The Rosary
Its Power and Importance
Chaplain (Captain) Emil Kapaun Medal of Honor Recipient Korean conflict
If you are not familiar with the Rosary, you need to be. It is an incredible devotion that will keep you in the presence of Jesus. Through it we live some of the key events in the life of Jesus and that of his Blessed Mother. Mary is present in the Rosary to direct us to her Son. She provides her help regardless of where we are in this life and regardless of whatever sufferings and problems we encounter.
Father Kapaun and his flock, both Catholic and Protestant, understood this.
In 2013 Emil Kapaun, a Chaplin and Catholic Priest from Kansas was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and gallantry during the Korean War. The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest military decoration. It is conferred only upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and valor at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Father Kapaun died at the age of 35 in a North Korean prisoner of war camp. To recount his courage and service is well beyond the scope of this writing but is easily retrievable from the internet. What is relevant for us was his continued service to God and his fellow prisoners of war in the filth and squalor of their daily existence – and his dedication to the Rosary.
He would celebrate Mass in a hut, bringing the Word and Body of Christ to his fellow prisoners. Father Kapaun maintained his faith, strengthened it and brought others faith and hope, and showed that even in a man-made hell there could be the divine. He would violate camp rules and at night would lead both Catholic and non-Catholic prisoners in praying the Rosary. In so doing he would bring the great events of the Gospel to everyone.
Father Kapaun suffered a blood clot, dysentery, pneumonia and was sent to the death house with no food and water and left to die. As he was taken away he told his fellow prisoners he was going to go where he always wanted to and when he got to heaven he would say a prayer for all of them. As he was taken away he blessed his guards and, following the example of our Lord, forgave them; they did not know what they were doing.
Here was a man who was sustained and strengthened by the Rosary and by the discipline of prayer and love it brings. He was an effective priest because he preached by the power of his witness. It was his pleasure to suffer because by so doing he was brought closer to the suffering of Christ. By the time he went to the Lord in the Death House, prisoners of war from all faiths – Catholics and non-Catholic alike – were praying the Rosary. They realized that the Rosary is a universal gateway to heaven and a sure path to Christ. It is God’s gift to all Christians.
Quite simply, the Rosary brings us closer to the Lord – so close we can almost touch him. When we pray the Rosary, we remain in his Word. God responds by revealing himself both in scripture and in very private and personal revelations. The Rosary will help you remain with Jesus, strengthen your faith, and help others follow in his footsteps. Go to Understanding the Rosary and The Rosary: A Quick Tutorial and let me show you how.
Some websites and references
Last modified August 1, 2019