Homily ~ for the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary Fr. Rick Pilger

October 7, 2026
Luke 1:26-38
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/1007-memorial-our-lady-rosary.cfm

She Bears Our Joys and Sorrows

How blessed we are to receive the gift of the Holy Rosary. Each prayer is a beautiful gift
from Jesus, given through his loving Mother, Mary. How great the joy of giving birth to
God’s Own Son, the 2nd Person of the Blessed Trinity. How deep her sorrow as she
walked the road to Calvary, kneeling beneath Him for 3 hours as He died. So, she
carries all our joys and sorrows in her Immaculate Heart and helps us bear them with
her strength.

Fr. Richard Leonard, SJ, recalls the story of a village outside Santiago, Chile, that was
terrorized on August 15, 1975. More than 300 men attending a parish council meeting
went missing. The village’s families were horrified to learn that their husbands, fathers,
and grandfathers had been tortured, imprisoned, and ultimately murdered under
General Pinochet. 
 
Later in November, their bodies were discovered, and they cried their hearts out as they
prayed the Rosary, reminding us of Mother Mary’s compassion. One Mother after
another, holding her child in her arms, cried out, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners now and at the hour of death.” 
 
A witness to this moving discovery said she had never felt a strong devotion to Mother
Mary and rarely prayed the Rosary. The image depicted—her white skin, blue veil, and
kind smile—seemed almost beyond her grasp. 
 
Her devotion shifted when she realized Mother Mary was bearing their shock, grief, and
anger. Mother Mary’s presence hit home when a mother on her way home told this lady,
“Mary knows what it’s like to bring a child into the world and claim his dead body in her
arms” (Preaching to the Converted, Richard Leonard, SJ, p. 372). 

Before her assumption, Mother Mary embraced her Son’s mercy toward those who
crucified Him. Her presence reminds us that she is with us, offering strength and
comfort in our pain. 

Gospel Challenge:
Mother Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven’s glory after her death because
she carried in her body and soul the pain and suffering of her Son. She heard Him pray,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

We all suffer to some degree, but this is not the time to forget how powerful our
Mother’s presence can be in challenging times. She is there, ready to support us. Every
Hail Mary brings her and her strength closer to us, so that her strength can be ours,
too. What is Mother Mary carrying with you at this moment?

Love Your Neighbor!
  
Father Rick Pilger, I.C.
 
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