Homily: August 8 - St. Dominic & the Holy Rosary

In 1214, Our Lady appeared to Dominic as he was undergoing penance and prayer for the conversion of the Albigensians heretics.   “Dear Dominic, do you know what weapon the Most Holy Trinity wants to use to reform the world?” Our Lady asked him.

St Dominic replied: “O my Lady, you know it much better than I do, because, next to your Son Jesus Christ, you have always been the instrument of our salvation.”

Our Lady continued: “ I want you to know that in this kind of warfare the ‘battering ram’ will be the “Angelic Psalter.”  So, if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them to God, preach my Psalter!”  Of course the Angelic Psalter to which she referred is the Rosary. 

Dominic and His Order of Preachers spread devotion to the Holy Rosary throughout those areas of Europe afflicted with error and ignorance of Christ.

Our Lady herself called the rosary a ‘battering ram’.  Of course a battering ram is a large beam, handled by many people, used to knock down the gate of a castle.  It only works with the repetitions of blows on the wall.  In the spiritual warfare of conquering error and heresy, the Rosary is the battering Ram.  It takes many faithful Catholics, praying all those Hail Marys to knock down the gates of hell.

To this day, the Dominicans wear at their side the beads of the Rosary and pray it every day.  Pope Benedict called the Rosary a true school of faith and piety, rich in gospel values and so dear to the Christian people.  When we contemplate the mysteries of the rosary we ask God to place in our hearts the humility and trust of mary, the courage of our Lord undergoing his Passion, the joy of the angels at the glorious events in the lives of Christ and his Mother, and to fill us with the light of the Gospel.

There is a story that while his mother was pregnant with Dominic, she dreamt that a dog leapt from her womb and began to set the world on fire.  Dominic, surely did set the world of his day on fire.  The rosary is prayed in every corner of the earth. 

Our Lady’s weapon against the heresy of the day was effective.  After all, have you met any Albigensians lately? 

And if the Rosary was effective in forming Christian disciples and bringing down the gates of hell in Dominic’s day, surely it can be effective in our own. 

May we, like St. Dominic, share the fruits of our prayer in love and set the world on fire with the truth of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.