(318) The Role of the Shepherds and the Magi in Salvation History

AMDG

A group of shepherds were guarding their flock of sheep.  It was a silent night, a holy night, a peaceful night when suddenly, an angel of God delivered a startling message to the poor shepherds while the Magi are on their way following the star to the new born king as we relive the Christmas narrative on the holiest of nights year after year, each year filled with fresh new hope.  It never gets old!

      The most epic event in human history is the birth of Jesus Christ.  In His mercy and infinite love for each one of us God kept the promise He made to Adam and Eve upon evicting them from Paradise because of their grievous sin.  The word was made flesh!  He sent a redeemer, the Messiah…..His only Son to humble Himself and become one of us, both God and man, to teach us how to live and save us from our sins through the cross.  

    He went through many of the same hardships, discomforts, and struggles that each one of us has to endure in our human condition.  We all must suffer He did too, but much, much more so.  Civilization had to wait some 4000 years, but the promised day arrived.  God is with us in a much more intimate way.     

      The God-Man, was born to be a savior, the King of the Universe, a priest to sacrifice Himself for us, and a prophet that speaks for God His Father.  This figure who was destined to change the world, was born in a cold stable of poor parents with only the breath of the animals to keep Him warm.  There was no room in the inn.  Joseph and Mary improvised a bed in a manger (a feeding trough for the animals) and straw. 

Nobody in the world took notice, certainly not the elite in power, certainly not the most powerful Roman emperor, but God did reveal this epic news to a group of poor Jewish shepherds, looked down upon by society and some learned Magi from a pagan land.  They knew this was an epic event, that a special new king was born, but had no idea of the earth shaking implications.

      Why did God choose to first tell a group of poor smelly ignorant shepherds this epic news?  As described in the Gospel of Luke: “Now there were shepherds in the region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flocks.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were struck with great fear.  The angel said to them: ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger’ And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angels, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will’.  We repeat this joyful exclamation as part of the “Gloria” at most Masses on Sundays.

      God vividly demonstrated that even the lowest members of society have the same dignity. created for eternity according to the image and likeness of God Himself.  It showed that Christ chose to identify Himself with the poor and loves them the same as everyone else.

    Furthermore, God did not forget that the Jews will always be His chosen people regardless how much they may stray away from Him.  The shepherds were Jews; Christ is a Jew; Mary and Joseph are Jews.  After all, He first came for the Jews.  Salvation came to us through the Jews and they deserve all of our respect and gratitude for that.  It is no coincidence that St. Pope John Paul II was a great friend of the Jews despite the prejudice around him.

The Magi (the Three Wise Men) follow the star to the new born Christ the King.  May we never lose sight of the star; that is to always follow our God, Christ the King and the teachings of His Church.

      Why did God choose a group of pagan Magi to be part of the Christmas narrative?  They were educated and men of learning.  However, they were deep into astrology.  They observed something very different in the cosmos, an apparent star, much larger than any star they previously observed.  They interpreted that as indicating that an epic event had occurred.  A new and powerful King was born!  They felt a compulsion to follow that star and pay homage to the new born king.

      Who were the Magi or Wise Men?  Where did they come from?  It is commonly thought that the Magi came from north of Palestine, probably present day Iran.  Most likely they came from the east, one of the neighboring kingdoms, as pointed out in the Gospel of Matthew.  North and east are Islamic lands.  Either scenario presents to us a common bond with our Muslem brothers. 

Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all profess to have Abraham as their father.  Islam even honors Mary as the most perfect woman that God has created.  It’s in the Quran!  All three religions believe in the one true God although not in the same way.  Muslims believe in Christ as a prophet, but not as God.  With so much in common why can’t we treat each other as brothers?

 What was this star of Bethlehem?  According to Church tradition, the Star of Bethlehem was a divine sign announcing the incarnation   There are different theories.  One says that the star was a super nova, and overgrown star so to speak.  According to another theory, it was the conjunction of Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn in 7 BC.  That would be very bright.  Others simply believe that it was a miraculous light that did not behave as a celestial body and disappeared when the Magi found the house where the Holy Family stayed. 

