Rome Newsroom, Oct 9, 2022 / 08:00 am

October is the month of the rosary. Catholics around the world are encouraged to join in praying the rosary daily to honor the Virgin Mary. On Oct. 7, Catholics celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was previously known by the alternate title of “Our Lady of Victory.”

The feast day takes place as a commemoration of the Battle of Lepanto, a 16th-century naval victory that secured Europe against Turkish invasion. Pope Pius V had encouraged the faithful to pray the rosary, and the Blessed Mother’s intercession was credited with the triumph of the “Holy League.” For centuries, the rosary has been considered a weapon of protection against evil and a powerful tool of intercession.

October is the month of rosary and all Catholics are called to unite to ask for the intercession of our Mother and to meditate on the mysteries of the life and teachings of Jesus through her prayer. The recitation of the Holy Rosary is one of the most deeply rooted devotions among the Christian people. It originated around the ninth century as a simplification of the Psalter and spread rapidly among the unlettered laity as a simple prayer. The rosary is a crown of roses that we give to our Mother.

The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon against the wiles of evil; it is so powerful that it disarms the devil and changes lukewarm hearts into hearts on fire and in love with Jesus, Our Lord. When we pray it with devotion we are configured to the Lord. According to the testimonies of Sister Lucia, visionary in Fatima, when we pray it with love, heaven opens and many graces are poured on the person who prays it. For this reason, it is important to pray it with love, shelling out these “aves marias” with joy and enthusiasm, knowing that we are beating and destroying all the lurking of the devil.

There are many reasons to pray to the rosary. Perhaps the world needs peace. Perhaps your grandmother is sick. Why do you pray the rosary?