DEVOCIN A NUESTRA SEORA DEL SANTISIMO

ROSARIO.

I am now preparing my rosaryo because tonight will start the daily

penitential procession in honor of Nuestra Seora del Santissimo Rosario.

October is considered as the month in honor of Our Lady of Most

Holy Rosary. This is to commemorate the historic yet victorious Battle of
Lepanto, a sea battle composed of combined forces of Naples, Sardinia,
Venice, the Papacy, Genoa, Savoy and the Knights Hospitallers who fought
against the Ottoman Turks. The victory of 7th of October 1571 saved the
whole Europe and the Christendom from the threat of invading Moslems. It
was Pope Pius V who ordered the faithful to recite the Holy Rosary, day
and night so that the Blessed Virgin Mary may intercede to them. Because
of the victory of Lepanto, he added to the liturgical calendar of the Churchs
celebration the feast of Our Lady of Victory which later became known as
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary proclaimed by Pope Gregory XIII.

In Philippine History particularly during the period of Spanish

colonization, we can note that Spain waged a war to the invading Dutch
during the Battle of La Naval de Manila of 1646. The naval forces of the
Dutch made some numerous attempts to invade the Philippines in order to
control the maritime trade in Asia. The joint forces of Spaniards and
Filipinos who joined the battle were said to have invoked the intercession of
the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary pleading for her maternal protection and
guidance through praying the Rosary. They have engaged five sea-battles
under the command of Comandante Lorenzo de Orella y Ugalde, the 18
Dutch warships were repulsed against their two merchant galleons: La
Encarnacion" and the "Santo Rosario. Thus, Nuestra Seora del
Santisimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila became the Queen and Mother
Protectress of the Philippines, the first Marian title in the Philippines and in
Asia to be crowned pontifically on October of 1907.

These religious accounts are few of many different sources and

references on our devotion to the Most Holy Rosary of Our Blessed Mother.
Her rosary was given to us as a symbol of hope for our spiritual journey
here on earth as we enter to our next journey in heaven. The Rosary beads
also represent our daily struggles in our life like her life struggles when she
followed the journeys of Her Divine Son here on earth to fulfill the will of the
Father for the salvation of many. Let us pray her Rosary, so that we can
obtain peace.