History is primarily a testimony to human spiritual acts because it is always the unrest of the spirit that drives history more than natural events. It is always human reaction to natural and other occurrences that create history. Often, we view history within the framework of great global events that disregard the individual, merely pulling them into their whirlwind. Frequently, major global events and decisions made by a few in positions of power, impact the destinies of individuals scattered in small villages or lost in big cities. Yet, regardless of the grand currents of history, life always continues. There is always some movement, some change on a micro-scale, in the lives of individuals.

If we look closer, history is primarily personal, a result of each individual’s effort to make their life meaningful and memorable. Some, in this effort, rise to influence major events, whether positively or negatively. But at its core, history reflects the needs of the human spirit.

When we talk about animals, we don’t speak of history; we talk about statistics or chronology. Animals do not think in terms of history. Only humans, in the flow of time and events, seek deeper connections and meaning. Only humans wish to preserve things from oblivion, to understand the circumstances of development and what led to the present state. Only humans strive to protect what others did before them. Only humans wish to know their roots and continue building upon them. This is part of the deeper search for meaning, belonging, and escape from forgetfulness.

Sometimes, we take an interest in history to better understand how to save ourselves from oblivion and how to avoid the mistakes that led to others’ downfall. Only humans actively seek eternity. Those who do not believe in life after death often strive desperately to achieve or leave behind something that will make them remembered for as long as possible. Some succeed, at least temporarily, but history is unforgiving: many are erased and forgotten despite great efforts, successes, or wealth.

Earthly perspectives are sometimes truly sorrowful. In the Bible, even Abraham faces this tragedy, as his immense wealth was to be inherited by a servant, not a descendant. Through this story, God teaches us that only He can save us from oblivion, that only in Him does everything live, and that only in His book are the names and identities of each of us written for eternity.

A central example is the Blessed Virgin Mary, a humble girl from Nazareth, whom history would likely have overlooked, just as it has overlooked many poor individuals in villages like this one. Each person overlooked by history has a rich personal story they do not wish to be forgotten. Each of us has a personal history where every event is like a precious artifact, every memory is significant.

The example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom countless churches worldwide are dedicated, including this one, teaches us that if we entrust ourselves and our personal history into God’s hands, we will never be forgotten. The Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary reminds us of this even more. Every day, millions of people, while praying the Rosary, mention her name, her legacy, and her identity. But she is not the only one to whom this happens; she is merely the first through whom God revealed His plan for every one of His children — a plan in which we are eternally valued and remembered.

Seeking salvation from oblivion in fleeting earthly elements is only a temporary and uncertain solution to our deep need to be remembered and meaningful. Let us instead place our trust in what strives for eternity, and then even the temporary will remember us more fondly.