The Power of the Rosary
The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
October 7th marks the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast day is a special one that calls to mind the importance of the rosary in our faith, and invites us to grow in devotion to this powerful prayer.
The Battle of Lepanto
This feast day dates back to the 16th century. In 1571, the Ottoman Empire crawled closer and closer to Christian Europe. It had already conquered Christian cities and taken many Christians prisoner, forcing them to convert to Islam.
Pope Pius V implored all of Christian Europe to fervently say the rosary as the Holy League (which included Spain, Genoa, Venice, the Papal States, and Malta) and its fleet of ships traveled to fight off the invading force in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea.
The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7, 1571, with the Ottoman forces outnumbering the European fleet with over 100,000 men and 300 ships. Many of the Christian forces were carrying rosaries and prayed, along with the rest of Christian Europe, on the eve of battle. By the time the battle was over, only 13 of 300 Turkish ships survived. The invasion was successfully stopped!
In gratitude for Mary’s intercession and in awe of the power of the rosary, Pope Pius V declared October 7 the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
All About the Rosary
We have written here before about demystifying Mary as our Mother. In the Catholic faith, the rosary is an incredibly important prayer. It is a way of meditating on the life of Christ, and calling to mind Mary’s role in the life of Jesus. It is not praying “to” Mary, but rather asking her for her intercession before her Son.
In saying the rosary, we give Mary due reverence and honor -- and just as she did throughout her life, she directs all the attention back to Jesus. Each mystery of the rosary contemplates a moment in the life of Christ. And the rosary is very biblical! In fact, with each Hail Mary, we are repeating the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary at the Annunciation in Luke 1:26-38: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (1:28).
By holding the rosary, moving the beads through our fingers, and saying Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s out loud, we involve all the senses. This type of prayer helps us focus and enter more deeply into contemplation.
Knots of Grace Rosaries
Knots of Grace is inspired by the rosary and Mary, so this is a special feast day for us! In addition to offering rosaries for your car and home, we also have a few five decade rosaries. One of our favorites is this Swarovski Handmade Rosary.
The Hail Mary and Our Father beads are both Swarovski, the medal features Our Lady of Fatima, and the crucifix was made in Italy. Beauty points us to God, so this beautiful rosary will inspire you to spend time in prayer!
“The power of the rosary is beyond description.”
Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “The power of the rosary is beyond description.” We’ve seen important moments throughout history like the Battle of Lepanto that illustrate that. But we can also think of times in our lives when praying the rosary gave us greater peace, changed our hearts, or strengthened our faith.
On this Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, let’s pray for a greater devotion to the rosary and for Mary’s intercession.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!
Find all our Full Rosaries here.
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