7 October – Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary

[Weedy]

7 October – Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
also known as Our Lady of Victory

– Patronages – Rosary, United States, 9 dioceses, 8 cities. The Feast
of the Holy Rosary, is celebrated on 7 October, the anniversary of the
decisive victory of the combined fleet of the Holy League of 1571 over
the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto.

Our Lady of Victory
In 1571, Pope St. Pius V organized a coalition of forces from Spain
and smaller Christian kingdoms, republics and military orders, to
rescue Christian outposts in Cyprus, particularly the Venetian outpost
at Famagusta which, however, surrendered after a long siege on 1
August before the Christian forces set sail. On 7 October 1571, the
Holy League, a coalition of southern European Catholic maritime
states, sailed from Messina, Sicily and met a powerful Ottoman fleet
in the Battle of Lepanto. Knowing that the Christian forces were at a
distinct materiel disadvantage, the holy pontiff, Pope Pius V, called
for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory and led a rosary
procession in Rome.

After about five hours of fighting on the northern edge of the Gulf of
Corinth, off western Greece, the combined navies of the Papal States,
Venice and Spain managed to stop the Ottoman navy, slowing the Ottoman
advance to the west and denying them access to the Atlantic Ocean and
the Americas. If the Ottomans had won then there was a real
possibility that an invasion of Italy could have followed so that the
Ottoman sultan, already claiming to be emperor of the Romans, would
have been in possession of both New and Old Rome.

Pius V instituted “Our Lady of Victory” as an annual feast to
commemorate the victory at Lepanto, which he attributed to the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Dedications to Our Lady of Victory preceded this papal
declaration. In particular, Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
built the first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Victory in thanks for
the Catholic victory over the Albigensians at the Battle of Muret on
12 September.

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of the “Feast of Our Lady
of Victory” to “Feast of the Holy Rosary” Dominican friar Juan Lopez
in his 1584 book on the rosary states that the feast of the rosary was
offered “in memory and in perpetual gratitude of the miraculous
victory that the Lord gave to his Christian people that day against
the Turkish armada”.

In 1671 the observance of this festival was extended by Clement X to
the whole of Spain, and somewhat later Clement XI, after the victory
over the Turks gained by Prince Eugene in the Battle of Petrovaradin
on 6 August 1716 (the feast of Our Lady of the Snows), commanded the
feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church,
assigning it to the first Sunday in October.

A set of “proper” lessons in the second nocturn were conceded by
Benedict XIII. Leo XIII raised the feast to the rank of a double of
the second class and added to the Litany of Loreto the invocation
“Queen of the Most Holy Rosary”. On this feast, in every church in
which the Rosary confraternity has been duly erected, a plenary
indulgence toties quoties is granted upon certain conditions to all
who visit therein the Rosary chapel or statue of Our Lady. This has
been called the “Portiuncula” of the Rosary.
In 1960 Pope John XXIII changed the title to “Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary”.

https://anastpaul.com/2017/10/07/


Thought for the day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most
Holy Rosary
The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great
mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the
gospel. The main focus is on Jesus—his birth, life, death and
resurrection. The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus’ Father is the
initiator of salvation. The Hail Marys remind us to join with Mary in
contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was
and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his
earthly and heavenly existence. The Glory Bes remind us that the
purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity.
The rosary appeals to many. It is simple. The constant repetition of
words helps create an atmosphere in which to contemplate the mysteries
of God. We sense that Jesus and Mary are with us in the joys and
sorrows of life. We grow in hope that God will bring us to share in
the glory of Jesus and Mary forever..(Fr Don Miller OFM)
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!


pen your petals, like roses planted near running waters...Sirach 39:13

REFLECTION – “To discover whether people are of God, I have found no
better way than the following.
Observe whether they say the Hail Mary and the Rosary.”……St Louis
Marie de Montfort


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Prayer to the Queen of Carmel

O glorious Virgin Mary! Queen of Carmel, Mother of God and of poor
sinners; special Protectress of all those who wear thy holy Scapular,
I supplicate thee, by the glory that has been accorded thee by the
Incarnate Word in choosing thee for His Mother, to obtain for me the
pardon of my sins, amendment of my life, salvation of my soul,
consolation in my pains, and in particular the grace I now ask,
provided it be conformable to the will of thy divine Son. Amen

O Queen, who art the beauty of Carmel, pray for us.