Cardinal Blase J. Cupich

Letter from Cardinal Cupich asking faithful to pray rosary in October for the universal church

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

Pope Francis is inviting Catholics throughout the world to pray the rosary every day during the Marian month of October. The Holy Father encourages us to join him in this act of solidarity and penance, asking the Mother of God and St. Michael Archangel to protect the church from the devil, who always seeks to separate us from God and from each other.

In our day, the world and the church are suffering from divisions and discord and this has always been the tactic of the Evil One. In fact, earlier this month, Pope Francis preached on the Book of Job, which reminds us that prayer is the weapon against the Great Accuser who “goes around the world seeking to accuse.” Only prayer can defeat him.

In addition to the rosary, the Holy Father asks us to join him in praying two specific prayers. The first is well known in the tradition of Russian mystics and the great saints, who advised the faithful to take shelter beneath the mantle of the Holy Mother of God in moments of turbulence, by praying:

 

We fly to Thy protection,

O Holy Mother of God;

Do not despise our petitions

in our necessities,

but deliver us always

from all dangers,

O Glorious and Blessed Virgin. Amen.

 

The second is the prayer to St. Michael which was composed by Pope Leo XIII: 

 

St. Michael Archangel, defend us in battle,

be our protection against the wickedness

and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him,

we humbly pray; and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God,

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl

through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

 

I encourage all to join me in solidarity with the Holy Father, confident that prayer is a powerful resource in the life of the church which can unite us as the Body of Christ and protect us against from the forces that work to divide us.

Topics:

  • prayer

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