The feast of our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated today to remember the miraculous naval victory at Lepanto.
That victory stopped the advance of the enemy into Europe when Europe was at one of her weakest moments, both politically and spiritually.
But the victory was miraculous because of the intercession of Mary.
The Pope at that time, Pope Pius V, called upon the Church to be united in praying the Rosary for God’s help for the weakened and outnumbered Christian soldiers.
But the power of Mary’s intercession was not just at the naval victory at Lepanto.
Throughout the history of the Church, whenever she was under threat, she immediately had recourse to Mary’s intercession, and God saved the Church.
As it was then, so it is now. The Church faces many challenges internally as well as externally.
But we, the Church, must have recourse to the intercession of Mary for God’s saving help.
And we need to pray the Rosary, and also to teach our children to pray the Rosary.
Psalm 8 says that on the lips of children and of babes, the Lord have found praise to foil the enemy, and to silence the foe and the rebel.
And in times of darkness, let us hold the Rosary and pray, for it is like holding the hand of our Blessed Mother.
And God will also pour forth His love and blessings on us.