>>> OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY – Pray for Us!
HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS
Introduction
The opening words of the Hail Mary, which are taken from the words of the angel and of Elizabeth to Mary, point out the place of Mary in the history of salvation: she is chosen by God to give Christ to the world. This is why in the Rosary, we meditate on the mysteries of Christ, in which Mary was his associate. With her, we too, have to let God’s Word become flesh and blood in us and in others.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God
you let Jesus, your Word, become one of us
and gave him to the world
through the Blessed Virgin Mary.
With her, may we give shape
to the living Word of Jesus
by making him come to life
in our words and deeds
and bringing his hope and peace,
his forgiveness and joy to the world,
for he is our Lord for ever. Amen!
Reading 1 GALATIANS 3:7-14
Brothers and sisters: Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, through you shall all the nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law. And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live. But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Responsorial PSALM 111:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights. R.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD. R.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations. R.
Alleluia JOHN 12:31B-32
Alleluia, alleluia.
The prince of this world will now be cast out,
and when I am lifted up from the earth
I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LUKE 11:15-26
When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
Intercessions
– That like Abraham, our Father in the faith, Christians may put themselves trustingly into God’s hands, we pray:
– That by the grace of God we may be good people who are a blessing to others, we pray:
– That our hearts may not be divided, but that we try to live sincerely the way of the gospel, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
Mary, the Mother of Jesus,
placed herself with all she was and had
in the service of your Son.
Through this bread and wine,
we commit ourselves
to your Son and his work.
Accept our offering
and confirm us in our purpose
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Word became flesh in Mary;
your Word became flesh among us
here in this Eucharist.
With the help of the prayers
of the woman full of grace,
let us become a free gift of grace
to all whom we encounter,
that Jesus Christ may live among us,
now and for ever. Amen!
Blessing
“Lord, make our faith grow!” That should be our cry from the heart. We ask the Lord for a deep faith that accepts him on his word and that lets his message and his person guide our lives. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
About the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the great naval victory over the Turks at the battle of Lepanto on this day in the year 1570, a favor due to the recitation of the Rosary. This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam.
Lepanto, perhaps the most complete victory ever gained over the Ottoman Empire, on October 7, 1571, is commemorated by the invocation “Help of Christians,” inserted in the Litany of Loretto. At Belgrade, the Turks were defeated on the Feast of Our Lady ad Nives in 1716. A second victory gained that year on the Octave of the Assumption determined Pope Clement XI to command the Feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. Leo XIII added the invocation “Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us,” to the Litany of Loretto. The Feast is in reality a great festival of thanksgiving for the signal and countless benefits bestowed on Christendom through the Rosary of our blessed Queen.
In modern times successive popes have urged the faithful to pray the Rosary. It is a form of contemplative prayer, mental and vocal prayer, which brings down God’s blessing on the Church. It is a biblically inspired prayer that is centered on meditation on the salvific mysteries of Christ in union with Mary, who was so closely associated with her Son in his redeeming activity.
Things to Do:
Pray the Rosary, at least, 5 decades of the Rosary daily, most properly, with your family.
(cf. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2021-10-07)