MARY, OUR MOTHER

Month of the Holy Rosary – October

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
Oct 2009

The month of October every year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.

This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on 7 October.

Pope St Pius V first introduced the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in the year 1571. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was established to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary for the protection she provides the Church in answer to the faithful who pray the Rosary.

It is a way to show her gratitude for her intercession.

It was during the papacy of Pope Leo X111 (1878-1903) that dedicating the whole month of October to the Holy Rosary was first put into practice. The Pope avidly encouraged devotion to the Blessed Mother through praying the Rosary on a regular basis. Pope Leo X111 wrote a total of eleven encyclicals on the Rosary and is known as “The Rosary Pope".

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The Mysteries

Many other Popes have contributed to help increase devotion to the Rosary by their writings.

The Rosary was Pope John Paul 11's favourite prayer saying it is a prayer in which we meditate with Mary upon the mysteries which she as a mother meditated on in her heart.

There are fifteen traditional Mysteries of the Rosary, grouped into three sets – the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries.

These mysteries were decided upon and finalised during the 16th century however Pope John Paul 11 introduced the Luminous Mysteries in 2002 so now there are twenty mysteries within the four different sets.
Traditionally the mysteries are said on different days of the week: Joyful Mysteries on Mondays and Saturdays; Luminous Mysteries on Thursdays; Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays and Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Simple but Profound

The mysteries of the Holy Rosary, which is predominantly a scriptural prayer, are taken from the Good News of the New Testament and focus on the magnificent events of the Incarnation and Redemption.

In his writings Pope John Paul 11 said the prayer is so simple and yet so profound. He said it is a way of contemplating the face of Christ, seeing Him with the eyes of Mary. He specifically encouraged the recitation of the Rosary to individuals, families and communities.

The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title “Mother of God", to whose protection the faithful fly.

Pope Benedict XV1 has said meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary engages thought,

Image by Lawrence OP via Flickr

imagination, emotion and desire. This mobilisation of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of heart and strengthen our will to follow Christ.

Pope Benedict XV1 said:"The Rosary,  when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanical or superficial but profoundly, brings peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Invoked with faith and love at the centre of each Hail  Mary."

Apart from Our Lady of the Rosary feast day on 7 October, the feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on 11 October.