“Hail Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary Hail.” We have been given a heavenly Mother by Jesus at the foot of his cross. Without interruption, she continually reaches down from heaven as Mediatrix of All Graces with her motherly love, caring for each of us — her children — in our dangers and difficulties on this earthly pilgrimage.
During this month of the rosary, we draw close to our Blessed Mother through this beautiful prayer given to us to strengthen us in virtue, courage and faith. Inviting all families to pray the rosary for peace, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed it a "contemplative and Christocentric prayer, inseparable from the meditation of Sacred Scripture." It is "the prayer of the Christian who advances in the pilgrimage of faith, in the following of Jesus, preceded by Mary.”
Robert and Barbara Wilson from Holy Name parish have daily prayed the 54-day rosary novena, as a couple for the past 28 years. Each 54 days they begin a new 27 days of petition and 27 days of thanksgiving for a particular request. “We were fortunate that my mother prayed this daily for over 70 years,” explains Robert, “She prayed for her children’s future spouses and that the grandchildren might be blessed by remaining in the Catholic faith. We saw her dedication in turning over large and small decisions daily to the Blessed Mother; thus, it was natural to follow her example.”
Through thick and thin they’ve discovered that praying this together has been fundamental in their faith journey. Meditating on a virtue associated with each mystery prayed — their favorites, “patience in adversity” and “detachment from the world” — leave Barbara eager to share their experience. “Through the rosary, our prayer life as a couple has a real rhythm and a framework to discuss our daily challenges and how God is working in our lives. Looking back over the past 28 years, we see the pattern of how Mary has engaged intimately with our lives, the lives of the family and the lives of our friends, by answering their requests all along.”
Under her peace
Born out of the ongoing experience of peace praying the rosary together with their family, one Divine Child High School mother helped launch the DC Rosary Club this month. It is founded on three main principles.
First, is the desire to teach students about the supernatural power of the rosary to bring peace, truth and hope to their lives. Second, is the possibility of building friendships and community within the student body to support each other in their endeavors. The third, is the call to equip this younger generation to combat the mental health crisis with a grace-filled, non-electronic, simple, tool that leads them closer to Jesus and Mary.
The Divine Child Rosary Club prayed their first rosary together on September 14th, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. The students meet every Wednesday after school by their Marian statue and pray for more students to join and feel welcome to be blessed with new friendships and greater peace.
If you would like to start a rosary group for the students at your school email for more details.
Under her joyful love
The Bluestein family from Assumption Grotto have learned to pray the rosary with their young children. “My mom (God rest her soul) was a living saint and shared with me the power of praying the rosary,” remembers May Bluestein. “In turn, my husband and I make an effort to share this beautiful prayer with our children and pray it together as a family. We typically pray the scriptural rosary with them, which provides a brief reflection on the mystery before each Hail Mary in a given decade. These mini reflections before each Hail Mary really help us enter into each mystery. When my oldest daughter began to read, I gave her the job of being “the reader,” reading aloud each of the scriptural reflections prior to each Hail Mary for the decade she was supposed to lead. She loved it so much that she asked if she could be the designated reader for the entire rosary. With five of us in total, we each take a turn with leading the prayers of each decade while she reads each reflection before each Hail Mary. I love seeing her excitement and engagement and look forward to her younger siblings soon taking their turns as the reflection readers.”
Under her protection
Every Saturday on Woodward, rain or shine, for over three years, individuals from throughout the archdiocese gather with an Our Lady of Fatima banner to pray the rosary with deep devotion for our families, our archdiocese, our state and our country. All are invited to join them with their rosaries on any given Saturday at noon, where each decade ends with the prayer, “Jesus protect and save the unborn.”
Under her power
Often in history, the course of a battle or dire circumstances have changed when faithful people took up their rosaries and turned to prayer. Let us remember how the 1571 Battle of Lepanto saved Europe when Pope Pius V asked the entire Christian people to unite themselves through the recitation of the holy rosary for the success of the battle which took place on October 7, 1571. Mary received the title of Our Lady of Victory with a feast day added to our liturgical calendar later under her title Our Lady of the Rosary. It is important to recognize that without Our Lady of the Rosary, without our Blessed Mother, there is no victory, but through Mary who leads us to Jesus, there is a great victory.
In the weeks ahead we invite you to take up your rosary, our spiritual weapon, to defeat Proposal 3 on the Michigan ballot. Many parishes are offering weekly rosaries and Holy Hours for life leading up to the election. It is not too late to join in the Fight Like Heaven rosary novena as we pray fervently with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all graces to advance the Lord’s reign of life over death.
