Baby's First Word

Every 10:30pm (UK time), my siblings (3 in the US, 1 in the UK, 1 in the Philippines), our families, our mother, and I would have a group chat via Messenger to say the Rosary. When the lockdown was on its first few days in mid-March, we kept in touch to see how everyone's doing.  During those times, a former colleague in UST and I had a chat and she told how she and her siblings would gather every evening through social media to pray. I had a thought about that and floated the idea with my siblings. And so, we began our devotion on 2nd April. 

Because we are 5 siblings, we take turns in leading a decade of the Rosary. Later on, we involved other members of the family such as our mother, spouses, and children. Mama would lead in the Introductory Prayers (Apostles' Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, 1 Glory). Chiara and Stella (my niece, brother Gio's eldest daughter) would lead in the 2 special prayers to Mary which Pope Francis has asked the faithful to pray this month. In keeping with a long-standing tradition in May, we sing the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen).

In one of our Rosaries, we all overheard Samantha (my 1 year old niece, Gio's youngest daughter) repeatedly saying "Mama...Mama". We smiled (and laughed a bit). The little girl is learning to talk and one of the first words she learnt is "Mama" (The other word is "Stella").

As we continued saying the Rosary that night, Samantha's word kept ringing in my ear. I thought to myself, what this little girl is saying is what essentially we her elders are saying right at that moment. We adults talked about this after our family prayer. Indeed, the exalted words of the Angelic Salutation (aka Hail Mary), for me, can be summed up perfectly in one word: "Mama".

The Hail Mary recalls God choosing a woman "full of grace" to be His Mother. It brings to mind Elizabeth recognizing her younger cousin as "the Mother of my Lord". It remembers our forebears entrusting themselves to the "Mother of God...now and at the hour of our death". It is a Christian's cry to his/her Mother!

When was the last time we recited the Hail Mary or the Rosary like a child to our mother?

Samantha has unknowingly made us realize how important Mary is in our lives as a domestic Church. The next time we say the Rosary, let's not rush uttering the Hail Mary (or any other prayer said in that beautiful devotion). Let's savour the taste of each word in that prayer. Let's mean what we are saying in prayer. Let's be child-like once again when we communicate with God and with His saints, Mama Mary especially.