‘It is ultimately about God – and His love for us’
LIKAS: The St Simon Church Likas parishioners led by Fr Rhobby Aaron Mojolou ushered in the Month of Rosary in an opening Mass held on Oct 1.
In his sermon, Fr Rhobby reflected on the history of the “feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary” dating back to the 1500s in the battle of Lepanto.
“Today we also celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary for the opening month of the Rosary. In the past, this feast was originally known as the feast of Our Lady of Victory because the feast recalls the victory of the battle against the Turks in the Gulf of Lepanto,” he said.
He also advised the faithful to imitate Mother Mary and proclaim her “fiat” in all circumstances especially when called to make decisions – will it be God’s will or our will?
“Mary gives her ‘yes’ by praying the world’s most beautiful prayer: ‘Thy will be done’. It is the prayer that Mary will teach her son she conceived at that moment. It is the prayer that her son would teach His followers. And it is the prayer that Jesus Himself prayed in the garden during the most critical hour of His life.
“Whatever situation that we are in, we have to rejoice. Rejoice because as the angel pronounced to Mary, ‘you are highly favoured, the Lord is with you’.
“So we need not be afraid because we are born in God’s favour. But then, as we’ve experienced in our personal prayers, do we include the same kind of trust in our daily prayers? Is our prayer ‘Thy will be done’ or ‘my will be done’?
“But then we have to remember that on any feast of Mary, we celebrate something that God has done. And each feast is ultimately about God. And that was what many could not understand. They could not look beyond what is the purpose and meaning of any celebration.”
Fr Rhobby also explained how the Rosary is also a kind of “centring prayer”, which the parishioners can benefit from spiritually in this fast paced world – where work, school and social life had become more important than prayer life or Church-related activities.
“It is a traditional Catholic devotion especially towards what is today called ‘centring prayer’ by repeatedly reciting the Hail Mary. We are called towards deep reflection – deep meditation on the life of Jesus.
“So brothers and sisters in the Lord, we are here today not just to honour Mary but to learn from her. And as we answer God as Mary did, we will still have to face all the struggles in our life because they are part of our life. But despite the struggles we must not give up because there is hope.”
Fr Rhobby also brought into the picture a quote from St Therese of the Child Jesus, whose memorial coincides with the opening Mass for the Month of Rosary.
“With all the little things we do, like this celebration – let us do it with great love. As St Therese of the Child Jesus tells us: ‘To do small things with great love’.
Earlier, a group of “flower girls” led the procession into the chapel as they brought in flowers to honour Mother Mary and followed by the altar servers and Fr Rhobby.
For the rest of the month, each Ministry/Group leaders had been scheduled to lead in the Rosary prayer after the weekday Masses.
St Simon Catholic Church Likas 