According to the most recent theory as postulated by a NASA planetary scientist, Dr. Mark Matneh published in a recent paper for the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, it was not a star, but a comet.  See https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-research-the-star-of-bethlehem-was-not-a-star/ar-AA1Sj785?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=693ee1f50e954469b045d0b0adc58116&ei=11.  He examined the description of an ancient comet recorded by Chinese observers in 5 BC as passing through our solar system.  According to his analysis, the timing aligns with historical estimates that place Jesus’ birth between 6BC and 5BC.  Furthermore, the scientist claims that the path of the comet closely follows the narrative described in Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew.  In any event God allowed this epic event, the birth of Christ, God becoming man, to coincide with some cosmic event.  

    The most important message that God sent through the Magi was that his Son came not only for the Jews, but for all of humanity!.....believer and unbeliever, the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated.  And Christ gave each one of us the mission “to teach all nations”….to spread the work among all the nations.  Each one of us has a part, be it in little or big ways…….by prayer, by example, witness, word, or deed.

    According to St. John Chrysostom, the Magi brought gold for Christ the King, frankincense to honor Him as God, and myrrh for Christ as man at his burial.  This brings up an interesting question; how did the Magi know all this?  Inspiration? Revelation?  This inspired the following quote from St. Alfonsus Liguori. 

      

Christ’s mission is ongoing through us.  He has given us everything we need to achieve salvation.  The Church He founded continues in us.  The Mass, the Eucharist, and the other sacraments nurture us and give us strength and graces to continue our journey to eternity.  The pastoral work of the Church continues as God calls young men to the priesthood and all of us to the apostolate in some form through serving each other in our families, in our jobs, in our parishes, in our communities, and charitable works.  The Church’s moral  teaching fosters social justice and facilitates a civilized and orderly society. 

Christ promised that He would always be with us and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church”.  Over the centuries they have not prevailed despite intense persecution, wars, internal corruption at times, and one crisis after another. 

When governments would neglect education, the Church was there with schools, colleges, and universities.  When governments neglected health care, the Church was there with hospitals and clinics.  When babies were abandoned and left to die, the Church rescued them and provided orphanages.  When the needs of the poor were neglected, the Church stepped in with Catholic charities in each diocese or religious orders to carry the burden in their missionary work.  What motivates the charitable work of the Church and His followers is Christ Himself: “Whatever you do to the least of mine, you do unto me.”

Every time that the Church is in crisis, God raises up great men and women, i.e., saints to guide us. 

The Church promoted beauty and art through the centuries in magnificent churches, sacred music, and works of art for all to enjoy and experience.  In all of its endeavors the Church has promoted the true, the good, and the beautiful, constantly giving us a taste of Heaven.  “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”……”All for the glory of God” as St. Ignatius Loyola promoted in the Jesuit order he founded.  May we always follow our God, Christ the King and His teachings.  Hail Christ the King!  Viva Cristo Rey!   

APPENDIX

Some Thoughts on Advent and Christmas

(1^st Sunday of Advent) Let’s prepare well for the great feast of Christmas during this Advent season with perhaps more prayer, some daily Mass attendance, Rosary, spiritual reading, good works, almsgiving, sacrifice as Our Lady of Fatima asked for the conversion of sinners (including us), a Christmas confession, etc.  EWTN Cable, Satellite, or internet at www.ewtn.com or more direct at www.ewtn.com/tv/watch-live can be a big help with a tremendous variety of Christmas programming.........daily Mass four times a day, Rosary four times a day, Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 pm, News M-F at 6 & 9 pm, talk shows, men's programming, women's programming, kids programming, documentaries, etc.   The EWTN website has a schedule at www.ewtn.com/tv/schedule.  

Don’t let the Grinch steal Advent and Christmas which is so much more than parties, buying gifts, and decorations.  Let’s wait with the Jews across four millenniums in joyful anticipation for the arrival of the Messiah (Savior) that God promised after the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden.  Let us prepare our hearts for this epic event in history.

(2nd Sunday of Advent) Put Christ Into Christmas.  Every year the Knights of Columbus have a “Put Christ into Christmas” campaign all over the United States.  Use Advent to prepare yourself spiritually for the great feast of Christmas.  Advent is for preparation and Christmas itself is celebration.  Then you’ll be more effective in putting Christ into Christmas.  We are counting on all of the faithful members of our parish to help us promote it.  Every oone of us can do something!  The easiest and the most important is to greet people with “Have a blessed Christmas”; “May you have a Joyful Christmas”; etc.  You can add “Remember the reason for the season”.  “Happy Holidays” is a surrender to secularism.  Use the Christmas in Art postage stamp on mail.  Use religious Christmas cards with a Nativity scene, the shepherds, or the Magi……not teddy bears, elves, snow men, sleighs, reindeer, etc.  

