Rosary Rally Homily
75th Anniversary of Father Peyton’s First Rosary Rally
Saturday, November 16, 2024 – Luke 1:26-38
Fifty-two years ago, on a Sunday afternoon in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, a typically large crowd of pilgrims had gathered in a back corner of the great church to admire, among so many other works of art, Michelangelo’s famed Pieta. They marveled at the craftsmanship and skill of the Renaissance sculptor. They were touched and stirred to their hearts, like so many of us have been, by the image itself: Mary holding in her arms the lifeless body of her son, Jesus.
Suddenly, from the midst of the crowd, a man leapt over the altar rail and began smashing the statue with a hammer. By the time the attacker was subdued, he had struck the statue fifteen times, leaving behind some fifty large pieces of marble and over 150 fragments scattered about. The virgin’s arm was broken, fingers were destroyed, and her face was badly damaged.
News of the attack quickly spread throughout the world that the statue was damaged beyond repair. But Vatican art historians and conservationists weren’t ready to give up that quickly. They collaborated with experts in the arts and sciences to repair the statue and to restore it to its original beauty. Painstakingly, they labored for over a year until the day when the statue was finally put back on display in St. Peter’s Basilica, albeit now behind protective glass.
Their work was so meticulous that to the naked eye, no one could detect the areas of the statue that had been damaged – with one exception. At the request of then Pope Paul VI, one scar on the back of the virgin’s veil remains as a reminder of the attack and the brokenness of our world. Yet, the restored statue is far more a symbol of the goodness of creation when we set aside differences and work together as brothers and sisters to restore lost beauty.
Beauty and goodness lost because of the brokenness of our world and miraculously restored through faith. … In so many respects, this story of the Pieta serves as a metaphor for our journey of faith, for the life-giving presence of Jesus and for the role played in salvation history by Mary, the Mother of God.
What is Mary’s appeal? Why do we turn to her so often as we seek to navigate the complicated stories of our lives? Why was Father Peyton so intent on nurturing devotion to her through the praying of the rosary? … The answer is found in her life’s journey with God, conveyed so powerfully in today’s gospel. Listen to her words. “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” … Let’s reflect a bit on this incredible woman of faith. She speaks to us most poignantly not from her heavenly throne, but from the joys and struggles reflected throughout her journey of life and faith.
When we first meet Mary, she is the object of an ugly rumor. She is pregnant without a husband. That she was innocent and touched by the Holy Spirit simply wasn’t believed. … Isn’t Mary a source of comfort for all who have suffered from rumors and have had their reputations tarnished?
During our initial encounter with Mary in the scriptures, she reveals her anxiety and fear. When invited to become the Mother of God, Mary’s response is no different than what ours would be. “How can this be?” … Isn’t Mary like any of us who have ever wondered: “What does God want from me?”
And when her new-born son was sought after by those who wanted to destroy him, isn’t Mary like any mother who worries about her child and wants to protect him or her from all those individuals who trample souls and break hearts – drug dealers, child molesters and countless preachers of false values.
After Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph fled with their son to Egypt – a foreign land – like the millions of refugees and immigrants who wander our world in search of a better life for their children and are often, sadly, turned away.
When Jesus was a young man and appeared to be lost in Jerusalem during the Passover feast, the scriptures tell us that Mary and Joseph “did not understand.” … How many of you don’t understand your children’s decisions or choices?
As Jesus’ ministry grew, Mary heard rumors about him. She worried about his well-being and sought him out to protect him, only to discover that he was betrayed by one whom she had undoubtedly welcomed into her home many times.
She saw her son mocked and beaten as he hung on a cross, even while she was told to keep her distance. … And suddenly, every parent who has seen a child carted off to prison – or burdened with addiction – or confronted by divorce – or forced to endure some sort of “crucifixion” – understands that, like Mary, sometimes all we can do is pray and suffer in silence.
Finally, Mary cradled the dead and broken body of her only son in her arms and sobs uncontrollably. … Once more, she speaks to every parent who has ever lost a child – or someone we dearly love.
Mary has known all of life, as you and I experience it. And we called her blessed – not because she reigns today as Queen of Heaven – but because she walked our world and embraced it fully as a woman of faith and a disciple of her son, Jesus. Mary never believed that faith would somehow provide her with a perfect life, free from suffering and pain. Rather, her faith enabled her to see life in a hopeful way because of the life of Jesus, her son – and her Savior and Lord!
While each of the mysteries of the Rosary invite us to consider Mary’s place at a particular moment in salvation history, every mystery quickly yields to Jesus, through whose life, death and resurrection we are saved. In that movement, we discover Mary’s greatest gift to us: her example of faithful discipleship. She was the first to believe. And she is the model of all that the People of God, should be.
Mary is that instrument of God through whom beauty and goodness – lost because of the brokenness of our world – are miraculously restored through faith. Mary is a woman for all ages through whom God’s grandeur shines forth.
Pope Francis captured the gift of Mary in words that he shared during his visit to Mongolia in 2023, one of the smallest gatherings of the Church with barely fourteen hundred members. “Look to Mary, brothers and sisters, who showed that being little is not a problem but a blessing. Why? Because God loves littleness, and through it loves to accomplish great things, as Mary herself bears witness. … This is not how God works. Let us keep our gaze fixed on Mary, who in her littleness is greater than the heavens, for within her she bore the One whom the heavens cannot contain. So let us entrust ourselves to her, asking for a renewed zeal and an ardent love that tirelessly and joyfully bears witness to the Gospel. Go forward! God loves you. He has chosen you and he believes in you.” Amen!