27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A - Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

As the calendar year takes us into October, the Church reminds us of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of her beloved rosary. Of course, some questions should come to mind. Why is October the month of the rosary? Why is this devotional so revered by the Church today?

The designation of October goes back to the naval battle of Lepanto in the 16th century. Christian forces in Europe were battling Islamic forces from the East. The Christians were greatly outnumbered, and so the Pope called on all believers to pray the rosary for victory. And, against all odds, victory was given. The triumph was marked with a feast day on Oct. 7. Originally called the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, it was subsequently renamed the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Eventually, the entire month of October was dedicated to the rosary in deference to the high-profile feast day. For these reasons, and several others, the rosary has endeared itself into the very heart of the Church.

At a time when the rosary was questioned and its use was waning, Pope Saint Paul VI reminded the Church of the importance and helpfulness of the rosary: “As a Gospel prayer, centered on the mystery of the redemptive Incarnation, the Rosary is a prayer with a clearly Christological orientation. Its most characteristic element, in fact, the litany-like succession of Hail Mary’s, becomes in itself an unceasing praise of Christ.”

As we begin the month of October, we can use this as an opportunity to get back to the practice of praying the rosary, or to praying it more often, or to praying it more deeply. The rosary has been called a chain to heaven by some saints, and the expression is an apt one, since the rosary keeps us connected to prayer, to Mary, and to the Lord Jesus. It is a simple, but a very powerful spiritual help to all believers.

In honour of this weekend’s readings, we would like to share our latest video, "Songs of the Rosary", a 90 minute collection of Sunday 7pm Choir hymns dedicated to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7) and to help people pray and meditate on the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.

Video can be watched by clicking here or on the picture below: