Don't Forget Our Lady's Great Victory Today
Let's celebrate Our Lady's great victory today. It's the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto.
On October 7, 1571, a Christian naval coalition decisively beat an Ottoman Turk navy at Lepanto. The victory stopped the Ottoman conquest of Europe. They had already conquered parts of Central Europe, and were gunning for Rome and, probably, the rest of the European countries. And this after Spain had kicked out the last of the Moorish Muslims in 1492. The Muslims came back for more and almost succeeded.
The Pope at that time, Pius V, asked Christians to pray the rosary, to ask for Our Lady's help in defeating the Ottomans. And apparently that's exactly what people did.
The Ottomans were the favorites in the battle. They hadn't lost a naval battle in a hundred years or more. They were on a roll. But they weren't just facing a determined Christian coalition. They were facing Our Lady.
Pius V declared October 7th a great feast day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, but a lot of people have forgotten the feast day, never mind the battle that Our Lady helped the Christian men win.
So here we are today, Catholic men at work. Did you pray the rosary today? Are you going to if you didn't?
Even if you normally don't pray the rosary every day, today's obviously a good time to do it. Our Lady will know that you - even in our modern secular age - understand that she can help us all. You should know this too, of course.
While the Christians aren't fighting the Muslims in any great naval battles these days, there is a bit of a struggle going on out there these days - in case you hadn't noticed. And whether or not you think that we're locked in a life and death battle with Islam, you can at least appreciate that Muslims aren't shy about spreading their faith around the world. So they're after the hearts and minds of our fellow Christians - at the very least.
So maybe today's a good day to say a rosary and ask for Our Lady's help in not just holding off the Muslims, but in spreading the Good News of her Son to anyone we might be able to influence in our lives, whether at work or anywhere else, for that matter.
You might also think about maybe saying a rosary for all those Catholic men out there struggling in this tough economy, especially the ones out of work, maybe facing really difficult financial circumstances. There are lots of families out there whose husbands and fathers need a job. And lots of them are looking at foreclosures on their homes. We can pray for them.
The point is, today's just a great day for a rosary. (Every day's a great day for a rosary, or course.) So don't let the chance pass you by. Get out that rosary. Can't find it? No problem, use your fingers. There's no law that says you've got to have a rosary in your hands to say a rosary.
But one way or the other, remember Our Lady and the power of her intercession in all our lives, in everything we do. She should always be with us whether we're at work, at home - wherever and whatever we do.
And don't think she's not the most powerful person you'll ever meet. Remember Lepanto and how her intercession helped defeat the Ottomans - the most powerful military empire of its time. Just because she's our loving Mother doesn't mean she's shy and demure. Just ask the Turks.
On October 7, 1571, a Christian naval coalition decisively beat an Ottoman Turk navy at Lepanto. The victory stopped the Ottoman conquest of Europe. They had already conquered parts of Central Europe, and were gunning for Rome and, probably, the rest of the European countries. And this after Spain had kicked out the last of the Moorish Muslims in 1492. The Muslims came back for more and almost succeeded.
The Pope at that time, Pius V, asked Christians to pray the rosary, to ask for Our Lady's help in defeating the Ottomans. And apparently that's exactly what people did.
The Ottomans were the favorites in the battle. They hadn't lost a naval battle in a hundred years or more. They were on a roll. But they weren't just facing a determined Christian coalition. They were facing Our Lady.
Pius V declared October 7th a great feast day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, but a lot of people have forgotten the feast day, never mind the battle that Our Lady helped the Christian men win.
So here we are today, Catholic men at work. Did you pray the rosary today? Are you going to if you didn't?
Even if you normally don't pray the rosary every day, today's obviously a good time to do it. Our Lady will know that you - even in our modern secular age - understand that she can help us all. You should know this too, of course.
While the Christians aren't fighting the Muslims in any great naval battles these days, there is a bit of a struggle going on out there these days - in case you hadn't noticed. And whether or not you think that we're locked in a life and death battle with Islam, you can at least appreciate that Muslims aren't shy about spreading their faith around the world. So they're after the hearts and minds of our fellow Christians - at the very least.
So maybe today's a good day to say a rosary and ask for Our Lady's help in not just holding off the Muslims, but in spreading the Good News of her Son to anyone we might be able to influence in our lives, whether at work or anywhere else, for that matter.
You might also think about maybe saying a rosary for all those Catholic men out there struggling in this tough economy, especially the ones out of work, maybe facing really difficult financial circumstances. There are lots of families out there whose husbands and fathers need a job. And lots of them are looking at foreclosures on their homes. We can pray for them.
The point is, today's just a great day for a rosary. (Every day's a great day for a rosary, or course.) So don't let the chance pass you by. Get out that rosary. Can't find it? No problem, use your fingers. There's no law that says you've got to have a rosary in your hands to say a rosary.
But one way or the other, remember Our Lady and the power of her intercession in all our lives, in everything we do. She should always be with us whether we're at work, at home - wherever and whatever we do.
And don't think she's not the most powerful person you'll ever meet. Remember Lepanto and how her intercession helped defeat the Ottomans - the most powerful military empire of its time. Just because she's our loving Mother doesn't mean she's shy and demure. Just ask the Turks.
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