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Sixth Sunday of Easter
13 May 2007
Dear Friends in Christ,
Ninety years ago today the Blessed Mother appeared for the first time to three children in a tiny hamlet in Portugal called Fatima. She said many things to those children, but the most important was this: Pray for peace. America is at war: abroad against terrorism and at home against the culture of death. The last century was the bloodiest of centuries in the history of civilization, if for no other reason than we have found newer and better ways to kill each other. As one bishop said, “the most dangerous place in our country is the womb of a mother.” Not safe even there!
People can be on all sides of debates about wars and about foreign or domestic policy of our country. But whatever your opinion may be of any of it, you do have as a duty to pray for peace. When the Blessed Mother asked her children to pray for peace, she told them to pray the Rosary. Such a simple prayer. One that can go with you everywhere.
Pope Saint Pius X said, “among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been favored by so many miracles as the devotion to the Most Holy Rosary.” In the seminary, we used to say a very flowery Italian prayer in the month of May: O Rosary, blessed of Mary, sweet chain which links us to God, link of love which unites us to the angels, tower of salvation, against the assaults of hell, safe harbour in the world’s shipwreck, we will never leave you. It may not be your way of speaking of the Rosary, but suffice it say that the prayer of the Rosary works.
In 1570, the infidel Turks were about to take Vienna and rush into Europe. The continental princes couldn’t get their act together to defend their own countries, so Pope St Pius V, a wily old Dominican, sent the dashing Don Juan of Austria with troops to do battle and told the entire Catholic world to pray the Rosary. And as he was leading the Romans in that prayer at St Mary Major, Don Juan and his men repelled the invaders.
Had Christians all over not prayed the Rosary, there would not be a Europe right now. Think about what could happen if we all prayed the rosary for peace, each one of us with love and devotion, now. If your hands are busy with beads, they cannot be busy with the arts of destruction. Our best defense against the powers of evil in this world is not the US government (even though so many do their job well for the protection of us all, and thank God for them!) but the protection of the Blessed Mother.
So get those beads out and put them in your pocket; have them by your nightstand, in the car, in your desk at work. And use them. Pray the Rosary often and well. Amazing things can happen!
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Father Christopher