Denver Catholic

19 DENVER CATHOLIC | SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 13, 2017 O n October 13th, Archbishop Aquila will consecrate of the Archdiocese of Denver to Our Lady of Fatima, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Concep- tion. The day marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady's final apparition at Fatima, the day of the great Miracle of the Sun. Central to Our Lady of Fatima's message was praying the rosary in reparation for sin and for conversion. On the day of the fi nal apparition, Mary told the three visionary children: "I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day." Answering Our Lady's request to pray the rosary daily is a great way to prepare for the Archdiocesan conse- cration. Praying the rosary invites us to enter a conversation with Mary, praising her and asking for her help as we pray the Hail Mary, and also with the Holy Trinity, as we pray the Our Father and Glory Be. In this conversa- tion, we meditate on the central mys- teries of our salvation and unite our lives to them, allowing them to shape our thoughts and desires. Praying the rosary also means entering into a spiri- tual battle by taking on an apostolate of prayer. We pray not only to grow closer to Jesus and Mary, but also for the good of those we love, our country and the Church. As we enter into this prayer aposto- late, we can be aided by Father Donald Calloway, MIC's Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon (Marian Press, 2016). The Dominican Archbishop Augus- tine DiNoia described it as "probably the most comprehensive book ever written on the rosary." The book has three major parts. First, it presents a detailed history of the rosary from the 13th century to present. The second part lays out 26 holy figures who were champions of the rosary. The third provides a short overview of how to pray the rosary. Father Calloway describes the ancient origins of the rosary in the practice of reciting the Our Father or Hail Mary 150 times as a way to imitate the monks' recitation of the 150 psalms each day. St. Dominic, in the thirteenth century, formulated the rosary as we know it, with decades focused on the mysteries of our salvation. St. Dominic used the rosary in his preaching against heresy in southern France. Though it took a little while to catch on, the rosary gained popularity through con- fraternities of laypeople gathered to recite the rosary in their city. The rosary has shaped the lives of Catholics in many ways. It brought about a number of crucial victories for Christendom over the Turks, begin- ning with the naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571, when Catholic forces miracu- lously destroyed the Turkish fl eet. The rosary received many signifi cant Papal endorsements, which attached indul- gences to it and the confraternities dedicated to it. In the last few hundred years Our Lady herself has spread devotion to the rosary, with apparitions recognized by the Church in countries such as Colombia, Vietnam, Belgium, Japan, Nicaragua and Rwanda. Almost as surprising, Father Cal- loway describes Elvis Presley's 1971 song, "The Miracle of the Rosary." The Catholic Reader R. Jared Staudt, PhD, is a husband and father of six, the catechetical formation specialist for the Archdiocese of Denver, a Benedictine oblate, prolifi c writer, and insatiable reader. DR. R. JARED STAUDT With the upcoming consecration of the archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart Oct. 13, these fi ve books are great primers for how to pray the rosary as preparation for consecration. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Con- tinue always to pray the Rosary every day." Become a champion of the rosary The book also details cham- pions the rosary, such as Blessed Alan de la Roche, a 15th century Dominican who popularized it, St. Louis de Montfort, St. Anthony Mary Claret, Pope Leo XIII, who wrote 11 encyclicals promoting the rosary, Father Patrick Peyton, who promoted the family rosary, and St. John Paul II, who gave us five new luminous mysteries. These figures should serve as a model for us and Fr. Calloway concludes by teaching us how we can become a champion of the rosary: 1) Pray the rosary, 2) encourage others to pray it, and 3) join a rosary group. One group to consider for our area is the Confraternity of the Rosary, organized by the Central Province of the Dominicans: opcentral.org/ confraternity-of-the-holy-rosary. There are some other recent books on the rosary you may fi nd helpful as well. Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Praying the Rosary for Spiritual Warfare (OSV, 2016); Dan Burke and Connie Rossini, The Contemplative Rosary – with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila (Sophia, 2017); Johnnette Benkovic and Thomas Sullivan, The Rosary: Your Weapon for Spiritual Warfare (Servant, 2017); Gretchen Crowe, Why the Rosary, Why Now? (OSV, 2017). " During her fi nal appa- rition to the young shep- herds at Fatima in 1917, Our Lady instructed them — and the entire world — to pray the rosary every day.

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