20251007 THE ROSARY IS A SYNTHESIS OF GOD’S GRACE AT WORK IN HISTORY
07 October 2025, Tuesday, Our Lady of the Rosary
First reading | Acts 1:12-14 |
The apostles all joined in continuous prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus
After Jesus was taken up into heaven the apostles went back from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a sabbath walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James. All these joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Responsorial Psalm | Luke 1:46-55 |
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk1:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 1:26-38 |
'I am the handmaid of the Lord'
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
THE ROSARY IS A SYNTHESIS OF GOD’S GRACE AT WORK IN HISTORY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 1:12-14; LK 1:26-38 ]
Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Although it is observed as a memorial in the liturgical calendar, it holds great significance in the lives of most Catholics, especially among many priests and religious, including bishops and popes. This is because the Rosary gives us a synthesis of God’s grace at work throughout human history. By meditating on the 20 mysteries of the Rosary — the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous mysteries — we contemplate a summary and synthesis of salvation history at work in our lives. More importantly, it is through the work of grace, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, that salvation has been made possible.
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples were told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not instruct them to pray, but to wait for the Spirit’s coming in Jerusalem. Yet, they knew from the example of Christ — at His baptism and through His teachings — that the Spirit would come in response to prayer. For this reason, the eleven apostles, the disciples, Mary, and some women, including Jesus’ relatives, were united in persistent prayer. Having all witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection, they gathered to pray together, showing their common life as the early Church.
But what does it mean to wait and pray? What prayer would they have been engaged in, if not one that recalled the work of salvation beginning with the call of Abraham — through the patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets — the Davidic dynasty, the divided kingdom, and the exile? They would have reflected on how God worked through their history: a story of grace and infidelity, and yet, through the faithful remnant, God called Israel to repentance and salvation. It was pure grace that God chose Israel to be His people — not because they were great, but because they were insignificant. As Moses said, “It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you–for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors.” (Dt 7:7-8)
Most of all, God in His kindness and mercy promised that the dynasty of David would last forever. “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.” (2 Sm 7:12-14) This was confirmed by the angel’s announcement to Mary: “Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the house of Jacob forever and his reign will have no end.” (Lk 1:31-33) Jesus, therefore, is the fulfilment of God’s promise to the House of David and the people of Israel.
This could happen only through the work of grace. God took the initiative by sending the angel Gabriel to Mary. In Luke’s Gospel, Mary is portrayed as a model believer in God. She was chaste, as highlighted by her description as a virgin, and she was betrothed to Joseph, who was of the royal line of David. Mary took God at His word, in contrast to Zechariah. She was obedient, believing, and prayerful — a follower of God’s law. Yet, the Gospel emphasizes not so much her holiness as her being the recipient of God’s unmerited grace. Despite all her virtues, God did not choose her based on merit, but purely out of grace. Hence, the angel greeted her saying, “Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Mary is the object of God’s unmerited grace. This is important; otherwise, we might think that Mary earned God’s favour. On the contrary, God was acting through her for the sake of Israel, His chosen people.
Secondly, salvation is accomplished through the operation of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel, the angel made this clear: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God.” (Lk 1:35) It was the same Holy Spirit who inspired Elizabeth to recognize Jesus in Mary’s womb when she said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” (Lk 1:42-45) Indeed, the Holy Spirit is the agent of change and transformation. This is why the Lord told His disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit before going out to proclaim the Gospel. When Jesus was on earth, He was the bearer of the Holy Spirit; He did everything through the power of the Spirit. Likewise, in the conception of our Lord, it was through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit that Mary conceived. The same Holy Spirit came upon her as He later came upon the Church at Pentecost, when the Church was born.
For this reason, Mary, in her Magnificat — which was our responsorial psalm — exclaimed in wonder and gratitude for the grace of God at work in her life and in the life of Israel: “My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. He looks on his servant in her nothingness; henceforth all ages will call me blessed. The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him.” Indeed, God worked marvels in Israel’s history. In the birth of John the Baptist, God showed His mercy by bringing forth the forerunner of the Messiah through an elderly couple who had been childless.
What is required of us, as the angel told Mary, is faith. “Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month; for nothing is impossible to God.” (Lk 1:36-37) It is through our willing cooperation with the Lord that salvation can take place. God does not demand blind faith but gives us signs of His power at work in us. The angel reminded Mary of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and later, Elizabeth confirmed Mary’s faith when she declared, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Lk 1:45) Faith is what is asked of us today on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The first two decades of the Rosary — the Annunciation and the Visitation — are examples of how we are called to reflect on the rest of the mysteries. Each mystery is a reflection on the lives of Jesus and Mary, and on how the Spirit of God was at work in every moment of their lives. The Holy Spirit was present in Jesus’ life from His infancy to His public ministry, and through His passion, death, and resurrection. In every event, we see the grace of God at work, helping them to overcome trials and fulfil their mission. Truly, God worked through various people to cooperate with His Son in bringing about the redemption of humanity.
As we reflect on the mysteries of the Rosary, may we too become more aware of how God is at work in our lives, just as He was in Mary, our Lord, and His disciples. Let us give thanks to God for His love and mercy. Like Mary, may we marvel at the way He shows His power, mercy, and grace in our daily lives, just as He did in the life of Jesus and Mary — at His birth, infancy, presentation in the Temple, flight into Egypt, baptism, ministry, transfiguration, passion, death, resurrection, Pentecost, and in Mary’s Assumption and Coronation. From beginning to end, it was the work of the Holy Spirit — His grace and mercy — at work for the salvation of humanity.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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