Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Our Lady of the Rosary
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Reading: Galatians 1:6-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 111:1B-2, 7-8, 9 and 10C
Alleluia: John 13:34
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
Our Lady of the Rosary
The Rosary was given to St Dominic around the year 1214 during the Albigensian heresy. For twenty years, St. Dominic preached against this heresy.1
The Albigensians were Christian dualists who believed the Old Testament God was the source of the material world, which was evil, and the New Testament God was the source of the spiritual realm that was good. They rejected the sacraments and promoted extreme asceticism as a way of rejecting the material world.
While facing difficulties in the mission, he withdrew and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary for guidance. She appeared to him and gave him both the Rosary in physical form as well as the prayers for the fifteen decades.
When the Muslims from the Ottoman empire was pushing into southern Europe, Pope Pius V created an alliance with Spain, Venice, and other small Christian states to form the Holy League. This Holy League fought back the Muslim invaders at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope Pius V would name this feast day on this day to be Our Lady of Victory, and it was to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October. Pope Gregory XIII would change the name to the Feast of the Holy Rosary and in 1913, Pope Pius X would change the feast day to October 7 in order to preserve the Sunday celebration of Mass.
As we saw a year ago, Israel was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Let us pray our rosaries today, as nearly 400 years ago, for peace in the Middle East and the rest of the world.
The Greatest Commandment and The Parable of the Good Samaritan
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus gives us a parable and the lesson of the parable is how we treat each other; our neighbors.
A scholar of the law begins to question Jesus and asks him what it will take to inherit eternal life and Jesus replies back and asks him what is written in the law?
He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Luke 10:27
Jesus tells the scholar that he has answered correctly, but the scholar presses on. He asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) Jesus then replies with the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
In this parable, a man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho. Along the way he is robbed and beaten and stripped and left for dead along the side of the road. He is then passed by a priest and a Levite, but both pass by on the opposite side of the road when they see him. But a Samaritan traveling the same road stopped and tended to his wounds, put him on his animal, and takes him to an inn. He takes care of him some more there and has to leave the next day so he gives the innkeeper two pieces of silver and says that on his way back, he will give the innkeeper more silver if what it takes to care for the man exceeds what he has given.
Jesus then asks the scholar of the law who treated the beaten man as his neighbor and the scholar answers, “The one who treated him with mercy.” (Luke 10:37)
If we look in the context of Jewish law at the time, if the priest or Levite has attended the beaten man, they would have been made ritually impure. Leviticus 11:39-40 and Deuteronomy 14:21 prohibit the touching of a “nevel” or carcass.
39 When one of the animals that you could otherwise eat dies of itself, anyone who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening;
40and anyone who eats any part of its carcass shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening; so also, anyone who carries its carcass shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening.Leviticus 11:39-40
The priest and the Levite were unwilling to help a man in need, and indeed passed on the opposite side of the road, so not to defile themselves. But the Samaritan, who the Jews looked down upon, did help the man, even to the excess of giving the innkeeper silver and promising more upon his return. The Samaritan was more of a neighbor for the injured man.
As we examine our lives, we need to look and see how we can be Good Samaritans to those around us. Giving of our time in soup kitchens, helping those that are not able to pay their electric bills, visiting sick in the hospital and nursing homes, and prisoners all are ways that we can be Good Samaritans.
Prayer:
Our Lady of the Rosary, you entrusted this holy prayer to Saint Dominic, and through him to the world. You are always attentive to the prayers of the Rosary and never fail to pour forth God’s grace in response. Please pray for me, that I will more deeply comprehend the power of the Rosary and will never fail in my duty to pray it every day. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Today’s music:
My Catholic Life. https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-7-our-lady-of-the-rosary/#:~:text=On%20October%207%20of%20that,Sunday%20of%20October%20every%20year.