NV-Rosary

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Feast day : October 7th

For the feast day, begin on September 28th or 29th and end on October 6th or 7th
Or, you could say it in any month beginning for example on the First Saturday of the month,
the day on which Our Lady wants us to focus especially on meditating the Rosary.
However, do not feel obligated to particular dates, pray it any time you want.

What is a Novena?
A novena is a traditional devotion consisting of specific prayers recited on nine successive days. Besides being a form of praise, a novena is frequently offered for a particular intention. The first novena took place in the Cenacle, during the nine days preceding Pentecost, or the coming of the Holy Ghost. As a regular popular custom, this practice began in 12th century Christianity and continues to be beneficial today as a way of praying for healing, protection or other blessings for ourselves or others.

This particular novena is prayed to God through the intercession of Our Lady of Holy Rosary. In praying this Novena, as in the case of all prayer, it is good to begin by opening ourselves wholeheartedly to God's will, offering a simple act of trust in God's wisdom and in His providential love for us all, that disposes all things for the ultimate benefit of our souls and their salvation.

How to Pray This Novena
This novena is based on the most Holy Rosary. Each day of the novena is divided into the following parts: (1) a quote from Our Lady or a Saint for reflection; (2) a quote from one of the popes on the Holy Rosary; (3) a Meditation; (4) a Prayer; (5) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (6) a Closing Prayer (invocation to Our Lady of the Rosary).

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY

O Queen of the most Holy Rosary, in these times of brazen impiety, rampant immorality, wavering Faith and increasing apostasy, show again thy power, with the signs which accompanied thy victories of old, and, from the throne where thou art seated, dispensing pardon and grace, in pity watch over the Church of thy Son, His Vicar the Pope, and every order of the clergy and laity, suffering in grievous warfare as the Faith and morals are attacked. Hasten, O most powerful destroyer of heresy, hasten the hour of mercy, since the hour of judgment is daily challenged by the world’s innumerable offenses.

Thou, who didst say at Fatima, that only the Queen of the Holy Rosary could help us now—obtain for me, the lowest of all creatures, kneeling humbly and suppliantly in thy presence, the grace which may enable me to live a just and holy life on Earth, and reign with the just in Heaven—for what does it profit me, if I gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of my own soul?

Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, and O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, to thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, I consecrate myself with all that I have and all that I am, together with my family, relatives, friends and benefactors, and I recommend to thy prayers, all the people of my country and all the world. Please accept my consecration, dearest Mother, protect me, guide me, strengthen me and use me as thou desirest, to accomplish thy holy designs in the world.

O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over me, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save me from the spreading flood of modern paganism, immorality and faithlessness; kindle in my mind, heart and home, the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary better and more faithfully, and lead the Church to that triumph of thy Immaculate Heart, which thou didst promise at Fatima.

With the remaining faithful, scattered throughout the world, O Queen of the most Holy Rosary, I salute thee and cry out: Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us!

At Fatima, in 1917, Our Lady asked that we pray the Rosary daily. She also mentioned that one of the three seers, Francisco, who almost 9 years old at the first apparition, would not go to Heaven until he had said many Rosaries. If that was said to a 9-year-old, then how many Rosaries should we be saying to get to Heaven?

It was only in the year 1214, however, that the Church received the Rosary in its present form and according to the method we use today. It was given to the Church by St. Dominic, who had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a means of converting the Albigensians and other sinners. The weapon she wanted using in the 1200's is the very same weapon she wants us to use today.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: Our Need of the Holy Rosary.

Our Lady Says:
"Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?...I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the principal weapon has always been the Angelic Psalter (the Rosary), which is the foundation‑stone of the New Testament. Therefore, if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter (Rosary)." Our Lady's words to St. Dominic (The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis de Montfort, 3rd Rose).

The Popes say:
"The Queen of Heaven herself has given additional efficacy to this form of prayer. It was at her prompting and suggesting that the famous St. Dominic introduced and propagated this devotion as a powerful weapon against the enemies of the faith, in an era that was very hostile to Catholicism, quite like our own era ... There came a point in time when one could hardly count, anymore, on human help against this evil-minded and arrogant brood. Then timely assistance came from God, through Mary's Rosary. And so, thanks to the Virgin, the glorious conqueror of all heresies, the forces of the wicked were overthrown and destroyed, and the faith was preserved for many people. It is quite common knowledge, how similar perils have been warded off, and blessings have been won in many countries: both ancient and modern history record abundant testimonies of this." (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Octobri Mense, September 22, 1891).

Meditation:
Sadly, most people put more trust in human endeavor and skill, than they put trust in the intervention and aid of God, His grace, and His intervention in world affairs. This seems to reject the words of Our Lord, for He said: "Without Me you can do nothing!" Many only turn to Heaven for help at the last moment, after they have tried all kinds of human solutions to a problem. Yet, it should be the other way around. We should first of all go to Heaven for help. The failure to do so is one of the consequences of the pride that we have all inherited through Original Sin.

Our Lady came to Fatima with a solution for a problem. So many sinners, she said, were falling into Hell, because there was nobody to pray and offer sacrifices for them. The fact that they were sinners, invariably means that they made life miserable for those who were not sinners, or did not want to be, sinners. Therefore, so many of our problems—whether they be Church problems, political problems, economic problems, moral problems, social problems or our own family and personal problems—all these would improve dramatically with the conversion of sinners.

Our Lady's solution was the same as she gave St. Dominic—pray the Rosary! I say "pray" and not just "say"! If we merely "say" the Rosary, then we risk falling under the condemnation of the words of Our Lord, who said: "This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me!" (Matthew 15:8).