Put a little Nativity scene under your Christmas tree and perhaps one in front of your house.  Have your sing along Christmas carols at home or CDs be mostly religious.  Teach your kids and grandchildren about the REAL Christmas and your friends too when the opportunity arises.  You can read them good Christmas stories about our Lord Jesus Christ becoming one of us to teach us how to live and save us from our sins.  Don’t let the Grinch (Secularism) steal Advent and Christmas!

December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas and patroness of the Unborn.  Mary actually appeared pregnant with the Christ child to St. Juan Diego in 1531.  She is arguably the greatest missionary of all time.   After the Church lost about 8 million people to the Protestant Reformation, in a matter of about eight years she replaced that and more by converting over 8 million Indians who formerly offered babies and prisoners as human sacrifices to their false gods.  

Her image that appeared on the tilma of St. Juan Diego was full of messages that only the Aztec Indians could understand.  For more details, go to paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com #104, 105, & 199.  You can see this unique image at her shrine in Mexico City. It is the most visited shrine in the whole world.     

(3rd Sunday of Advent) Why Are We Doing All This For Christmas?  Think of the Christian origins of the Christmas tree, lights, gifts, Santa Claus, and other customs.  Let’s think of the Christmas feast as an opportunity to bring family together with pastry and decorations as a welcome into our domestic church, our home……as celebration of the epic event of the ages……the Son of God becoming one of us to teach us how to live and save us from our sins (reparation on the cross) so that we can enter Heaven.  Let’s look at lights in terms of Christ, the light of the world and giving glory to God.  We give gifts as acts of love, especially to charity because Christ gave himself to us on the cross and in the Eucharist.  May we recognize that the real Santa Claus was St. Nicholas who gave gifts to poor children.  Let’s promote what Christmas (NOT Xmas) really is with our kids, grandchildren, and friends.  Christmas is not a holiday; it’s a HOLY DAY!  Wishing people "Happy Holidays" is a cop out.  

Make sure there’s a REAL Christmas in your home.  So MERRY CHRISTMAS, everybody and may the Christ child bless you richly.  Be ready spiritually to welcome the Christ child on Christmas Day into a pure heart after a Christmas confession.  Christmas carols are much more meaningful if sung on Christmas Eve and later as we relive the Christmas story for the ages.  Let’s not forget the “REASON FOR THE SEASON”.

Keep in mind the extensive Advent and Christmas programming on EWTN for the whole family, different programs to suit all ages.  Get the most out of Advent and Christmas by taking advantage of your parish church and EWTN Cable, Satellite, and streamed on the internet at www.ewtn.com/tv/watch-live.  The Christmas programming increases in frequency until the climax on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day live from Rome and the USA.  The latest up to date EWTN program schedule can be found at www.ewtn.com/christmas.  Program guides can be found in the December 11 Church Bulletin and in the back of the church. 

(4^th Sunday of Advent) Why is Christmas so special?  It commemorates the most important birth in salvation and world history.  After the fall of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Paradise, namely the Garden of Eden, the gates of Heaven were closed and man had to face the miserable consequences of sin.  However, God in His mercy promised a redeemer, who would restore the special relationship between God and man on earth as well as in Heaven.  The Jews waited for 4000 years and finally the Archangel Gabriel made a startling announcement to a young virgin.  Mary accepted the awesome mission to be the Mother of the Savior.  The Son of God became one of us first as a beautiful baby that became a rugged and strong man in the person of Jesus Christ, both divine and human………promise fulfilled and more.  

He would teach us how to live and save us from our sins.  He would make reparation for all the sins of world past, present, and future, thus opening the gates of Heaven and eternal happiness for those who follow Him, thus breaking the bondage of sin.  He founded the Church to continue His work and administer the sacraments that He instituted.as sources of grace for the journey from here to eternity.  Over the centuries, the Church has promoted a civilization of love and fought for the inherent dignity and rights of every human being, no matter how poor or oppressed, imprisoned or enslaved from the womb to the tomb.  This Church has had a tremendous influence on the development of world civilization and serving the needy.  Magnificent churches and exquisite works of art pay tribute to God the Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity…….one indivisible God, yet three persons.

