No, I do not believe we must pray the rosary for our salvation. The Church does not say that either. Vatican Council II strongly encourages prayer from Scripture–which is what A Catholic Moment does. That is my “go to” prayer, along with Adoration and mass. In 1917, if Mary had asked people to pray from Scripture, they could not have done it. The shepherd children at Fatima, and probably their parents, had very limited educations. The rosary is, of course, scriptural, but it is also a simple prayer that most anyone can learn. Fifteen or so years later Jesus gave Sr. Faustina the Divine Mercy chaplet. That is another simple prayer we can all say to beg God for mercy. Is the chaplet more or less potent than the rosary? What is most potent is what is said with most sincere attention to God and trust in him. All that being said, the rosary is well known, readily said, and easily said in a group. When said in a group with the other necessary conditions, it is a prayer with a plenary indulgence attached to it. And Mary said to say it. So I pray the rosary and ask God to make it as special to me as it is to some of my friends.

Malachi is considered eschatological writing–a style of writing that developed during the Babylonian captivity which continues in the book of Revelation and in the writings of many saints. It focuses on travail and the vision of God’s eventual triumph over evil as the world as we know is changed into a new heaven and new earth. In the writings Skip mentions, Jesus is being eschatological. The Church turns in that direction as we head into All Saints, All Souls, and the Feast of Christ the King.

There are some who see this anniversary of Fatima as a significant point in our journey to “end times.” There were those who thought of the year 2000 as a significant point. But “we do not know”.

There is plenty of evil in the world–plenty of greed, injustice, anger, fear, -isms, etc. But there has always been plenty of evil. That was why Jesus came–to show us how to live in justice, in beatitude, in virtue–so that we may build the Kingdom of God. There was a great public miracle at Fatima 100 years ago. It fostered “fear of the Lord” which Malachi names as prerequisite for God’s faithfulness to us. It fostered asking, seeking, knocking which Jesus names for us in today’s comments on prayer. But El is also VERY correct–there is no greater miracle than the miracle of the mass, of God coming down to be with his people EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR, ALL ACROSS THE WORLD–from Kenya to Puerto Rico to Las Vegas to North Korea to Afghanistan to Rome to….all of us.

Thank you, readers, for your comments and questions. They build among us world community, unity in diversity of faith.
Mary Ortwein