Given the terrible state of the Church and world around us, we need the Rosary like never before! In the words of a saint from our time, St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, "the Rosary is the weapon!" Not just a weapon, but the weapon. However true that may be, a weapon is only as good as the person using it. Used well, it is powerful; used badly, it is almost powerless! Nevertheless, before we use it, we must acquire it and then know how to get the best out of it. So let us humbly confess that our Rosaries could and should be much better. Admit that we say them mechanically, routinely, distractedly or hurriedly. Perhaps this coming month of the Rosary, October, could be the starting point of an overhaul and a refresher course on how to use the weapon better. Today, we really need the Rosary, but we really need to make better use of it.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
Queen of the most Holy Rosary, in these times of such brazen impiety, manifest thy power with the signs of thine ancient victories, and from thy throne, whence thou dost dispense pardon and graces, mercifully regard the Church of thy Son, His Vicar on earth, and every order of clergy and laity, who are sorely oppressed in the mighty conflict. Do thou, who art the powerful vanquisher of all heresies, hasten the hour of mercy, even though the hour of God's justice is every day provoked by the countless sins of men. For me who am the least of men, kneeling before thee in supplication, do thou obtain the grace I need to live righteously upon earth and to reign among the just in Heaven, meanwhile, in company with all faithful Christians throughout the world, I salute thee and acclaim thee as Queen of the most Holy Rosary: Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

At La Salette, in 1846, Our Lady was sorrowful due to the lukewarmness of the people in general. She asked Melanie and Maximin: "Do you say your prayers properly, my children?" Their reply was one that perhaps most of us would have to confess to: "Oh! no, Madame, not so much." Our Lady of La Salette complained about the lack of the spiritual and its awful consequences: "There will be a kind of false peace before the advent of Antichrist. Man's only thought will be upon diversions and amusements." This is so very true today!

At the 1st apparition of the Angel at Fatima, a strong wind blew that swayed the trees and a sudden white light enveloped them. In the middle of that light appeared a cloud in the form of a young man who said to them: "Fear not! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me!" The angel knelt on the ground and bowed very low. The children imitated the angel and repeated his words three times: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You." Then he rose and said: "Pray this way. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."

At he 2nd apparition of the Angel at Fatima, the three children were playing near the well of Lucia's house. The Angel said to them: "What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High."

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Necessity of Praying the Holy Rosary Better.

Our Lady Says:
At La Salette, in 1846, Our Lady was sorrowful due to the lukewarmness of the people in general. She asked Melanie and Maximin: "Do you say your prayers properly, my children?" Their reply was one that perhaps most of us would have to agree with and confess to: "Oh! No, Madame, not so much."

The Popes say:
"Our goal is that all hearts may be inflamed with a more ardent zeal to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary" (Pope Gregory XVII, Letter Benedicentes, January 27, 1832). "The vivid representation of each mystery of the Rosary will incite people to meditate, in a more profound way, on these mysteries and to recite the Hail Mary more frequently. The more fervent and numerous these prayers are, the more efficacious they will be..." (Ven. Pope Pius IX, Letter February 8, 1875). "It is our wish that these prayers [the Rosary] be offered with special fervor to the Blessed Virgin" (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus, September 1, 1883). "We desire, above all, that the fervor of the faithful will not grow cold in the practice of this pious exercise of the Rosary" (Pope Leo XIII, Letter of November 20, 1883).

Meditation:
We see that the two children, to whom Our Lady appeared to, at La Salette, admitted that they did not say their prayers well. The same was the case with the three children at Fatima, who were accustomed to saying their own shortened version of the Hail Mary during the Rosary (just three words—Ave Maria, Amen!) so that they would have more time to play. Sadly, Earth competes with Heaven for our attention, and, as Our Lady complained at La Salette: "Man's only thought will be upon diversions and amusements."  This is so very true today! This kind of attitude makes us fall very quickly into Our Lord's condemnation of: "This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 15:8).

There are different points of view with regard to prayer. Some quote Our Lord's words: "And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard" (Matthew 6:7) and deduce from that they don't have to pray very much! Others quote Our Lord's words where He says: "that we ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). St. Paul also says "Pray without ceasing!" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  An apparent contradiction? We also have Our Lady, speaking about prayers, telling the children at La Salette: "You must be sure to say them well, morning and evening. When you cannot do better, say at least an Our Father and a Hail Mary. But when you have time, say more." She does not specify what she means by "more", but it doesn't come across at being "a lot". Yet at Fatima, she tells a little 9-year-old boy, Francisco, that he will not get to Heaven until he has prayed many Rosaries! Again, we have to ask, is this a contradiction?

We have here a seeming butting-of-heads between QUANTITY and QUALITY. Which one is it to be? Well, in fact, they are not mutually exclusive, they CAN EXIST TOGETHER. However, having said that, it must be stressed that QUALITY comes before QUANTITY. In his book, The Secret of Mary, St. Louis de Montfort writes: "The holy and learned Jesuit, Father Suarez, was so deeply aware of the value of the Angelic Salutation, that he said he would gladly give all his learning for the price of one Hail Mary well said." Further on he writes: "Put yourself in the presence of God and imagine that God and His Blessed Mother are watching you, and that your guardian angel is at your right hand, taking your Hail Marys, if they are well said, and using them like roses to make crowns for Jesus and Mary. But remember that, at your left hand, is the devil, ready to pounce on every Hail Mary that comes his way and to write it down in his book of death, if they are not said with attention, devotion, and reverence."

Our prayers are like a sniper's bullet, or a sportsman's shot at the basket or goal. Each shot should be well aimed and well executed, otherwise it is all a waste of ammunition, or time and effort. The purpose is to hit the target, make the basket, or score the goal. It is not about just pumping lead aimlessly, or taking wild ineffective shots. Once we can hit the target, then we should do as much damage to the opposition as we can. Shoot well first, and then shoot a lot.

However, "practice makes perfect" and we will never get to be skillful at anything, unless we repeat the exercise over and over again. So it is false reasoning to say that we should pray little, but pray well. It is by praying often that we learn to pray well. Nevertheless, praying often does not mean praying interminably. A little and often is often better than a lot at once. By dividing up our Rosary throughout the day, we find that we not only focus on each decade better, but that we can get many more decades into our day than ever before. So let us strive for both QUALITY and QUANTITY, but making sure that our QUANTITY is full of QUALITY, and not distractions, day-dreams, haste, or any of the many other bugs that seem to come along each time we wish to pray the Rosary. As the Venerable Pope Pius IX said: "The more fervent and numerous these prayers are, the more efficacious they will be."

