Jeremiah 31:7-9 / Hebrews 5:1-6 / Mark 10:46-52
Words that that have similar meanings are call synonyms. Sometimes they are called related words.
Though they may have similar meanings and may be related in some way, they also have distinct meanings when it comes to usage and understanding.
For example, the words “light” and “bright” have similar meanings and may be related in some way. But a bright picture does not mean that there is a light shining from it. Similarly a bright tone of an instrument has nothing to do with the brightness of a light.
The same can be said of quiet and silent. A quiet person may mean that a person is pensive and thinking about things but may not be silent about everything.
And it is said that there is a big difference between a quiet woman and a silent woman. A quiet woman is a wonder. A silent woman is a time-bomb. When the mother or wife is silent, we better wonder why.
In the gospel, we hear of a man who may come across as a quiet and a silent person. And we can even wonder at this person.
He has a name, yet it is not a name. The gospel says that he is called Bartimaeus, but it is quick to clarify that it means “son of Timaeus”. So what is the name of the son of Timaeus, we are not told; just that he was called Bartimaeus.
He has no name, and he has no sight – he is blind. And he is a beggar. So Bartimaeus is quite a poor thing – he has no identity, no faculty, and he is in poverty.
Going by Social Economic Status (SES) Bartimaeus is really at the bottom. He has no say in things, and he can be called a quiet and silent person, as he spends his time thinking about how unfortunate and desperate his life is, but there is no one who would listen to him.
But when Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing that way, he began to shout and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”
But when he was told by the crowd to keep quiet, i.e. to shut-up, he shouted all the louder.
The crowd was irritated by his shouting, so they weren’t listening to what he was shouting out, nor did they see the meaning of what is happening.
Bartimaeus, who has no identity, no faculty and living in poverty, meaning to say, a “nobody’ with nothing to offer, was given a revelation of who Jesus is.
Jesus has a name and He has a background – Jesus of Nazareth. He also has a mystical title – Son of David. And He is the one who will look with pity on the poor, the desperate, the helpless and the hopeless, people like Bartimaeus.
The crowd didn’t catch, the crowd didn’t see it, and in their irritation, they only want to silence Bartimaeus.
But Jesus heard it, Jesus saw it, and things are going to change for Bartimaeus.
As we reflect on the gospel passage, we may find ourselves identifying with the crowd. Often, our irritation and frustration blinds us to see and hear the needs of others, and we silence the deeper meanings of the situations and experiences of our lives.
A 40-year-old man visited his old father who could no longer see very well. As both of them sat in front of the father’s house, a dove flew in and perched on the window.
The old man asked his son, "Is that a dove that perched on the window?". The son replied, "Yes dad".
After a short while, he asked the son the same question a second time and got the same answer.
When he asked the same question the third time, his son became angry and rebuked him saying, "This is why I hate visiting you, you keep repeating questions!"
The old man was silent for a while, and then he asked his son to go into his bedroom and fetch his old diary. The son did as he requested. Then he asked him to read page 2 of the diary. The words read:
"My son is 3 years old today. As we sat in front of the house playing, a dove flew in and perched on the window. My son asked me 30 times if it was a dove. I gladly replied "yes" to each question. I cannot explain in words how happy I am that my son has learned to talk. What a wonderful day to remember!"
The man held the diary and stared at it, and was quiet and silent, and then he apologized to his father.
The old man spoke again, "Enough son, one mistake cannot make you less a man, but repeating the same mistake over and over again can kill any man. I've chosen today to teach you the final lesson before I depart from this world. The lesson for today is “Patience”. Always be kind and considerate to the less privileged, this is how you'll stand out in eternity. Be nice to everyone on your way up, you'll definitely meet them again on your way down!"
So the person we looked down on today may turn out to be the person we need tomorrow. Let’s learn to walk in patience and understand each other even in adverse conditions.
If the crowd had succeeded in silencing Bartimaeus, then we would never have heard of that revelation: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.
It is a revelation that is meant for our reflection and meditation.
When we know who Jesus is, then we will know who we are, and we will look to the Lord Jesus for mercy, and we will also look with pity on the poor, the desperate, the helpless and the hopeless, people who are like Bartimaeus. They are always around, if only we look and listen to them.
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Saturday, October 27, 2018
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Mission Sunday, Year B, 21.10.2018
Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20
It can be presumed that if someone wears a cross, that person could be a Christian or at least know the meaning of the cross.
