The Vigil of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, in the Middle East and throughout the world, on Saturday, Sept. 7th, in St. Peter's Square, opened with the recitation of the Holy Rosary of Mary, Queen of Peace, whose feast was celebrated on Sunday, September 8th.

 

Pope Francis repeated several times his invitation to families and to all believers to pray the Holy Rosary, as Our Lady asked St. Dominic, St. Bernadette and in Fatima to do, promising her special protection and great graces. «Pray the Holy Rosary together in the family, with friends, in the parish, or some prayer to Jesus and the Virgin Mary! Praying together is a precious moment that further strengthens family life!» said Pope Bergoglio at the General Audience on May 1st. Pope John Paul II as well, from the beginning of his pontificate, exhorted everyone: «Don’t be afraid to open the door to Jesus» and to recite the Rosary, especially in families, because «it effectively helps to fight against the devastating effects of the crisis in this time».
 

In the Holy Rosary, we contemplate Jesus’ life and the foundations of our Christian faith. «In the company of Mary, who first welcomed him, it’s easier to see and to love Jesus», says the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, in his Commentary on the Holy Rosary (Edizioni San Paolo). «Reciting it in the family is even more beautiful, because it strengthens everyone in love».
 

«The Rosary recollects us all, by making us contemporaries of Jesus: together with Mary, we live with Him, love Him, think with Him, walk along the streets and through the squares with Him, and we change the world with Him. This is why the Rosary is also a peace-giving energy», says Msgr. Paglia. In fact, as Pope John Paul II said: «You can’t recite the Rosary without feeling caught up in a clear commitment in the service of peace».