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
O august Queen of victories, O Virgin ruler of paradise, at whose powerful name the Heavens rejoice and Hell trembles for fear, O glorious Queen of the most Holy Rosary, all of us, thy highly favored children, here humbly kneeling at thy feet, pour forth with tears the deepest affection of our hearts, and, with the confidence of sons, we show our miseries to thee. Ah, from that throne of mercy, where thou art seated in queenly state, turn thy pitying gaze upon us, O Mary, and upon our families, upon our country and upon the universal Church; do thou have compassion upon us, by reason of the miseries, whereby we are encompassed, and the tribulations that make life bitter for us. See, dear Mother, how many perils to body and soul surround us, what calamities and afflictions oppress us! O Mother, hold back the arm of thy Son's justice and win the hearts of sinners by thy mercy; for they are our brethren and thy children, for whom the Precious Blood of Jesus was shed and thine own most gentle heart was pierced by the sword of sorrow. Show unto all men, this day, that thou art indeed the Queen of the Rosary, of peace and forgiveness.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

Our Lady, referring to her Holy Rosary, said in a vision to Blessed Alan de la Roche: "When people say 150 Hail Marys, that prayer is very helpful to them and a most pleasing tribute to me. But they will do better still and will please me more if they say these salutations while meditating on the life, death, and passion of Jesus Christ, for this meditation is the soul of this prayer."

Our Lady taught Saint Dominic this excellent method of praying and ordered him to preach it far and wide, so as to re-awaken the fervor of Christians and to revive in their hearts a love for Our Blessed Lord. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Divine Office (Breviary), there is no more beautiful and powerful prayer than that of the Holy Rosary.

The Jesuit brother, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, used to say his Rosary with such fervor, that he often saw a red rose come out of his mouth at each Our Father, and a white rose at each Hail Mary, both equal in beauty and differing only in color. Another similar case is recorded in the Chronicles of St. Francis, which tells of a young Franciscan friar, who had the praiseworthy habit of saying this crown of Our Lady every day before dinner. Beautiful roses kept issuing from his mouth at each Hail Mary, and the two angels were taking them, one by one, and placing them on Our Lady's head, while she smilingly accepted them.

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Beauty of the Holy Rosary

Our Lady Says:
Our Lady taught Saint Dominic this excellent method of praying and ordered him to preach it far and wide, so as to re-awaken the fervor of Christians and to revive in their hearts a love for Our Blessed Lord. She also taught it to Blessed Alan de la Roche and said to him in a vision: "When people say 150 Hail Marys, that prayer is very helpful to them and a most pleasing tribute to me. But they will do better still and will please me more if they say these salutations while meditating on the life, death, and passion of Jesus Christ, for this meditation is the soul of this prayer." For the Rosary said without the meditation, on the sacred mysteries of our salvation, would almost be a body without a soul, excellent matter, but without the form, which is the meditation, and which distinguishes it from other devotions. (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, "Twenty_First Rose").

The Popes say:
“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers” (Pope Saint Pius X). It is a well-recognized fact, that this form of prayer is particularly pleasing to the Blessed Virgin" (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus, September 1, 1883). "Among the various methods and forms of prayer which are devoutly and profitably used in the Catholic Church, the one called "The Rosary of Mary" recommends itself for many reasons." (Pope Leo XIII, Apostolic Letter of December 24, 1883). "Mary's Rosary should flourish among Christians. You are also well aware that it is a part--and a very beautiful form—of that spirit of prayer which we speak of, that it is made for our times, is easy to practice and fruitful in results" (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Quod Auctoritate, December 22, 1885).

Meditation:
In St. Louis de Montfort's book, The Secret of the Rosary, the chapter entitled "Seventh Rose" says of Our Lady's Psalter that to, "this devotion, the voice of the people, which is the voice of God, gave it the name of the Rosary, which means "crown of roses." That is to say that every time people say the Rosary devoutly they place, on the heads of Jesus and Mary, 153 white roses and sixteen red roses. Being heavenly flowers, these roses will never fade or lose their beauty. Our Lady has approved and confirmed this name of the Rosary; she has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose, and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses.

"The Jesuit brother, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, used to say his Rosary with such fervor, that he often saw a red rose come out of his mouth at each Our Father, and a white rose at each Hail Mary, both equal in beauty and differing only in color. The chronicles of St. Francis tell of a young friar, who had the praiseworthy habit of saying this crown of Our Lady, every day before dinner. One day, for some reason or other, he did not manage to say it. The refectory bell had already been rung when he asked the Superior to allow him to say it before coming to the table, and, having obtained permission, he withdrew to his cell to pray. After he had been gone a long time, the Superior sent another friar to fetch him, and he found him, in his room, bathed in a heavenly light, in the presence of Our Lady and two angels. Beautiful roses kept issuing from his mouth at each Hail Mary, and the two angels were taking them, one by one, and placing them on Our Lady's head, while she smilingly accepted them. Finally, two other friars—who had been sent to find out what had happened to the first two—saw the same scene, and Our Lady did not leave, until the whole Rosary had been said.

"So the complete Rosary is a large crown of roses, and each chaplet of five decades is a little wreath of flowers, or a little crown of heavenly roses, which we place on the heads of Jesus and Mary. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of devotions and the most important one." (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, "Seventh Rose").

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
Through thy most Holy Rosary, let every tongue speak of thy glory, dear Lady, and let the harmonious accord of our praises sound from evening even to the morning. May all generations call thee blessed and may all the coasts of earth and all the mansions of Heaven re-echo the hymn of praise. Nay, I will call thee thrice blessed, in union with the Angels and Principalities; thrice blessed, with the angelical Powers, with the Virtues of Heaven, with the supernal Dominations; most blessed will I proclaim thee with the Thrones, with the Cherubim and Seraphim. O Queen of salvation, cease not to turn thine eyes in pity upon this thy family, upon this nation, and upon the universal Church.

Above all, deny me not the greatest of graces; that is, let not my frailty ever separate me from thee. Grant that I may persevere, even to the end, in the love and faith, wherewith my soul is on fire at this moment. O chaplet of the Rosary of my Mother, I press thee to my heart, and I kiss thee in a spirit of profound reverence. Thou art the way that leads to the attainment of every virtue; the treasure of merits for paradise; the pledge of my predestination; the mighty chain that binds fast the enemy of our salvation; a source of peace to all who give thee due honor in this life; and a foretaste of victory to those who kiss thee at the hour of death. In that last hour, I shall look to thee, O Mother; thy coming will be the sign of my salvation, thy Rosary will open to me the gates of paradise. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

"I am the Lady of the Rosary, I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day."

"No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin, or they will give up the Rosary!" (Bishop Hugh Boyle, 1873–1950). "If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never‑fading crown of glory. Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in Hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil, as sorcerers do, who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul, if—and mark well what I say—if you say the Rosary devoutly every day, until death, for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins." (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, "Red Rose").

