Early in my life, I learned the value of praying the Rosary from my parents, especially from my father.
During the day, I often noticed him fingering the Rosary beads he always carried in his pocket. He had such a devotion to the Rosary that we had it engraved on his tombstone.
The power of the Rosary was demonstrated during St. Dominic’s time in the 13th century and continues to be seen today. We have learned that not only will the Rosary bring peace to our personal life, but it is also a powerful tool that can bring peace to the entire world.
Mary’s words at Fatima
Sister Lucia, one of the children to whom Mary appeared at Fatima, stated in a 1957 interview, “The Most Holy Virgin, in these last times in which we live, has given new efficacy in the recitation of the Holy Rosary.
“She has given this efficacy to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in families, of the families in the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary,” said Sister Lucia.
“There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will save ourselves. We will sanctify ourselves. We will console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls.”
Our Lady first appeared to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal, on May 13, 1917, so we will be observing the 100th anniversary of that event next year.
In one of her apparitions, Our Lady told the children to pray the Rosary daily in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace and the end of the war.
Novena for Our Nation
Our nation and the whole world are experiencing violence and unrest. We must pray to God and pray for the intercession of Our Lady to bring peace to our nation and world.
One way to do this is to join the Novena for Our Nation. An organization called the Holy League is sponsoring this nationwide prayer campaign. Everyone from around the nation is encouraged to pray a 54-day Rosary Novena from the Feast of the Assumption on August 15 to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7.
Fr. Richard Heilman, Holy League president and a priest of the Diocese of Madison, said in a statement, “Persecution of traditional religious belief and practice is unprecedented. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we are called upon to help turn our country back toward God. There is no stronger weapon in this spiritual battle than the Rosary.”
The Holy League says, “As we enter the centennial year of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, we are called upon to help turn our country back towards God. We will accomplish that through prayer: prayer that can change hearts, change families, change our communities, and change our country.”
Organizers of the Novena for Our Nation invite interested persons to:
• Pray for America with the faithful from across the country
• Sign up to receive daily reflections straight to your email inbox.
• Attend the National Rosary Rally in Washington, D.C., on October 7.
Those interested in participating in this novena can find more information about the novena and the rally at http://novenaforournation.com
Let’s unleash the power of the Rosary!