The Rosary - The Immense Power Within Our Grasp!

WikiCommons/Madonna with rosary, by Guido Reni, 1596

What do nuclear warfare, satanic priests, and serial killers have in common?

What about corrupt and evil governments usurping the rights of its people, and horrific, unjust wars wrought upon Christians by radical Muslim forces?

Each of these is a very real threat in our lives today; and yet, each of these evils has seen its destructive power rendered useless in the face of those praying the Rosary!

In our fight against evil, it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged when the darkness seems to be getting only deeper and its powers more forceful… That is why it’s so important to recall the mighty power of our God and prayer; and realize again, or for the first time, the immense power we have within our grasp!

In this article I will share a very small sampling of the incredible miracles of the Rosary. These miracles demonstrate the power of the Rosary in the instances mentioned above:

Protection in the Midst of Nuclear Warfare:

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, it brought about utter destruction, except for one home, which was within a kilometer of ground zero. The eight Jesuit priests who lived there suffered no ill effects from the radiation that killed so many, and were thus, examined and interviewed multiple times. Fr. Schiffer, a survivor, remarked over 200 times, “We believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home.”

Conversion of a Satanic Priest:

Bartolo Longo, born in Naples in 1841, drifted so far away from God and his religious upbringing that he eventually became a satanic priest. When satanic forces were tormenting him, his family, who had never stopped praying for him, convinced him to make a good Confession. He did and was helped by a priest who encouraged him to become devoted to the rosary. In 1870, he became a third order Dominican and chose to live a life of penance in reparation for all the sins he committed as a satanic priest. One day, nearing succumbing to despair for all the sins he had committed, he was inspired to remember Mary’s promise to help all those who encouraged others to pray the rosary. So began a mission to promote the rosary and to restore the ruined chapel of Pompeii. Many conversions and miraculous cures took place as people became devoted to the rosary and pledged to build a new shrine in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1980, Pope John Paul II beatified Bartolo Longo calling him “the man of the Madonna” and the “Apostle of the Rosary.”

Protection from Serial Killers:

Ted Bundy was one of the worst serial killers in history. On the night of January 15, 1978, at 3:00 am, Bundy murdered two girls in the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University – he entered a third room, but fled when he saw a girl clutching a rosary in her hands. Later the girl explained that she had promised her grandmother to pray the rosary every night when she went to bed, even if she fell asleep while praying. Years later, when Bundy was awaiting his execution, he asked for a priest. The priest, Fr. Esper, asked him what happened that night. Bundy said he intended to murder the girl, but “some mysterious power prevented him.”

The Fall of Corrupt, Evil Governments:

In the Philippines, the corrupt Marcos regime was defeated entirely through peaceful means in 1986. While their leaders were living in luxury, the Philippine people were starving and sought to elect a new leader, Benigno Aquino. After the Marcos government assassinated him, one million people signed a petition for his widow, Corazon Aquino, to run in his place. A false, corrupt and violent election declared Marcos the winner as he took control of the media and sent out thousands of tanks to quell the unrest. Cardinal Sin, of the Archdiocese of Manila, called on all people to peacefully protest the injustice. Thousands went among the soldiers and the tanks praying the rosary and singing hymns, while holy Mass and vigils took place in churches. The prayerful protests lasted not quite a week when all the armed soldiers left their tanks and peacefully joined the protesters.

In 1962-64, the president of Brazil, Joao Goulart, began to embrace Communism and began installing Communists into high positions of government. In response, Cardinal de Barros Camara encouraged people to follow Our Lady of Fatima’s messages and to pray the Rosary to keep their country free from communism. . President Goulart reacted by mocking the rosary, saying that governmental control, not the rosary, would save the country.
A woman named Amelia Bastos began to recruit many people to pray the rosary, forming a group called Campaign of Women for Democracy (CAMDE). In Belo Horizonte, 20,000 rosary-praying women broke up a pro-Communist rally. Again, all the while praying, "Mother of God, preserve us from the fate and suffering of the martyred women of Cuba, Poland, Hungary, and other enslaved nations," 600,000 women marched and prayed the rosary for peace in Sao Paulo. They called their protest the "March of the Family with God Toward Freedom," which was described by witnesses as, "One of the most moving demonstrations in Brazilian History." Many more rosary rallies were held throughout Brazil despite threats against the women. Without a shot being fired, on April 1, 1964, President Goulart fled the country along with much of his government.

