Synopsis.—­David, with God’s assistance, his only weapon a pebble, slew the giant.  God gives us, as our weapon, the rosary.  This has proven efficacious in the battles of the Church against heretics and heathen armies.  Examples:  Albigenses; Turks at Lepanto and Belgrade; many epidemics abated or averted by the power of the rosary.  This devotion is just as powerful for the individual and for the family.

God has shown us that He wishes many to co-operate with the Church and with the Christian in their fight for faith and salvation.  Let all use this weapon._

My dear brethren, in the first book of Kings we read how the Philistines went forth to battle against the Israelites.  The Philistines arrayed their forces on a mountain, and the Israelites occupied a mountain on the opposite side, so that the valley was between them.  Then there went out from the hordes of the Philistines a man named Goliath, a giant of enormous strength, who challenged the Israelites to let one of their men fight him hand to hand, the result of this contest to decide the victory or defeat of either army.  A youth named David, inspired and urged by the spirit of God, went forth with a few smooth stones and a sling to meet this Philistine, and as Goliath rushed toward him David cast the stones with the sling and struck the Philistine in the forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.  David then ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and slew him.  Israel thus gained the victory over the Philistines.  But when for this victory exceeding praise was given to David, King Saul became angry and sought the life of the youthful hero.  In his flight David came to Nobe.  Not having any weapon, he said to the high priest Achimelech:  “Hast thou here at hand a spear or a sword?” The high priest answered:  “Lo, here is the sword of Goliath, whom thou slewest in the valley of Terebinth, if thou wilt take this, for there is no other but this.”  And David said, “There is none like that, give it me.”

These last words, which I have made the text for my address to-day, we may fitly apply to the holy rosary.  For the rosary has ever since its origin proven itself a conquering weapon for the Church, as also well as for the individual Christian, against the most powerful enemies of God and of His Church.  Let us consider the fact for the greater glory of God and of the Queen of the rosary.

Since the introduction of the rosary by St. Dominic, for more than six hundred years therefore, the great victories of Christianity against the many and ferocious enemies of the Church are ascribed to the devotion of the rosary.  The Church has at all times had enemies, who with all their power and in all their evil ways have opposed and persecuted her.  Nor is this surprising.  Ever since Satan succeeded in beguiling our first parents into sin, he has continued to sow dissention among mankind.  Beginning with Cain and Abel, there have been children of God who obeyed God’s commandments, and, on the other hand, children of Satan, as holy Scripture calls them, who seek their salvation in the pleasures of this life.  Since the time of Cain and Abel, mankind has been split into two divisions, one seeking the kingdom of God, the other the kingdom of the world, the kingdom of Satan.