The Rosary, a powerful weapon against the devil

http://www.michaeljournal.org/rosarypower.htm ^ | 2003 | Father Gabriel Amorth

[stfassisi]

The first “Hail Mary” was brought from Heaven by Gabriel the Archangel, the messenger of Holy Trinity

The following text of Father Gabriel Amorth, chief exorcist of the Vatican, is taken from the March-April, 2003 issue of “Echo of Mary, Queen of Peace”:

The recent Apostolic Letter of John Paul II, "Rosarium Virginis Mariae" (released last October 16) encourages all Christians to turn back to the prayer strongly recommended both by the latest Pontiffs and recent Marian apparitions. Paul VI called the Rosary a compendium of the Gospel. To make it more complete, John Paul II added the 'mysteries of light' to cover Jesus' public life. Padre Pio called the Rosary beads a weapon of extraordinary power against Satan.

One day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism: "Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end." The secret that makes this prayer so effective is that the Rosary is both prayer and meditation. It is addressed to the Father, to the Blessed Virgin, and to the Holy Trinity, and is a meditation centred on Christ.

Today more than ever, the world is in need of prayer and meditation. It is in need of prayer because people have forgotten God, and without God the world has put itself on the edge of a precipice. This is why in Her messages, Our Lady insists so much on prayer. Without God's help, Satan wins. The world is also in need of meditation because if the great Christian truths are forgotten, souls become void. This void is grabbed up by the enemy, and he fills it with his lies. And today we see the results with widespread belief in superstition and occultism.

The most obvious danger for our society today is the downfall of the family. The rhythm of today's world has broken the family unity. Little time is spent together, and even when the family is together, its members don't speak because the television speaks. Where are the families which recite the Rosary together in the evenings? Pope Pius XII insisted in his own time: “If you pray the Rosary together, you will experience peace in your families; you will get on together.” “The family that prays together, stays together,” would say Father Peyton, the untiring apostle of the family Rosary. “Satan wants war,” Mary said one day in Medjugorje. Well, the Rosary is the weapon which is able to guarantee peace for the world, because it is a prayer and a form of meditation able to transform hearts and defeat the enemy.

Protected by the Rosary

The following inspiring episode from World War II, written by Sr. Mary Sheila O'Neil and reported in the October-December, 1979 issue of Garabandal Magazine (P.O. Box 606 Lindenhurst, New York 11757 USA) also illustrates the power of the Rosary:

It was a busy day in March. As a teacher-principal in the 1950's, I had to make sure that each day provided the time for the two separate roles. On that March fourth, an incident between a teacher and a parent had kept me out of my class for almost an hour that morning, so for the rest of the day, I was desperately trying to make up class time. Hence, the knock on my door at 2:00 p.m. was not welcome.

With relief, I found it was only a salesman who needed my signature and even produced his pen. As he did so, his Rosary had caught onto the pen's clip and came out as well. I signed as I said indifferently, "So, you are a Catholic." "Oh no," he said, "but a lot of us owe our lives to Our Lady, and I promised Her I would always keep my Rosary with me and say it every day."

Twenty minutes later, I was still at the door listening, fascinated, to the account of one of the wonderful experiences a group of airmen had had with Our Lady. My visitor hesitated to start, for he had noticed my "non welcome" opening of the door. But eager now to hear his story, I assured him that the class was doing an exercise, and I begged him to proceed. He continued:

It was May, 1940, and we had joined the Air Force in late September. At Halifax, we were given an intensive training course, because they needed us overseas, and to us young lads, the whole program was exciting.

We were grouped into squadrons, each of which consisted of six to ten planes, and each was trained to maneuver as a unit. Therefore about thirty to fifty men made up a squadron, along with the squadron leader who gave all the orders and kept the group functioning in unity.

In May, our squadron was told we were going overseas and would be in action at once. We would work on nightly missions over enemy territory until the war was over. We were waiting for our new squadron leader, due to arrive in two days on a 9:00 p.m. air-force flight. Being an officer, he would, we thought, go at once to the officers' quarters.

