THROUGH UNTRUE
The New Testament scarcely mentions Mary, the mother of Jesus. Why did the evangelists write so little about a woman so great? Perhaps their intention was not to immortalize Mary with their own words. Instead,they wanted us to remember her through our own words of supplication and devotion.
Indeed, Mary is not merely a figure of the past. We feel her presence when we address her in prayer. Like all mothers, Mary shares an intimate connection with her Son, so we believe she can intercede with Him on our behalf.
Mary's role as an intercessor does not solely arise from the abundance of grace bestowed upon her as Jesus's mother. It also comes from the fact that she had always been a human being like us. She knew the great joy of beholding her son at birth and the intense sorrow of watching Him die on the cross. She must have felt the disappointments, regrets, and frustrations of being human.
Mary knows us to our core, so when we pray to God in moments of profound doubt and despair, she understands our struggles. She teaches us to reach out in faith not to her but to God, who is closer to us than we can ever imagine. Mary would object to being treated as a goddess competing against God for our attention and allegiance.
October, recognized as the month of the Rosary, involves activities honoring Mary, such as novenas, votive Masses, and processions. While most Protestant and born-again Christians dismiss these Marian devotions as mere superstition and idolatry, these practices fall within a spectrum of structured religious rituals found in various world religions.
Repeated prayers, like the Rosary, are fixtures in Buddhism, Islam, and even Hinduism. The repetitive nature of these prayers serves as a meditative tool, aiding individuals in centering their thoughts on matters of faith. They foster a dynamic and living relationship with God, which is characterized by trust and surrender.
Admittedly, many Catholics tend to use Marian devotions and prayers solely to attain material benefits or enhance physical and psychological well-being. When this happens, these devotions deteriorate into a form of religious consumerism, where people pursue instantaneous or tangible outcomes instead of developing a profound relationship with God.
This inclination is observable in many devotees who mechanically recite the Rosary without delving into an understanding of its mysteries. They perceive Mary as a receptionist in heaven, sorting out a variety of petitions, ranging from finding life partners to achieving success, passing examinations, ensuring favorable weather, or even winning the lottery. Some students invoke Mary's intercession for their school's basketball victories, as if she has nothing more important thing to do than guiding a ball into a basket.
Religious consumerism lures us to privatize our faith. It relegates our beliefs and practices to the realm of individual and personal preference, detached from the social or public sphere. When faith becomes exclusively private, our sense of belonging to the Church is often confined to engaging in activities that we feel comfortable doing. When sacrifice is required, especially for the sake of social justice, we bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich.
Historical examples show that, when not privatized, Marian devotions and the Rosary, play a significant role in fortifying our faith. They promote enduring family values, reinforce ethical norms of conduct, and uphold a just society.
One such instance was the EDSA revolution where Filipinos battled against tanks and guns using their rosaries and prayers. And who can forget the Battles of La Naval in the 17th century wherein Filipino and Spanish soldiers valiantly fought foreign invaders who wanted to destroy our Catholic faith? They attributed their victory to the intercession of Mary and their fervent praying of the Rosary. This miraculous event will be celebrated today in Santo Domingo Church during which the image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval will be brought out in procession.