Strong Man
They accused Jesus of driving out demons because they falsely accused him of using the power of Beelzebul, who oversees demons, to make the demons leave, to chase them out. So mistaken are they.
Christ is the strong man, the one who defeated Beelzebul. Beelzebul has been driven out and his possessions are now being distributed to others. Now that the demons are driven out by the strong man, we, too, are to follow this new power.
We call it faith. And from our faith we can help the poor, feed the hungry, cure the sick and lame. So much is needed. However, when we turn away from the strong man who is there to protect and guide us? Every time we turn from Jesus we spiral down farther and farther. There is no one there to pick us up, brush us off, and put us back on the right path. Demons start moving back in, more than what we had to begin with. Faith and works go hand in hand. A strong faith commits us to strong acts of charity.
Too often people think they can do it on their own. They are sadly mistaken. Jesus made us a relational people. Meaning we help others as others help us.
On Sunday 7 October 1571 the combined Christian fleets under Don Juan of Austria achieved a significant naval victory over the Turks in the Straits of Lepanto. Thousands of Christians were liberated, the Turkish fleet was destroyed, and they suffered their first great defeat at sea. In gratitude to God and Our Lady, Pope Saint Pius V ordered an annual commemoration to be made of Our Lady of Victory.
In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII transferred the feast to the first Sunday of October with the title Feast of the Most Holy Rosary since the victory was won through invocation of Our Lady of the Rosary.
In 1716 Pope Clement XII extended the feast to the whole Latin Rite calendar, assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Pope Saint Pius X changed the date to 7 October in 1913. In 1969 Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to Our Lady of the Rosary.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen