(Sharing during Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 4 December 2010)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Recently, I was advised against promoting the Rosary as a path to
holiness, as it may put off the young. Holiness, it seems, is no longer an
ideal. However, in this penultimate sharing in our Rosary series, there is no
escape, for it is the title itself. Indeed, as Christians, holiness is certainly
our “business”. Mother Teresa once told a journalist that holiness is not a
choice, but a necessity.
In the Bible, God often commanded the Israelites to be holy, for He,
their God, is holy. Jesus also taught, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.” (Mt 5:48) The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that all are
called to holiness. Impossible for us weak human beings? But as a priest said,
if we cannot be holy, then Jesus’ coming and dying on the Cross would have been
in vain. We can be trained to be
holy.
Genuine training in holiness, said Pope John Paul II, involves
contemplating the Christian mystery (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 2001) and the Rosary is a most effective
way towards it. (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002, 5). Throughout the centuries, countless Popes and Saints
had strongly encouraged the Rosary devotion. They themselves being its ardent devotees,
became the proof of its efficacy in leading one to holiness.
How does the Rosary effect this? Blessed Bartolo Longo equated it
with two friends frequently in each other's company tending to develop similar
habits (RVM, 2002, 15). So from frequent meditation on the Mysteries, as Pope
Pius XII wrote, the soul gradually and unnoticeably absorbs the virtues they
contain, and is wondrously inspired with a longing for things immortal. It
becomes strongly and easily moved to follow the way which Christ and His Mother
have followed. (Ingruentium Malorum, 1951,
9) Thus the Rosary helps us in answering our Christian calling to be conformed
to Christ. Many people have testified being healed of addictions, or
inexplicably filled with a thirst for the knowledge of God after praying the
Rosary.
But the best tool is useless unless
correctly used. So how to pray the Rosary correctly and effectively? You have
heard them in our previous sharings.
Foremost, the secret is in the contemplation, without which the
Rosary would be like a body without a soul. We should not recite the Rosary
prayers unthinkingly and mechanically, but we must contemplate and meditate on
the mysteries of the life of our Lord with His Mother. To counter distractions,
we can use pictures and images from leaflets, booklets, the Internet, and even statues.
Looking at the scenes of the mysteries meditated on helps a lot. Remember our
sharing on the Ignatian way of praying the Rosary? For our sights, God will give us insight. We can take a step
further and imagine that we are in the scenes. Picture Jesus and Mary looking
at us and talking to us. Rosary leaflets and books are sold at bookstands
outside the church. On the Internet, meditations and images to help in praying
the Rosary abound. Just google “Praying the Rosary”. To ensure more trustworthy
content, you may use the Catholic search engine, Cathoogle. Other means to
consider are using beads to pray, praying before our Lord in the Blessed
Sacrament, and joining in public Rosary prayers in the church. At our parish, we
pray the Rosary every Saturday at 5.20 p.m. Since it is only once a week, we pray
the mysteries in a monthly cycle following Jesus’ life cycle, i.e. His birth,
public ministry, passion and death, and Resurrection.
Lack of time? Well, we can pray the Rosary anywhere, anytime. If
really hard-pressed, we can pray while waiting, walking, driving (as long as we
can remain careful), washing, etc. Ultimately, it is making a point to pray.
Mother Teresa said, “God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that
you try.” The Devil increases attacks on those who start praying, but
perseverance is the key. Our Lady’s 15 promises may encourage us.
No comments:
Post a Comment