Our Blessed Lady once said to St. Bridget in a revelation: "I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy. I am the joy of the just and the door through which sinners come to God. There are no sinners on earth so unfortunate as to be beyond my mercy. For even if they receive nothing else through my intercession, at least they receive the grace of being less tempted by the devils than they would otherwise be. Unless the last irrevocable sentence (of damnation) has been pronounced against them, there are no persons so abandoned by God, that they will not return to Him and find mercy, if they invoke my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy. It is my Son's mercy toward human beings that has made me merciful too. I am compassionate toward all and eager to help sinners. Those who have it in their power here on earth to invoke me and yet refuse to do so are foolish. In failing to call upon me, they incur damnation and will be miserable for all eternity."

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Spiritual Power of the Rosary (Part 1: Dealing with Sin)

Our Lady Says:
The words of Our Lady at Fatima, though very few, are very striking: "I am the Lady of the Rosary, I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day."
At the first apparition, Lucia asks Our Lady: "Do you come from Heaven...and will I go to Heaven?"
Our Lady replies: "Yes, you will go to Heaven".
Lucia then asks: "And Jacinta?"
Our Lady affirms: "She as well"
Lucia asks about the 9-year-old boy: "And Francisco?"
Our Lady pauses, and then says: "Him too , but he will have to say many Rosaries".
At the third apparition, Our Lady stresses: "Continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary ... because only she can help you."

St. Louis de Montfort quotes Our Lady's words to St. Dominic: "If you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter [Rosary]" (The Secret of the Rosary, "Second Rose").

The Popes say:
"The Rosary will be of great assistance in the last hour of life" (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Diuturni Temporis, September 5, 1898). "The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin" (Pope Pius XI).

Meditation:
Each time we say our Rosary, we plead over fifty times that Mary come to the assistance of us poor sinners: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." The Hail Mary is a 'weed-killer' of sin, provided that we pray it well, pray it often, pray it with confidence and pray it with perseverance.  Concerning the Hail Mary, in his book, The Secret of the Rosary, in the chapter entitled “Twenty-First Rose” St. Louis de Montfort writes:

“Are you in the miserable state of sin? Then call on Mary and say to her: “Ave,” which means “I greet thee with the most profound respect, thou who art without sin,” and she will deliver you from the evil of your sins. Are you groping in the darkness of ignorance and error? Go to Mary and say to her: “Hail Mary,” which means “Hail, thou who art bathed in the light of the Sun of Justice,” and she will give you a share in her light. Have you strayed from the path leading to Heaven? Then call on Mary, for her name means “Star of the Sea, the Polar Star which guides the ships of our souls during the voyage of this life,” and she will guide you to the harbor of eternal salvation. Are you in sorrow? Turn to Mary, for her name means also “Sea of Bitterness,” which has been filled with bitterness in this world, but which is now turned into a sea of purest joy in Heaven, and she will turn your sorrow into joy and your affliction into consolation.

Have you lost the state of grace? Praise and honor the numberless graces, with which God has filled the Blessed Virgin, and say to her, “Thou art full of grace” and filled with all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and she will give you some of these graces. Are you alone, having lost God’s protection? Pray to Mary and say, “The Lord is with thee,” in a nobler and more intimate way than He is with the saints and the just, because thou art one with Him. He is thy Son and His flesh is thy flesh; thou art united to the Lord, because of thy perfect likeness to Him and by your mutual love, for thou art His Mother. And then say to her, “The three Persons of the Godhead are with thee, because thou art the Temple of the Blessed Trinity,” and she will place you, once, more under the protection and care of God. Have you become an outcast and been accursed by God? Then say to Our Lady, “Blessed art thou above all women and above all nations, by thy purity and fertility; thou hast turned God’s maledictions into blessings for us.” She will bless you.

Do you hunger for the bread of grace and the bread of life? Draw near to her, who bore the living Bread, which came down from Heaven, and say to her, “Blessed be the fruit of thy womb", whom thou hast conceived without the slightest loss to thy virginity, whom thou didst carry without discomfort, and brought forth without pain. Blessed be Jesus, Who redeemed our suffering world, when we were in the bondage of sin, Who has healed the world of its sickness, Who has raised the dead to life, brought home the banished, restored sinners to grace, and saved men from damnation. Without doubt, your soul will be filled with the bread of grace, in this life, and of eternal glory in the next.

Conclude your prayer with the Church and say: “Holy Mary,” holy because of thy incomparable and eternal devotion to the service of God, holy in thy great rank as Mother of God, Who has endowed thee with eminent holiness, in keeping with this great dignity. Mother of God, and our Mother, our Advocate and Mediatrix, Treasurer and dispenser of God’s graces, obtain for us the prompt forgiveness of our sins and grant that we may be reconciled with the Divine Majesty. “Pray for us sinners, thou who art always filled with compassion for those in need, who never despise sinners, or turn them away, for, without them, you would never have been Mother of the Redeemer. “Pray for us now, during this short life, so fraught with sorrow and uncertainty; now, because we can be sure of nothing, except the present moment; now, that we are surrounded and attacked night and day by powerful and ruthless enemies. “And at the hour of our death, so terrible and full of danger, when our strength is waning and our spirits are sinking, and our souls and bodies are worn out with fear and pain; at the hour of our death, when the devil is working, with might and main, to ensnare us and cast us into perdition; at that hour, when our lot will be decided forever and ever, Heaven or Hell. Lead us to thy Son’s judgment‑seat and remain at our side. Intercede for us and ask thy Son to pardon us and receive us into the ranks of thy elect, in the realms of everlasting glory. Amen.”  (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, “Twenty-First Rose”).

Here are some beautiful quotes to finish this meditation: "Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today" (St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina). "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin, or they will give up the Rosary!" (Bishop Hugh Boyle, 1873–1950).
"If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never‑fading crown of glory. Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in Hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil, as sorcerers do, who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul, if—and mark well what I say—if you say the Rosary devoutly every day, until death, for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins."  (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, "Red Rose").

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we may both grow in a hatred of sin and a detestation of its consequences, while increasing our love of virtue, with a great desire of imitating what we contemplate in these divine mysteries, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

"I am the channel by which God came to men, and so, next to Jesus Christ, it is through me that men must obtain grace and virtue."

Their confessor, on the other hand, was a zealous priest with a great devotion to the holy Rosary. Wishing to guide this nun into a better way of life, he ordered her to say the Rosary every day in honor of the Blessed Virgin, while meditating on the life, passion and glory of Jesus Christ.