But of course, that presumption does not apply to those who wear the cross like some kind of ornament or decoration and say and do things that do not reflect or have no connection of being a Christian.
No doubt about it, the cross is the profound sign of Christianity and of being a Christian.
But apart from the Christians, we would be able to pick out the Catholics quite easily. Because more than just the cross, some Catholics would wear rosary bracelets, rosary rings and also medals.
And talking about medals, there is a variety to choose from: Jesus, Mary, St. Christopher…
One popular medal is the St Benedict’s medal. Not only the religious article shops would have it, even the goldsmith shops have it. It goes to show how popular the St Benedict’s medal is, and we can see why.
The two sides of the medal are quite elaborate. One side has the cross with Latin inscriptions that are invocations for protection against evil. Maybe that’s why it is so popular.
The other side has a figure of St Benedict, in which he holds the book of the monastic rule on one hand and the cross on the other.
Then there are two other minor but interesting details. On one side of the figure of St Benedict, there is a raven carrying off a loaf of bread. On the other side of the figure of St Benedict is a cracked cup with a snake coming out of it.
The story is that some evil people wanted to kill St. Benedict so they poisoned his bread and wine. But when St Benedict made the sign of cross over the poisoned bread and wine that he was about to consume, a raven flew in and carried off the bread and the cup cracked. Then he realized that his food was poisoned.
That story brings us to what Jesus said in the gospel when He summoned His disciples to go out to the whole world to proclaim the Good News to all creation.
He talked about the signs that will be associated with believers – they will cast out devils, have the gift of tongues, pick up snakes in their hands, be unharmed should they drink deadly poison, lay their hands on the sick who will recover.
What Jesus said can be taken literally or figuratively as well as spiritually. But in whichever way we want to take it, the emphasis is on the signs that will be associated with believers.
In short, as Jesus sent His disciples to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News, He is also saying that there will be snares and dangers, but there also will be signs and wonders.
The purpose of these signs and wonders is to confirm the message of the Good News. Though there are snares and dangers, but Jesus is the Saviour and His saving power will prevail over evil.
But if we are wondering where are these signs and wonders today, then maybe it is also an occasion to ask ourselves, if we are proclaiming the Good News actively and courageously.
Because we are the most profound sign of the Good News. The purpose of Mission Sunday is to awaken us to our mission to be the Good News even in the face of indifference and opposition, and then we will see the signs.
Earlier on we heard about St. Benedict who led a holy life and led people to God, and though evil people tried to kill him, God protected him from harm.
Another interesting story is about Pope Leo the Great and Attila the Hun. One of the greatest threats to Europe during the 5th Century came from Eastern Asia. The Huns led by Attila had swept through Asia and in the year 452 was on the verge of invading Italy.
The Huns were savage and barbaric in every aspect, killing men, women and children, plundering, sacking and destroying. Attila the Hun was especially and utterly cruel in inflicting torture, greedy in plundering and famous for ripping apart his enemies and drinking their blood.
Rome which was then the seat of the crumbling Roman empire waited in helpless terror for utter destruction. The pope at that time, Pope Leo, knew he had to defend his flock and so he decided to go and meet Attila the Hun at the risk of his life and try to negotiate for peace.
Before he set off, Pope Leo prayed to Jesus for help in this desperate and dangerous situation. And with that, the venerable and simple old man went forth to meet the merciless young destroyer who only knew how to kill and plunder.
It was a tense meeting as the Pope pleaded with Attila to stop the bloodshed and spare Rome and the innocent people, and at the same time wondering when he was going to lose his life.
Then in a spectacular and surprising turn of events, Attila ordered his army to stop attacking and return to their base camp.
Many speculations were offered for this sudden and unexpected change in Attila the Hun. Could it be that a sum of money was given to him to stop him from attacking? Or could it be that his army was short of supplies and worn out, and also there was a famine and plague in Italy at that time?
But another story has it that when Attila’s servants asked him why he suddenly changed his mind, he told them this: While the Pope was talking to him, there appeared above the Pope’s head, two figures with drawn swords, and they seemed to threatened to kill Attila unless he consented to do as Pope Leo had requested. Those two figures were said to be St. Peter and St. Paul.
Well, the fact was that Attila and his savage hordes turned back and Rome was saved at the mitigation of Pope Leo. The interesting point in all this is that although Pope Leo knew that he could lose his life, he also believed in the power of prayer and the saving power of Jesus. And that was enough for Pope Leo to stop Attila the Hun.
