500 Years of Victory, One Bead at a Time
“The repetitious prayer of the Rosary quiets the mind and allows the depths of the soul to rise” (Bishop Robert Barron).
The Battle of Lepanto by Paolo Veronese
The Battle Victory That Led to the Feast Day
Imagine hearing the news that you and your peers will soon face a force that is stronger than and outnumbers you. And, if your foe succeeds in its quest (which is likely, given the appearance of the situation), your faith community will be obliterated.
This heavy burden was carried by sailors in the Battle of Lepanto, near the west coast of Greece, in 1571. Pope St. Pius V attributed the unexpected success of the Holy League (comprising forces from Genoa, Spain, and the Papal States) to the intercession of Mary and the previously commanded campaign for Holy League sailors to pray the Rosary.
In gratitude and in honor of this historic victory, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory and the Feast of the Holy Rosary, is celebrated on October 7, at the beginning of a month dedicated to the Rosary.
An Unlikely Weapon
What is it about this particular string of beads (mistaken by some to be a necklace and used as an accessory in photo spreads) that warranted Padre Pio’s calling it “his weapon”? The eventual saint explained, “In times of darkness, holding the Rosary is like holding your Blessed Mother’s hand. Pray the Rosary every day. Abandon yourself in the hands of Mary. She will take care of you.”
When praying the Rosary, we are going through an exercise that lends to “disciplining the mind for meditation,” as noted by Bishop Barron. He continues that spiritual leaders such as St. Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) knew of the Rosary’s spiritual, social, and evangelical power, and their “practical mission … grew out of intense concentration [on] sacred things.” Similarly, the Holy League’s mission of protecting Christendom was strengthened through such concentration, leading to the defeat of all but 13 of 300 enemy ships.
Victory Awaits
500 years ago, sailors on more than 200 ships, as well as others across Europe, prayed the Rosary. Through this act, the Christians focused on the sacred as they began the battle. Losing “at Lepanto would have been a catastrophe of the first magnitude for Christendom,” notes historian John F. Guilmartin, Jr., “and Europe would have followed a historical trajectory strikingly different from that which [they] obtained.” We would be wise to reflect on how prioritizing the sacred puts us in a better position to succeed.
Whether we win the battles we face or are better able to reflect on our losses, by praying the Rosary, we bring ourselves closer to God (as Mary said at Lourdes and Fatima). Therefore, in any event, victory is ours.
Linda A. Burrows is an attorney specializing in trust and estate law in southern California. She studied journalism at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, law at Pepperdine, and tax law at Georgetown. Linda is the founder of Soul Soda, a non-profit with the mission of refreshing faith in those, particularly Catholics, who are feeling disconnected from their religious roots. She is a wife and mother of three teens. Linda’s Confirmation name was that of St. Gabriel the Archangel.