"Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"

"Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”.(Mark 11:22-24)

This was the Gospel Friday. This was also the day when at least 11 novenas to different saints were completed, 8 of them by children.  The intention which was being prayed for I am inlcluding here:

MAY THE CHILDREN’S ROSARY, THEIR FAMILIES, THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHILDREN’S ROSARY INCLUDING OUR PRIESTS, OUR BISHOP AND OUR HOLY FATHER THE POPE BE THE EXTENDED HANDS OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER AND HER SON.  MAY WE GATHER A GREAT MANY SOULS ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE LORD.  MAY WE EXPERIENCE RENEWAL OF FAMILY PRAYER AND SPREAD IT ACROSS THE GLOBE. IN A SPECIAL WAY WE ASK EACH SAINT TO CHOOSE AN INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY OR A PRIEST, ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CHILDREN’S ROSARY GROUP TO LEAD IN THEIR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. DEAR SAINT PRAY FOR OUR EXTENDED GROUP THAT WE MAY EMBODY THE VIRTUES YOU EXEMPLIFIED HERE ON EARTH. AMEN

Over 250 Novenas to Saints have been completed.  Novenas to Divine Mercy, Our Lady, The Holy Spirit, and The Holy Trinity have also been said for the above intention(with the exception of the part about a saint choosing a family). 

We believe very strongly what our Lord tells us in his Gospel.  "If we have Faith ...whatever you ask in prayer, believe it and it will be yours".(Mark 11:24) 

As these novenas were being completed Our Lord held true to His promise.  A mother of one of the second grade students from St. Thomas School emailed me to say she wanted to add her name and her two daughters age 3 and 8 to our letter for the Pope.  She also told me that her daughter received the Bible in her class from the children’s rosary.  They were so excited and have been reading about the Saint that chose them.  Three new families approached me after daily Mass Friday and joined our adult morning rosary group.  One mother had brought her 4 year old daughter who has a heart condition.  One mom asked if she could bring her children to our next children’s rosary so they could learn how to pray the rosary.  One of the three families has recently moved to the United States from Syria and they are just learning all the prayers in English.  

One cannot underestimate the effect one kind act can have on another person.  Each one of these events would have made my day alone.  They gave me such hope and joy.  After Mass on Friday I made an announcement about our letter in support of Our Holy Father from the children’s rosary.  Many of the the folks at the Mass had said our children’s rosary novena and were eager to sign the letter.  After I made the announcement the whole chapel started clapping.  The support and beautiful fruits of all these prayers were truly pouring down upon us.  The Lord hears each prayer.  He waits for us.  When we call upon His help He answers in the most beautiful way.  In writing the post for Friday I came upon the intentions of the Holy Father and saw that the general intention of the Holy Father for May was: The Family. That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society.  The children’s rosary has chosen to dedicate our year to renewal of family prayer.  When we wrote the letter to the Holy Father and sent it off last week, we were telling him of the prayers we say for him but seeing what his prayer intention was for May, it is he who has been praying for us. What we have achieved may be as a result of the prayers of the Holy Father and the world. As we know, people all over the planet pray for the intentions of the Holy Father each day.  When we pray we may never know who benefits but be sure someone is somewhere.  It is not for us to know all these things but when the Lord in his generosity allows us to have a glimpse of the fruits of prayer it is pure joy.  I share these things that you may share the joy that I have experienced this weekend.  Thanks to the many people who have through prayer allowed these things to flourish. I thank those of you who by your presence on this blog encourage us to keep pushing forward.  Thank you all and God Bless!