Monday, March 31, 2014

Anniversary Novena

On April 10th the Children's Rosary will turn three.  We would like to extend an invitation to join us in an Anniversary Novena of Prayers.
Please consider praying the intention below to Our Blessed Mother with the addition of one Our Father one Hail Mary and One Glory be each day for 9 consecutive days.  We hope to pray this novena from April 1st to the 9th.  Thank you all so much for your love and prayers.  May you and your family receive an abundance of grace and blessings. Amen.

Anniversary Novena to Our Blessed Mother

May the Children’s Rosary, their families, those associated with the Children’s Rosary including our Priests, Our Bishops 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 the Holy Spirit to guide each one of us according to the Will of God. Amen. 
(plus 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be) to be said for 9 consecutive days.

Anniversary

Dear Friends,

On April 10th, 2014 the Children’s Rosary will turn three.  As many of you may be aware, for the first year and a half the Children’s Rosary existed in only 1 parish.  On the Memorial of the Holy Rosary October 7th 2012 a door was opened and new Children’s Rosary groups began to form in other parishes.  During the first year and a half the children met for the Rosary and also prayed hundreds of novenas to different saints asking that we might be the extended hands of Mary and Jesus in this world.  

If one imagines how these prayers are received I like to think of Our Heavenly Father.  It is His will that although He could rid the world of evil Himself He wishes to work through us.  Such a concept is easy for me to wrap my mind around as a person who has severe joint problems especially in my hands.  They have become so weak that I need the help of my children to do just about everything including such things I love such as gardening or cooking.  While I could force them to do the work it pleases me greatly when they want to help.  If they were to come and say, “Mom I am at your disposal what would you have me do.  I want to help you in whatever way you desire”.  Such an offer would make me very happy.  Even a flawed person as myself, could not help but be touched by such an offer.  How much more would such an offer touch the heart of Our Lord.  He is waiting for such souls to come to Him.  Into such souls he pours His grace.  Our Blessed Mother is the best example of this.  As she said yes during the Annunciation we we are also told that she is full of Grace.  

In anticipation of the Anniversary, we would like to offer two consecutive Novenas of Masses. The first between March 30th until April 7th. These will be offered for the fulfillment of Our Lady’s plan’s for the Children’s Rosary. In turn from April 8th through April 16th Masses will be offered for the intention of thanksgiving. If anyone would like to sponsor a Mass during the 18 days please contact Blythe at blythe.kaufman@gmail.com

In addition to the Masses we would also like to give Our Lady another bouquet of Novenas for our Children's Rosary intention to present to her Son on our Anniversary.
To join in our Anniversary Novena of prayers CLICK HERE.


Friends I truly cannot thank you enough.  Joining together led by the prayers of the children the door of grace has been opened.  We desire not to hold tightly onto such things but instead to let them flow unhindered through our families and to those around us and ultimately to the whole world.  This poor tired world is in such need of grace let us keep asking and trusting in the goodness of Our Lord.  

Your Friend in Christ,
Blythe

Wake Up! Louisiana Morning Show

Host: Staci Gulino
Join Us this morning as we discuss the Children's Rosary at 7:22AM Central Time on the Wake Up! Louisiana Morning Show.  This is a follow-up interview to the one held last week. The Radio Show broadcasts in Baton Rouge on 1380 AM WPYR and 690 AM WQNO.  The show can also be heard online live by clicking HERE.  After clicking on the link, be sure to hit the button "Listen Live" to hear the show.

A special thank you to hosts Staci Gulino and Johnny Herbert for their wonderful invitation.
Other posts you may find interesting:

How to Start a Children's Rosary
Children's Rosary Book
Article about a a Children's Rosary in Louisiana

Sunday, March 30, 2014

The Love of a Mother

Sometimes there are things so simple and pure that they touch the heart.  Recently I had the pleasure of watching the story of a Mother blindly loving all the little ones that were around her.  It did not matter that these little ones included three baby ducklings or that she was a cat.  The story is truly remarkable and reminds me of the beautiful image in Scripture of the lion (or wolf) laying down with the lamb.  

This is a real family treat both young and old will enjoy!