She joyously undertook this devotion, and little by little she grew to have a repugnance for the wayward habits of her sisters in religion. She developed a love of silence and prayer, in spite of the fact that the others despised and ridiculed her and called her a fanatic.

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Spiritual Power of the Rosary
(Part 2: Growth in Grace and Virtue)

Our Lady Says:
One day our Lady said to Blessed Alan, "Just as God chose the Angelic Salutation to bring about the Incarnation of His Word and the Redemption of mankind, so those, who want to bring about moral reforms and regenerate them in Jesus Christ, must honor me and greet me with the same salutation. I am the channel by which God came to men, and so, next to Jesus Christ, it is through me that men must obtain grace and virtue."   (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, “Thirty‑Ninth Rose”).

The Popes say:
"The Rosary is a treasure of graces"  (Pope Paul V, 1605-1621)

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God" (Pope Saint Pius X).

"The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying."  (Pope Leo XIII)

Meditation:
St. Louis de Montfort writes:
A nobleman who had several daughters placed one of them in a lax monastery where the nuns were concerned only with vanity and pleasures. Their confessor, on the other hand, was a zealous priest with a great devotion to the holy Rosary. Wishing to guide this nun into a better way of life, he ordered her to say the Rosary every day in honor of the Blessed Virgin, while meditating on the life, passion and glory of Jesus Christ.

She joyously undertook this devotion, and little by little she grew to have a repugnance for the wayward habits of her sisters in religion. She developed a love of silence and prayer, in spite of the fact that the others despised and ridiculed her and called her a fanatic.

It was at this time that a holy priest, who was making the visitation of the convent, had a strange vision during his meditation: he saw a nun in her room, rapt in prayer, kneeling in front of a Lady of great beauty, who was surrounded by angels. The latter had flaming spears, with which they repelled a crowd of devils, who wanted to come in. These evil spirits then fled to the other nuns' rooms, under the guise of vile animals.

By this vision, the priest became aware of the lamentable state of that monastery and was so upset, that he thought he might die of grief. He sent for the young religious and exhorted her to persevere. As he pondered on the value of the Rosary, he decided to try and reform the Sisters by means of it. He bought a supply of beautiful Rosaries and gave one to each nun, imploring them to say it every day and promising them that, if they would only say it faithfully, he would not try to force them to alter their lives. Wonderful and strange though it may seem, the nuns willingly accepted the Rosaries and promised to say the prayer on that condition. Little by little, they began to give up their empty and worldly pursuits, letting silence and recollection come into their lives. In less than a year, they all asked that the monastery be reformed.

The Rosary worked more changes in their hearts than the priest could have done by exhorting and commanding them. (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, “Thirty‑seventh Rose”).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
O Queen of the Holy Rosary, Mediatrix of All Grace and Model of All Virtues, mercifully hear the prayers which we address to thee from this valley of tears! Cast thy eyes of mercy upon our struggles in a world that seeks to replace God with man; virtue with vice; and grace with all that is unholy. Thou, who didst help so many souls to become saints in the midst of the most brazen impiety, help us too, to both grow in grace and virtue, despite the temptations and allurements everywhere present, that seek to ruin our souls. O Help of Christians and Our Lady of Victory, help us to be victorious against all the attacks of the devil, the world and the flesh, so that, imitating thy virtues and growing in God's grace, we may one day come to that happy home, where thou dost dwell with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

"The Rosary was instituted chiefly to implore the protection of the Mother of God ... and, as everyone knows, it has often been most effectual in delivering .... from calamities.” (Pope Leo XIII).

On June 1, 1940, we were to leave Halifax to begin a series of night raids from England over Germany. The evening before, Fulton gave each of us a Rosary, saying: “We shall be in some tight situations, but then, if you agree, we'll say the Rosary. If you will promise to keep the Rosary with you always throughout your life and to say it, I can promise you that Our Lady will bring you all back safe to Canada.”

“(1) I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary ... The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish ... (6) Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice” (These are just some of the Fifteen Rosary Promises of Our Lady to those who pray the Rosary, given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche).

After two years, it was noted that ours was the only squadron that had not lost a plane, nor a single life. We said nothing, but we knew. Finally, the terrible war was over. During those years, we lost all sense of excitement and adventure. All that concerned us was survival! We did survive, too. All returned to Canada in 1945, fully convinced that Our Lady had taken care of us.

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Physical Power of the Rosary
(Part 1: A Weapon of Defense)

Our Lady Says:
“(1) I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary ... (2) The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell ... (5) The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish ... (6) Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice ... (12) All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities ... All the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court—during their life and at the hour of death.”  (These are just some of the Fifteen Rosary Promises of Our Lady to those who pray the Rosary, given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche).

The Popes say:
"The Rosary was instituted chiefly to implore the protection of the Mother of God against the enemies of the Catholic Church, and, as everyone knows, it has often been most effectual in delivering the Church from calamities.” (Pope Leo XIII, Apostolic Letter, December 24, 1883).

Meditation:
As a meditation on the protection of the Rosary, here is the account of a World War II Canadian Air Force veteran:

“No, I am not a Catholic," he says, "but a lot of us owe our lives to Our Lady, and I promised Her I would always keep my Rosary with me and say it every day." Here follows the reason why...

It was May, 1940, and we had joined the Air Force in late September. At Halifax, we were given an intensive training course, because they needed us overseas, and to us young lads, the whole program was exciting.

We were grouped into squadrons, each of which consisted of six to ten planes, and each was trained to maneuver as a unit. Therefore about thirty to fifty men made up a squadron, along with the squadron leader who gave all the orders and kept the group functioning in unity.

In May, our squadron was told we were going overseas and would be in action at once. We would work on nightly missions over enemy territory until the war was over. We were waiting for our new squadron leader, due to arrive in two days on a 9:00 p.m. air-force flight. Being an officer, he would, we thought, go at once to the officers' quarters.

We watched the plane, glimpsed him from the distance, and resigned ourselves to waiting until the next day to "size him up."  A couple of hours later, this squadron leader, Stan Fulton, in full uniform, entered our bunk house.

“Well men, we're going to spend some dangerous hours together, but let's hope we all meet back here when it's over. Ah, there's a free bunk and I am tired! I'll meet each of you tomorrow.” With that, he threw his bag on an upper bunk. Our squadron leader, an officer, sleeping here with us! We liked him at once and our liking and our admiration grew each day.