The month of October is a dedicated month of prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary, and Pope Francis has called for a “Special Prayer Campaign for the Church” for protection from the attacks of the devil and for forgiveness and healing for the sins of the Church.
Let prayer be our mission and let prayer also lead us into mission. May we also be signs of the Good News and may we also be the signs and wonders of the saving love of Jesus.
It can be presumed that if someone wears a cross, that person could be a Christian or at least know the meaning of the cross.
But of course, that presumption does not apply to those who wear the cross like some kind of ornament or decoration and say and do things that do not reflect or have no connection of being a Christian.
No doubt about it, the cross is the profound sign of Christianity and of being a Christian.
But apart from the Christians, we would be able to pick out the Catholics quite easily. Because more than just the cross, some Catholics would wear rosary bracelets, rosary rings and also medals.
And talking about medals, there is a variety to choose from: Jesus, Mary, St. Christopher…
One popular medal is the St Benedict’s medal. Not only the religious article shops would have it, even the goldsmith shops have it. It goes to show how popular the St Benedict’s medal is, and we can see why.
The two sides of the medal are quite elaborate. One side has the cross with Latin inscriptions that are invocations for protection against evil. Maybe that’s why it is so popular.
The other side has a figure of St Benedict, in which he holds the book of the monastic rule on one hand and the cross on the other.
Then there are two other minor but interesting details. On one side of the figure of St Benedict, there is a raven carrying off a loaf of bread. On the other side of the figure of St Benedict is a cracked cup with a snake coming out of it.
The story is that some evil people wanted to kill St. Benedict so they poisoned his bread and wine. But when St Benedict made the sign of cross over the poisoned bread and wine that he was about to consume, a raven flew in and carried off the bread and the cup cracked. Then he realized that his food was poisoned.
That story brings us to what Jesus said in the gospel when He summoned His disciples to go out to the whole world to proclaim the Good News to all creation.
He talked about the signs that will be associated with believers – they will cast out devils, have the gift of tongues, pick up snakes in their hands, be unharmed should they drink deadly poison, lay their hands on the sick who will recover.
What Jesus said can be taken literally or figuratively as well as spiritually. But in whichever way we want to take it, the emphasis is on the signs that will be associated with believers.
In short, as Jesus sent His disciples to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News, He is also saying that there will be snares and dangers, but there also will be signs and wonders.
The purpose of these signs and wonders is to confirm the message of the Good News. Though there are snares and dangers, but Jesus is the Saviour and His saving power will prevail over evil.
But if we are wondering where are these signs and wonders today, then maybe it is also an occasion to ask ourselves, if we are proclaiming the Good News actively and courageously.
Because we are the most profound sign of the Good News. The purpose of Mission Sunday is to awaken us to our mission to be the Good News even in the face of indifference and opposition, and then we will see the signs.
Earlier on we heard about St. Benedict who led a holy life and led people to God, and though evil people tried to kill him, God protected him from harm.
Another interesting story is about Pope Leo the Great and Attila the Hun. One of the greatest threats to Europe during the 5th Century came from Eastern Asia. The Huns led by Attila had swept through Asia and in the year 452 was on the verge of invading Italy.
The Huns were savage and barbaric in every aspect, killing men, women and children, plundering, sacking and destroying. Attila the Hun was especially and utterly cruel in inflicting torture, greedy in plundering and famous for ripping apart his enemies and drinking their blood.
Rome which was then the seat of the crumbling Roman empire waited in helpless terror for utter destruction. The pope at that time, Pope Leo, knew he had to defend his flock and so he decided to go and meet Attila the Hun at the risk of his life and try to negotiate for peace.
Before he set off, Pope Leo prayed to Jesus for help in this desperate and dangerous situation. And with that, the venerable and simple old man went forth to meet the merciless young destroyer who only knew how to kill and plunder.
It was a tense meeting as the Pope pleaded with Attila to stop the bloodshed and spare Rome and the innocent people, and at the same time wondering when he was going to lose his life.
Then in a spectacular and surprising turn of events, Attila ordered his army to stop attacking and return to their base camp.
Many speculations were offered for this sudden and unexpected change in Attila the Hun. Could it be that a sum of money was given to him to stop him from attacking? Or could it be that his army was short of supplies and worn out, and also there was a famine and plague in Italy at that time?
