The Rosary: Your Weapon for Spiritual Warfare

Introduction

Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, tells us that the Rosary marks the rhythm of human life (RVM, 2). Through the years, I have come to discover the truth of this beautiful statement. This sacred prayer and its holy beads have been my comfort, my joy, and a mighty weapon for spiritual warfare.

I cannot recollect the exact moment I first saw a Rosary, but I am certain the beads must have been in my grandmother’s hands. Gram Simon’s hands were rarely without her Rosary beads, unless she was cooking a dinner, baking a pie, dusting the house, doing the laundry, or hugging one of us kids. I remember family trips with Gram and Gramp and my girl cousins. We liked riding in their car, because it was spacious and had air conditioning, even back in 1959. Every trip began with the Rosary. Gram would lead, and Gramp would chime in with part two of the prayers.

I have to honestly tell you that I couldn’t wait until the Rosary was over so we girls could get to talking about really important things, like what we would do when we got to Geneva-on-the-Lake, a beach town on Lake Erie in Ohio. Little did I know that, even then, Gram’s prayers were storing up graces for me that would affect my future. Many years later, I would learn that Gram prayed a Rosary a day for each one of her thirteen grandchildren. That’s thirteen Rosaries a day, and one of them always had my name on it.

The years passed, and off I went to university. Campus life was rife with dissent in those days. The sexual revolution and all that attended it were in full swing. I would like to say I remained unscathed by it all, but that would be untrue. Putting my Catholic upbringing and education on the back burner, I became involved in the hedonistic lifestyle of the time. But Gram was praying away, and occasionally I received a note from her telling me so.

Though I made a dramatic change before my senior year began, damage had been done, and it would take me ten years to come back to the faith. When I did, I realized it was Gram Simon’s Rosaries that tilled the hardened soil of my heart so that the seed of truth could be planted, grow deep roots, and produce the fruit of conversion. Gram waged a battle for my soul, and her weapon of choice was the prayer of the Rosary.

The Rosary became an important part of my devotional practice, but the joy and beauty of it remained elusive. There were times when the light of grace broke through, and I could see that the Rosary was far more than the rote recitation of formula prayers. I wanted to go deeper, and yet, for the most part, the Rosary remained a rather long, monotonous affair, during which I had to fight distraction, boredom, and sleep. Indeed, the prayer of the Rosary was a battlefield. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, [CCC] 2725–2728, for more on the battle of prayer.)

Things changed the morning of March 20, 2004, when two Florida state highway patrolmen came to the door of our home to tell us that our son, Simon, had been killed in a vehicular accident at 1:01 A.M. In this moment of deepest travail, I turned to our Blessed Mother, seeking her maternal beatitude to make this time a sacrifice of praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the exceedingly rough days and weeks that followed, I clung to my Rosary as if the air I breathed depended upon it. Spiritually speaking, it did.

During those weeks, it was as if Mary was walking me through the mysteries of her Son’s life, sharing with me the intimacies of grace each one contained, that I might find the strength and confidence to go on. Sometimes these came by heavenly light; other times I was not even aware of the profound graces being imparted. But the effects were clear. Mary took my weakness and gave me her strength; she took my fear and gave me her trust; she took my insecurity and gave me her confidence. And it all came by way of the Rosary.

Since Simon’s death, the power of the Rosary and its efficacy as the weapon of spiritual warfare has been impressed upon me ever more deeply. It is my firm conviction that St. Dominic’s words are true: "One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world."¹ In the end, Mary told the children at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, My Immaculate Heart will triumph.² And indeed, it will.

By the divine pleasure of the Father, Mary invites us to enter into the mysteries of faith presented to us through the holy Rosary and to receive the graces they offer. As we are transformed more and more by their power and light, we can come to the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). And we can battle against the powers of darkness to bring this our day and time into the victory of the cross. It is to this end that we have written this book. May it achieve what God intends.

Johnnette S. Benkovic

July 16, 2016

Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Chapter One

The Rosary

A WEAPON FOR ALL TIME

Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.¹

—ST. PADRE PIO

Today we face unprecedented challenges on every front. The evils of this present darkness weigh heavy against us. Perhaps this is what makes the advice of St. Padre Pio, a holy man from our own age, so valuable and insightful. He reminds us of the Rosary’s power against the devil and his minions, and he reminds us of the efficacy of the Blessed Virgin’s mediation for us through it. Pope Pius XII’s words, too, seem right and fitting: We put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils which afflict our times.²

What makes this prayer so powerful and effective? One indication may be found in its earliest reference. It seems it was born out of the strife, sacrifice, and persecution of the early Church martyrs. The term Rosary comes from the Latin Rosarium, which means crown of roses or garland of roses.

