ANY ADVERSITY can be surmounted through prayer, which can also bring joy to those who entrust their worries to God, a priest said.
In his homily during the misa mayor for the feast of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, Archdiocese of Manila vicar general Fr. Reginald Malicdem said the faith of devotees would not waver even in the face of impossibilities so long as there is a “close connection” between prayer and hope.
“When there are problems that are beyond us, when we are confronted with impossibility, ‘yung sa tingin mong hindi mo talaga kaya at lagpas sa kakayahan mo, na mapapatanong rin tayo sa Panginoon sa pananalangin, (when you think you really cannot do it and it is beyond your capabilities, we resort to asking God in prayer) ‘Lord, how can this be?’” Malicdem said on Oct. 6 at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.
“If you bring this question to prayer, in prayer you will be given the assurance: nothing is impossible with God… There is a close connection between prayer and hope, for only hopeful people pray,” he added.
Malicdem noted that while Mary was initially hesitant with her mission to become the mother of Jesus since she had no husband, she was able to understand the word of God through her devotion.
“As if the angel was telling Mary, leave him to God… If you think you can’t handle it, if you think it’s impossible, just leave it to God. And because of that, Mary’s faith was strengthened. Because the Holy Spirit, the power of God, will make the impossible possible.”
Malicdem encouraged Catholics to emulate Mary, whom he called a woman of “prayer, trust and faith” who exemplified a willingness to follow God.
He added that praying is a “basic and foundational element” of the Christian life that many tend to neglect.
“[S]ometimes we pray, recite the rosary, but when we notice something is not right, we get angry. Our prayer should make us joyful persons… If our prayer is authentic, if our prayer is truly an encounter with the Lord, then the effect [and] the fruit of that is joy,” Malicdem said.
The month-long feast of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario carried the theme “Inang Maria, ipanalangin mo kami (Mother Mary, pray for us).”
The misa mayor was followed by a procession of the images of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary and several saints who have a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin. F — Mei Lin Weng
