Who is That Lady With the Rosary?

Every morning as I walk through my mother's quiet community in Florida, I bring out my weapon of choice, the rosary. In the famous St. John Bosco vision of two columns, the Pope steers the ship toward the column with the Eucharist, "Salvation of the Faithful" and the column with the Blessed Virgin, "Help of Christians." A violent storm rages, tossing the ship, while the enemies of the Church assault it on all sides. The Pope is struck twice, dying, and the new Pope, overcoming innumerable obstacles, safely guides the ship to the two pillars and securely fastens chains with anchors to the two columns, safely mooring it. Immediately, all the enemies of the Church scatter, ships collide with one another and eventually sink. We don't know when this dream will come to fruition, but we do know that God has given us two gifts to sustain us when we are assaulted on all sides, two pillars of strength and power, the Eucharist and Mary, Help of Christians.

            Right now, not just in the United States but throughout the world, only some faithful are able to receive Holy Communion. In a very few parishes they are still able to receive the sacrament of Confession. A few have Eucharistic Adoration. However, there is one devotion that never has to go away and that is devotion to the Blessed Mother. The Church recognizes her power. On May 1 Bishops throughout the United States reconsecrated the country to Mary. Within the home, we too can also dedicate our homes to her Immaculate Heart.

            We can also recognize her power by imploring her to help us during this time of crisis, under her titles as Advocate, Co-redemtrix and the Mediatrix of all Graces, to stand before the throne of God and intercede for us, her children. What was our Blessed Mother's request at Fatima: to pray the rosary daily, establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart, to offer sacrifices for sinners and say many times, especially when we make a sacrifice, 'O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'

            Many years ago when we were first married we dedicated our home to the Blessed Mother under the title Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt. While we faithfully say our prayers in our homeshrine, saying the rosary has always been a challenge with children. Nonetheless, let us keep in mind the words of Theodore Roosevelt:

            Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. No kind of life is worth leading if it is always an easy life. I  know that your life is hard; I know that your work is hard; and hardest of all for those of you who have the highest trained consciences, and who therefore feel always how much you ought to do. I know your work is hard, and that is why I congratulate you with all my heart. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.

            Recently when I turned on my computer, the title of an article popped up. "How to start running, even if you are bad at it." We could change the words to "How to start praying, even if you are bad at it." G. K. Chesterton encourages us, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” Let me explain. My brother likes to enter road cycling races. Those who don't train drop out very quickly. In other words, if you want to succeed, you need to start somewhere and it isn't going to be at the top. You will need to train. You will need to build up your endurance, stamina, strength. You will start by doing it badly.

            There are various websites, such as U. S. Grace Force, that are encouraging people to commit to saying the rosary daily. There are also groups, like America Needs Fatima, that have for many years supported rosary rallies. Still other groups have encouraged rosary processions. The Layman's Rosary of Reparation and St. Charles Borromeo Society also recognize the need and the power of the rosary. These are perilous times. If we don't start saying the rosary now, when? Just like working out for a bike race, this is a battle which will require stamina, endurance and strength.

            Our country is in need of a miracle of grace, for the spiritual and moral renewal of its people. Through perseverance and thousands upon thousands of rosaries families prayed every day, Fr. Petrus Pavlicek led the charge to drive out the Soviet Union from the Soviet occupied zone of Austria without a single loss of life. It took 8 long years, but in the end the Blessed Mother was victorious!

            We need to remember the words of Fr. Pavlicek: “Peace is a gift of God, not the work of politicians,” He added, "the gifts of God are obtained through prayers that storm heaven as soldiers storm a fort—with confidence and determination."

            We need to unleash the incredible power of the rosary. Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican exorcist, said,  "One day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism, 'Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end.'"

            In the musical Les Misérables is a line from "Do You Hear the People Sing." "Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?" Will you join in the crusade to crush Satan through the Immaculate Heart of Mary to restore holiness to our country?