OCTOBER: THE MONTH OF HOLY ROSARY

 



OCTOBER: MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY 

The month of the Holy Rosary is October and this entire month is dedicated to the Rosary. The feast day of the Holy Rosary in particular is October 7th. The feast of the Rosary is held on October 7th in memory of the glorious and triumphant VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO. That battle was the most convincing military victory that proved without a doubt the great POWER OF THE ROSARY.  

WHY ARE MAY AND OCTOBER MARIAN MONTHS? 

Honoring Mary during the month of May has early roots. According to Catholic Encyclopedia, In some manuscripts of the Transitus Mariae, which dates from the late fifth century, three annual Marian feasts are noted, including one on the 15th day of Iyar, corresponding more or less to May. . . . Still later in date (seventeenth century at earliest) is the adoption of the custom of consecrating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin by special observances. Pope Pius XII further solidified May as a particularly Marian month when he instituted the feast of the Queenship of Mary (May 31) as part of the Marian Year he proclaimed in 1945. May 31 is now the feast of the Visitation of Mary. The Queenship of Mary has been moved to August 22. In addition, in the Churchs ENCHIRIDION OF INDULGENCES, there used to be special mention of indulgences for May Marian devotions. In the new Enchiridion, there is specific enumeration of general norms for Marian prayers that make a plenary indulgence obtainable not just in May, but any time of the year. The month of May as a Marian month was further affirmed by Marys first apparition at Fatima (May 13, 1917).

Regarding the month of October, October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Church chose that day and, apparently by extension, the month of October to honor Our Lady of the Rosary because a great victory took place on October 7. In October 1571, the Church in Europe faced a seemingly hopeless challenge. The Muslim Turks had already conquered the Middle East, slaughtering millions and forcing the survivors to convert to Islam. They then moved across the Mediterranean Sea, taking the crucial islands of Crete and Cyprus. From these islands, they set their sights on the Christian kingdoms of the central Mediterranean, threatening Sicily, Venice, and even Rome herself.

Pope Pius V called on the Christian princes of Europe to rally to defeat the Islamic threat. In addition, he called on rosary confraternities in Rome and all over Europe to undertake special processions and public recitation of the Rosary, asking the intercession of the Blessed Mother. What ensued was the famous Battle of Lepanto. The Christian fleet was far outnumbered and appeared to have no human hope of winning. On the first Sunday of October 1571, the Christian fleet met the invading Muslims off the coast of Greece in the Gulf of Lepanto. As Christians all over Europe prayed for Our Ladys intercession, the Turks surrounded the Christian ships. But the European fleet broke through. By days end, almost all of the Turks were driven to shore or drowned. Europe was saved. Pope Pius established an annual commemoration to honor Our Lady of Victory, and his successor, Gregory XIII, decreed that the first Sunday in October would be the feast of the Holy Rosary.

In summary, the decision to designate October as the month of the Rosary apparently stems from the Churchs desire to extend its thanksgiving to Our Lady for victory in the Battle of Lepanto from one Sunday to a whole month. In addition, when Our Lady appeared in Fatima in May 1917, she identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary.

PRAYER OF THE MONTH

PRAYER OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT 

O Jesus living in Mary come and lives in your servants, in the spirit of your holiness, in the fullness of your might, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, in the communion of your mysteries. Subdue every hostile power, the devil, the world and the flesh, in the strength of Your Spirit, for the glory of Your Father, Amen. 

©Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa October 4 2023

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MISSION SUNDAY 2025 AND 29TH SUNDAY YEAR C

Image
 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C AND 2025 MISSION SUNDAY The readings from the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) and the message of Pope Francis for 2025 Mission Sunday highlight the importance of persistent prayer, enduring faith, and active missionary service. Pope Francis has written the message nefoe his death. The key lessons include the need to support each other in prayer, as illustrated by Moses and Aaron in their battle with the Amalekites, and the necessity of constant prayer for success in the face of obstacles. These readings emphasize that missionary work is a call to each baptized person, where faith is lived out through consistent prayer and a commitment to bringing the love by Jesus and hope to others.   A. PERSISTENT PRAYER AND ITS IMPACT CONSTANT PRAYER IS CRUCIAL: The parable of the persistent widow and the story of Moses at the battle against the Amalekites both show that God responds to persistent and faithful prayer.  SUPPORT IN PRAYER: ...
Read more

FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST AND SOME OTHER LESSONS

  THE FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST UTAZI Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa INTRODUCTION The feast of today has a lot to offer to us. We shall look into the baptism in the life of Jewish people, baptism in the life of Jesus Christ and how it concerns the Christians of today.   John prepared the way for Christ Jesus by calling people to acknowledge their sin and their need for salvation. The baptism celebrated by John the Baptist was a purification ceremony meant to get the hearts of the people ready to receive their Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, Jesus was baptized by John; not because He needed to repent, but in order to obey the new command God laid upon His people through the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17).  On the day of his baptism, Jesus Christ was officially and publicly being sent out on His mission; which is, to proclaim the Good News of the salvation of God in and through what He will say and do, including His death and resurrection. God is acknowledging in the sight ...
Read more

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

Image
  THE POWER OF THE CROSS  (The Triumph of the Cross; The Exaltation of the Cross September 14) A. INTRODUCTION The power of the cross is a Christian concept referring to the transformative spiritual power derived from the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is seen as the way through which God saves his people from sin, offer forgiveness and healing, reconcile individuals to God, and provide strength to live a righteous life. For believers, the cross signifies the unconditional love of God, the destruction of the power of sin, and the cancellation of spiritual debt, empowering them to become new creations in Christ.   To be crucified literally means to die on a cross. Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross are the foundation of the Christian faith.  The cross is an essential symbol of the salvation God gave humankind. The cross is at the very heart of the Christian message (1 Corinthians 2:1-2). It is a graphic reminder of the terrible price that Je...
Read more