But another story has it that when Attila’s servants asked him why he suddenly changed his mind, he told them this: While the Pope was talking to him, there appeared above the Pope’s head, two figures with drawn swords, and they seemed to threatened to kill Attila unless he consented to do as Pope Leo had requested. Those two figures were said to be St. Peter and St. Paul.
Well, the fact was that Attila and his savage hordes turned back and Rome was saved at the mitigation of Pope Leo. The interesting point in all this is that although Pope Leo knew that he could lose his life, he also believed in the power of prayer and the saving power of Jesus. And that was enough for Pope Leo to stop Attila the Hun.
The month of October is a dedicated month of prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary, and Pope Francis has called for a “Special Prayer Campaign for the Church” for protection from the attacks of the devil and for forgiveness and healing for the sins of the Church.
Let prayer be our mission and let prayer also lead us into mission. May we also be signs of the Good News and may we also be the signs and wonders of the saving love of Jesus.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
28th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 14.10.2018
Wisdom 7:7-11 / Hebrews 4:12-13 / Mark 10:17-30
Whenever the word “freedom” is mentioned, many ideas of freedom will start to arise.
- Students want freedom from exams (maybe the parents too)
- Prisoners want freedom from the jail
- Teenagers want freedom from their parents
There are more than enough examples that say the same thing, and that is, people want freedom from restrictions, or freedom without restrictions.
But can there really be freedom without restrictions? And can there really be freedom from restrictions?
There can be freedom of speech, but can we say whatever we like? In fact, freedom of speech can reveal who are the fools and who are those are wise.
Modern people like to think of freedom as the complete absence of any constraints or restrictions. But let us think of the fish. The fish absorbs oxygen from the water, not from the air.
If the fish wants to be “freed” from the water, and go on the land to explore the freedom there, then it will surely not be able to live. It will die.
So freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions, but to understand the right restrictions, those that help us to grow and to be joyful persons.
In a way, it can be said that the rich man in the gospel was searching for freedom and the joy of life.
He ran up to Jesus (that showed how earnest he was) and knelt before Him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Eternal life can be understood in many ways, but primarily it is a life of peace and joy, the kind of life that we can even live here on earth, so that we can have a foretaste of what eternal life is about.
The rich man told Jesus that he had done whatever he could but he was still not satisfied. Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him. And then He gave him this direction: to sell off everything he owned and give the money to the poor.
Jesus promised him an eternal treasure in heaven, and then he will have the freedom to follow Him.
But at this, the man’s face fell and he went away sad for he was a man of great wealth. He wanted to do more, but he couldn't live with less. His great wealth was also his great restriction.
We may not have great wealth, but we surely have possessions. More than just material possessions, we have our ambitions, our obsessions, our compulsions, our desires.
These can be our restrictions and if we can understand this, and control them, then we will have the freedom to live joyful and peaceful lives.
Back to the fish and here is a story about fishing.
A man was fishing by the river. He had been fishing for a few hours under the hot sun and had a few beers. Soon, he dozed off.
Suddenly, there was a strong tug at the end of his fishing line. A big fish had taken a bite and was hooked to his line. The sudden tug woke the man up and in his confusion, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The man struggled in the water, with the fishing rod in his hand and the fish still hooked to his line.
A boy who was strolling by the river with his father, was bewildered by the strange sight of the man and the fish both struggling in the water. He turned to his father and asked, “Daddy, is the man catching the fish or is the fish catching him?”
Yes, what are we catching? Or putting the question in another way – what is catching us? Usually what we possess can in turn possess us.
Today, at St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis will canonize Pope Paul VI, and also Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
Pope Paul VI died of a natural death but Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot to death by a single bullet to the heart when he was celebrating Mass.
Archbishop Oscar Romero served during a time of intense political turmoil and religious persecution in the country. He spoke out against the injustice, corruption and crimes of violence of the government.
Although he received death threats, he continued persistently to speak with the voice of God.
He even said this: If they succeed in killing me, I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realise they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the Church of God, which is the People of God, will never perish.
And with that his life came to an end on 24 March 1980, which is the eve of the feast of the Annunciation.
Archbishop Oscar Romero may not possess much, but even the life he had, he gave it up courageously. And he is rewarded with eternal life.
His message still persists even in our times, with those words: Hopefully, they will realise that they are wasting their time.