That first night he knelt on the floor and prayed his Rosary in silence. Astounded, we were struck dumb. When he finished, he looked at us with his friendly smile and said, “I hope you guys don't mind a fellow saying some prayers because where we're going, we're going to need them.”

The next day our maneuver practice, under his command, assured us that Fulton was not just our military leader, but our friend. He was one of us; he never tried to intimidate us with his rank.

That night, he repeated his prayer session. Although our group had trained together for six months at least, I had never seen anyone kneel in prayer, and had no idea that any of our group was Catholic; but the third night three of our companions joined Fulton in saying the Rosary. The rest of us did not understand but we kept a respectful silence.

A few nights later—we were quick learners—we all answered the Hail Marys and Our Fathers. Fulton looked pleased, and thus we ended each day in prayer.

On June 1, 1940, we were to leave Halifax to begin a series of night raids from England over Germany. The evening before, Fulton gave each of us a Rosary, saying: “We shall be in some tight situations, but then, if you agree, we'll say the Rosary. If you will promise to keep the Rosary with you always throughout your life and to say it, I can promise you that Our Lady will bring you all back safe to Canada.”

We answered, “Sure thing.” Little did we dream that we would be in action for four years, many times in dreadful danger, with fire all around us. At such times, Fulton's voice would ring through each plane, “Hail Mary...” How reverently and sincerely did we respond! How many hundreds of Rosaries we must have said!

After two years, it was noted that ours was the only squadron that had not lost a plane, nor a single life. We said nothing, but we knew.

Finally, the terrible war was over. During those years, we lost all sense of excitement and adventure. All that concerned us was survival! We did survive, too. All returned to Canada in 1945, fully convinced that Our Lady had taken care of us.

So I never forget to keep my Rosary with me and say it every day although I am not a Catholic. When I change my trousers, the first thing I transfer, even before my wallet, is my Rosary. [End of story].

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
We fly to thy protection, O Queen of the Holy Rosary, despise not our prayers in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

“The Rosary is THE weapon," says St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. "The Rosary is a powerful weapon" says Pope Pius XI. "The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell" says Our Lady.

The Most High, with His holy Mother, has to form for Himself great saints who shall surpass most of the other saints in sanctity ... They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their lively zeal.

St. Louis de Monfort says: "They shall be like sharp arrows in the hand of the powerful Mary to pierce her enemies ... They shall thunder against sin; they shall storm against the world; they shall strike the devil and his crew; and they shall pierce through and through, with their two-edged sword of the Word of God, all those to whom they shall be sent on the part of the Most High."

“It is almost impossible to do credit sufficiently to the victories that Count Simon de Montfort won against the Albigensians under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary. They are so famous that the world has never seen anything to match them. One day he defeated ten thousand heretics with a force of five hundred men; on another occasion he overcame three thousand with only thirty men; finally, with eight hundred horsemen and one thousand infantrymen he completely routed the army of the King of Aragon, which was a hundred thousand strong, and this with the loss on his side of only one horseman and eight soldiers." (The Secret of Rosary).

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Physical Power of the Rosary
(Part 2: A Weapon of Attack)

Our Lady Says:
"The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies." (Third of the Fifteen Promises concerning the Rosary, given by Our Lady to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche).

The Popes say:
"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin" (Pope Pius XI)

Pope Pius XII compared the Rosary to the sling shot of David whereby he overcame the giant Goliath. "It is not with physical force, not with arms, not with human power, but with the divine help obtained through the Rosary, that the Church and all its members, strong and undaunted like David with his sling shot, will be able to confront the infernal enemy."

Pope Pius IX said, "Have courage, my dear children! I exhort you to fight against the persecution of the Church and against anarchy, not with the sword, but with the Rosary, with prayer and good example."  Pius IX regarded the Rosary as a conquering weapon, saying: “Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.”  (Blessed Pope Pius IX)

Meditation:
“The Rosary is THE weapon," says St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. "The Rosary is a powerful weapon" says Pope Pius XI. "The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell" says Our Lady.

Do we really believe this? Or should we be uttering those famous words from Scripture, "Jesus said to him: 'If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.' And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said: 'I do believe, Lord: help my unbelief!'" (Mark 9:22-23).

“Jesus wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58). Most Catholics do not really believe in the power of the Rosary—for if they did believe in its power, they would be craving it and using it like they crave and use money. Sad—but many believe more in the power of money than they believe in the power of the Rosary! But the words and promises are so clear! Read them again, O ye of little faith!

"Through the Rosary, the Church and all its members, like David with his sling shot, will be able to confront the infernal enemy." (Pope Pius XII)

"The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell" (Our Lady).

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin"  (Pope Pius XI).

“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.” (St. Dominic).

St. Louis de Montfort develops these ideas, in his True Devotion to Mary, writing what could arguably said to be one of the most beautiful passages ever written:

"Particularly at the end of the world and indeed presently, the Most High, with His holy Mother, has to form for Himself great saints who shall surpass most of the other saints in sanctity as much as the cedars of Lebanon outgrow the little shrubs ... These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other.

"With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties. With the other hand they shall build (Esdras 4:7) the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical city of God, that is to say, the most holy Virgin, called by the Fathers the "Temple of Solomon" and the "City of God."  By their words and their examples they shall draw the whole world to true devotion to Mary. This shall bring upon them many enemies, but shall also bring many victories and much glory for God alone. This is what God revealed to St. Vincent Ferrer, the great apostle of his age, as he has sufficiently noted in one of his works.

"God has not only set an enmity, but enmities, not simply between Mary and the devil, but between the race of the holy Virgin and the race of the devil; that is to say, God has set enmities, antipathies and secret hatreds between the true children and servants of Mary and the children and slaves of the devil. They have no love for each other. They have no sympathy for each other.

"But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God's assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph.

"But who shall those servants, slaves and children of Mary be? They shall be the ministers of the Lord who, like a burning fire, shall kindle the fire of divine love everywhere. They shall be like sharp arrows in the hand of the powerful Mary to pierce her enemies. They shall be the sons of Levi, well purified by the fire of great tribulation, and closely adhering to God, who shall carry the gold of love in their heart, the incense of prayer in their spirit, and the myrrh of mortification in their body.

