Marian yet very Christic!

October 7th has been established as the Day of our Lady of the Holy Rosary by Pope St. Pius V in the year 1573. This Marian feast has been instituted to thank God and our Lady for the victory won at the Battle of Lepanto. The victory was attributed to the constant praying of the Holy Rosary by the Catholics.
It is important then to focus on the "gift" of the Rosary. The rosary is a Marian devotion, in fact, it is part of the cult of Mary. Yet, the rosary remains a very Christic prayer. In the words of Pope Pius XII, the rosary is the compendium of the Gospel; the primary focus is on the person of Jesus Christ -- His birth, ministry, passion, death, and resurrection. John Paul II in His apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae states that the rosary, though Marian in character, is at heart, a Christ-centered prayer. We see then that the praying of the holy Rosary is the contemplation on the Life of Christ.
The Battle at Lepanto has been won centuries ago. But we are besieged by a lot of "battles" in our very time, the battles that go against life and the family -- abortion, divorce, common law practices, etc... -- and we need to pray that we ultimately may win these battles. Mary our Mother, after all is with us.
So as we hold our rosaries and recite it devoutly, let us remember the words of Pope Paul VI in his apostolic exhortation Marialis Cultus, that our devotion to the Mother of the Lord is our opportunity for growing in divine grace. Let us pray then that we may grow in God's grace through the prayers of our Lady. Amen.