Let’s imitate the Holy Family as our model.  The Sunday after Christmas the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family.  Why not aspire to make your family holy like the Holy Family, our model?  That ideal is unattainable, but one or two steps in their direction is progress.  God will bless your efforts.  More attainable is to make your home a little domestic church as St. Pope John Paul II advocated..  The Holy Family certainly had a domestic church.  The Knights of Columbus has begun a program all over the country: “Building the Domestic Church While Strengthening the Parish”.   Our own St. Louis Church council is participating in this national program, which is crucial because the family is in crisis and the Church is in crisis.  

The knights are counting on the participation of your family to make your home a domestic church, i.e., a little church where Christ is the center of all activities.  One may ask:  “How do we do this?”  Just go to our Church Hall and take a look at our Domestic Church Kiosk.  It has a selection of 15 booklets that will help you to accomplish this very important mission.  In the comfort of your home read a booklet that interests you.  Put it back and take another.  The booklets will help the spiritual formation of you and your family.  Renew your family and you begin to renew the entire culture little by little, family by family.  It starts with you.  Make it a New Year’s resolution.

(317) Miracle Attributed to the Intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney As Described by the Supreme Knight Patric Kelly

 AMDG

The  unveiling of the statue of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York said the Mass for the acceptance of this gift of the Knights of Columbus.

It has now been five years since Father McGivney was declared “Blessed.” His beatification confirmed his personal holiness and heroic virtue. And it gave us hope that our founder will soon be numbered among the saints.  For us and for so many, Father McGivney is a source of hope. 

One family can uniquely attest to this. Earlier this year, they faced a parent’s worst nightmare. Their toddler was playing outside and, tragically, fell into the family pool. And when his mother and father found him, they couldn’t find a pulse. They rushed to the hospital, fearing their precious boy was gone. 

But he wasn’t. After 52 minutes of CPR — nearly an hour — the doctors finally heard a faint heartbeat. They stabilized him. But his body was so broken, they didn’t know if he’d survive. So the parents turned to God in prayer. And they also turned to Father McGivney. A priest brought them a first-class relic of our founder. And when the relic arrived, they immediately began a novena invoking the intercession of Blessed Michael.

Every day, they placed that relic on a different part of their son’s body. And every day brought more hope. They learned that his organs weren’t damaged beyond repair. They found that his lungs weren’t filled 28 with fluid. And against all odds, their son quickly regained his ability to eat and walk.

On the ninth and final day of their novena, their little boy was discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health. His parents wrote to us, saying that they’ve “never felt such deep despair turn to such sincere joy.” They attribute his recovery “to the intercession of Blessed Father McGivney entirely.”  Now this beautiful toddler can enjoy the magic of Christmas this year with his family.

This is just one of several remarkable healings attributed to Father McGivney. And each one renews our hope. And we give thanks to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate source of our hope. The Lord is at the center of all we do. And after 143 years, he continues to guide the Knights of Columbus. We have come further than Father McGivney ever imagined. But we’ve only gone where Christ has called us to go. Now he’s calling us to go even further. And we are ready.

Like every generation that came before us, we will move forward — in charity, unity and fraternity. We will serve our Lord by serving others. And we will sacrifice for them, like he did for us.  It is an honor to join all of you in this great work. Now let us put our faith into action once again — as heralds of hope in all we do. Vivat Jesus!  “The world is searching everywhere for hope — in science, in politics, in ideology. But the world will find it only in Jesus Christ, the author of hope.

(316) Chaplain Major General Francis L. Sampson: He Jumped with His Men During the Normandy Invasion & the Battle of the Bulge

 AMDG

A Review of an Article By Lawrence P. Grayson

Chaplain Major General Francis L. Sampson

      The Normandy Invasion. It was early morning June 6, 1944 about 1 am.  All Normandy (France) and the German troops were still asleep as the largest armada ever was preparing to invade …..5000 ships and 200,000 men as part of Operation Overlord.  It was D-Day!  At the same time 882 U.S. planes dropped 13,000 troops of the 82^nd and 101^st Airborne divisions behind enemy lines.  The mission was to secure a number of causeways and create safety zones where gliders could land at first light to bring in enforcements. 

    Among those dropping in the dark sky was Fr. Francis L. Sampson, a young Catholic chaplain, making his first combat jump.  Landing in a deep stream, he cut away his hundred-twenty-plus-pound pack and was dragged into shallower water before he could unbuckle his chute. He then repeatedly dove into the water to retrieve his weapons:…..a Mass kit and holy oils for anointing the severely wounded.