"They shall be an odor of death to the great, to the rich and to the proud worldlings. They shall thunder against sin; they shall storm against the world; they shall strike the devil and his crew; and they shall pierce through and through, with their two-edged sword of the Word of God, all those to whom they shall be sent on the part of the Most High.

"They shall be the true apostles of the latter times, to whom the Lord of Hosts shall give the word and the might to work marvels and to carry off with glory the spoils of His enemies. We know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of His poverty, humility, contempt of the world, charity; teaching the narrow way of God in pure truth, according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world; troubling themselves about nothing; not accepting persons; sparing, fearing and listening to no mortal, however influential he may be. They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the Cross, the Crucifix in their right hand and the Rosary in their left, the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts." (True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
". . . The weapon which our Father gave
Each hand shall fearless wield:
Who bear our Lady's Rosary
Need neither sword nor shield.
With dauntless faith the ranks they face
Of error and of sin,
And, armed with those blest beads alone,
The victory they will win. . ."

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

“The Rosary is THE weapon," says St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. "The Rosary is a powerful weapon" says Pope Pius XI. "The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell" says Our Lady.

The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. It takes its name from the Milvian Bridge, an important route over the Tiber. On the evening of 27 October with the armies preparing for battle, Constantine had a vision which led him to fight under the protection of the Christian God.

In a memoir of the Roman emperor that Eusebius wrote after Constantine's death (On the Life of Constantine, circa 337–339), a miraculous appearance came in Gaul long before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. In this later version, the Roman emperor had been pondering the misfortunes that befall commanders that invoke the help of many different gods, and decided to seek divine aid in the forthcoming battle from the One God. At noon, Constantine saw a cross of light imposed over the sun. Attached to it, in Greek characters, was the saying "Τούτῳ Νίκα!" (in this win). Not only Constantine, but the whole army saw the miracle. That night, Christ appeared to the Roman emperor in a dream and told him to make a replica of the sign he had seen in the sky, which would be a sure defense in battle. Eusebius wrote in the Vita that Constantine himself had told him this story "and confirmed it with oaths" late in life "when I was deemed worthy of his acquaintance and company." -- "Indeed", says Eusebius, "had anyone else told this story, it would not have been easy to accept it."

In hoc signo vinces, is a Latin rendering of the Greek phrase "ἐν τούτῳ Nίκα" en touto nika, and means "in this sign you will conquer". According to legend, the Roman Emperor Constantine took this Greek phraseas a motto after his vision of a "chi rho" in the sky just before the Battle of Milvian Bridge against Maxentius, on 28 October, 312. The early Christian symbol consists of a monogram composed of the Greek letters chi (X) and rho (P), the first two letters in the name Christ (Greek: Χριστός). In later periods, the christogram "IHS" both stood for the first three letters of "Jesus" in Greek lettering (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ) and "in hoc signo" I-H-S from the vision.

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Victories of the Rosary
(Part 1: No Victory without the Cross)

Our Lady Says:
"The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies." (Third of the Fifteen Promises concerning the Rosary, given by Our Lady to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche).

The Popes say:
“Christ's faithful warriors, prepared to sacrifice their life and blood for the salvation of their faith and their country, proceeded undauntedly to meet their foe near the Gulf of Corinth, while those who were unable to take part formed a pious band of supplicants, who called on Mary, and unitedly saluted her again and again in the words of the Rosary, imploring her to grant the victory to their companions engaged in battle. Our Sovereign Lady did grant her aid; for in the naval battle by the Echinades Islands, the Christian fleet gained a magnificent victory, with no great loss to itself, in which the enemy were routed with great slaughter.” (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus, September 1, 1883).

“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.”  (Blessed Pope Pius IX)

Meditation:
The Benedictine Order have, for their motto, the phrase “ora et labora” (meaning “”pray and work”). In the battles that the Church in general, and each Christian in particular, has to face daily, we could choose a motto of “ora et pugna” (meaning “pray and fight”). For, as the book of Job so truly points out: “The life of man upon earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1) and St. Paul says at the end of his life: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

We will not get to Heaven without a fight! In fact, if we truly want to go to Heaven, then our life will be one, long, tedious, and sometimes very painful, fight. Our Lord warns us: “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away” (Matthew 11:12). Sadly, increasingly over the course of the centuries, especially with the advent of materialism and the focus on man that came with the Renaissance, we have arrived at a situation where most Catholics do not have the stomach for the fight. In fact, most Catholics believe that we should go automatically to Heaven after our death—that God is a good, loving, kind and sweet God, who wouldn’t have the heart to send anyone to Hell. Their concern is not to fight for Heaven, but to play and amuse themselves, of whom St. Paul warns us: “Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them, as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (1 Corinthians 10: 7). Our Lady, too, complained of this kind of person at La Salette, saying: “People will think of nothing but amusement.”

The Imitation of Christ also depicts this kind of person unfavorably: “Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross.”  (Book 2: Chapter 11).

The next chapter goes on to say: “To many the saying, "Deny thyself, take up thy Cross and follow Me," seems hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." Those who hear the word of the Cross and follow it willingly now, need not fear that they will hear of eternal damnation on the day of judgment. Why, then, do you fear to take up the Cross, when through it you can win a kingdom? In the Cross is salvation, in the Cross is life, in the Cross is protection from enemies, in the Cross is strength of mind, in the Cross is joy of spirit, in the Cross is perfect holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of everlasting life, but in the Cross.

“The Cross, therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter where you may go, you cannot escape it … Which of the saints was without a Cross or trial on this earth? Not even Jesus Christ, our Lord, Whose every hour on earth knew the pain of His passion. "It behooveth Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, . . . and so enter into his glory." How is it that you look for another way than this, the royal way of the holy Cross?” (Book 2: Chapter 11).

This is why Our Lady comes to Fatima asking, not only for prayers, but for sacrifices—and a sacrifice means a fight, it means a cross, and these things must come before any victory. As Holy Scripture says: “That their children might learn to fight with their enemies, and to be trained up to war” (Judges 3:2).

“And Saul said to David:’ Thou art not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him: for thou art but a boy, but he is a warrior from his youth!’” (1 Kings 17:33).  Here we see a child prepared to go do battle with a giant! But he has experience of the fight and has already killed a bear and a lion as a child.

