The Extended Hands of Our Blessed Mother

On the one year anniversary of the Children's Rosary we began a prayer initiative for renewal of family prayer.  The thought came that if we were going to ask families to try and renew family prayer in their families we should offer them some help and so an effort to enlist the help of saints began.  We began saying 9 day novenas to different saints for the following petition:

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.

Over 780 different saints were prayed to in an individual  9 day novena by members of the Children's Rosary. Part of the intention as you see was that the Children's Rosary would be the extended hands of Our Blessed Mother and her Son.  Recently as so many people have reached out to help spread the Children's Rosary I began to reflect on the many hands that have come forward to help.  Just recently, I received a letter from a women who is in a wheelchair, home bound and on oxygen.  She ordered 200 copies of the Children's Rosary book and began efforts to begin a Children's Rosary in her parish by contacting parish counsel members and asking their help.  She wrote to me a beautiful letter dated Oct 13th 2013 in which she said, 

"I am planning on donating 10 copies of the book to 10 parishes to promote a large pocket of Children's Rosaries in this area.  I will also influence Catholic bookstores to sell the booklets  etc. I'm now planning my attack.  
-God Bless" 

Another women from a different state also home bound wrote that she was trying to start a group in her parish.  Yet another great grandmother who is blind wrote that she and her daughter were going to try to begin a Children's Rosary in their parish in Arizona with her great grandson. Widows, young mom's, and recently a father whose wife stays home to home school their children wanted to begin a group with his daughter as a special bond for them.  Each person so different but bound in one way: a love of Our Lady and Our Lord.  No matter how weak we are the Lord can find a way to use us.  

I am struck by an early memory I have as a child.  By the grace of God I was able to go on a Marian pilgrimage when I was young and we purchased a statue of Our Lady.  When we arrived home her outstretched hand was broken off.  I was sad at the time but now in reflection I see Our Lady means us to be her extended hands. Through her Rosary and the prayers of the children she will bring healing and peace in her Son.  Our Lord always chooses the humble to be His Hands and those of children are the most like His...innocent and sweet.  They carry love to others and I am struck by this as my husband downloaded the recent pictures taken at our Children's Rosary.  As I have a disability with my hands, I had asked another mom to take a few pictures.  When I saw this one of a child making a heart with her hands I could see the Lord's wisdom in calling the children to Himself.  If we the adults can use our hands, albeit weak,  to help bring our children to Our Lady through prayer of the Rosary they will as the prayer above asks for..bring a great many souls to the Lord.