Inexplicably to military strategists and historians, atheistic Russian Communists left Austria, a strategic stronghold, without a shot being fired on May 13, 1955 (the anniversary of the first apparition of Fatima). This followed a rosary crusade of 70,000 Austrians praying the rosary daily for peace and freedom from Communist rule.

Miraculous Victories in the Wars Wrought Against Christians by Radical Muslim Forces

After centuries of attacks by Muslim invaders, the Muslim forces gathered for one tremendous naval battle, determined to conquer Christian Europe. The Catholic ships and sailors were vastly outnumbered, and Christian Europe seemed at the point of extinction and all hope seemed lost, when St. Pope Pius V called upon all of Europe to pray the rosary. Miraculously, during the Battle of Lepanto, on October 7, 1571, the Muslim Turks were so devastatingly defeated that they no longer posed a threat. The Church celebrates this tremendous victory by honoring Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th every year.

There are countless other miracles that could be enumerated if we had the space and time, but let these few challenge us to pray with renewed confidence and vigor in our families. As I wrote in a past article, “We have the power of God with us and within us and our prayers will not go unheard. We have to hold fast to the knowledge that God is truly present in the Eucharist and He is infinitely more powerful than Satan and all the forces of evil in the world. He sometimes allows terrible things to happen, just as He allowed His only Son to die on a cross to save us, but He allows it only if it will bring about infinitely more good to us than if it had never happened. Let us pray for the conversion of hearts of those who are instigating this black mass, for “God does not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live!” (cf. Ez 18: 23).

Tens of thousands united in prayer and fasting against [the evil that is seeking to destroy us] is itself a miracle of faith and a beautiful manifestation of the power and glory of God. We have untold strength in our unity! So, as we remain united and continue in prayer and fasting, let us call to mind these miracles of the past (and hundreds of others) and rejoice that God’s power will be made manifest and many hearts will be converted. Let us not get discouraged when we are faced with such evil forces, “For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome” (Deut 10:17), who gives us strong and mighty weapons at our disposal!

Let us also recall the faith and steadfastness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to King Nebuchadnezzar when confronted with certain death in the fiery furnace, and echo their words: “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, you should know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up” (Dn 3: 16-18).”

If these miracles aren't enough to inspire us to begin fervently and devoted praying the Rosary, here are more incentives:

Consider these strong words by Pope St. John Paul II, who in 1980, held up his Rosary in an interview and said: ??

"Here is the remedy against evil. Pray, pray and ask for nothing else. Put everything in the hands of the Mother of God. We must be prepared to undergo great trials in the not too distant future. Trials that will require us to be ready to give up even our lives and a total gift of self to Christ and for Christ. Through your prayers and mine, it is possible to alleviate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it. It is only in this way the Church can be renewed. How many times, indeed, has the renewal of the Church been effected in blood. This time it will not be otherwise. We must be attentive to the prayer of the ROSARY."

Additionally, Sister Lucia, one of the visionaries of Fatima once said:

“The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, or of our families, that cannot be solved by the Rosary.”

And Pope St. Pius X said:

“In our time more than ever before, the chief strength of the wicked, lies in the cowardice and weakness of good men. All the strength of Satan’s reign is due to the easy-going weakness of Catholics.”

May we not be weak and cowardly as Pope St. Pius X warned, but may millions stand up against the evil Satan is perpetrating in our world by joining together in the battle by making the decision to pray the Rosary daily as Our Mother requested at Fatima repeatedly:

On June 13 1917, she said:
"I wish …that you pray the Rosary every day."

And again on July 13, 1917:
"Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war for she alone can help."

And again on Oct 13, 1917
"I am the Lady of the Rosary,
I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men.
People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it everyday."

What more will it take for all Catholics to do as Our Blessed Mother requests?
What more needs to happen in our world to incite us to pray?

May we realize and respond to the inestimable gift of Mary coming down from heaven to speak to us and to save us by heeding her words and her warnings!!!!

Finally, let us remember the beautiful promises Mary made for all who pray the Rosary:

The Fifteen Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
?3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.?

For more articles on the Rosary click here and here.

For Pope St. John Paul II's exhortation on the Rosary, click here.