Witnessing Jesus through Mary

“Say the Rosary every day.
Pray, pray a lot and offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. I am the Our Lady of rosary… only I will be able to help you.
In the end my immaculate heart will triumph...”.  Our Lady at Fatima

The Rosary means “Crown of Roses”. Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that the complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one.

In the Catholic Church Calendar October is dedicated to mother Mary and every catholic devotedly indulge in praying the holy rosary as our beloved Mother has instructed us throughout her many apparitions.    The Legion of Mary members of  Machilipatnam Parish, in Vijayawada Diocese, India  like every year, motivated by our Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Lamu Jaya Raj,   have visited a good number of families in our parish where we prayed  the holy rosary for the intentions of the family members.  Followed by the holy Rosary, Rev. Fr. Lamu Jayaraj   gave a good reflection about Mother Mary and her role in the history of salvation, the importance of praying rosary as well as why to maintain with Mary a mother - child relationship.

The Holy Rosary is considered as a perfect prayer because within it, lies the awesome story of our salvation. In the Rosary in fact, we meditate the events of joy, of sorrow, of glory and of light which occurred in the life of Jesus and Mary. It is a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary the mother of God.    With the Hail Mary we invite Her to pray for us; Our Lady always grants our request and She joins Her prayer to ours.  Therefore, it becomes ever more valuable, because what Mary asks, she always receives, Jesus can never say no to whatever His Mother asks for.

The recitation of the Rosary in the family captures something of the spiritual atmosphere of the household at Nazareth, because its members place Jesus at the centre; they share His joys and sorrows, they put their needs and their plans in His hands, and draw from him the hope and the strength to go on.  As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. At one time, this prayer was particularly dear to Catholic families, and it certainly brought them closer together.  We should not lose this precious inheritance: the tradition of reciting Holy Rosary as our family prayer.    .
In every apparition, the heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us to true peace. With our prayer offered together with our heavenly Mother, we can obtain the great gift of bringing about a change of hearts and conversion.

 Many have received innumerable graces in their lives by praying the Rosary daily.    Regaining peace of mind, peace in the families, an increase in loving Jesus, healing from various sickness etc. When we follow the request of Mother Mary, we understand better the will of God in our lives, and a greater focus on God instead of ourselves.

The recitation of the Rosary helps to flourish virtue and good works.  It obtains to the souls the grace to experience the abundant mercy of God. It also withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and lifted them to the desire of eternal things.

Actually, this month have enriched our families much more in the love of God and love of one another.  We concluded the celebration with a public celebration of Rosary as well as sending in the sky a holy Rosary which was made of air-filled balloons.

“Give me an army saying Rosary and I will conquer the world” … Blessed Pious IX