       Fr. Francis joined other paratroopers and they made their way to a French farmhouse that was being used for those who were severely wounded or injured in the jump.  A Protestant chaplain was already there and the two of them provided first aid for most of the day.  When it was clear that some of the men needed a doctor’s care, Chaplain Sampson left to find the regimental aid station. Shortly after locating it, a decision was made to pull out.  The chaplain volunteered to remain with the men who could not walk.

        At dawn, German troops overran the house. Two soldiers took the priest outside and raised their rifles to shoot him, when a German NCO, a Catholic, stopped them.  After being interrogated, Fr. Sampson was allowed to return to the wounded. That night, the house was shelled and partially collapsed killing several men. Later that day, the Americans regained the position, and the priest accompanied the injured to the division hospital.

Here there were 500-600 wounded men.  As the injured were continually coming in, Fr. Francis assisted the division chaplain in spiritually administering to both American and German casualties.  The next day, he went to the newly established division cemetery, where several hundred bodies lay wrapped in parachutes.  He read the internment ritual and remained for the burials. Fr. Sampson was in combat for another three weeks, working with aid men to rescue the wounded, offering Mass, hearing confessions, anointing the dying, and praying for the dead.

       The Battle of the Bulge. All of this began with a farm boy in Iowa.  Ordained in 1941, he served briefly as a parish priest before enlisting in the Army, early the following year.  While in Chaplains School, he volunteered for the paratroopers and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.  In September 1944, three months after his experiences in Normandy, Chaplain Sampson took part in an airborne assault on Holland.  

    When the men were moving to their planes, the chaplain stood outside the hangar shaking hands and blessing the men. Upon jumping behind enemy lines, he and the regimental doctor set up an aid station in a castle.  Fr. Francis went to find the commanding officer to inform him of their position. While he was away, the Germans seized the castle and everyone inside.

     Here there were 500-600 wounded men. As the injured were continually coming in, Fr. Francis assisted the division chaplain in spiritually administering to both American and German casualties. The next day, he went to the newly established division cemetery, where several hundred bodies lay wrapped in parachutes.  He read the internment ritual and remained for the burials.  Father Sampson was in combat for another three weeks, working with aid men to rescue the wounded, offering Mass, hearing confessions, anointing the dying, and praying for the dead.

In December, the German forces began a massive offensive.  The 101st was ordered to hold a vital crossroads at Bastogne.  Learning that a number of American paratroopers were machine-gunned and left on a nearby road, Fr, Francis took a jeep to aid them.  He ran into a German unit and was taken prisoner.

In the ensuing days, he and a growing contingent of Allied prisoners were marched from Belgium through Luxembourg to Germany.  On Christmas Eve, with the prisoners confined in a school auditorium, American planes bombed the area. Fr. Sampson led the men in prayer and song and spoke of the presence of Christ among them.  Over a ten-day period, the prisoners had been marched 185 miles.  Some 1,500 of them then were herded into overcrowded boxcars, where they remained for almost six days.  Given neither food nor water, their only sustenance was snow scraped from the tops of the boxcars as they traveled to their destination, Stalag II-A Neubrandenburg, a prison camp in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in northern Germany.

Fr. Francis was the only Catholic priest among the 950 Americans in a camp that held some 26,000 prisoners of various nationalities.  He had the men build a chapel in his barracks, where he held daily Mass and a non-denominational prayer service twice a week. As the war drew to a close, restrictions on the prisoners eased.  On Good Friday, Father Sampson led the men in the Stations of the Cross, and gave an hour’s meditation on the life of Christ.  On Easter Sunday, he joined with French, Dutch and Polish Catholic priests, who were imprisoned, to celebrate together a Solemn High Mass for several thousand prisoners.  In April 1945, after four months in the Stalag, the Russians liberated the camp.

       Korea.  After the war, the Military Ordinariate, Francis Cardinal Spellman.asked Fr. Francis to reenlist. When the Korean War started, the Chaplain was with the 11th Airborne Division.  Shortly after the Americans landed at Inchon, the North Koreans retreated across the 38th parallel, with the 1st Cavalry Division in pursuit. The 11th Airborne was ordered to cutoff the fleeing enemy and rescue some 2,000 American prisoners.

.

    However, they had been moved.  Although they did not rescue the Americans, they were able to capture several thousand North Korean soldiers.  As the Chinese had entered the war, the Americans were severely outnumbered and retreated south.  Fr. Francis was busy ministering to the men.

