Letter to the Editor — The Rosary for Mother Mary's intercession

Man shares a common behavior: Praying or the act of prayer. Pagans pray. Muslims pray. Christians pray. We all pray, at one time or another in our life. We offer prayers seeking heavenly solutions to our many earthly problems. During times of distress, when beset by insurmountable difficulties, we repair in solitude to seek God in prayer. We read in the Bible that even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Lord of creation, spent much time in prayer. He prayed to set us an example, that as human we need to pray.

Theologians say that prayer does not help God to understand us. Rather it helps us to understand God. Prayer does not move us, it moves God.

Prayer can be communal. On tv we often see preachers "praying over" some people who suffer mental or physical illness. In prayer meetings, we watch people praying for themselves, praying for each other. Miracles do happen because of prayers. Prayer can also be personal. A great number of people pray silently in the privacy of their homes, sending petitions for loved ones, relatives on a journey, or parents in the hospital. When traveling by sea, air or on land, we offer prayer for safety.

It is amazing how the windows of heaven open to the intense prayers of people for others. How it opens to the personal prayers offered on behalf of another.

Ironically, it is hard to understand why so many Christians widely shun the importance of Mother Mary 's prayer for them. They do not believe that she can also pray for Christians better than Christians can pray for each other. They do not believe that the intercessory prayer of Mother Mary for man is efficacious, more effective and more powerful than the prayers of all humanity combined. If my brother can pray for me, why not Mother Mary? If my friend Oscar can pray for me, why not Mother Mary? If I trust my good neighbor Pepito to pray for me, why can't I trust Mother Mary to pray for me?

Mrs. Ellen G. White, a Seventh Day Adventist prophet of the 20th century, writes that spending one hour a day in prayer, especially contemplating the last scenes of Jesus' life on earth, is man's greatest assurance against sin and temptation. Praying the four mysteries of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary everyday, truly fulfills this one-hour-a-day obligation. Contemplating the life of Christ, from annunciation to ascension to Mary 's coronation is an enriching daily experience that nourishes every soul who does it.

Dr. Aguido A. Magdadaro
Talisay City, Cebu