We watched the plane, glimpsed him from the distance, and resigned ourselves to waiting until the next day to "size him up." A couple of hours later, this squadron leader, Stan Fulton, in full uniform, entered our bunk house.

“Well men, we're going to spend some dangerous hours together, but let's hope we all meet back here when it's over. Ah, there's a free bunk and I am tired! I'll meet each of you tomorrow.”

With that, he threw his bag on an upper bunk. Our squadron leader, an officer, sleeping here with us! We liked him at once and our liking and our admiration grew each day.

That first night he knelt on the floor and prayed his Rosary in silence. Astounded, we were struck dumb. When he finished, he looked at us with his friendly smile and said, “I hope you guys don't mind a fellow saying some prayers because where we're going, we're going to need them.”

The next day our maneuver practice, under his command, assured us that Fulton was not just our military leader, but our friend. He was one of us; he never tried to intimidate us with his rank.

That night, he repeated his prayer session. Although our group had trained together for six months at least, I had never seen anyone kneel in prayer, and had no idea that any of our group was Catholic; but the third night three of our companions joined Fulton in saying the Rosary. The rest of us did not understand but we kept a respectful silence.

A few nights later — we were quick learners — we all answered the Hail Marys and Our Fathers. Fulton looked pleased, and thus we ended each day in prayer.

On June 1, 1940, we were to leave Halifax to begin a series of night raids from England over Germany. The evening before, Fulton gave each of us a Rosary.

“We shall be in some tight situations, but then, if you agree, we'll say the Rosary. If you will promise to keep the Rosary with you always throughout your life and to say it, I can promise you that Our Lady will bring you all back safe to Canada.”

We answered, “Sure thing.” Little did we dream we would be in action for four years, many times in dreadful danger with fire all around us. At such times, Fulton's voice would ring through each plane, “Hail Mary...” How reverently and sincerely did we respond! How many hundreds of Rosaries we must have said.

After two years, it was noted that ours was the only squadron that had not lost a plane nor a single life. We said nothing, but we knew.

Finally, the terrible war was over. During those years, we lost all sense of excitement and adventure. All that concerned us was survival! We did survive, too. All returned to Canada in 1945, fully convinced that Our Lady had taken care of us.

So I never forget to keep my Rosary with me and say it every day although I am not a Catholic. When I change my trousers, the first thing I transfer, even before my wallet, is my rosary.

[Judith Anne]

Heh. The rule about, “You can only argue using the Scriptures, and then only if I have the last word on the interpretation” — that’s their favorite.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

yeah - they really would do better to learn that on FR, the One Rulemaker is Jim R.; but then that would probably lead to some argument to us paying reverence to the Moderators as acting as “Other Jims”

[johngrace]

This might help you- http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2007/02/communion-of-saints-biblical-overview.html May God bless you

[Judith Anne]

ROFL!

[RnMomof7]

Judith where in the bible does it talk about the communion of saints?

[RnMomof7]

Judith it was no a trick question (what ever that is??) I asked a simple question ..was what he posted considered by him or the church as infallible teaching..because as we all know the church fathers often disagreed and in fact often held heretical ideas or doctrines..

[Dr. Eckleburg]

You've got about as much teaching authority as a shetland sheepdog.

Christians were asking for the intercession of the saints from the beginning--long before your sect was even a gleam in satan's eye.

Not "from the beginning." Not until much later when pagan sects and practices had creeped into some churches unaware.

But it's interesting how so many posts of Roman Catholic apologists grow increasingly snarky and personal and aggressive, especially when making correct Scriptural observations such as "praying to Mary is against the second commandment."

Funny. I don't see that vitriol when disagreements come up over Jesus Christ or justification or sacraments. Nope. That peculiar defensiveness is reserved for a woman, a defensiveness which knows no civility and is exhibited by those who have little understanding of the Bible or its admonishment not to bow down to the stock of a tree.

