The Holy Rosary as the Narrative of my Own

By: Rzel Kaye C. Tabara

The Holy Rosary is a gift that was instituted by the Blessed Virgin Mary to remind me always
the Paschal Mystery of his own beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The Paschal Mystery is the narrative
account of the life of Jesus particularly the significant events of His birth, ministry, passion,
death, and resurrection. It is the summary of the bible to help me understand how the Father
revealed His saving plan by offering the life of His begotten Son for the sake of my salvation and
mankind. The love of God is expressed in the Holy Rosary which contains the Four Sets of
Mysteries: (1) Glorious Mysteries, (2) Joyful Mysteries, (3) Sorrowful Mysteries, and (4)
Luminous Mysteries. Thus, these mysteries do not only reveal to me the life of Jesus but also my
own experience that I encountered God in life. Indeed, the narration of Jesus’ life is also the
narrative of my own.

The Joyful Mysteries focus on the joyful events related to the incarnation of Jesus. Even before I
was born in this world, my parents had already discussed their plans for me. They had given me
a beautiful name that is unique from everyone else. According to my mother, during her prenatal
period, I was also visited by many relatives and friends who took care of and prepared my world.
I am very grateful that my parents and their loved ones did not neglect my birth. I promised them
that time will come, I will be the one who takes care of them as they grow old and give them all
the best that I can do while I am still living.

The Luminous Mysteries focus on the life and ministry of Jesus. I was baptized in the Catholic
church and I am so blessed to become a part of the ministry of Christ. Through the welcoming
presence of God when I was baptized, I have become a full member to follow His footsteps. I am
not the type of person who is very faithful before because I thought that baptism is just nothing
but only a requirement in this world to have an identity and nothing else. I realized later on that
the moment when my family introduced me to the church, it is really important to be baptized
because it is the time that I should continue the mission of Christ. It is not about the thing that I
should become a nun because it is not my vocation. What I am saying is that I need to also to
offer my life in the ministry using being fully, consciously, and actively participating inside the
church. I had been enlightened by the fact that I now fully understood the presence of God in my
life, to embrace the light and be the light in this world. It is always an honor for me to serve him
and proclaim His Good News rather than saying unnecessary things that will not bring goodness
to everyone. That is why in life, I can do the will of God by being a light and evangelizing the
people to let them realize that God is always there for us even amid despair and darkness.

The Sorrowful Mysteries focus on the sorrowful events of Jesus Christ. As a teenager, it is
normal for a young woman like me to experience heartbreaking moments in life not just about
love life but also on family matters. I experienced the feeling of agony when I had the conflict
with my mother. As a millennial, I admit that I am proud and always insist to have entitlement in
terms of personal decision-makings that they should not interfere with my personal affairs in life.
I would even cry sometimes when they would not allow me to decide on my own. After all of
those, I realized that as their child, they want what is best for me and they do not want something
bad that will happen to me. In the end, I will still go back to them and long for their comfort as
what Jesus also did in Gethsemane after the hardships he will be going through. It is very
important to have a family and always acknowledge their presence for they are the only true
persons whom we can rely on. According to Commandment number four, “Honor your father
and your mother.”

Finally, the Glorious Mysteries focus on events related to the resurrection of Christ in the
accomplishment of God’s saving plan. I could not contain the happiness every time that I
accomplish something that I have been working hard on. When Jesus was resurrected, heaven
and earth praised and glorified Him forever. It is very wonderful also to see myself as a
successful person and say, “At last, I did it!” I have many dreams and wishes in life that some of
them were already accomplished. My plan in life is to help my present family and to have my
own family, also. I wanted to be a teacher because I was inspired by my previous great teachers.
Even though they would experience the most tiring occasions of teaching, they felt relieved as
they could feel the satisfaction of imparting their knowledge and helping their adopted children
in school. However, I could no longer attain it because I enrolled in an Industrial Engineering
course. I am not disappointed in this career track because I had decided to challenge myself and I
already loved it as time goes by. I do not know the ultimate reason behind why I changed my
perspective in life but I do believe that God has also a better plan for me. I am still hoping that I
will also experience the glorification that Jesus had encountered.
Thus, I am always trusting in God’s plan for me. The holy rosary is the only strength that is
always keeping me on track. Every time I pray with the holy rosary, I became optimistic and
have always the courage to think of my future. Through the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit,
He always guides me and lets the Holy Rosary help me meditate. Every time I have problems,
the rosary has become my comfort. Although I could not see God personally, the holy rosary has
become the visible sign which reminds me of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. This means that I
should also reflect upon the narrative of my own and use this as a guiding principle in life. I
thank God for letting me experience his love for me. Without him, the story of my life would be
meaningless. Furthermore, God is like holding a rosary, hold unto him and nothing is impossible.