Link is here: http://funnycatsgallery.com/mom-cat/the-cat-and-the-ducklings/

Friday, March 28, 2014

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, Our Maker! (Psalm 95:6)

This was taken from the Psalms which were read yesterday at Mass.  It is surely a blessed practice to bring our children to Our Lord in prayer.  In a special way He calls all our children saying, "Let the children come to Me.."(Mk 10:14)


Children's Rosary at St. Mary's School
in Orange Texas
March 28th 
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's School in Orange Texas 7:05 AM CT
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford CT to lead Stations of the Cross at 7PM ET
March 29th
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Church in Corvallis, Oregon 9AM PT
March 30th
Children's Rosary at Our Lady and St. Patrick's Church in Nottingham, England 9AM GMT (4AM ET)
Children's Rosary at St. Margaret of Scotland in Waterbury, Connecticut 10AM ET
Children's Rosary at St. James Church in Madison, Georgia 10:30 AM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Parish in Thomaston, Connecticut 11AM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Patrick's Church in Tacoma, Washington 11:30 AM PST
Children's Rosary at St. Anthony Church in Lorain, Ohio 3PM ET (held in front of the Blessed Sacrament)
March 31st
Children's Rosary at Trinity Academy in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania 12:20 PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac, NY 4:30 PM ET (held in front of the Blessed Sacrament)

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Children's Rosary to Lead the Stations of the Cross

Members of the Children's Rosary leading
the Stations of the Cross spring of 2013
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, Connecticut will be co-hosting a Town Wide Stations of the Cross with the Music ministry tomorrow evening.  In our town during Lent, a different Parish every week, hosts members of the neighboring parishes for the Stations of the Cross.  We are particularly blessed as this year the children will be leading the Stations at St. Thomas the Apostle.  Some of the children will be doing readings others helping to carry candles and the Cross.  The music ministry has graciously offered to provide music. 

The Stations will begin at 7PM ET and all are welcome to join us.  The children will be praying in a special way for all the members of the Children's Rosary. 

Suffering: A Call to Come Home

Last Saturday at daily Mass the Gospel was read of the prodigal son.  In listening to the story of the wayward son, we hear how he takes all his inheritance and squanders his property in loose living.  The parable goes on to say "And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you." (Luke 15:14-18)

There was a portion of the story that seemed to stand out in a way that had not occurred to me before.  The story mentions a famine that arose and created a want in the young son.  This suffering began a period of reflection that finally brought his heart home to his father.  It was not through words that the son left his ways but a period of struggle and suffering that served as the call home.  Such is the way Our Heavenly Father often calls us.  It is through our struggle and want that we initially find ourselves turning our heart to prayer.  Once we reconcile ourselves to Our Lord, we find that only Love is waiting.

As we contemplate the Passion during Lent there is a wonderful appreciation of the good that comes through suffering.  A purification and letting go of all the feelings of self dependence and an appreciation that we cannot do anything without God, not even to take a single step.

There are some beautiful quotes about suffering from the saints:

"Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In suffering, we learn who our true friend is" (Diary of St. Faustina 342).

"True love is measured by the thermometer of suffering"(Diary of St. Faustina 343)

Padre Pio led an intense spiritual life, full of both suffering and mysticism. From this he said,
"In order to attract us, the Lord grants us many graces that we believe can easily obtain Heaven for us. We do not know, however, that in order to grow, we need hard bread: the cross, humiliation, trials and denials."


You may also like the following posts:
For when I am weak then I am strong
Extended Hands

Children's Rosary Today!

JOIN US IN PRAYER
The Children's Rosary at Imaculate Heart of Mary Church in Brentwood, California will meet today at 3:30 PM PT.  The children will be gathering before the Blessed Sacrament. Please consider joining the children in prayer either at the Church or from your home.  They always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

New Catholic Social Network Announced by the Vatican


Dear Friends,

I want to share with you some news.  A New Catholic Social Network has just been formally released called www.DeoSpace.com

A "Children's Rosary group" was just formed on this new Social Networking site and the address is:
http://www.deospace.com/group/33

Please consider joining the group and sharing this new network with your friends.
One must visit www.deospace.com to register.