Well, hopefully, we will not be wasting our time thinking too much about our possessions or what we possess.
Let us ask the Lord to grant us the wisdom to know what true freedom is and to let go of what is restricting us from that freedom.
As the 1st reading puts it: I prayed and understanding was given to me. I entreated, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
May the spirit of Wisdom lead us to true freedom so that we can be witnesses of a joyful and peaceful life, and also be witnesses of the eternal life.
Whenever the word “freedom” is mentioned, many ideas of freedom will start to arise.
- Students want freedom from exams (maybe the parents too)
- Prisoners want freedom from the jail
- Teenagers want freedom from their parents
There are more than enough examples that say the same thing, and that is, people want freedom from restrictions, or freedom without restrictions.
But can there really be freedom without restrictions? And can there really be freedom from restrictions?
There can be freedom of speech, but can we say whatever we like? In fact, freedom of speech can reveal who are the fools and who are those are wise.
Modern people like to think of freedom as the complete absence of any constraints or restrictions. But let us think of the fish. The fish absorbs oxygen from the water, not from the air.
If the fish wants to be “freed” from the water, and go on the land to explore the freedom there, then it will surely not be able to live. It will die.
So freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions, but to understand the right restrictions, those that help us to grow and to be joyful persons.
In a way, it can be said that the rich man in the gospel was searching for freedom and the joy of life.
He ran up to Jesus (that showed how earnest he was) and knelt before Him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Eternal life can be understood in many ways, but primarily it is a life of peace and joy, the kind of life that we can even live here on earth, so that we can have a foretaste of what eternal life is about.
The rich man told Jesus that he had done whatever he could but he was still not satisfied. Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him. And then He gave him this direction: to sell off everything he owned and give the money to the poor.
Jesus promised him an eternal treasure in heaven, and then he will have the freedom to follow Him.
But at this, the man’s face fell and he went away sad for he was a man of great wealth. He wanted to do more, but he couldn't live with less. His great wealth was also his great restriction.
We may not have great wealth, but we surely have possessions. More than just material possessions, we have our ambitions, our obsessions, our compulsions, our desires.
These can be our restrictions and if we can understand this, and control them, then we will have the freedom to live joyful and peaceful lives.
Back to the fish and here is a story about fishing.
A man was fishing by the river. He had been fishing for a few hours under the hot sun and had a few beers. Soon, he dozed off.
Suddenly, there was a strong tug at the end of his fishing line. A big fish had taken a bite and was hooked to his line. The sudden tug woke the man up and in his confusion, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The man struggled in the water, with the fishing rod in his hand and the fish still hooked to his line.
A boy who was strolling by the river with his father, was bewildered by the strange sight of the man and the fish both struggling in the water. He turned to his father and asked, “Daddy, is the man catching the fish or is the fish catching him?”
Yes, what are we catching? Or putting the question in another way – what is catching us? Usually what we possess can in turn possess us.
Today, at St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis will canonize Pope Paul VI, and also Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
Pope Paul VI died of a natural death but Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot to death by a single bullet to the heart when he was celebrating Mass.
Archbishop Oscar Romero served during a time of intense political turmoil and religious persecution in the country. He spoke out against the injustice, corruption and crimes of violence of the government.
Although he received death threats, he continued persistently to speak with the voice of God.
He even said this: If they succeed in killing me, I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realise they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the Church of God, which is the People of God, will never perish.
And with that his life came to an end on 24 March 1980, which is the eve of the feast of the Annunciation.
Archbishop Oscar Romero may not possess much, but even the life he had, he gave it up courageously. And he is rewarded with eternal life.
His message still persists even in our times, with those words: Hopefully, they will realise that they are wasting their time.
Well, hopefully, we will not be wasting our time thinking too much about our possessions or what we possess.
Let us ask the Lord to grant us the wisdom to know what true freedom is and to let go of what is restricting us from that freedom.
As the 1st reading puts it: I prayed and understanding was given to me. I entreated, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
May the spirit of Wisdom lead us to true freedom so that we can be witnesses of a joyful and peaceful life, and also be witnesses of the eternal life.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
27th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 07.10.2018
Genesis 2:18-24 / Hebrews 2:9-11 / Mark 10:2-16
The month of October can be called a “spiritual” month, and it is spiritually inspiring as well as spiritually exciting.
October began with the feast of St. Therese “The Little Flower” who taught us the spirituality of doing little things with great love.
