THE ROSARY: A BRIEF HISTORY
*Taken from: "The Secret Of The Rosary" by St. Louis De Montfort
It was in the year 1214 that the Holy Mother Church received the Rosary in it's present form and according to the method we use today. It was given to St. Dominic who had received it form the Blessed Virgin as a powerful means of converting Albigensians and other sinners. St. Dominic, seeing that the gravity of people's sins was hindering the conversion of the Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near Toulouse where he prayed unceasingly for three days...and finally he fell into a coma.
At this point Our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by three angels, and she said:
"Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?"
"Oh, my Lady," answered St. Dominic, "You know far better than I do because next to Your Son Jesus Christ you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation"
Our Lady replied," I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefor if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter."
Saint Dominic arose comforted and burning with zeal for the conversion of the people...he made straight for the Cathedral. At once unseen angels rang the bells to gather the people together and St. Dominic began to preach.
At the very beginning of his sermon an appalling storm broke out, the earth shook, the sun was darkened, and there was so much thunder and lightning that all were very much afraid. Even greater was there fear when looking at a picture of Our Lady exposed in a prominent place they saw Her raise Her arms to heaven three times to call down God's vengeance upon them if they failed to be converted. To amend their lives. And seek the protection of the Holy Mother of God.
At last, at the prayer of St. Dominic the storm came to an end.
Inspired by the Holy Ghost, instructed by the Blessed Virgin as well as his own experience, St. Dominic preached the Holy Rosary for the rest of his life.
As long as priests followed St. Dominic's example and preached devotion to the Holy Rosary, piety and fervor thrived throughout the Christian world and in those religious orders which were devoted to the Rosary. But since people have neglected this gift from heaven, all kinds of sin and disorder have spread far and near.
