Vatican City, Oct 7, 2007 / 10:11 am
Marking the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary today, Pope Benedict XVI took the occasion to reflect on how “the Rosary is a means gifted by the Virgin Mary to contemplate Jesus and by meditating on his life to follow him and love him more faithfully.”
The Pope recalled that the month of October is dedicated to Mary and that during the month, we should “ponder with Mary the mysteries of our salvation and we ask the Lord, to help us grow in our understanding of the marvelous things that He has done for us.”
The Holy Father also noted how the month of October is dedicated to the missions. The highpoint of the month will be the World Day for Missionaries, which will be celebrated on Oct. 21.
Pope Benedict emphasized that, “the commitment to peace should be a mark of missionary work because true peace is spread where men and institutions open themselves to the Gospel,” and that “[t]he missionary aspect must be alive in every community.” The Pontiff finished his address by saying that this month gives Christians the opportunity to support all those who work on the Church’s missionary frontiers.