Our Lady, The Rosary: An Underestimated Powerful Weapon

07-02-2023Weekly ReflectionFr Stanislaus Okonkwo

Dear Friends,

Today, we address the question about the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Rosary.

The story of the Blessed Virgin Mary starts with the fall of Adam and Eve. God placed a curse on the serpent, putting enmity between it and the woman and between its seeds and her seed (Gen 3:15). The Bible and the Church hold Our Lady as the new Eve and Jesus the Seed promised here. Jesus became accursed to free us from this ancient curse (Gal 3:13). St. Paul explains Christ as the New Adam who brings life as against the old Adam who brings death (Rom 5:12-21 1 Cor 15:45-49).

Early Church fathers like Justin the Martyr argue that Mary is the new Eve. Evil entered the world through the first Eve as a virgin, while salvation entered through Mary the Virgin, with the active participation of both women. Eve listened to the serpent and brought forth death while Mary listened to the Archangel Gabriel and conceived the life giver (Lk 1:38). The Angel Gabriel confirms Mary as full of grace (Lk 1 28). At the fullness of time God sent the Savior born of a woman (Mary), who by her obedience cancelled Eve’s disobedience. Her seed defeated the old serpent (Satan) Eph 4:4-5. She was prophesied in Isa 7:14 (see Mt 1:21-23), and Simeon also prophesied about her share in Christ’s suffering (Lk 2:35). She stood by the cross of Jesus as He died (Jn 19:25), and was thence handed over to us as our mother by the Savior. She is the woman to be venerated by all generations (Lk 1:48), for in her, God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants is fulfilled (Lk 1:54). Mary brought Jesus to Elizabeth and John the Baptist (Lk 1:41-45). Elizabeth, overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, acknowledges her as most blessed among all women. All these started as God the Father sent the Angel to pay her homage. Then the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and she conceived the Holy, Son of God, making her the mother of God (Theotokos).

Mary first contemplated the mystery of redemption in her heart. She persuaded Jesus to perform his first miracle even when the time had not yet come (Jn 2:3-5), was with the Apostles in prayers when they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14), and as Jesus died he gave her to us through his beloved disciple (Jn 19:26-27). Jesus said “woman behold your son and son behold your mother”, thus reversing the curse of Eve and giving us a new mother. Persons or places that encounter God will attract people seeking prayers! Is it not absurd then, that the same people would dishonor Mary in whom God dwelt? Mary always leads us to Jesus and never away from Him (“Do whatever he tells you”, Jn 2:5). She is the woman clothed with the sun whom the dragon hates (Rev 12:1-5), and against whose children the dragon makes war (Rev 12:17). In this war, she has given us a weapon namely: the rosary.

The Rosary came from counting of prayers. Early monks who could not recite the 150 Psalms prayed the Lord’s Prayer 150 times instead. Similarly, other pious persons kept count of their prayers. The Hail Mary, came from the words of the Archangel and Elizabeth. At Fatima, our Lady had her rosary, and introduced herself as the Lady of the Rosary. She encouraged the children to say the rosary daily for peace in the world. St. Lucia says that heaven opens whenever we recite the rosary. Saints like Padre Pio described the Rosary as a weapon of spiritual warfare. Yes! in the Battle of Lepanto (October 7th 1571), the rosary saved the Church and Europe from the invading massive Islamizing Turks force of Ottoman, as Pope Pius V ordered the Churches of Rome to remain open day and night and the rosary said. Thus victory made Mary our Lady of Victory! Pope Gregory XIII later changed the celebration to feast of the Holy Rosary.

This is the Rosary you have; a potent weapon! Use it and you will testify.