As young virgins prepared to walk into the arena of the Coliseum to face the beasts that would tear them asunder, they made ready to meet Jesus Christ, King of Kings, for whom they were offering their lives. They fittingly adorned themselves in festive garments, with crowns of roses for their heads. Thus bedecked, they joined their Savior in His Passion. At night, the faithful would gather up the martyrs’ crowns and say their prayers on them, one prayer for each rose.³ Their prayer was a journey, perhaps, into the mystery of what they had witnessed.⁴

Using a device to count prayers was common in the Church. In the fourth century, the Desert Fathers kept track of their devotions on prayer cords. In the fifth century, St. Brigid of Ireland strung pieces of stone and wood together to form a little wreath, and upon these pieces, she would pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Creed.⁵

During this same time, it became the custom of Christians in both East and West to divide the psalter into three groups of fifty psalms each and pray or chant them in public. The custom was adapted for those who were uneducated or poor, or who toiled in the fields far away from the churches. These substituted fifty repetitions of the Angelic salutation (Ave Maria) for the fifty psalms.⁶ These Aves were recited along with verses from the Gospel relating to the joys of Mary, such as the Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption.

This style of prayer became known as a Rosarium. According to writings by the Venerable Bede, churches in England and France were making prayer beads available to the faithful by the eighth century.⁷

The first clear historical reference we have to the Rosary as we know it today dates back to the thirteenth century, from the life of St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans. According to tradition, Dominic devised the Rosary after Our Lady appeared to him and told him to pray in this manner as an antidote for heresy and sin. He obeyed, and he preached the Rosary with great success in France during the time of the Albigensian heresy.

One of the most famous miracles of the Rosary was performed at the hands of St. Dominic. He expelled thousands of demons from a possessed man in front of a crowd of twelve thousand, after putting a Rosary around the man’s neck.⁸

In spite of this and many other spectacular miracles, the Rosary fell into disuse until two centuries later, when a Dominican theologian named Blessed Alain de la Roche (d. 1475) made it his life’s mission to restore the devotion. He is credited with establishing Rosary confraternities to promote the Rosary and developing what is known as the Dominican Rosary. This Rosary included three groups of mysteries related to the Incarnation, the Passion, and the Resurrection of Christ. This became the most popular form of the Rosary.

The beads underwent many changes over time with special devotions, local customs, and even the latest fashions impacting the style in use. For instance, a short form of the Rosary, containing only ten beads and known as a tenner (also called a decade Rosary), was a favorite among men.⁹ Women liked the longer version, and they often adorned their Rosaries with gems, pearls, miniature figurines, and even scented fruits and flowers.

Rosaries have been made of everything from pure gold to painted apricot pits. Filigree Rosaries were popular in the eighteenth century, and chain-stitched Rosaries were the rage during the nineteenth. Also during this time, the three beads for the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity were added to the beginning of the Rosary.

No matter the enhancements, adornments, and forms that have graced this sacramental over the years, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the Rosary is first and foremost a powerful spiritual weapon. It has been credited with some of the greatest triumphs in history. Here are just a few of them!

THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO, 1571

The Rosary grew in popularity and became the spiritual weapon of choice in the 1500s. At this time, Moslem Turks were ravaging Eastern Europe. In 1571, when it seemed as though the whole continent would fall under their control, Pope St. Pius V stepped into action. Perceiving the great threat posed by the forward advancement of the Ottoman Empire, he formed the Holy League, an alliance of most of the Catholic maritime forces of the Mediterranean. He then asked all of the faithful to say the Rosary and beg for Mary’s intercession for victory over the Turks.

The famous battle, known as the Battle of Lepanto, took place October 7, 1571. It is recognized by historians as the most important naval contest in human history. Pope Pius V would commemorate the date by making it a feast day of the Church, in honor of the one whose intercession made the victory possible.

The pope chose Don Juan of Austria to be the general of the League. He was the illegitimate son of the late Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the half-brother of Philip II, King of Spain. Though only twenty-four, Don Juan was a capable leader. He was a great swordsman and horseman, and he had distinguished himself in battle against the Barbary corsairs in the Morisco rebellion of Spain.¹⁰ He was handsome, popular with the ladies of the court, and deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was known to use his sword valiantly and swiftly when needed but to prudently and justly resist when not.

Brandon Rogers, commenting on G.K. Chesterton’s epic poem Lepanto, says that Pope Pius V had both a physical and spiritual plan of attack. The Holy Father was counting on the Turkish fleet to accept the challenge of the Holy League. He told Don Juan, I take it for certain that the Turks, swollen by their victories, will wish to take on our fleet, and God—I have the presentiment—will give us the victory.¹¹

The pontiff knew this was a holy war with high stakes. Islam’s goal was to take Europe and most specially to conquer Rome. For this war, then, the pope knew he would need both the prayers of priests of pure life and holy warriors. God granted him both.

