Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. says the faithful can contribute to peace by watching less of telenovelas to pray the rosary.
MANILA, Sept. 23, 2013—Sparing 15 minutes from your daily telenovela to pray the rosary would not hurt, but would actually do a world of good, a bishop said.
“Since we can do it, let’s shorten our telenovela time a bit, just 15 minutes. Let’s use the 15 minutes to pray the rosary in our homes,” Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani encouraged the faithful during the visit of the international pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal to the San Fernando De Dilao parish, Paco last Wednesday.
Praying in traffic
He even observed how, soap operas, tend to go on and on because of endless advertisements that only aim to make profits.
The holy rosary, on the other hand, Bacani explained, forms part of the Fatima message of prayer and penance given to three children in 1917 — a message that remains relevant until today.
Speaking to an estimated 2,000 people who came to venerate the image of Our Lady of Fatima, Bacani said praying the rosary is a means to build peace in daily life.
“Let us pray the rosary. Instead of showing your clenched fist at the driver you’re mad at, hold and pray the rosary instead, so that you will have peace,” he said, noting how a lot of people tend to get hot-headed while driving in Metro Manila traffic.
The rosary, means to peace
He said, the rosary is a means the Blessed Virgin gives the Church to bring about peace on earth, in the country, in the home and even within ourselves.
With various global crises situations in Syria, Afghanistan, and one closer to home, in Zamboanga, Bacani said it is important to recognize peace as something God-given.
Prayer, according tohim, is a way of asking for and receiving peace, which only God can truly give.
To stress the point, he asked everyone to repeat the sentence, “Peace is found in Him.”
The international pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal is currently in the Diocese of Pasig and will be visiting 41 dioceses all over the country until December 18, 2013. [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