Here is some additional information provided by their official release:

Global Catholic Social Network Launched Under the Leadership of Oscar Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga and Bishop Kevin Farrell
“DeoSpace” – from the Latin Deo “God” and “space” for “cyberspace” – is the social network of the New Evangelization. On March 25th DeoSpace announced the launch of a global Catholic social network headed by its Chairman Oscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., Coordinator of the papally-appointed Cardinal Advisory Group and Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, and its President, Most Rev. Kevin Farrell, Bishop of Dallas. The Managing Director of DeoSpace is Mario Cappello, President of the Rome, Italy-based Institute for World Evangelization. DeoSpace is a virtual home for those who are or were Catholic Christians and those who are simply interested in the Catholic Church. DeoSpace is unique in serving as a hybrid of physical and virtual social networks: members of parish communities can now interact online with each other and with others across the Catholic world.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Blessings on the Solemnity of the Annunciation

St. Michael Catholic Church

On this Blessed Solemnity of the Annunciation there is beautiful news to share.  This morning on returning from Mass there was a call from a women wanting to begin a Children's Rosary at St. Michael's Parish in Garden City, South Carolina USA.  This is the first Children's Rosary in a parish named after St. Michael the Archangel and also the first Children's Rosary in South Carolina.  It seemed particularly special this new group would be meeting in a Church named after an Angel as we remember the beautiful visit of an Angel to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Annunciation.

A special thank you to those who joined together in our Novena to Our Blessed Mother in honor of the Annunciation.  

Thank you all and God Bless.

Children's Rosary Informational Flyer

Dear Friends,

The following is the front and back of our new Children's Rosary informational Flyer.  While new Children's Rosary groups are being added all the time the list of the groups on the back of the sheet is not a complete list of groups but gives one a sense of the distribution of many of our groups.
We recommend printing out the front of the flyer and then placing the sheet back in the printer and then printing the back of the sheet.  If you have any trouble with these jpgs please contact us and a pdf can be sent to you.  Please email Blythe at blythe.kaufman@gmail.com with questions.


Thank You Blessed Mother... We Love You

On the Beautiful Solemnity of the Annunciation we thank Our Blessed Mother.  For it was through her Yes that she became all Our Mothers.  I am reminded of my son who received his first communion last spring.  During the Mass he received a rose.  As we were leaving the Church and reaching the car, he asked if he could go and see Our Lady.  We said yes and he was off running around the other side of the Church.  As we turned the corner, we saw him kneeling in front of Our Lady.  He gave her his rose and kissed her on the head. It was a beautiful moment between a mother and her child.  For Our Lady is always leading us to her Son in the Eucharist and it was a beautiful end to the morning to see Kostin thanking his Heavenly Mother and through these little gestures showing his love.

I may share that Kostin struggles with many things and there are many times that he feels misunderstood and we as parents struggle with patience and understanding.  We are so grateful to Our Lady for her help guiding him, when we find ourselves lacking in so much.

It is truly a beautiful thing to have Our Heavenly Mother supporting us in this challenging role as parents.  We ourselves need also to be gently taken by the hand and led just as she does with these little ones.  She will help us we have only to come to her.

Other posts you may enjoy:
Gentle Women


Monday, March 24, 2014

Mass Offered Tomorrow for All the Members of the Children's Rosary

Capuchin Friar Padre Pio(1887-1968)  Celebrating Mass 
A Mass will be offered tomorrow by the Capuchin Friars for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all those who help the Children's Rosary.  This is something we do on the 25th of every month.  It is such a blessing that on the 25th of March we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  

Thank you all for your efforts with the Children's Rosary.  May Our Lord bless you all!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Wake Up! Louisiana Morning Show

Host Staci Gulino
Join Us tomorrow morning (Monday March 24th) as we discuss the Children's Rosary at 7:22AM Central time on the Wake Up! Louisiana Morning Show.  The Radio Show broadcasts in Baton Rouge on 1380 AM WPYR and 690 AM WQNO.  The show can also be heard online live by clicking HERE.  After clicking on the link, be sure to hit the button "Listen Live" to hear the show.

A special thank you to hosts Staci Gulino and Johnny Herbert for their wonderful invitation.
Other posts you may find interesting:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
Children's Rosary Book
Article about a Children's Rosary in Louisiana

Thursday, March 20, 2014

"I commune only with those who are little"

The above quote was taken from the Diary of St. Faustina.  Our Lord so beautifully shows us how simple souls, those resembling the souls of small children, please Him greatly.  