To Don Juan, the pope’s words could not have been clearer. He took command of his fleet with a series of orders and an invitation: No women could be aboard the fleet, blasphemy would be punishable by death, and the crew was welcome to join him in a three-day fast. On the decks of the Holy League galleys, priests of various religious orders offered Mass and heard confessions.

Many of the oarsmen were criminals. Promising them their freedom in exchange for fighting bravely, Don Juan released them from their fetters, armed them, and then gave each the most powerful weapon of all—a Rosary. He told the men that the battle they faced was as much spiritual as it was physical.

The night before engagement, the men of the Holy League knelt on the galley decks and prayed the Rosary. They were joined up and down the Italian peninsula, as well as throughout Europe, by the faithful, who had filled the churches at the request of Pius V. These faithful, too, plied their beads with fervent petition for a victorious outcome. Our Lady was listening.

At predawn on the morning of October 7, 1571, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated on the decks of the Holy League’s galleys. Pope Pius V had directed the priests to grant general absolution to each man who would serve and die that day.

From the beginning, the odds seemed to be against the forces of Don Juan. Fog, mist, and strong headwinds made for a difficult journey through the choppy sea. The fleet worked its way south into the Gulf of Patras. As they rounded into its narrows, they saw in the distance the enormous war galleys of the Ottoman Empire, coming from the east in full battle array. Their formation was that of a giant crescent, the symbol of Islam.

As the Holy League struggled to make its approach, the men could see the battle pennant of Muezzinzade Ali Pasha, the Muslim commander, flying from the mast of his ship. Green and gold, it was covered with verses from the Qur’an and embroidered with the name Allah nine hundred times in gold calligraphy. It was the very banner the prophet Mohammed had taken into battle. This symbol, sacred to the Muslims, had never been captured.

Don Juan observed the situation and decided to engage. He ordered the Holy League’s battle pennant, previously blessed by the Holy Father, to be run up the mast of the Real, his command ship. The banner unfurled to reveal the crucified Christ. Priests moved through the galleys blessing the men with raised crucifixes and hearing last-minute confessions. The men, Rosaries in hand, implored the help of the Blessed Virgin.

The fleet fell into a cruciform battle position. The cross and the crescent were about to engage.

Don Juan reminded the men of their mission: They had come to defend Christianity. Do your duty, he exhorted them, and you will secure a glorious immortality.¹² With the winds buffeting him, he raised his eyes to heaven and begged God to bless his people with victory. Observing his example, the officers and men on every vessel followed suit.

And then the miraculous happened. Our Lady intervened! The headwinds did an about-face and began to blow directly against the Muslim fleet! Holy League sails were raised. Ottoman sails were dropped. Then, propelled as if by heaven’s breath, the Holy League closed in on its adversary.

It was midday when the fleets engaged. They fought for five long hours. In the end, the Turks’ bows and arrows were no match against the guns of the Holy League. Key to the win was the head-on collision of the two flagships. Both generals broke with the convention of galley warfare that commanders’ ships would not engage. The Holy League’s Real, commanded by Don Juan, and the Turks’ Sultana, commanded by Ali Pasha, collided with tremendous force, and a deadly duel commenced. It was a fight to the finish, with much bloodshed.¹³

Don Juan was wounded, but Ali Pasha mortally so. A musket ball to the forehead felled him. One of Don Juan’s men severed Pasha’s head and carried it to the quarterdeck of the Real as a symbol of victory. The men of the Sultana capitulated when they saw their leader’s grisly end. The prophet’s sacred banner came down, and the papal banner was raised to the Christians’ cheers and cries of Victory.

Interestingly, on the day of the battle, Pope Pius V was in a meeting with his cardinals. In the midst of their deliberations, he paused and walked to the window. As he gazed at the sky, a vision from Our Lady showed him the victory of the Holy League. He turned to his cardinals, saying, Let us set aside business and fall on our knees in thanksgiving to God, for he has given our fleet a great victory.¹⁴

In thanksgiving, the pope established the Feast of Our Lady of Victory to forever memorialize the great triumph wrought by the powerful intercession of the Mother of God. In time, October 7 became known as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA, 1917

In 1917, the powerful prayer of the Rosary took on another urgent moment. The Great War, which came to be known as World War I, was raging. With over seventy million military personnel engaged, it was to become one of the largest wars in history. At this point, the Mother of God appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, with a warning and a request that was meant to save the world.

For six consecutive months, from May 13 to October 13, the Blessed Mother appeared to Lucia dos Santos, age nine, and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages eight and six. The children tended sheep in the Cova da Iria, a portion of land owned by Antonio dos Santos, Lucia’s father. On May 13, something like lightning flashed in the blue sky and frightened them. The children ran for cover. Another flash, very close, and they ran again. When they stopped, there on top of a small evergreen tree was a large ball of light