That's why so many Christians here find all this attention and adoration slavishly and fawningly showered on Mary to be more than a bit creepy.

Roman Catholic apologists' eyes are not on the prize; their hearts are turned away from Christ onto the creature; and worst of all, they seem to feel no shame for this clear error which elevates the earthly mother and thus, demotes our heavenly Father's Son.

Who is preeminent in that photo? In that church? In that faith?

[Judith Anne]

Judith where in the bible does it talk about the communion of saints?

As a failed Catholic who once taught a catechism class (do I remember that correctly?) I am quite certain that you already know the answer to that question. Therefore, I would call it another "trick question." A trick question is one that YOU know the answer to, you just want an opportunity to propagandize.

I am certain that you are aware that Catholics do NOT limit their beliefs to narrow interpretations of questionable translations of scripture.

[Judith Anne]

That's why so many Christians here find all this attention and adoration slavishly and fawningly showered on Mary to be more than a bit creepy.

YOUR opinion, YOUR slimy adjectives, and YOUR evaluation of others' behaviors. And that second photo has been discredited many times. Yet YOU keep posting it.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

And this could only help you...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

That photo has never been "discredited" except by those who don't like what it says about the papacy.

And certainly I'm speaking my opinions. Unlike some Roman Catholic apologists who just parrot Rome's instructions without a thought to what the Bible really says.

[Global2010]

Still twisting the truth.

Oh and better not ask your friends to Pray for your intentions when in need.

Please Lord Take the scales of of Dr. Eckleburgs eyes so that he may see.

May God have Mercy on you.
End.

[Judith Anne]

Very often, I think about what the Bible says. Which translation is authoritative, to you, by the way? Which translation is inerrant? Which instructions do any Catholics here “parrot” without a thought to what the Bible really says?

[Judith Anne]

Dr. Eckleburg is not a he, and not a doctor.

[Manic_Episode]

If you were to ask me "So have you stopped beating your wife yet?" you would not be asking me an honest question, you would be falsely accusing me of beating my wife, a lie.

So far you have falsely accused me of saying that when people die their souls are dead, and of saying that sarcasm is a sin. Lies.

You seem to be hung up on me saying that gentiles are exempt from levitical law even tho I referenced Galatians to back my case.

Perhaps I should have referenced Acts 15 instead or in addition:

Acts 15:5-11

5Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." 6The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

=============================================

You act as tho I am making things up, but here it is clear as day for you. I had assumed that since you were arguing doctrine that perhaps you knew or understood your bible.

I will say it again: Gentiles are exempt from Levitical law.

We are not Jews so we don't need to follow Jewish law.

This does not mean that sin is not sin.

Necromancy is a sin but no one is required to stone anyone over sin.

You asked for a definition for necromancy but again I answered your question before you asked it a few posts up. Perhaps you were still typing.

[Desdemona]

I have to run, but the top photograph is taken from one of four chapels in one church. Yes, I know which church it is, because I belong to that parish. Every Sunday morning I see that particular statue walking to the back of the Cathedral to process behind the cross. Yes, it is known as the Mary Chapel, but you’re cherry-picking. The focus of that specific church is Christ and anyone who thinks otherwise has never seen the Crucifix or the Mosaic in the east transcept or the Blessed Sacrament Chapel or the Sacred Heart Shrine. There’s no doubt who the focus in that parish is. None.

[rbmillerjr]

Beware..........

................

[Judith Anne]

We? My mother was a Jew. By Levitical law, so am I. But I am now Catholic. What should I do? You seem to have the authority of the Scriptures, so tell me — according to the Scriptures, am I subject to Levitical law or not?

[Global2010]

I am stating my bead making on vacation next week.

Chaplets for my first attempt.

Have had the beads/crosses/medals for over a year just pondering what to do.

The Dachshand is a busybody uh hum, lap dog spoiled.

And the Labs get in the act too with their tails.

Leaving for a R and R from KV care so the beads are coming with.

[Judith Anne]

Okay................

I will..............