A Lesson in Prayer

Last night was the first time my wife and I would pray the rosary without my parents whom I accompanied to Macau International airport that afternoon on their trip back to Philippines. Our parents just concluded their three month of vacation in Zhuhai. To be perfectly honest about it, we only started our family rosary prayer time during our 9-day novena after Maia’s burial ( I know. Even in her after-life, our little angel has been and will always be a moving inspiration in our family life ). Now my parents made sure that we will keep our started and simple family tradition to pray together the rosary around 8 o’clock each night even after we all come back to China. And so we do.


Praying it regularly and solemnly, however, has always have at least two frequent obstacles (actually it is three for me as I struggle to keep away mental distractions while praying). First is my work, which, because of the far travel from office back to home highlighted with late night meetings whenever my German employer visits China, causes me to be late in going back home. In these cases, my wife and my parents are left with the only option to do it without me. Next and the more formidable one is Zek. Yup, you heard that right – my son is the second obstacle to our prayer time whenever his charm level reaches two. First level charm, succinctly, is when his actions are cutely harmless and amusing to watch. Level two, on the other hand, are actions consistent with draining the remaining patience in all of us as he jumps around the sofa and on our backs as if they were sofa extensions, shouting at the slightest reprimand, interrupting us only to inquire where is his spiderman action figure is, hiding our prayer booklet or his grandfather’s eyeglasses, covering our mouths or collecting all the rosaries and playing with them. To distract him, I would often have to let him stay in his playroom or watch a cartoon DVD while we pray.


Going back to the last night, my wife and I know something needs to be done differently to allow us to have at least a semblance of normalcy in praying the rosary. We were still trying to figure a way when all of a sudden, Zek approached us with his hands reaching out.


“Zek will pray”, he said with a slightly excited tone.


“OK”, my wife and I said in calmed unison.


And the ninth wonder of nature unfolded before our eyes!


Zek recited the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be in near correctness and with demeanor of a theologian in undisturbed prayer mood. He took the lead of the first, third and fourth Sorrowful mysteries even if my wife has to adjust his fingers on every rosary bead and while giving a hint on when the Glory be will be. He recited ( I guess “murmured” will be the more appropriate term ) the Hail Holy Queen.His fascinating display went on until he has recited the seven responsorial prayer that his grandmother will say before finally ending our praying time.


My goodness gracious! My wife and I just realized that all those time that Zek seemed never interested to pray and doing his level two charms, he was actually learning it by heart and was in fact only waiting to be invited to participate with us.


So to my dear co-parents, never under-estimate your child’s capacity to learn.
Teach them your faith and let them actually practice it while under your guidance.
You’d be surprised at how much influence you can have on them.


God bless.