[Father Skloo - zah - check]

In addition to being Respect Life Month, October is also the month in which we commemorate Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7) and Mission Sunday (October 22).  As I was leaving the house to go to the airport for the trip to France on my recent pilgrimage, I grabbed something to read on the plane. I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit who led me to take the book, Lepanto, which had been sitting on my shelf for years, but I had not yet read. 
Lepanto is a great epic poem, written by the British poet and writer, G.K. Chesterton, in 1911. It commemorates the Battle of Lepanto, fought on October 7, 1571, in the Greek Isles. The edition I read, published in 2003, includes commentaries by Chesterton scholar Dale Ahlquist and others. I was struck by how relevant this poem, which describes a battle fought over 400 years ago, is to the situation of Christianity today. The battle of Lepanto was a key turning point in history. The poem describes how, despite the great odds against them, the Christian forces, under the leadership of the heroic Don John of Austria, triumphed over the Islamic forces that were set on conquering all of Christian Europe. Had the result of that battle been different, the status of Christianity would very well have been much decreased these last 400 years. 
The Christian victory at Lepanto was attributed to the praying of the Rosary. Pope Pius V called upon Christians throughout the world to pray the Rosary, offer Masses, and fast. Christian soldiers were given Rosaries and began the day in fervent prayer. Pope Pius V had a mystical vision of the battle, and knew its outcome well before official word reached him. He saw how the forces of prayer and penance were more powerful than cannon and sword. 

He instituted the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which

continues to be observed
annually throughout the Church on October 7.

Even though we are
living 435 years after this historic battle, the status of modern day Christianity is still very much threatened. 

There are many similarities

today to the situation in 1571. There are forces in our world that would like to see Christianity wiped out. Christians in many places are persecuted for their faith; in some places it is against the law to convert to Christianity. We may not experience this persecution directly here at home, yet we must be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. 
Pope Benedict just recently called upon all Christians to rediscover the beauty of the Rosary. In his Angelus message on October 1, he reminded us that the Rosary continues to be a powerful tool in achieving world peace.  He invited all of us to pray the Rosary, especially during this month of October, "in the family, in the community, and in parishes, for the Pope's intentions, for the Church's mission, and for world peace."  The Holy Father emphasized that the Rosary is a "Christocentric prayer, inseparable from meditation on Holy Scripture. It is the prayer of the Christian who advances on his pilgrimage of faith, following Jesus and preceded by Mary." 
Every weekday, before daily Mass, parishioners gather in our Chapel of the Angels to pray the Rosary.  Join them if you can. If not, pray the Rosary (or part of it) with your family at home, on your way to work, or in your personal prayer time. It's our best path to peace. 

THE FALL SERIES CONCLUDES Thursday, October 19, with Connecting with God in our Sorrow (includes a healing service). In our suffering, it may be difficult to find God or to feel His presence. What role does faith play in helping us get through our grief? Is it okay to question our beliefs and fears? What if we are angry with God? Learn more about the God connection as it relates to hurting times in our lives. Speaker is Maggie Philbrook, M. Div., St. Timothy's pastoral minister. The program is from 6:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at St. Timothy, 707 89^th Avenue NE, Blaine. Small support groups follow the speaker. Registration is taken, and childcare is free of charge. The spring 2007 Growing Through Loss series begins on Tuesday, February 20, at Roseville Lutheran Church. Watch The Forerunner newspaper for more information, or call Sue Amos Palmer, (651) 633-8333, ext. 1298.