Sunday: Our Lady of the Rosary Date: October 7, 2004 Year: C The readings: [Gal. 3:1-5; Lk. 11:5:13] The message: The history of Our Lady of the Rosary. Prepared by: CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY Total words: 1436 words. |
Click here for the Index of all the Homilies
May I take this occasion to wish you all a Happy Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Holy Scriptures reveal to us that after the Blessed Virgin Mary had visited her cousin Elizabeth, she recited the Magnificat. One prophetic verse in that prayer still echoes today, "Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed." [Lk. 1:48] (C.C.C. # 971) The Holy Rosary fulfills the prophecy of those words, that the blessed Virgin Mary shall be called blessed today as much as she was called blessed in the days that followed the glorious birth of our Lord Jesus.
The Church Sacramental of the Rosary (C.C.C. # 1674), recited daily throughout the world, brings back to memory thousands and thousands of times the words of the angel of God, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." [Lk. 1:28] As a Catholic devotion, the Rosary involves meditation on the twenty mysteries surrounding the lives of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin mary. The Rosary engages our thoughts, our imagination, our emotions, and our desire. This serves the purpose of mobilizing our faculties in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompting a conversion of heart and a strengthening of our will to follow Christ. (C.C.C. # 2708)
Considering the immense treasure of spiritual good that is found in the recitation of the Holy Rosary, how is it associated with Our Lady of the Rosary? When and where did the Rosary have its origin?
Tradition asserts that the Feast of the Holy Rosary had its beginning when the Albigensian heresy was destroying the country of Toulouse. Shortly after September 12, 1213, St. Dominic turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the triumph of Catholic arms. As St. Dominic was kneeling before the Sacred Altar in the Church of St. Jacques, Our Lady appeared to him and instructed him to preach the Rosary among the people as a cure for heresy and sin. In thanksgiving to Our Lady for the miraculous victory that followed, it is asserted that the crusaders erected a chapel in the Church of St. Jacques and dedicated it to Our Lady of the Rosary. Based on this tradition, it appears that the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary had its origin in those days.
Over and above the defeat of the Albigensian heretics at the battle of Muret in 1213, it is believed that the grace of God frequently shined upon the world through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary.
At the same time, historical documents have not been able to accredit St. Dominic with the origin of the Rosary. The earliest trace of any Church documents alleges that it was a Dominican preacher, Alan de la Roche, who created the legend of St. Dominic in the fifteenth century.
Further research has proven that the Rosary was in existence prior to the days of St. Dominic. In those earlier days, its existence was patterned on the Book of Psalms. Originally, possibly as far back as the eight century, the Lord's Prayer was recited 150 times by religious communities. Those who were devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary replaced the Lord's Prayer with the first part of today's Hail Mary, reciting 150 Hail Mary's on beads strung on a cord.
On October 16, 2002, following the release of the Apostolic Letter "Rosarium Virginis Mariae" by the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Bishops, Clergy and faithful, 5 new mysteries were added to the Rosary. Accordingly, the present Rosary has 200 Hail Mary's on beads strung on a cord.
In the fifteen century, the Rosary was divided into three Chaplets of 50 Hail Marys each, at which time the mysteries were added to each Chaplet. By the sixteen century, the fifteen mysteries had become accepted by all as the proper way of reciting the Rosary. During that period of time, the second half of the Hail Mary was added and the "Glory be to the Father" was used to close each decade of the Rosary. In 1569, Pope Pius V officially approved the Rosary as it was known throughout the world until October 16, 2002.
Four years later, Pope Pius V established the Feast of the Rosary in thanksgiving to Our Lady to commemorate the naval victory of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. On that same day, the first Sunday of October, while the members of the Rosary confraternity made their procession in Rome, Don John of Austria defeated the Turkish fleet.
Following the request of the Dominican Order, in 1573, Pope Gregory XIII allowed this feast to be observed in all the Churches that possessed an Altar dedicated to the Holy Rosary. In 1671, Pope Clement X extended the observance of this feast to the whole of Spain. Afterwards, in recognition of the victory over the Turks by Prince Eugene on August 6, 1716, at Peterwardein in Hungary, Pope Clement XI commanded that the Feast of the Rosary be celebrated throughout the world.
Other popes, namely Benedict XIII and Leo XIII, were involved in raising the Feast to the rank of a double of the second class and added the Litany of Loreto to the invocation of "Queen of the Most Holy Rosary."
Although the history of the Rosary is controversial, over the centuries, different Supreme Pontiffs, in their apostolic letters, have accredited St. Dominic with the origin of the Rosary. In 1883, Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical in which he commended to the faithful the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary, attributing its origin to St. Dominic.
Keeping all this in mind, it was not until Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the three children on May 13, 1917 that she revealed herself to be Our Lady of the Rosary. Recognizing the apparitions of Fatima as being worthy of belief, on October 13, 1930, the bishop of Fatima authorized devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima.
Since then, on a date that I have not been able to trace, the "Feast of the Rosary" has officially become the "Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary."
The "Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary" is closely associated with the titles of "Our Lady of Fatima" and the "Immaculate Heart of Mary." In summary, it began as a most beautiful spiritual prayer in recognition of the salutation of the angel of God to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Then, it progressed to meditating upon the lives of Jesus and Mary, each mystery requiring reflection upon a biblical passage or an inspired truths that the Church has proclaimed as a Dogma of faith. Such truths consists of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
While reflecting upon the mysteries continues to be the norm of the faithful, now, based on the apparition of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima, additional emphasis has been placed on repentance, praying for sinners and doing penance. Through this spiritual devotion, Our Lady assures the world that evil shall be overcomed and that there will be a time of peace.
More specifically, in 1917, while communism was not so apparent, Our Lady asked that the faithful pray for the conversion of Russia and that Russia be consecrated to her. If such was done, communism would fall and Russia would be converted.
The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary echoes the words of Job that are found in the Book of Job. "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." It has now become obvious to the world that the Lord God has eternal plans for the Blessed Virgin Mary and that He has commissioned her as the Second Eve to assist her Son in the salvation of mankind by bringing sinners to Jesus.
In the Book of Job, we also read, "The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning." Equally, it can be said about the Virgin Mary. The Lord has indeed blessed the latter days of Mary more than her beginning. Progressively, over a period of possibly one thousand years, the fulness of the devotion to the Holy Rosary was not fully revealed to the world until 1917 when Our Lady stated, I am "Our Lady of the Rosary." If we are to measure the countless progressive honours that the Blessed Virgin Mary has received since she has departed from this world, can we begin to imagine what honours awaits her in the days to come?
Today, let us reflect upon the mystery of Our Lady of the Rosary that is unravelling itself upon the world. Let us give thanks to the Lord for the wonders that He has bestowed upon Our Lady of the Rosary, our heavenly Mother and our heavenly Queen.
* * * * * * * * * *
The readings...
[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]
* * * * * * * * * *
First Reading...
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing? - if it really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" [Gal. 3:1-5]
* * * * * * * * * *
Gospel Reading...
"And he said to them, 'Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
'So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, wll give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.'" [Lk. 11:5-13]
* * * * * * * * * *