Acts 1:12-14 / Luke 1:26-38
The month of October is also called the Month of the Rosary.
The 7th of October was originally celebrated as the Our Lady of the Victory to commemorate the naval victory of the Christian fleet over the invaders, a victory that credited to the intercession of Our Lady and the praying of the Rosary by the faithful in aid of the Christian soldiers.
The feast is changed to Our Lady of the Rosary to emphasise the spiritual dimension of the feast, and in particular, the praying of the Rosary and the spiritual benefits.
The Rosary is a versatile prayer. It is a physical prayer, a vocal prayer and a mental prayer.
It is a physical prayer because as the beads of the Rosary are run through the fingers, it is a prayer in action. Even holding the Rosary in silent prayer is a physical form of prayer.
It is a vocal prayer as when prayed by two or more people. Hence it is a community prayer where the voices are united and raised up in prayer and in praise of God.
It is a mental prayer when the mysteries of the Rosary are meditated upon and it leads to a union with God and graces are bestowed.
And all three, the physical, vocal and mental prayers, can be done at the same time, and that is why the Rosary is such a versatile prayer.
The Rosary is also a simple prayer and a difficult prayer. It is simple enough for children to learn to pray it, yet it can be difficult as the monotony of the prayers can make distractions possible.
But in praying the Rosary, Our Lady prays with us and for us.
The first mention of Mary is at the Annunciation, which is the beginning of fulfullment of salvation.
The last mention of her is in the Acts of the Apostles, where she is praying with the disciples.
And Mary still continues to pray with us and for us. Let us continue to pray the Rosary and to help others to pray it too.
The Rosary has brought about abundant graces. The powerful form of prayer is what we need, what the Church needs, and what the world needs.