In 1571, there was a great naval battle between Christian forces of the Holy League and the Ottoman Turks who were Muslim enemies. The Christians were significantly outnumbered by the enemies. The weapon that brought them to victory is no other than the Rosary. It seems a foreshadowing of how we will succeed in our spiritual battle as Christians, and that is through praying the Rosary. October is the month of the Rosary and the memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary is typically celebrated on October 7 as marked in the Liturgical Calendar. It was Pope Saint Pius V who instituted the feast as he was praying the rosary while the Battle of Lepanto was happening. This rosary is not only a display but a form of our communication and maternal bonding with our Mother Mary. Since the beginning, she was and has always been our intercessor. We are her children and she is our mother. Remember the last words of Jesus testifying this truth:

“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister (...). When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” (...). John 19:25-27, NABRE

Our Mother Mary, who is the Mother of our Lord stood at the foot of the Cross of Jesus. This is the greatest of all sufferings of humanity combined. It was the Lord who carried it all at once for our sake, so that our sufferings may be called holy. This means that our sufferings, when offered to Christ, could be our way to salvation. If we hold on to our trust in God through those sufferings, we shall come out of it with a greater faith. The pains we experience therefore, cannot destroy us, through Christ. How many times do we flinch at the difficulties we experience? Our earthly problems seem to be a repeat of these moments before the Cross of our Lord. Our Mother Mary who endured it all. She is our perfect intercessor and aid so we too could withstand the same moments of trials and pains. 

Among all men and women, she was the only person who have stayed with Jesus from the womb to the tomb. As we all know, following Jesus is never easy. Doing good is difficult. Speaking good is challenging. We are always faced with temptations in our daily lives, and a decision between good and bad has to be made always. This is why Jesus gave Mary to us as our Mother. The Lord did this while He was still on the Cross. In the same way, in times of our difficulties, we could call on our Mother Mary who is also the Queen of Heaven and Earth. In happy times or bad times, we have a mother who is waiting for us to come to her. We must learn to ask for her intercession and keep her in our hearts and minds as we continue our daily life in this world. This month of the Holy Rosary, there can be no greater gift to God and to her than to start praying the Rosary daily. 

Here are easy guides you can use to start praying the Rosary daily:

Filipino Rosary Guide: http://www.marysrosaries.com/Filipino_prayers.html

English Rosary Guide: https://www.catholicity.com/prayer/rosary.html