October is usually a good month for weather in Chicago. It is always a good month in the Church, because it begins with commemorating a popular saint who is a doctor of the church and patron of the missions: St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Right after her feast on Oct. 1, we turn to our guardian angels; these days, we especially are in need of the protection of the angels and the providence of God. On Oct. 7, the church celebrates the feast that makes October the month of the rosary. It brings us back to God’s protection of his church through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary at the sea battle of Lepanto in the 16th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, Our Lady of Fatima asked that the rosary be said daily by those who would ask God for his protection and for peace in the world.
The rosary takes as much time as one chooses to give it, depending on whether one emphasizes the words of the prayers themselves, the mysteries we are invited to contemplate or the personal intentions one brings to the time in prayer. The goal of prayer is always to conform our desires and our will to what God wills for us. People often ask for rosaries, particularly if they have been blessed by the pope. I am always glad when I am asked for a rosary, especially if it will be used for family prayer.
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