       Fr. Sampson remained in the Army, assuming increasing responsibilities.  In 1967, he was appointed Chief of Chaplains of the Army, with the rank of major general.  After he retired in 1971, he was appointed as head of the USO that serves active duty soldiers on leave.  During the Vietnam War, he made annual Christmas visits to the troops, and was untiring in visiting wounded soldiers in hospitals.  He died in January 1996, having received many military honors, including the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism at Normandy and the Distinguished Service Medal.

(315) Video Message of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the 143rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus August 5, 2025

 AMDG

    The Coat of Arms of Pope Leo XIV is quite illustrative of the man.  The traditional keys at the top remind us of Christ’s words to St. Peter:  “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt. 16:19).

The upper half of the shield is blue with a fleur-de-lis, or lily, indicates purity, the Holy Trinity, devotion to Mary, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The lower half of the shield presents the figure of a closed book beneath a pierced heart aflame. The symbol refers to the conversion of St. Augustine, who described his experience as a personal encounter with God, about whom he wrote: “You have pierced my heart with your Word.”

Beneath the shield on the coat of arms is Pope Leo’s episcopal motto in Latin, “In Illo Uno Unum.”  As St. Augustine explained,  “Although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.  We are many and we are one — because we are united to him”. 

      For the first time in history we have a pope who is one of our own, an American!  Thus he was able to give the knights of the Supreme Convention and television viewers a video speech in our own language without a foreign accent or need for a translator.  The text of his video message to the Supreme Convention is below.

Dear friends,

I am pleased to greet all of you gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 143rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. I also greet those who are participating virtually in these opening ceremonies.

You are meeting during the Jubilee Year of Hope, which encourages the Universal Church, and indeed the entire world, to reflect on this essential virtue, which Pope Francis described as “the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring” (Spes Non Confundit, 1). I’d like to reflect briefly with you on this important virtue.

As Catholics, we know that the source of our hope is Jesus Christ and he has sent his followers in every age to bring the good news of his saving Paschal Mystery to the entire world. The Church has always been called to be a sign of hope through the proclamation of the Gospel in words as well as in actions. In a particular way during this Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.

Your founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, understood this well. He saw the many needs of immigrant Catholics and sought to bring relief to the poor and suffering through his faithful celebration of the sacraments as well as through fraternal assistance, fraternal assistance which continues on to this day.

This year’s Convention has the timely theme of “Heralds of Hope,” reminding all Knights of Columbus of the invitation to be signs of hope in your local communities, parishes, and families. In this regard, I commend your efforts to bring together men in your communities for prayer, formation, and fraternity, as well as the many charitable efforts of your local Councils throughout the world. In particular, your generous service to vulnerable populations, including the unborn, pregnant mothers, children, those who are less fortunate, and those affected by the scourge of war, brings hope and healing to many and continues the noble legacy of your founder.

With these brief words, I offer my good wishes for the work of the Supreme Convention, which I entrust to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and to the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney. And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

(314) How Mary's Rosary Changed the Course of World History: The Epic Battle of Lepanto in 1571

AMDG 

A painting of the fleet of the commander, Don Juan being blessed by our Lord and His mother, depicted in the upper left corner. 

      A 13 Century Struggle.  Throughout world history, Mary has nurtured the faith and brought millions of people to her Son.  Many of us know of her role in the evangelization of Latin America with her message and her miraculous image as Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531, her role in healing as Our Lady of Lourdes since 1858, her prophetic warnings at Fatima in 1917 calling for repentance and to pray the rosary for peace.  But do you know that the War on Terror is just another chapter in a 1300 year struggle between Christian Western Civilization and Radical Islam bent on conversion by military conquest and Mary had an important role in protecting the Faith?  Mary is the greatest missionary of all time!  

The Quran (2:190-93) states: "And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out.”  See http://www.clearquran.com/quran-chapter-002.html and http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/violence.aspx.  The Quran does say, “Kill the infidels”.  That’s us.  Radical Islam takes that literally.  Over the years the Moors conquered much of once Christian Northern Africa and a large part of Spain.  The Turks (Ottoman Empire) conquered the Holy Land (the Crusades failed) as well as parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans,

      During those 1300 years, Radical Islam terrified Europe and was well on its way to conquering all of Europe at least four times.  Charles Martel stopped the advance of the Saracens into France and the rest of Europe in 732 in the Battle of Tours.  They however occupied much of Spain and Portugal for the next 700 years.  Godfrey de Bouillon won a major victory at Jerusalem in 1099 as part of the First Crusade, but other crucial battles followed in the second millennium.  The victory at the Battle of Belgrade in 1456 was a big help.  Each time, the people appealed to Mary to save Western Civilization from radical Islam and each time they stopped the advance in three decisive battles.  Otherwise, Western Europe would be Muslim today.

