The Year of the Eucharist, 2005, is coming to a close. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have spoken, as has the Synod of Bishops.  Much has been written; much more has been preached.  Yet, one rousing question remains: “Do I love Our Eucharistic Lord more now than I did one year ago today?”  The question is far too important for us to respond unassisted. 
   

    October is the Month of the Rosary.  It would be of great spiritual benefit for us to reflect on the Rosary and its profound relation to Our Eucharistic Savior.  Prayerfully, let us consult with Mary, The Woman of the Eucharist.
   

    Saint Dominic received the Rosary directly from the hands of Our Lady.  She commissioned him to spread this devotion throughout the world.  By a plan formed in heaven, the Virgin Mother desired to lead all mankind to her divine Son through the Mysteries of the Rosary.     Centuries later, in 1914, Mary appeared to the three children of Fatima.  She identified herself as: “The Lady of the Rosary.”   
   

    The Rosary is a Gospel Prayer.  All of the modern Popes have identified it as such.  Pope Pius XII called the Rosary, “A Compendium of the Gospels.”  Pope Paul VI taught us that the Rosary is a Gospel Prayer that focuses our thoughts on the redemptive Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross of Calvary.  The Holy Father presented it as an excellent preparation for the celebration of Mass and the devout reception of Holy Communion. 
   

    What better act of thanksgiving can we pray after Mass than the Mysteries of the Rosary, even if the constraints of time limit one to merely a decade?  Surely, she who stood at the foot of the Cross will enrich our devotion to the Eucharistic.
   

    Our Lady’s Rosary is a perfect prayer for holy hours and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Pope John Paul II said that as we pray the Rosary, “we contemplate the face of Christ with Mary.”
   

    The Rosary is a completely Catholic prayer.  It begins with the Apostle's Creed, which affirms our fidelity to the Roman Catholic Church.  Literally, we attend the School of Mary as we contemplate the reality of the Gospel events.  Our Lady of the Rosary is the Supreme Catechist who reveals to us the riches of Catholic faith. “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart"(Luke 2:19).
   

    Meditating on the Mysteries, we repeatedly pray the Ave of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail Mary! Full of grace!”  Pope Paul VI said that the Rosary is, "lyrical and full of praise during the tranquil succession of Hail Maries."  Pope John Paul I, “The Smiling Pope,” said that repetition of the Ave Maria during the Rosary, "sweetens the soul like a song." What a heart warming thought!
   

    The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary highlight the rapture of the Annunciation scene and Our Lady’s unique role in our Redemption.  The Mysteries of Light reveal that the Kingdom of God is now present among us in the very person of Jesus Christ.  In fact, the Fifth Mystery of Light can be said to be the high point of Sacred Scripture as we contemplate the Institution of the Eucharist on the night of the Last Supper.
   

    We relive Our Divine Savior’s Passion and Death by praying The Sorrowful Mysteries.  Jesus redeems us by His sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary.  Finally, we meditate on Our Lord’s complete triumph over sin, Satan and eternal death in The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. 
   

    “The contemplation of Christ’s face,” Pope John Paul II said, “cannot stop at the image of the Crucified One.  He is the Risen One!”  Jesus, the Risen Christ, is present among us until the end of time in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
     

    Saint Alphonsus de Liguori tells us that when Jesus said to His mother: “Woman behold thy son,” Mary became, the Mother of Mercy.  Thus, we know that Our Blessed Mother will never rest while her children are in danger of eternal destruction from the world, the flesh and the devil.  She therefore instructed the Fatima children to pray for the salvation of souls at the end of each mystery of the Rosary. “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins.  Save us from the fires of hell, especially those who are most in need of thy mercy.”
   

    My dear friends, is there one among us who can survive divine justice on the Day of Judgment?  Are we not in dire need of the infinite mercy of Jesus Christ?  Mary, the Mother of Mercy, leads us to Jesus as we pray the Rosary.  Mary, the Woman of the Eucharist, guides us to her divine Son, really, truly and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist.
   

    O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament divine!  All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!