October 7
Our Lady of the Rosary
Wednesday, week 27 in Ordinary Time — Year II
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7th and finds its origin in a significant moment of Christian history: the victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Pope St Pius V attributed this victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked through the prayer of the Rosary. In response, he established an annual feast to honor Mary and to encourage the faithful in praying the Rosary for the needs of the Church and the world. Over time, the name and scope of the feast have broadened, reflecting not only gratitude for a historical event but, more enduringly, devotion to Mary’s role in bringing believers closer to Christ through meditative prayer.
The Rosary, as a contemplative prayer centered on the mysteries of Christ's life, invites Catholics to meditate on the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Jesus, always through the eyes and heart of Mary. Over centuries, countless Christians have turned to the Rosary in times of difficulty, finding comfort and spiritual strength. The feast reminds believers of the power of prayer, especially when united with the Blessed Mother. The Church sees Mary as a model of fidelity and contemplation, whose openness to God offers a pattern for every disciple. Celebrating Our Lady of the Rosary encourages all Christians to persevere in faith and to trust in the motherly intercession of Mary, who always leads her children to Christ.
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Questions about Our Lady of the Rosary (Novus Ordo Missae)
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Mass readings
ReadingGa 2, 1-2.7-14
Brothers,
after fourteen years,
I went up again to Jerusalem;
I was with Barnabas, and I also took Titus with me.
I went in response to a revelation,
and I laid out the Gospel that I proclaim among the nations;
I set it out in private to the most influential people,
because I did not want to risk running
or having run in vain.
Now, they realized that the task of preaching the Gospel
had been entrusted to me for the uncircumcised (that is, the Gentiles),
as it had been to Peter for the circumcised (that is, the Jews).
Indeed, if God's action made Peter the Apostle of the circumcised,
it made me the Apostle of the Gentile nations.
Recognizing the grace that had been given to me,
James, Peter, and John,
who are considered pillars of the Church,
reached out their hand to me and to Barnabas,
as a sign of fellowship,
thus showing that we are sent to the Gentiles,
and they, to the circumcised.
They only asked us
to remember the poor,
which is the very thing I have been eager to do.
But when Peter came to Antioch,
I opposed him openly,
because he was clearly in the wrong.
In fact, before some people arrived from James,
Peter used to eat with the Gentile believers.
But after they arrived,
he began to draw back and separated himself,
out of fear of those who were from a Jewish background.
The other Jewish believers played the same game,
so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that they were not acting faithfully
according to the truth of the Gospel,
I said to Peter in front of everyone:
“If you, though you are a Jew,
live like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
why do you try to compel Gentiles
to follow Jewish customs?”
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 116 (117), 1, 2
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
His love for us is mighty;
the Lord’s faithfulness is everlasting!
GospelLc 11, 1-4
It happened that Jesus was praying in a certain place.
When he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him:
“Lord, teach us to pray,
as John the Baptist also taught his disciples.”
He said to them:
“When you pray, say:
‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day
the bread we need,
Forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive
everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not let us enter into temptation.’”
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org