The Secret of the Rosary

Every once in a while one comes across a little book that has the power to change one's life. I've had a handful myself (e.g., St. Therese's Story of a Soul, which transformed the way I see God). Recently, I came across St. Louis de Montfort's The Secret of the Rosary. What a treasure. If anyone wants to understand the power of the Rosary, the meaning of the Rosary, the utter necessity of the Rosary to overcome any obstacle, and how to pray the Rosary well in spite of distractions and dryness, this is the book.

This life is nothing but warfare and a series of temptations; we do not have to contend with enemies of flesh and blood but with the very powers of hell. What better weapons could we possibly use to combat them than the Prayer which our great Captain taught us, and the Angelic Salutation [Rosary] which has chased away devils, destroyed sin and renewed the world? What better weapon could we use than meditation on the life and passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? For, as Saint Peter says, it is with this thought we must arm ourselves in order to defend ourselves against the very same enemies which he conquered and which molest us every day.

"Ever since the devil was crushed by the humility and passion of Jesus Christ he has been very nearly unable to attack a soul that is armed with meditation on the mysteries of Our Lord's life, and, if he does trouble such a soul, he is sure to be shamefully defeated." (Cardinal Hugues)

The Secret of the Rosary, p.66