HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
By: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
THEME OF THE HOMILY: ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
READINGS OF THE DAY
Acts 1:12-14
Res Psalm Luke 1:46-55
Luke 1:26-38
LITURGICAL COLOUR: WHITE
INTRODUCTION
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Rosary has been a very important prayer in the prayer life of the church for many centuries. It is a prayer which invites us to reflect on the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and on the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as well as on Mary in glory.
HOW DID THIS FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSAY BEGING?
This feast, traces its roots during the battle of Lepanto on 7th October 1571, when a Christian fleet defeated the Turks. The victory was attributed by Pope Saint Pius V to the recitation of the Holy Rosary. This great Marian prayer is sometimes traced back to Saint Dominic and his confreres who preached against the Albigensian heresy in the thirteenth century. However, it seems for likely to have taken its present familiar form in the fifteen century. Since then it has become a much loved prayer of believers in every generation. The Rosary has been described as the gospel on its knees. The fifteen decades, or twenty decades if we include the Mysteries of Light introduced by Pope John Paul II, are an invitation to reflect on the great mysteries of the Lord’s life, passion, death, resurrection and glorification, and on the role of Mary within those great mysteries.
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FROM OUR FIRST READING
The first reading is the beginning of the story of Pentecost; the disciples are in continuous prayer, together with Mary the mother of Jesus and other members of Jesus’ family as they wait for the coming of the Spirit. This reading reflects another moment of new beginning, the beginning of the church. Again the Holy Spirit is needed at this second moment of new beginning, and, once again, this second moment involves Mary.
FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
The gospel reading is the first Joyful Mystery, the annunciation to Mary. In this reading, Mary is told by Gabriel that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and so the child to be born of her will be holy and will be called Son of God. It could be said that Gabriel announces Mary’s personal Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was needed at this moment of crucial new beginning.
CONCLUSION
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost upon Mary and the disciples made possible the beginning of the life of the church. Mary was there at the beginning of the story of Jesus and at the beginning of the story of the church. She was there throughout the public ministry of Jesus, even if in the background, and she was present in the hour of Jesus’ passion and death. Mary contemplated and pondered upon the mysteries of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection in a way that was unique to her, as a mother. Present at the beginning of the church, she is present with the church throughout time, inviting us also to ponder and reflect upon the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of her Son. The Rosary is a wonderful way to enter upon this contemplative journey, in the company of Mary.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us sinners.
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