Author: Sean Barth
"BRING ME MY WEAPON"
- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
(AKA "Padre Pio" - Holy priest, stigmatic, miracle worker, tough guy, modern day saint)
Who would think it? That the gray/white/blue/pink haired old women sitting in the pews and behind closed doors, keeping watch before the Blessed Sacrament; head bowed in prayer, are actually on the front lines of the cosmic battle between Good & Evil? Shielded in the Armor of God, surrounded by Angels, and armed with the greatest weapon we in the Church have at our disposal they pray for their families, for an end to strife, and for the poor souls in Purgatory. What weapon could be capable of all this, you might ask? None other than the SACRED ROSARY.
The Rosary has rightly been called the "Spiritual Sword of Mary" which the faithful use to slay dragons (demons). It also has the power to convert sinners and conquer hearts. Wars have been won due to the prayers of the Rosary (Lepanto!), Satanists have become Saints, and through the spread of its devotion heretics have returned to the path of sanctity.
Unfortunately, we in the Postmodern 21st century see the Rosary as some relic from the past. A strange superstition for "simple" people to believe in, just like all of the other quirky Catholic traditions. Marian apparitions? Holy relics? Bleeding communion hosts? Miraculous healings? Incorruptible bodies? Prayer!? We're too smart for that kind of nonsense! C'mon!
But listen: When we take up the Rosary and pray to Mary; meditating on the Mysteries of Christ's life, death, and Resurrection we come to a deeper knowledge of Jesus - through the eyes of Mary His mother. Just as Mary united herself to the Will of God through her "Yes", by praying the Rosary we are uniting ourselves to Mary as well as the MILLIONS of people praying the same prayers all over the world. Talk about a prayer chain! Everyone praying "Thy Will be done" to God the Father. That's some serious firepower.
This is why your Grandma - or anyone else you might know with a faithful devotion to the Rosary is a seriously legit Spiritual Warrior. The Devil absolutely hates Mary. She commands the Angels in Heaven and her intercessions before the Lord are extremely powerful. Blessed Pope Pius IX once said, " Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world." If every Catholic on the planet were to gather up their Rosaries and unite with the Blessed Mother in the fight against evil, can you imagine what the world would look like? Your Grandma does. So does the little old lady with the walker in the grocery store. And that woman who is WAYYY too old to be driving - good chance she's a veteran. Those who pray the Sacred Rosary are unassumingly keeping the world afloat. Their weapons are sharp and they know how to use them. Find your Rosary and join the fight. Not later. Today.
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