During this Extraordinary Missionary Month, we continue to dedicate ourselves praying the Rosary as individuals, families and BECs every day. The Rosary guides us on our journey to holiness and “blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life.” It is “destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness,” (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, No. 1). The Rosary serves as a constant reminder of how our lives must be shaped by our desire to be more and more like Christ, until we attain true holiness.
On 10 October 2019, during the morning prayer (Lauds) of Thursday, Week III, I was so inspired by the Benedictus antiphon which invites us to “serve the Lord in holiness, and He will deliver us from the hands of our enemies.” This inspirational verse reminded me of the Universal call to holiness. Holiness is our vocation, and it invites all Christians to be holy (MT 5:48) as it is the fullness of Christian life. It has been discussed by Pope Paul VI in the Second Vatican Council of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium #40, 21 November 1964 and by Pope Francis in Gaudete Et Exsultate, on the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, 2018.
St. John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary), which was promulgated on 16 October 2002, referred to the devotion of the Rosary as a “genuine training in holiness.” Sometimes we may experience diluted and disrupted values taking over the sanctity and beauty of family. The Rosary is a unique weapon in our spiritual warfare and a great defender of family life.
Praying the Rosary makes a profound impact on our lives, especially on those seeking personal conversion. It is a powerful instrument for conversion and an armour to decrease our sins. Through our fervent prayers “Hail Mary…”will help us to grow in holiness by avoiding sin. In the midst of all our trials and tribulations, we are encouraged to pray the Rosary because it serves as a means to achieve personal peace and holiness.
We, Catholics realise it is actually quite an easy type of prayer and we all have learnt it in a great way. It is actually a mixture of both vocal and mental prayer. It can become a part of our daily lives and we should pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17).
We should set a time for our family rosary. We pray the rosary and ask Our Lady to obtain for us a remedy for our biggest issues and problems. Most young people do not have the patience for five decades of the Rosary everyday. So if you think you cannot pray the entire rosary at one time, pray at least a decade or perhaps break into five different times in a day. We pray the Rosary to honour Mary and it is the best way of honouring her, as our Spiritual Mother.
In this Extraordinary Missionary Month, the Holy Father Pope Francis, reminds us that we have been given a mandate to evangelise the Good News to all nations (Mt 28:18-20). All of us are invited to “go out” as missionary disciples to offer our talents, creativity, wisdom and experiences in order to bring the message of Christ to the entire human family.
We have been organising many events, activities and formations on various topics such as spiritual development, family and community life, physical health and good works at parish level, and I believe many of you have participated and were fully involved in these. Hopefully this has helped to motivate you in discerning God’s purpose, talents, gifts and insights in your lives (Eph 2: 8-10 and Rom 12:4-8).
We also use social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp, Text Messages, etc. to share our spiritual experiences and devotion to Mother Mary. We use these tools as instruments in evangelising and promoting her during the entire Extraordinary Missionary Month of October, and it should continue on throughout the year too.
So let’s continue to be missionary disciples – carrying out our commitments by bringing love into our homes, unity in our parish community and joy to the people that we meet daily. May Mother Mary be close at our side always during this Month of Rosary and Extraordinary Missionary Month.
Our Lady of the Rosary, PRAY FOR US!
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