“And David said: ‘The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine!’ And Saul said to David: ‘Go, and the Lord be with thee!’ And Saul clothed David with his garments, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and armed him with a coat of mail. And David having girded his sword upon his armor, began to try if he could walk in armour: for he was not accustomed to it. And David said to Saul: ‘I cannot go thus, for I am not used to it!’ And he laid them off, and he took his staff, which he had always in his hands: and chose him five smooth stones [symbol of the future Rosary] out of the brook, and put them into the shepherd' s scrip, which he had with him, and he took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine.” (1 Kings 17:37-40).

As Pope Pius XII noted: "It is not with physical force, not with arms, not with human power, but with the divine help obtained through the Rosary, that the Church and all its members, strong and undaunted like David with his sling shot, will be able to confront the infernal enemy." We might add some quotes from Holy Scripture, that say: “It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you” (2 Paralipomenon 20:17). “Fear them not: for the Lord your God will fight for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22).

So let us could choose the motto of “ora et pugna” (meaning “pray and fight”). There is no victory without a fight. We must fight the devil, the world and our own flesh. We will not get to Heaven without a fight!  “Allow me to praise thee, O sacred Virgin. Against thy enemies give me strength.” (Versicle and Response from the Antiphon Ave Regina Caelorum).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
O most holy Mother of God and Our Lady of Victory! Stand by us in this our fight against the devil, the world and the flesh. Protect us in all battles against flesh and blood; against principalities and powers; against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places (Ephesians 6:12); and even against our own brethren, when "brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death" (Mark 13:13); when we shall be hated by all men, for thy Son's name's sake (Mark 13:14). Grant that, with Rosary and Cross, both in hand and heart, we may overcome our foes—perhaps even by martyrdom—and thus add to the list of conquests of thy most Holy Rosary.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.

"The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell ... The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish ... You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary ... Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination." (Fifteen Promises concerning the Rosary, given by Our Lady to St. Dominic). "The Rosary is a powerful weapon" says Pope Pius XI. “The Rosary is THE weapon," says St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.

They shall be the true apostles of the latter times. In a word, we know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ; teaching the narrow way of God in pure truth, according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world; troubling themselves about nothing; not accepting persons; sparing, fearing and listening to no mortal, however influential he may be. They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the Cross, the Crucifix in their right hand and the Rosary in their left, the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts.

But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God's assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph.

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: The Victories of the Rosary
(Part 2: The Rosary is the Remedy & Victory)

Our Lady Says:
"The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies ... The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish ... You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary ... Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination." (Some of the Fifteen Promises concerning the Rosary, given by Our Lady to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche).

"She said to my cousins as well as to myself, that God is giving two last remedies to the world. They are the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These are the last two remedies, which signify that there will be no others." (Sr. Lucia relating the words of Our Lady).

The Popes say:
“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” (Blessed Pope Pius IX)

Meditation:
At the end of the world and, indeed presently, the Most High with His holy Mother has to form for Himself great saints, who shall surpass most of the other saints in sanctity, as much as the cedars of Lebanon outgrow the little shrubs. These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other. With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties.

By their words and their examples they shall draw the whole world to true devotion to Mary. In a word, God wishes that His holy Mother should be at present more known, more loved, more honored than she has ever been. This shall bring upon them many enemies, but shall also bring many victories and much glory for God alone. This is what God revealed to St. Vincent Ferrer, the great apostle of his age, as he has sufficiently noted in one of his works.

God has never made and formed but one enmity; but it is an irreconcilable one, which shall endure and grow even to the end. It is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil--between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin, and the children and tools of Lucifer.

The most terrible of all the enemies, which God has set up against the devil, is His holy Mother Mary. He has inspired her, even since the days of the earthly paradise—though she existed then only in His idea--with so much hatred against that cursed enemy of God, with so much ingenuity in unveiling the malice of that ancient serpent, with so much power to conquer, to overthrow and to crush that proud, impious rebel, that he fears her not only more than all angels and men, but in a sense more than God Himself. Because God has given Mary such great power against the devils that--as they have often been obliged to confess, in spite of themselves, by the mouths of the possessed--they fear one of her sighs for a soul more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her threats against them more than all other torments.

God has not only set an enmity, but enmities, not simply between Mary and the devil, but between the race of the holy Virgin and the race of the devil; that is to say, God has set enmities, antipathies and secret hatreds between the true children and servants of Mary and the children and slaves of the devil. They have no love for each other. They have no sympathy for each other. The children of Belial, the slaves of Satan, the friends of the world (for it is the same thing) have always up to this time persecuted those who belong to our Blessed Lady, and will in the future persecute them more than ever.

But the humble Mary will always have the victory over that proud spirit, and so great a victory that she will go so far as to crush his head, where his pride dwells. She will always discover the malice of the serpent. She will always lay bare his infernal plots and dissipate his diabolical councils, and even to the end of time will guard her faithful servants from his cruel claw.

But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God's assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph.

But who shall those servants, slaves and children of Mary be? They shall be the ministers of the Lord who, like a burning fire, shall kindle the fire of divine love everywhere. They shall be "like sharp arrows in the hand of the powerful" Mary to pierce her enemies. (Ps. 126:4). They shall be well purified by the fire of great tribulation, and closely adhering to God, who shall carry the gold of love in their heart, the incense of prayer in their spirit, and the myrrh of mortification in their body. They shall be an odor of death to the great, to the rich and to the proud worldlings.

They shall be the true apostles of the latter times. In a word, we know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of His poverty, humility, contempt of the world, charity; teaching the narrow way of God in pure truth, according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world; troubling themselves about nothing; not accepting persons; sparing, fearing and listening to no mortal, however influential he may be. They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the Cross, the Crucifix in their right hand and the Rosary in their left, the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
Queen of the most holy Rosary, in these times of such brazen impiety, manifest thy power with the signs of thine ancient victories, and from thy throne, whence thou dost dispense pardon and graces, mercifully regard the Church of thy Son, His Vicar on earth, and every order of clergy and laity, who are sore oppressed in the mighty conflict. Do thou, who art the powerful vanquisher of all heresies, hasten the hour of mercy, even though the hour of God's justice is every day provoked by the countless sins of men. For me, who am the least of men, kneeling before thee in supplication, do thou obtain the grace I need to live righteously upon earth and to reign among the just in Heaven, meanwhile, in company with all faithful Christians throughout the world, I salute thee and acclaim thee as Queen of the most Holy Rosary: Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, grant us a great and true devotion to thy most Holy Rosary.