IT'S THE SMALL THINGS
It’s October! Which means we are two months closer to December. The frantic frenzy of the holidays mixed in with life is definitely at its peak. Socials are back to back, and this week, we saw the filing of candidacies for the elections in May. Every sector has its own set of happenings, and as we try to keep up, we often forget about finding meaningfulness in our every day. We succumb to the grind of things, and tend to operate on routine and auto-pilot.
If there is anything I took away from the slow living days of the pandemic that I would like to continue to imbibe and embody, it is finding the sunshine even on the darkest of days – to continue to make memories in the mundane, and to find joy in the smallest of moments. October is the month of the Holy Rosary. It is a month for others.
As Pope John Paul II once said, “The rosary is a prayer of man for man; it is a prayer of human solidarity, a collegial prayer of the redeemed which reflects the spirit, and the intention of the first redeemed, Mary, mother, and image of the church.” It is a prayer that transcends physical boundaries, native tongues and societal norms. Across the world, regardless of where life may find you, it is a prayer that unifies. And though we all have our intentions when we pray the rosary, even without any, it is a prayer that will always pray for someone else. It is a prayer for others, and one can see it as a way of giving back through faith.
During a homily at the Basilica of Guadalupe when I was still living in Mexico, I recall the priest describing the rosary and its underestimated power. He referred to it as more than a prayer, but rather, a relationship with the Lord that is symbolic of our ultimate destiny with Him, according to the example of Mama Mary. Tangible mini steps to work our way to heaven he sort of said, but to live up to this destiny, we need to have faith in God’s deeds and merciful works, we need to live our faith through acts of charity, and we need to keep the hope by seeing and persevering in Gods ways. In other words, our faith must not waver, nor be measured according to whether or not we get what we pray for. We must surrender to the will of our Lord, and by praying the rosary, we are symbolically living and succumbing to his mercy, in the same way that Our Blessed Mother did.
Whether it be by praying the rosary, engaging in acts of charity, simply doing a good deed for others, or by living a meaningful life, an October for others is something we can all aim and aspire for. In living meaningfully, we find purpose. And in being purposeful, we are able to become a better person for others.