Our Lady of The Rosary was originally known as the feast of Our Lady of Victory, established by St. Pius V in thanks to God for the Christian defeat of the Turks at Lepanto, a victory which can be attributed to praying the holy Rosary.In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the name to the Feast of The Holy Rosary. In 1913, St. Pius X changed the date of the feast day to October 7, which we celebrate today.
The Rosary used to be a recitation of 150 Hail Marys. Later, a mystery of Jesus’ life was attached to each Hail Mary. In the 16th century, the Rosary was developed to consist of 15 mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious. In 2002, St. Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries.
The purpose of the Rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. When praying the Mysteries of the Rosary, we focus on Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The “Our Fathers” remind us that God is the father of salvation, and the “Hail Marys” remind us to join with Mary in contemplation of these mysteries. They also remind us that Mary was intimately joined to her son in his earthly and heavenly existence. The “Glory Be’s” remind us to glorify the Trinity through prayer.
The Holy Rosary has a beautiful simplicity to it. The repetition of the words help create a prayerful atmosphere through which we can contemplate the Mysteries that God brings to mind.We can unite ourselves to Jesus through Mary through the joys and sorrows of our own lives. And we can hold on to the hope that God will bring us to the joys of Mary and Jesus forever.
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