"Thursday. When I started the Holy Hour, I wanted to immerse myself in the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. Then I heard a voice in my soul: Meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation. And suddenly the Infant Jesus appeared before me, radiant with beauty. He told me how much God is pleased with simplicity in a soul. Although My greatness is beyond understanding, I commune only with those who are little. I demand of you a childlike spirit." (Diary of St. Faustina)

First Children's Rosary in Tacoma, Washington
Please consider joining the Children in prayer over the next few days.  The children always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

March 21
Children's Rosary at Marguerite Parish in Brookfield, CT 4PM ET

March 22
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Church in Corvallis, Oregon to meet at 9AM Pacific time


March 23
Children's Rosary at Our Lady and St. Patrick's Church in Nottingham, England to meet at 9AM GMT (4AM ET)
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas in Thomaston, Connecticut 11AM ET

Children's Rosary at St. Patrick's Church in Tacoma Washington 11:30 AM PT
Children's Rosary at St. Anthony Church in Lorain, Ohio 3PM ET

February 24th
Children's Rosary at Trinity Academy 12:20 PM EST 
Children's Rosary at St. John the Evangelist in Mahopac, NY at 4:30 PM ET during Adoration

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord" (Jeremiah 17: 7)

This was the first reading at Mass Today.  In reflecting on it, I am reminded of something one of the children said.  I had asked one of the little boys, why is the Children's Rosary important?  He said, "the Children's Rosary is important because it shows God we trust in Him."  

Today two Children's Rosary groups are meeting.  Please consider joining the children in prayer.  They always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

Children's Rosary at Resurrection Parish in Rye, New York 5:00 PM ET
Children's Rosary at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Brentwood California 3:30 PM PT

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

New Children's Rosary to Meet on the Solemnity of St. Joseph

We are very excited that a new Children's Rosary will be meeting for the first time at the Parish of St. Martin in Kingsville, Texas USA.  The new group will gather at 7PM Central Time.  

This Children's Rosary group, chose to hold their first meeting on the Solemnity of St. Joseph.  This is a wonderful blessing.  As St. Joseph so beautifully protected and cared for the Holy Family, we pray that he will also guard and protect all our Children's Rosary groups. 

Pope Francis today spoke of St. Joseph in his General Wednesday Audience. "Joseph... taught the young Jesus his trade and the value of work. Joseph quietly imparted to Jesus that wisdom which consists above all in reverence for the Lord, prayer and fidelity to his word, and obedience to his will."

St. Joseph is a beautiful example for all parents and has been a wonderful intercessor for the Children's Rosary.  As members of the Children's Rosary were in the middle of a Novena to St. Joseph over the past 9 days, there was word over the weekend of interest to begin a new Children's Rosary in a parish run by priests who are members of the Oblates of St. Joseph.  

Please consider joining the children in prayer tonight.  The children always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

Other posts you may enjoy:
Litany to St. Joseph
Novena to St. Joseph

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Children's Rosary Today

Today we have a Children's Rosary group meeting at St. Stephen the Martyr Church in Lilburn, Georgia at 6PM.  This Children's Rosary group has chosen to meet before the Blessed Sacrament. Please consider joining the children in prayer of the Rosary.  The children always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

Thank you all and God Bless.


"Light Spreads, Darkness Stays Where It Is"

These were the words our 7 year old son said as we were getting ready to have dinner a few weeks back.  His comment left my husband and I wondering what exactly he was talking about.  He repeated the phrase again.  "Light Spreads, darkness stays where it is."  Thinking that such a philosophical comment was odd for a first grader somehow the bustle of getting dinner ready for all the children broke our train of thought for nothing more was said about the topic.

Yet little Asher's words seemed to come back to mind the next day and an interesting contemplation of the idea began.  On many levels the idea intrigued me.  For so often one thinks of light as an imagery for good.  It was an uplifting thought to think of light spreading.

The thought of our children taking a nap and trying to block out the sun in the afternoon with shades, yet despite all best efforts, it seems impossible to keep all light out.  Yes, it was true, when one is in a dark room during the day it surly is hard to block all light out.  It was a comforting thought to think of light or in the case of goodness or God as spreading and pervasive.  So often today there is a tendency to see the dark and think such ways are overtaking us but in fact it is light that spreads more naturally.

Several days later an interesting discovery.  A school worksheet on shadows and light in Asher's folder. A simple answer for why he was thinking about these things.

Yet last night as I lay down in bed a bright light shown through the tiny gap between the shade and the window.  It perfectly hit me right in the eye.  Sitting up I could see it was the moon.  Indeed it was a full moon.  With such light there would be no way to darken the room.  Asher's words returned but another thought also...Our Lady is often compared to the moon.

The moon has no light of its own but is a reflection of the light of the sun.  Our Blessed Mother has also been described as a mirror as she reflects her Son so beautifully.  None of the light is her own it is perfectly reflected from God.  The moon was doing what the sun had done during the day.  The light was entering from every crack and illuminating the room.  When one is a mirror of God, as Our Lady shows us, then we can help to spread the light.  It is our hope and prayer that the Children's Rosary may be such a mirror of Good in this world.  For even Pope Francis said, "The face of the child is the face of Our Lord."