Following that, is the feast of the Guardian Angels, and it is comforting to know that each of us have a “PA” – Personal Angel, to light and guard, to rule and guide us.
And then towards the end of the month is the feast of one of our favourite saints, St. Jude, the Patron Saint of desperate cases.
But besides being dotted with the feast days of great saints, the month of October has a special dedication. The Church dedicates the month of October to Our Lady under the title of “Our Lady of the Rosary”.
Today is the 7th October, and if it is not a Sunday, it would be celebrated as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
This feast has its origins in the year 1571, when on this day, the small and outnumbered Christian fleet defeated the mighty Ottoman armada at the Gulf of Lepanto, thus stopping the invasion of Europe by the Ottoman empire.
That victory was dubbed as miraculous and credited to the intercession of Our Lady, as the Pope at that time, Pope Pius V, called for a Rosary Crusade to help the Christian fleet. It was said that the Christian soldiers fought with swords on one hand and rosaries on the other.
Hence the 7th October was dedicated to Our Lady and later it became the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and then later the whole month of October became known as the Rosary Month.
It is obvious that the Church is telling us something about the power of the prayer of the Rosary. It is simple enough even for children to pray it, and at the same time, it has the depth for those who wish to deepen their spiritual life.
But as much as the Rosary is a simple prayer, at the same time, it is also one of the most difficult prayers. We cannot assume that simple equates to easy. In fact simple can be difficult and challenging.
For those of us who have prayed the Rosary, we know how difficult and challenging it can be. The simplicity can turn into monotony and a lethargy, and we begin to think that nothing is happening and we can find it boring.
But the monotony of the Rosary has a calming effect and gives our tired hearts and minds the peace and rest that we long for.
At the same time, the prayer is also slowly etched and seared into our hearts. For those of us who have prayed the Rosary long enough, we can already pray it by heart. Yes, the Rosary is already etched and seared into our hearts.
A priest was sharing his vocation story. As a cradle-Catholic, he went through Catechism classes and all that, but dropped out of Church in the late teens and early 20s. (it’s the usual case with cradle-Catholics)
He went on the wild side and was having a time of his life when he “hit the wall” and everything started to crumble with one setback after another.
Feeling lost and afraid, he decided to go back to the religion of his childhood days, and he went to a church and tried to pray. But he was just too tired and disappointed to pray.
Then he heard the Rosary being prayed and then he remembered those early years when his family prayed the Rosary every evening and he was surprised that he could still remember the prayers. Well, it was the beginnings of the stirrings that led him eventually to the priesthood.
But that was because the Rosary was already etched and seared into his heart during his childhood days.
That’s why it is so necessary to teach our children and our youth to pray the Rosary (whether they like it or not!) We must give them the means of prayer, so that in the time of crisis, they will know how to go back to God.
Some have argued that teaching young children to rattle off the prayers is nonsensical and meaningless. Well, besides the etching and searing effect of the Rosary prayer, there is another spiritual effect.
In Psalm 8, there is this verse: Your majesty is praised above the heavens; on the lips of children and of babes, You have found praise to foil Your enemy, and to silence the foe and the rebel.
Yes, the prayers of children and of babes are heard by God, and brings about blessings and protection for us when we teach them to pray the Rosary.
As Jesus said in the gospel, it is to the little children that the kingdom of God belongs.
Well, the Rosary brought about a miraculous victory in 1571; it will also do the same for us now. Not just only for us, but also for the Church and for the world.
Well, we know that the Church and the world are in quite a messy state.
That is why Pope Francis is calling for a “Special Prayer Campaign for the Church” for the whole month of October, with a great emphasis on the prayer of the Rosary.
He is calling on us to pray for the protection of the Church from the attacks of the devil, as well as for forgiveness and healing for the sins of the Church and to fight abuse.
And we also need to pray for the sanctity of marriages and for the unity of families. As Jesus said in the gospel, we need to go back to “the beginning”.
Yes, we need to go back to the beginning, back to our faith origins, and begin to pray, especially the Rosary, whether as an individual, as a family or as a community.
As Pope Francis said: This is our power; not to dominate or to cry out more loudly according to the logic of this world, but rather to exercise the gentle power of prayer.
Yes, let us begin to pray, let us pray the Rosary, and God’s protection and blessings will be upon us.
The month of October can be called a “spiritual” month, and it is spiritually inspiring as well as spiritually exciting.
