Dear Brothers and Sisters,

October is traditionally observed as the month of the Holy Rosary, a special time to rediscover and deepen our appreciation for this prayer. The Rosary is rooted deeply in Sacred Scripture. At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel greets Mary, “Hail Mary, full of grace The Lord is with thee” (Luke 1:28). This salutation is the God’s salutation to the Blessed Mother, these words are not the angel Gabriel’s own words since angels do not act on their own, but their ministry is to carry God’s Will.

Soon after, the angel Gabriel greets Mary, Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit she exclaimed, with a loud cry “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42). These words are not Alizabeth’s words but the Holy Spirit speaking through her. These words form the scriptural foundation of the Hail Mary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights these biblical roots, noting that in the Hail Mary, we take up the greeting of the angel Gabriel and join it to Elizabeth’s greeting (CCC 2676).

Thus, we see the rosary is rooted in sacred scripture and centered on the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we pray the mysteries of the rosary, we meditate upon the key events of the life of our Lord. The Catechism describes the rosary as a school of meditation on the mysteries of our Lord Jesus, as in lectio divina or the rosary (CCC 2708).

Mary’s role is beautifully captured in her words at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). These words could summarize the whole rosary, as Mary always points us toward Our Lord. St. Louis de Montfort described the rosary as “a priceless treasure which is inspired by God” (The Secret of the Rosary, “A White Rose,” no. 1). St. Louis understood that through this beautiful prayer we come to know Christ more deeply and brings us to a deeper union with him.

Dear brothers and sisters, during this month of October, I invite you to pray the rosary every day. Pray it together as a family if you can. Do not underestimate the power of this prayer and the intercession of the Blessed Mother for us. Every time we pray it, we echo the words of God to Mary, His salutation to her.

Entrusting all of you to the Blessed Mother,

+Fr. Gabriel Barrera.