Mass Readings: Acts 1:12-14,   Lk 1:46-55   Lk 1:26-38

Key verse to Meditate: "Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28).

 Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Today, the Church celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary. October is traditionally dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, and this feast is celebrated on October 7. It was instituted by Pope Pius V following the decisive victory of the Holy League over the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, a victory attributed to the intercession of Our Lady through the praying of the Rosary. According to Dominican tradition, this feast also commemorates the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Dominic in 1206 in France, when she gave him the Rosary as a spiritual weapon to combat heresy and guide the Albigensians back to the Catholic faith.

The Rosary leads our minds and hearts to the opening words of the Hail Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Each repetition of this prayer draws us into the presence of Mary, and through her, into the presence of the Lord, for indeed, “the Lord is with her.” As we meditate upon the mysteries of Jesus’ life—the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries—we unite ourselves with Mary in prayer, contemplating the wonders of our salvation.

It is important to understand that the mysteries of the Rosary form a single, unified whole. Within the joyful mysteries lie the seeds of the glorious and the sorrowful, and the mysteries of light illuminate the path toward glory. The saints have long emphasized the power of the Rosary to unite us with the life of Christ. Through the rhythm of Our Father, Hail Marys, and Glory Be, we contemplate the Father, the Son, and the Mother together. We reflect on the angel’s greeting to Mary, her humble acceptance, and her “Yes” that initiated the redemptive work of Christ. Today, we ask Our Lady to help us grasp the unity of Christ’s mysteries so that we may live them out in every moment of our lives.

In the Gospel, we read of the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary: “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” This greeting became the foundation of the prayer we recite in the Rosary. We honor Mary because of her singular privilege as Mother of the Savior. Hail Mary, full of grace: she was graced abundantly because God willed her to be the dwelling place of His Son, Jesus Christ. Being the Mother of Christ is the highest honor bestowed upon any human being. Truly, she was blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of her womb, Jesus. God fills each person with grace according to the mission they are called to fulfill. Mary recognized her blessedness, and in her humility and gratitude, she proclaimed the Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Only a soul sanctified by God can truly magnify Him.

Through baptism, we too are called to share in God’s Favor. We are invited to grow in grace, and Mary serves as our perfect model. Even when God asks us to participate in His great work, we must, like Mary, respond with humility and trust: “Let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). A soul filled with grace surrenders completely to God’s plan. By cultivating obedience to His will, we find Favor with God.

The Rosary reminds us of all that God can accomplish in our lives, just as He fulfilled the mysteries of salvation. In meditating upon the Word made flesh, Jesus, and repeating the words of the Angel Gabriel, St. Elizabeth, and the Church throughout history, we grow in grace and knowledge of the Savior. United with countless others in prayer, we can echo Mary’s own response: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her (Lk 1:26-38).

Points for Personal Reflection

Mary, Mother of Grace

Mary alone found grace with God—not only for herself but for every individual person. As the angel declared, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God” (Lk 1:30). But what exactly is grace? Grace is eternal life already begun within us. St. Thomas Aquinas beautifully explains: “Grace is nothing else but a certain beginning of glory within us.”

No patriarch, prophet, or any other holy person of the Old Covenant could attain this fullness of grace. It was Mary who gave existence and life to the Author of all grace (Acts 3:15)—the Author of life. Because of this unique role, she is rightly called the “Mother of Grace.”

Being full of grace and filled with God, Mary is entrusted to us as our spiritual mother. At the foot of the Cross, Jesus said, “Behold your mother” (Jn 19:26-27), inviting us into her maternal care and guidance.

The Fuel for Spiritual Life

Mary is the supreme example of welcoming the divine presence. At the angel’s greeting, she was completely possessed by God, allowing His life to take root within her. She felt the stirring of God’s presence, the spark of new life, and the growth of holiness within her. The Favor and blessing of God was not something merely around her—it was within her.

From this, we learn a profound lesson from today’s Gospel: God dwells deeply within each of us, working silently and creating new life. Grace is the fuel of our spiritual life; without it, we cannot reach Heaven. And to receive this grace, we turn to Mary, the Mediatrix of all Grace, who continually leads us to her Son.

On this feast, let us examine ourselves:

Do we approach God in confidence and faith?

Do we pray persistently and insistently?

What is the depth of our faith in prayer?

And most importantly, do we pray the Holy Rosary daily, allowing it to draw us closer to Christ through Mary’s intercession?