The month of October each year is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, and today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. But did you know that this day used to be the Feast of Our Lady of Victory? It was established by Pope Pius V to commemorate the great victory of the Battle of Lepanto, which he attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
And while the Battle of Lepanto is a famous example of the Rosary leading to a significant victory, throughout history many have attributed victories in both the physical and spiritual realm to the intercession of Our Lady and the recitation of the Rosary.
David Carollo, Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima, stopped by The Drew Mariani Show™ to discuss why the Rosary is a prayer of victory, and why it’s important to have Mary at your side, no matter what battle you are facing.
Carollo said, “The Rosary has won the day so many times. You go back to the Battle of Lepanto, that’s the famous one. The Christian soldiers were so outnumbered, but that morning they all received Communion. They went into this battle prepared. And it was by the Rosary, the prayer that they brought into this, that even the elements cooperated. It was just amazing. It was the hand of God, and the Rosary was the key to it. That was the foundation for all of the preparation for this battle.”
Carollo pointed out that throughout history there have been instances where those fighting against injustices have invoked the power of the Rosary and asked for the intercession of Our Lady. And they won the battle.
He said, “If you look at Austria in the ’50s, or down in Brazil, how many times have bad government things been turned back by people being devoted to Our Lady and the Rosary?”
But both Drew and Carollo pointed out that it is not only in the military or political realm that the power of the Rosary claims victory, but especially in the realm of spiritual battles.
“St. Padre Pio put it best when he called it a weapon,” Carollo said. “We are in a war. That’s our weapon. It truly is. Because you’re turning to the Mother of God, the most powerful intercessor that there is, and you’re acknowledging that we are weak. We can only win it through prayer.”
The Rosary is known to be a powerful devotion and a prayer of victory. In fact, the very mysteries that we meditate on in praying the Rosary remind us of Christ’s great victory over sin and death. However, Carollo warned against treating the Rosary in a superstitious or transactional way.
To illustrate this point he referenced the many people who are currently praying about the upcoming election. The Rosary is a powerful way to shower grace upon our nation, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will end up with the result you want.
“You have to do it with the understanding that you’re going to continue it,” he emphasized. “Are you going to pray, and then on November 3rd whatever happens happens? No. You have to make the commitment that this is a life-long thing.”
Drew also encouraged listeners to recognize that no matter how dark things look, the Rosary is a prayer of victory, saying, “There’s no mistake that God is using Our Lady for victory in the world, victory in the Church, and wants to use her for victory in your life.”
The Drew Mariani Show airs weekdays from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Central on Relevant Radio® and the Relevant Radio App.
