The road of life was bright
It stretched before my sight.
The Lord was at my side
to be my friend and guide.
And so I started out.
But then the sky grew dark,
and the road grew steep and stark.
Rocks and ruts cut my feet.
My legs grew sore and weak.
I scarce could travel on.
I turned and cried “My Lord!
Why this pain; why this plight?
Why these ruts; why these rocks?
Why this darkness? Where’s the light?
I cannot carry on.”
The Lord replied, “My child!
Why this fear; why this fright?
Where’s your faith? Where’s your trust?
Love chose this road for you.
Just trust and travel on.”
This anonymous poet gives us a challenge for today. “Lord, increase our faith,” we say. We need faith, of course, but that word can be so empty, so void in meaning. Faith in what? Faith in whom? And faith, I propose, displayed how?
Pope Pius V prayed through the night, Rosary beads in hand, on that October day back in 1571. He knew how significant the next day’s naval battle was going to be. It was going to be huge. Yes, the largest naval battle since classical antiquity with over 400 warships in the west side of Greece. The battle we know as Lepanto. It was the turning point to slowing the Ottoman Turks from taking over Western Europe. And it was also that which lead to the freedom of over 12,000 Christian slaves, included among them one whom we know of as Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote. All with, at least according to Pope St. Pius V—the intercession of Our Lady—Our Lady of Victory, or as we now know her, Our Lady of the Rosary. It’s now been 450 full years and we still mark the anniversary of that battle on the seventh of October each year. The Rosary had been around for centuries before but that day Pope Pius announced would be known as Our Lady of the Rosary, this month dedicated to the Rosary, and I can’t recommend it enough.
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