       It was October 7, 1571, only a few years after the disastrous 1535 Protestant Reformation which Our Lady of Guadalupe anticipated by her 1531 apparitions to St. Juan Diego in Mexico.  The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) had already conquered much of Hungary (1541-1699).  Under Suleyman the Magnificent Islam conquered Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and northern Africa.  

       Again radical Islam threatened under Sultan Selim the Sot.  With a fleet of over 400 ships carrying some 30,000 soldiers under the command of Admiral Ali Pasha, they planned to conquer Malta, plunder, and control the Mediterranean Sea with its trade routes.  Since 1565 the Knights of St. John of were able to resist the Turkish siege of their island of Malta.  If the Turks would gain control of the Mediterranean Sea, all of Western Europe would be set to fall to radical Islam. 

       The people were afraid.  It was a time of tension and a battle was looming.  Pope St. Pius V ordered fervent prayer to Mary with a Rosary Crusade as he formed a Christian alliance (the Holy League) of forces of Spain, Venice, Genoa, Malta, and the tiny Papal fleet to defend Christendom under the command of the Austrian noble, Don Juan appointed by the Pope.  

       At dawn on October 7, the day of the epic naval battle, Pope St. Pius V himself led a group of the faithful to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray the rosary and ask Mary for her intercession.  People all over Europe were praying throughout the day.  Most had been praying the Rosary for the previous two years.  The future of Western Civilization was at stake!

Don Juan of Austria, the commander of the fleet of the Christian Alliance although still a young man in his twenties.  

That same morning in the Gulf of Patras in the Ionian Sea off of western Greece, the Catholic force of 208 ships, 30,000 soldiers and 50,000 oarsmen  under Don Juan of Austria met the superior Turkish forces of 330 ships (except for fire power and technology), flying the banner of Christ crucified under the standard of Our Lady of Guadalupe. They faced a Turkish armada of 400 ships with 37,000 enslaved rowers.  The Christian seamen were afraid, but very prayerful.  The Radical Muslims  were known to terrorize Christian ships and torture and execute prisoners.

A drawing of one of the ships of the Holy League

The Catholic fleet was sailing east from Messina-Sicily as the Ottoman fleet was sailing west from its base in Lepanto-Greece.  On the night of October 6, with a favorable wind behind him, Ali Pasha moved his fleet westward toward the mouth of the Gulf of Patras to intercept the approaching ships of the Holy League. The two opposing fleets clashed!   It was like two armies fighting from floating platforms, the largest naval battle in history and the last fought with rowers.

In the thick of the naval battle, the winds suddenly shifted in favor of the Europeans and the Turks were routed. It was the first defeat ever for the dominant Turkish Navy.  The alliance took 10,000 prisoners and sunk or captured 167 Turkish ships.  For a summary and illustrations go to TRIBUTE TO THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO. 

Details of the Battle. Robert McMullen gives an excellent summary of the battle in detail in his article, "Remember Lepanto!" at http://www.traditioninaction.org/History/A_001_Lepanto.html

Don Juan then pulled up anchor and moved to engage the Turkish fleet in the Gulf of Lepanto, off the southern coast of Greece. The Turkish fleet, some 330 ships strong, under the command of Ali Pasha, had been reinforced by Uluch Ali, the Bey of Algiers, and head of the notorious band of Moslem corsairs (pirates) that had long terrorized Catholic ships in the Mediterranean.

Don Juan of Austria in battle, at the bow of the ship in hand to hand combat.  Painted by Juan Luna y Novicio.

At dawn, on October 7, 1571, the two fleets met. Don Juan split his fleet into three sections: on the left (north), the Venetians under Agostin Barbarigo; on the right (south), Andrea Doria led the Genoese and Papal galleys; in the center, Don John commanded his flagship and galleys. Santa Cruz, with a force of 35 Spanish and Venetian ships, was held in reserve. He ordered his captains not to fire until “close enough to be splattered with Moslem blood.” The iron rams were removed from the Christian ships, as the plan was for boarding and close quarter fighting. Two of the large Venetian galleasses were towed into position in front of each of the three Christian divisions.

