Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

The readings today are about listening to God, turning back to Him, and finding peace in what really matters.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we cry out with the psalmist in Psalm 130: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” This cry is not one of despair, but of hope. It is a reminder that God’s mercy never ends. When we pray the rosary, each bead becomes like that cry, lifting our hearts from worry and fear to peace and trust in Jesus. This Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary teaches us to listen, to trust, and to stay close to Christ, just as Mary did.

In our first reading from Jonah, God gives Jonah another chance. Jonah had tried to run away from God’s call and even found himself inside a great fish for three days before being thrown back on land. That time in the belly of the fish reminds us of Jesus, who was in the tomb for three days before rising again. But even after this, Jonah still complains. He goes to Nineveh, warns the people, and when they repent, he sulks because God forgives them. The story is almost funny but very true to life. Jonah wants to be right more than he wants others to be saved. Meanwhile, the people of Nineveh—who don’t even know God—listen and change their ways. The message is simple: God’s mercy is bigger than we think, and it reaches everyone.

The Hebrew word for turning back—shuv—means a full change of direction. The whole city of Nineveh turns around. Even the animals wear sackcloth! It shows that repentance is not just about feeling sorry. It’s about starting again. In our country too, God is calling us to turn back to Him—to live with honesty, hope, and care for one another. The rosary can help us do this. Each prayer brings us closer to Jesus. Each mystery teaches us how to love as He loves.

Psalm 130 reminds us that even when we are weak or lost, God forgives. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.” The psalm also says, “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning.” That is what Mary shows us—how to wait and listen with a quiet heart. When we pray the rosary, we join her in that waiting and that trust. Like a mother, she takes our hand and leads us back to her Son.

In the Gospel Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. Martha is busy preparing food, cleaning, and serving, while Mary sits at His feet and listens. Martha complains, but Jesus answers kindly: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. There is need of only one thing.”

Martha and Mary have often been seen as two ways of living—the active and the prayerful. But Jesus does not ask us to choose one over the other. Both are good. Prayer should lead us to love and service, and service should grow out of prayer. Even those who live quiet, hidden lives of prayer show their love for others by praying for the world. Jesus says Mary has chosen “the good part”—not the better part, but the one that every good life must include: listening to the Lord.

Take a moment to imagine the scene. A small house. The smell of bread. The sound of dishes. Martha moving about, Mary sitting still, and Jesus speaking gently. If you were there, what would you do? What would you say to Him? What might He say to you?

St Ignatius of Loyola encouraged us to pray like this—with our imagination. To picture the story, to see and feel it. The rosary helps us to do the same. As we move through the mysteries, we walk beside Mary through the life of Jesus. We see His birth, His suffering, His resurrection. We don’t just say the words—we try to meet Jesus in each moment and let Him shape our hearts.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary began after a great naval battle at Lepanto in 1571. The Christian fleet was outnumbered, but the people prayed the rosary for victory. When it came, they said, “Not bravery, not weapons, not commanders, but Our Lady of the Rosary made us victors.” Today, our battles are different—corruption, loneliness, hunger, fear—but the weapon is the same: prayer. We win these battles by trusting God, turning back to Him, and staying close to Mary.

The rosary is not just a chain of beads. It is a path back to God. Each prayer is a step. Each mystery is a lesson. Every time we pray it, we sit again at Jesus’ feet and listen.

So let us not give up. Let us take up our rosaries again—not as a burden, but as a gift. Let Mary lead us back to what really matters. And as we pray with her, let us remember the words of the psalm: “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”

Here are three questions for the week ahead:

• Where in my life do I need to turn back to God and begin again?
• When I pray the rosary, do I take time to let the mysteries speak to my heart?
• How can I bring Mary’s peace and stillness into the busy parts of my day and into the life of our country?

May Our Lady of the Rosary help us to pray, to listen, and to love.