been special public and communal praying of
the Rosary to avert particular crises. Lepanto 1571, Vienna 1683 (against Muslims);
Austria 1950s (against the Soviets). This coming 13th October there
will be international public rosaries pleading with Our Lady of Fatima, to
address our present-day needs.
Some things take more prayer than others. It takes more
prayer to change the mind and will of another person, for instance. That is why
our prayer for conversion of sinners does not always have instant success.
But it can be done; just about anything can be done, if
enough people are praying as one, and continuously. We should not give up too
easily.
Nor should we ever feel we are praying on our own. The
Rosary would be in progress somewhere in the world at any given moment. When we
start to pray we are joining in with others, with the same general intention
that God's will be done.
The chain reaction goes on -
obtaining graces for the world, for a host of intentions.
But only if we Pray the Rosary.
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