Saturday, March 15, 2014

Upcoming Novena


There has been an ongoing effort by many members of the Children’s Rosary to pray to a multitude of Saints for our Children’s Rosary intention.  Close to a thousand 9 day novenas have been said by members of the Children’s Rosary to 785 individual Saints.  There has been considerable interest in praying this novena to Our Lady.  As we are approaching the wonderful Feast of the Annunciation it seemed a perfect time to pray for Our Lady’s beautiful intercession.  You will see our intention has been slightly modified compared to the one used to pray to the Saints.  Please consider unifying prayers together with this 9 day Novena beginning March 16th and ending March 24th.  Thank you all and God Bless!

Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Honor of the Annunciation
May the Children’s Rosary, their families, those associated with the Children’s Rosary including our Priests, Our Bishops 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 the Holy Spirit to guide each one of us according to the Will of God. Amen. 
(plus 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be) to be said for 9 consecutive days.


Friday, March 14, 2014

"For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened"


Member of the Children's Rosary
in Naples Florida USA
March 14th 
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's School in Orange Texas 7:05 AM Central Time
March 15th
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Church in Corvallis, Oregon to meet at 9AM Pacific time
March 16th 
Children's Rosary at Our Lady and St. Patrick's Church in Nottingham, England to meet at 9AM local time in England
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas in Thomaston, Connecticut 11AM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Patrick's Church in Tacoma, Washington 11:30 AM PT
Children's Rosary at St. Anthony Church in Lorain, Ohio 3PM ET in the Adoration Chapel.
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Hanover, Pennsylvania 4PM ET
March 17th (St. Patrick's Day)
Children's Rosary at Trinity Academy Shenandoah, PA 12:20 PM EST
Children's Rosary at St. John the Evangelist in Mahopac, New York 4:30 PM EST during Adoration.



"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! "(Matthew 7: 7-11)

The Gospel reading from yesterday is truly such a beautiful promise from the Lord.  It also brings the relationship of prayer back to the relationship we can understand: one of a child to a parent.  This is something both children and parents can understand.  Yet we are told that even when we as parents are lacking in love and generosity to our children, Our Heavenly Father will always give us what is good for us when we ask Him something in prayer. 

With such a beautiful assurance that only good gifts will be given when we pray to Our Father in Heaven, it is truly a holy and beneficial practice to bring our children to prayer. Please prayerfully consider trying to bring a Children's Rosary group to your parish.  Our families, parishes and world are in such need of these beautiful prayers of the children.

Over the next few days we have a number of Children's Rosary groups meeting. Please consider joining the different Children's Rosary groups in prayer from your home. The children always pray for those unifying prayers with them.    Thank you all and God Bless. Amen.



Posts you may enjoy:

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Happy Anniversary Pope Francis

Pope Francis receiving a Rosary from a young child April 24th 2013
AFP/Getty Images
The Children's Rosary would like to wish Pope Francis a Happy 1 Year Anniversary. His beautiful witness of humility and charity has been a wonderful inspiration.  Pope Francis  has repeatedly asked for our prayers throughout this year and today his message on twitter: "please pray for me". 

As with all our Children's Rosary meetings we would like to pray for Our Holy Father.  Today we have two Children's Rosary groups meeting.

The Children's Rosary at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Brentwood, California USA will be meeting at 3:30 PM PT in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Children's Rosary at St. Paul's Church in Fenton, Missouri USA will be meeting at 7PM (CT).

Please consider joining the Children in prayer either at the Church or from your home.  The children always pray for all those unifying prayers with them.

Prayer of Surrender

St. Igmaitus of Loyola
Credit: Peter Paul Rubens
Prayer of Surrender
Take, Lord, receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding,
My entire will.
Whatever I have and possess,
You have given all to me,
Now I return it wholly,
According to your will,
And I surrender it completely.
Give me only your love
and your grace, and I am
Rich enough.
Your love and your grace
Are enough for me.
Amen.
~Saint Ignatious of Loyola

This past Sunday our Pastor shared a beautiful prayer with us.  He humbly asked each one of us to read this prayer daily during Lent.  He shared that several years ago his teaching career ended after over 30 years.  It was a sad and difficult time for him.  He shared that this prayer which he said daily brought him out of that dark time and brought a beautiful peace.  He said he hung on the words: "Your love and your grace are enough for me". It was this that sustained him.