Ali Pasha's fleet approached in a giant crescent formation, and seeing the opposing fleet, he also ordered his fleet split into three divisions. Ali Pasha himself took up the middle position opposite Don Juan, and charged forward to engage Don Juan's ships. The Venetian galleasses opened fire, and almost immediately eight Moslem ships were hit and began to sink. The Catholic galleys, their decks filled with soldiers, opened fire with arquebuses (1) and crossbows as the Moslem ships drew alongside. Ali Pasha's men attempted to board the Catholic ships, but the Spanish soldiers were experienced and well disciplined. Attack after attack was beaten back with deadly shots from their crossbows and arquebuses.

Fresco of the Lepanto battle plan by Antonio Danti

Don Juan ordered the ship of Ali Pasha to be boarded and taken. Two times the boarding attack of the Spanish soldiers was beaten back, but on the third attempt they swarmed over the deck, now awash in blood, and took the ship. Ali Pasha was captured and beheaded on the spot (against the wishes of Don Juan), and the Battle Flag of the Ottoman Fleet came down off the mainmast. The head of the Turkish admiral was spitted on a long pike and raised on high for all the enemy ships to see. The Turkish attack in the center collapsed, and Don Juan sent his ships in pursuit of the retreating Turks, and also turned to aid in the battles raging on his flanks.

On the Catholic right, Uluch Ali and his pirates had broken through Doria's lines and managed to capture the flagship of the Knights of St. John. Santa Cruz, seeing what had happened, came up to the rescue, and Uluch Ali was forced to abandon his prize. The Genoese were in a fight for their lives with the remainder of Uluch Ali's ships, but after Don Juan had broken the enemy fleet in the center, he turned and came to the aid of the Genoese. The Algerian corsairs were finally overcome, and fled for their lives in full retreat.

Admiral Mahomet Sirocco, commanding the Turkish right (on the Catholic left), sailed close to the rocks and shallows on the northern shore of the gulf and was able to outflank Barbarigo's Venetian galleys. Barbarigo's flagship was surrounded by eight enemy galleys, and the Catholic Admiral fell dead from Turkish arrows. His flagship was taken for a time, but aid finally arrived, and Sirocco's flagship galley was sunk. The Turkish admiral was yanked out of the water, and, like Ali Pasha, killed right on the spot.

The engagement lasted, all total, around four to five hours. When it was all over, 8,000 men who had sailed with Don John were dead and another 16,000 wounded. The Turks and Uluch Ali's corsairs had over 25,000 dead, and untold thousands more wounded and captured. Over 12,000 Catholic galley slaves had also been rescued from the Moslems. The Venetian galleasses had taken a heavy toll on the Turkish fleet. It was a major victory for the Holy  League and Christendom.  

When news of the victory finally reached Europe, church bells rang out in cities all across the continent. The Battle of Lepanto was a decisive victory, with only 40 of the over 300 Moslem ships surviving the engagement. The Turkish force of some 75,000 men was in ruins.

Our Lady of Victory. It was clear to all that the Rosary made the difference!  Despite not receiving any news of the victory, Pope Pius V was inspired by a vision to suddenly interrupt his meeting later in the day and exclaim: “Our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Catholic army.”  

Later in thanksgiving Pope Gregory XIII established the Feast of the Holy Rosary or initially Our Lady of Victory on October 7.  Europe was somewhat secure for the next hundred years while the Turks rearmed.  Due to friction in the alliance, they did not follow up on their great victory by completely destroying the Ottoman fleet.  The alliance unraveled in 1573.

 MOTHER MARY, WE ASK YOU TO INTERCEDE FOR PEACE in our world today as a revived radical Islam again threatens us.  BRING US BACK TO YOUR SON. 

Christianity and Islam both revere Mary as the ideal woman.  The Quran devotes an entire chapter to her.  There is a reason that Mary chose the village of Fatima, which the Moors named after Fatimah, the favorite daughter of Mohammed.  May Mary use these commonalities and connections to evangelize the Muslims, our brothers, and bring us world peace

Today there are predictions that Western Europe will have a Muslim majority by 2050 if present trends continue…….something they could not do by military conquest.  Because of widely practiced contraception and abortion, the population of Christian Europeans is decreasing while the population of Muslim immigrants, welcomed to satisfy the labor shortage in an aging population, is increasing.  Correctly believing that contraception and abortion are immoral, they multiply.

The Rosary changed the course of World History in 1571.  Imagine what it can do for you today!