October 07, 2020

Our Lady of the Rosary

Lk 1: 26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

To Christ, through Mary

It began when he was a young boy gazing at a painting of the Annunciation hanging in the Loyola castle. The young Ignatius looked at the image of Our Lady and loved her.  This affection for Mary grew into a lifelong devotion.

Our Lady was Mother to him to the fullest, drawing him close to her own heart, yet always leading him first and highest to her Son. It was through the doorway of Mary that St. Ignatius experienced deep friendship and intimacy with Jesus.

Our Lady, through the gift of the rosary, does what she can’t help but do ... and that is lead us into a deeper knowing and loving of her Son. Today’s Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is a timely reminder that we have a Mother who is awaiting our desire for her Son to be entrusted into her hands.   

In the Constitutions, St. Ignatius instructed the Jesuits to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary with “greater attention and devotion.” Is this invitation for me, too? Can I bring my hopes to Mary?

—Mona Snider is a spiritual director, instructor and mentor at the Ignatian Spirituality Center of Kansas City in Missouri. Mona and her husband, Bruce, live in the Kansas City area and are the parents of Ben, Sophie and Grace.

Prayer

O Mary,
You shine continuously on our journey
as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who, at the foot of the cross,
were united with Jesus' suffering,
and persevered in your faith.

"Protectress of the Roman people,"
you know our needs,
and we know that you will provide,
so that, as at Cana in Galilee,
joy and celebration may return
after this time of trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the will of the Father
and to do what Jesus tells us.
For he took upon himself our suffering,
and burdened himself with our sorrows
to bring us, through the cross,
to the joy of the Resurrection.

Amen.

We fly to your protection,
O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us always
from every danger,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

—Prayer of Pope Francis for the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, to be prayed after praying the rosary