Holding the Hands of our Mother

(This was the reflection I shared during the Rosary recitation at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish on 25 October 2025.)

During our pilgrimage to Rome last summer, the first jubilee church we visited was the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which was a few steps away from Roma Termini. As we made our way to the front pew, the Rosary was being recited in Italian.

The leader said Ave, O Maria, piena di grazia. Il Signore e con te. Tu sei benedetta fra le donne e benedetto e il fruto del tuo seno, Gesu.

Most in church responded, Santa Maria, Madre di Dio, prega per noi peccatori adesso e nell'ora della nostra morte. Amen.

To my suprise, some responded, Santa Maria, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amen.

As for my family, we said, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

We initially intended to spend just a few minutes in that church before moving to another, but the experience was so powerful that we stayed until the Rosary was over. It was as though Mama Mary was gathering all her children from all walks of life to pray - some of them may have a strong faith, others may be going through some challenges in life, still others losing hope, etc. 

Here in our community, this gathering of Mary's children has also been observed over the past Saturdays of October. On the first Saturday, the Poor Clare sisters led the Rosary, meditating on the Joyful Mysteries. On the second Saturday, Our Lady's Prayer Group represented by Jean Durkin led in meditating on the Luminous Mysteries. On the third Saturday, the Legion of Mary represented by Georgina Nakafero led in meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries. Tonight, the Filipino Rosary Crusade represented by Kryysz, Kristine, and Kyrstin led in meditating on the Glorious Mysteries.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan in the Philippines encouraged people to pray the Rosary and bring it wherever they go. He suggested holding on to it, even if we are unable to pray it, as though holding the hands of the Blessed Mother. I am not surprised with the good archbishop's suggestion. He studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran which has a long standing devotion to the Holy Rosary.

In the image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we see the baby Jesus looking at the tools of His future Passion and Death. However, we could also see how firmly His hands are holding His Mother's hands. That should also be how we must hold Mama Mary's hands!

Contrary to what Mary-bashers say against the Rosary, this devotion is Christo-centric. All the mysteries show the life of Jesus. Jesus is the main actor; Mary is a supporting actress. Indeed, Mary identifies herself as the handmaid of the Lord (Lk 1:38). 

St John Marie Vianney, who struggled in his studies that he was almost not ordained, has a strong devotion to Mary. He said, "Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do". Doing so, we could truly mean what we say: "To you our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen" (Jubilee Prayer).

October is almost over, but let us continue to pray the Rosary and bring it wherever we go. Pope Leo told how his parents committed themselves to pray the Rosary daily and how their devotion influenced his vocation and ministry. The Rosary offers graces that the Lord would generously pour on us. So let us keep on praying the Rosary!

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.