Excerpt: Lepanto’s Lady
“Here, Rosa, for you. A new weapon.”
“Weapon? Your rosary, Papa? For me?”
“For you. Mama won’t be gone for too long, but for me, it is uncertain. You know that. This is a terrible thing, this war, but it has to be accomplished. It must be won. For the sake of the Church, for the world.”
“Papa, I am not strong enough.” Rosa held up the beaded string, stretching it between her hands. Gentle streams of light from the setting sun poured through the coral, making the beads come alive with ruby light.
“Rosa. It is Our Lady who calls us to battle, to defend the Church and all of Christendom. Our Lady is a true warrior, against the power of hell, against all evil. …And you, Rosa, are a warrior. Find strength in your prayer. The proven weapon.”
“And you must act,” Papa continued, ” We need you, Rosa, to be strong. We depend on you. Will you do it, Rosa, whatever it takes, to keep your mother and brothers safe?”
“I will. And I will pray always.”
“Rosa, look up into the night. Do you see, there, Hercules? And the dragon above him?”
“Yes, I see them.”
“And now look here… Do you see here, the serpent’s head… and here, just out of its reach, Virgo, the virgin?”
Rosa nodded her head. The stars seemed to come alive, brightening all the more as she focused on them. “I see them all,” she said.
“There’s no way to know how long this war will be on. But the stars already proclaim it. The battle belongs to heaven. As Hercules slays the dragon, so, too, the Holy League will be victorious.”
“And what of the Virgin?’
“We know the battle was waged from the beginning of time. The serpent, chasing the Virgin, the mother-to-be, wants her child. But what do the Sacred Scriptures say?”
“She shall crush its head.”
Papa took Rosa’s hands in his. “Rosa, these are terrible times. While I am at war, watch the stars and know that I am watching them, too. But don’t be deceived. The battle could wage for years, in season and out. And you may not see the same stars we do tonight. The Virgin will slip out of the sky. Don’t lose faith. Believe that she has come to war for us.”
“I believe you, Papa.” Rosa looped the rosary around the hilt of her dagger, letting the string of beads share the space within the sheath.
“Let’s pray this business comes to a speedy finish,” he said. “Remember, you are called to fight. To be a warrior maiden, like our Lady. Know that I love you and hold you dear to my heart. Pray for my speedy return.”
