7 Oct 2018Yvonne P

The Rosary is your sword

The Rosary. Composite of images from Wikimedia Commons and pixabay.com

Are you tired of being a worrier?  Is there too much going on in life that overwhelms you?  Are you stuck in depression, negativity, or addictive behavior and feel that there is no way out?  Are you concerned about the state of the world?  Do you want one thing which is guaranteed, that’s right, guaranteed to change your life?  Too good to be true?  No such thing, you say?  You need to believe, truly believe, that what follows is the definitive truth.  This is not my view, but God’s promise!  There is overwhelming evidence and historical fact to support these bold statements.

Today, 7 October, is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and in fact, during the entire month of October, God is calling for your particular participation.  Our Lady needs you.  Please do not let another moment pass without promising to take up your sword.

The sword I am referring to is the Holy Rosary.  Yes, this so-called weak little chain of beads is the singular most powerful weapon you will ever have.  Throughout centuries the prayer of the Rosary has been used to defeat armed forces, resurrect the dead, protect communities from bombs and destruction, and has thwarted satan’s plans in so many dire situations.  Countless saints, martyrs, and servants of God have become champions of the Rosary, obtaining miracles that have confounded humanity and defied all scientific explanation.

Since Our Lady first appeared and gave the Rosary to St. Dominic she has come holding this precious chain, arms outstretched to us and heavenward, imploring us to pray, grow closer to Jesus, and obtain great graces for ourselves and the world.  You need to know that you are being called to accept your God-given role as a Rosary warrior, and Our Lady wants you to take her appeals seriously.  Why?  Because our era, more than any other, demands it.

Every great soldier plans and does their research before they go into battle.  They spend time investigating who their enemy is, what their weaknesses are, how and where they are likely to strike, and then prepare their best weapons for the fight ahead.

As Rosary warriors we also need to understand our enemy – satan and his evil spirits.  He prowls the world looking to destroy souls, he knows our weaknesses, and will win over us if we let him.  But our secret is that we know what he hates – our souls and our salvation – and we can conquer him if we take action.

Father Gabriele Amorth was an Italian Roman Catholic Priest and an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome.  In an article Fr Amorth recalled how:

Satan told me, through the possessed person, ‘Every Hail Mary of the Rosary is a blow to the head for me; if Christians knew the power of the Rosary, it would be the end of me!’ (my emphasis).

This exchange is a great opportunity for humanity.  Can you imagine how, if every person on the planet prayed the Rosary or even just started with one decade of Hail Marys every day, satan would be rapidly defeated?  Don’t you want to see the back of him?  Don’t you want to be a part of that Rosary revolution which can, and will, achieve this?

We cannot afford to be idle as we do not know how much time we have left in this life.  We need to start now, if we haven’t already.  Satan knows that we get so busy with our work, studies, families, entertainment, distractions, holidays, and so many other things, that he tries to convince us how none of this ‘Rosary business’ is important.  He might suggest to us that we simply don’t have the time, that the Rosary is a myth of the past, just a silly activity for ‘old ladies’, is too embarrassing, or some other excuse to make you avoid it.  If you cave in to those suggestions he has you right where he wants you.

As humans we certainly need time for work, rest, and other commitments.  But like any new activity or positive habit, if we motivate ourselves to make the Rosary a priority (it only takes about 30 minutes to pray) then it can be done.  When you dedicate yourself to the Rosary satan will hate you for it and come up with myriad ways to distract you or throw you off.  But you must take out that sword and fight back!

If you are a man the evil one especially wants you believe that the Rosary is only for women, will make you look weak, and that ‘real men’ should not be seen with a ‘necklace’.   Don’t listen.  True and strong men of God are proud to be seen with the Rosary because this prayer is a mighty force.  Real men love Our Lady, defend her, listen to her, and do what she asks for the love of her Son.  Here are some other resources which may help:

When I lack motivation, inspiration, or am physically or mentally tired, I use my own tactics and preventative measures to counter satan in those moments.  I pray in the morning when I am freshest, before work and activities absorb me.  I keep moving, walking, or do some other exercise.  When I am distracted (a lot!) I stop praying and give myself some space to let those thoughts fizzle out, think of positive statements to settle them, or I insert Jesus into my thoughts and situation, to get back on track.  The key phrase here is to get back on track.  In other words, I don’t allow satan to get a foothold in disrupting my routine.  If I cannot pray the Rosary in the morning for any reason, I resolve to pray it at a later time on the same day, no matter what.

Standing by this daily devotion has resulted in a major miracle in my own life, and although struggles persist, I know that such graces received through the Rosary will continue to help me in my ongoing journey.

At times I need a deeper push to keep at it.  I have personally found the passionate talks and writings of Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC (Vocation Director for the Marians of the Immaculate Conception) to be inspirational regarding the Rosary.  He, among countless other advocates of the Rosary throughout the centuries, makes it very easy for us.  We can access so much information about the Rosary to ignite our interest and belief in its power, and to help us in our faith and love of the Lord and Our Lady.  We need to turn to such people and resources, and stop focusing on the temporary trivialities of life, to grow in wisdom about the Rosary and how it will help us and the world.  Here are some aids:

Despite our good efforts however, some of us may still be struggling.  If you are ‘time poor’ The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Rosary: How to Pray the Rosary, 15 Promises, the History, and More! may help you to start.

Apart from praying the Rosary by ourselves we can pray together within our families, communities, churches, and parishes.  Why not start praying for common intentions?  Why not put a notice in your church bulletin asking for people to pray the Rosary daily on their own at home, or together, for a particular intention during one week, several weeks, months, or even one day?  We need to be doing more of this!

Next to Our Father is the Hail Mary.  The second part of it is as important as effective.  The Rosary, taught by the Holy Virgin is also an excellent prayer, because the saying of the Our Fathers and Hail Marys is combined with the meditation on the mysteries of the life, Passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and on the mysteries of the most Holy Virgin.  Our communities will say it every day.
— Fr Annibale Maria Di Francia, pp 131-132, Rogationist Anthology

It takes an army to defeat a war.  The world is in trouble.  Humanity is in trouble.  October can be a month of miracles.  Take up your Rosary.  Let us use this spiritual sword for the love of the Holy Trinity and our Mother Mary.

Do not be afraid.  Let’s go.

Main image is a composite of the following:

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