This month of October brings back memories of decisive victories of the Christian people over those who would wipe her out from the face of the earth. It also gives us the most powerful weapon we can use, namely, the Holy Rosary of Our Lady. Again and again, Mary has given victory over evil using this potent arm, and in Fatima, 100 years ago, she presented it as being the last hope of humanity. If things are not going well in our world, well, we don’t have to go very far to find the reasons: there simply are not enough people praying, and praying the Rosary in particular. So may this month be the opportunity to rediscover in-depth this powerful prayer, which is both vocal and mental, and leads to the very heart of the Gospel.
But this month also brings us the memory of St Michael, and all the other Holy Angels, who battle with us against the forces of evil. From the dawn of creation, when the Enemy seduced our first parents, to now, the angels have been on our side to defeat the devil. Here too, if we do not experience their mighty intercession, it is our fault. So let us supplicate more than ever these sublime creatures of God who prostrate themselves in adoration before the Divinity, offering Him the homage of their being, ever ready to fulfil their mission over us. In the providential designs of God, human actions are what unleash the divine energy: the more we pray to the angels, the more they become involved in our lives.
It is not an accident, I think, that the traditional liturgy has us read, during the month of October, the story of the Maccabees. They too had a fight to wage for the defense of their faith and their country. They too were outnumbered. But they won the victory, for what are numbers when God and His angels are involved?
“How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today? And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude or with a small company. For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army: but strength cometh from heaven. They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us and our wives and our children and to take our spoils. But we will fight for our lives and our laws: and the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face. But as for you, fear them not”. (1 Mac 3:17…)
So fear not: take up the Holy Rosary, pray to the Holy Angels: the ones who are with us are more powerful than the ones who are against us!