October began with the feast of St. Therese “The Little Flower” who taught us the spirituality of doing little things with great love.
Following that, is the feast of the Guardian Angels, and it is comforting to know that each of us have a “PA” – Personal Angel, to light and guard, to rule and guide us.
And then towards the end of the month is the feast of one of our favourite saints, St. Jude, the Patron Saint of desperate cases.
But besides being dotted with the feast days of great saints, the month of October has a special dedication. The Church dedicates the month of October to Our Lady under the title of “Our Lady of the Rosary”.
Today is the 7th October, and if it is not a Sunday, it would be celebrated as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
This feast has its origins in the year 1571, when on this day, the small and outnumbered Christian fleet defeated the mighty Ottoman armada at the Gulf of Lepanto, thus stopping the invasion of Europe by the Ottoman empire.
That victory was dubbed as miraculous and credited to the intercession of Our Lady, as the Pope at that time, Pope Pius V, called for a Rosary Crusade to help the Christian fleet. It was said that the Christian soldiers fought with swords on one hand and rosaries on the other.
Hence the 7th October was dedicated to Our Lady and later it became the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and then later the whole month of October became known as the Rosary Month.
It is obvious that the Church is telling us something about the power of the prayer of the Rosary. It is simple enough even for children to pray it, and at the same time, it has the depth for those who wish to deepen their spiritual life.
But as much as the Rosary is a simple prayer, at the same time, it is also one of the most difficult prayers. We cannot assume that simple equates to easy. In fact simple can be difficult and challenging.
For those of us who have prayed the Rosary, we know how difficult and challenging it can be. The simplicity can turn into monotony and a lethargy, and we begin to think that nothing is happening and we can find it boring.
But the monotony of the Rosary has a calming effect and gives our tired hearts and minds the peace and rest that we long for.
At the same time, the prayer is also slowly etched and seared into our hearts. For those of us who have prayed the Rosary long enough, we can already pray it by heart. Yes, the Rosary is already etched and seared into our hearts.
A priest was sharing his vocation story. As a cradle-Catholic, he went through Catechism classes and all that, but dropped out of Church in the late teens and early 20s. (it’s the usual case with cradle-Catholics)
He went on the wild side and was having a time of his life when he “hit the wall” and everything started to crumble with one setback after another.
Feeling lost and afraid, he decided to go back to the religion of his childhood days, and he went to a church and tried to pray. But he was just too tired and disappointed to pray.
Then he heard the Rosary being prayed and then he remembered those early years when his family prayed the Rosary every evening and he was surprised that he could still remember the prayers. Well, it was the beginnings of the stirrings that led him eventually to the priesthood.
But that was because the Rosary was already etched and seared into his heart during his childhood days.
That’s why it is so necessary to teach our children and our youth to pray the Rosary (whether they like it or not!) We must give them the means of prayer, so that in the time of crisis, they will know how to go back to God.
Some have argued that teaching young children to rattle off the prayers is nonsensical and meaningless. Well, besides the etching and searing effect of the Rosary prayer, there is another spiritual effect.
In Psalm 8, there is this verse: Your majesty is praised above the heavens; on the lips of children and of babes, You have found praise to foil Your enemy, and to silence the foe and the rebel.
Yes, the prayers of children and of babes are heard by God, and brings about blessings and protection for us when we teach them to pray the Rosary.
As Jesus said in the gospel, it is to the little children that the kingdom of God belongs.
Well, the Rosary brought about a miraculous victory in 1571; it will also do the same for us now. Not just only for us, but also for the Church and for the world.
Well, we know that the Church and the world are in quite a messy state.
That is why Pope Francis is calling for a “Special Prayer Campaign for the Church” for the whole month of October, with a great emphasis on the prayer of the Rosary.
He is calling on us to pray for the protection of the Church from the attacks of the devil, as well as for forgiveness and healing for the sins of the Church and to fight abuse.
And we also need to pray for the sanctity of marriages and for the unity of families. As Jesus said in the gospel, we need to go back to “the beginning”.
Yes, we need to go back to the beginning, back to our faith origins, and begin to pray, especially the Rosary, whether as an individual, as a family or as a community.
As Pope Francis said: This is our power; not to dominate or to cry out more loudly according to the logic of this world, but rather to exercise the gentle power of prayer.
Yes, let us begin to pray, let us pray the Rosary, and God’s protection and blessings will be upon us.
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