October is upon us and the faithful who are devoted to the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary ought to avail themselves of the great privileges granted by the Supreme Pontiffs for this month, as outlined briefly in Matters Liturgical: The Collectio Rerum Liturgicarum of Rev. Joseph Wuest, C.Ss.R., n. 630, (trans. Rev. Thomas W. Mullaney, C.Ss.R, ed. Rev. William T. Barry; 10th rev. ed; New York: Frederick Pustet Company, 1959):

This month is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin. To those of the faithful who in the month of October publicly or privately recite piously at least five decades of the Rosary the following indulgences are granted: an indulgence of seven years each day; a plenary indulgence if on the feast of the Holy Rosary and throughout the octave they do as noted above and if they also confess their sins, receive Communion, visit some church or public oratory; a plenary indulgence if after the octave of the feast of the Holy Rosary they recite at least five decades of the Rosary for at least ten days and if they also go to Confession, receive Communion, and visit some church or public oratory (Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, n. 398)

Many sometimes ask themselves: "Why do my Rosaries appear ineffectual? Is there something I am doing wrong?"

It is now as October is about to begin that we ought to remind ourselves how exactly we are to recite the Holy Rosary so that it may render greater glory to God through the Blessed Virgin Mary, and be of greater avail for ourselves unto an ever-increasing progress in the way of salvation and perfection. We would thereby be well-disposed to receive the full effect of the indulgences that Holy Mother Church so graciously offers us.



In his Sermon for Rosary Sunday, St. Alphonsus reminds us what exactly this entails. This is taken from the 17th volume of "The Centenary Edition" of the complete works of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, translated by Rev. Father Eugene Grimm, and published in 1890 at New York, Cincinnati and Chicago by Benziger Brothers.

It amazes me that so many Catholics are probably guilty of the 'praying mindless repetitions over and over' charge that the Protestant heretics lay on the Church.

THINK about it, dear friends in Christ... you have been given, by Our Lady Herself, the PERFECT devotional prayers, especially for those times when you are not able to pray the Office (at work, at school, etc).

The recitation of the prayers of the Most Holy Rosary is an invitation to meditate upon the life and ministry and Mysteries of Our Lord Jesus Christ! We can do this DAILY, we can do it HOURLY... even praying ONE Hail Mary brings to mind:

The Immaculate Conception (she is called full of grace)

The Advent (the Fruit of Her womb is Jesus Christ Himself)

The GREAT Mystery of Mary as Mother of GOD

And the glory of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Mother of the Faithful (we ask her intercession), which is to say, we pray AS the Church that Christ established, WITH the promise that She intercedes for us and helps us on our way to the Beatific Vision that Christ promised.

How, then, can people be so indifferent about the power of the Rosary? Each and every time we recite one or more of the Decades, we are actively seizing that time and claiming it for Our Lord through Our Lady!

Sanctity, and ultimately, sainthood, is NOT gained by ONE miracle, ONE supernatural act of charity or any such thing... sanctity and sainthood are gained by the DAILY taking up of the cross which Our Lord sees fit to give us to bear. They are gained by the humble realization that, while it is still 'day', "night is coming, when no man can work", so the faithful Catholic avails himself of EVERY means of grace while they are still to be found in this life.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

@chaz89:

What always amazes me is that Wojtyla decided to introduce new 'luminous' mysteries to the Rosary of Our Lady, when it was and is SO obvious that people weren't even taking the original, perfect Rosary seriously!

There is so much indifferentism and superstition and bogus new-age spirituality in the Novus Ordo that the average so-called 'catholic' in the NO is usually completely secular in their attitudes EXCEPT when it comes to going through the motions once a week at their local 'faith community'. They can live like everyone else in the world, defy Church teachings on dozens of important topics, but NO WAY will they miss going to hear 'Father' Sunflower and his gang of tambourine-shaking hippies sing "On Eagles' Wings" and "Gift Of Finest Wheat". Somehow, the heresies of the New Order are still just enough to keep these people thinking that they're still 'christian'.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

St. Dominic, pray for us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, so offended by the uncaring sinners who wound Thee, have mercy on us.