"We offered prayers and Mass for all members of the Children's Rosary all over the world"

 

Today we received the wonderful message from Br. Cleophus, "We offered prayers and Mass for all members of he Children's Rosary all over the world." The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Wilson Wachira at St. Mary's Church in Simba, Kenya at 10 AM local time. We thank Br. Cleophus, Fr. Wachira, and the children for their prayers and this wonderful gift. During the summer of 2019, we were able to visit Br. Cleophus, Fr. Wachira and the children from St. Mary's Church in Simba. It was a very special experience to spend time with them.

Br. Cleophus is pictured above in white. 

Christmas Peace 1914

A few members of my family love history. Recently our youngest son, age 13, shared a story with us. It is the story of Christmas 1914. World War I was raging and on the Western Front something beautiful happened. Beginning on Christmas eve, soldiers on both sides began singing Christmas Carols. The following day two-thirds of the front observed a truce. Fighting stopped. Some soldiers even ventured into no-man's-land to share gifts with their enemies. It is reported a games of soccer was played between members of the German Royal Saxon Regiment and the Scottish Seaford Highlanders. The Germans won the game three to two. 

It is reported that in some places the truce lasted a week. 

Peace is a great gift and it is one that our Prince of Peace is most eager to give us but we need to ask for this gift. Even in the midst of World War I Christmas Peace was felt.

Source for artwork: A.C. Michael - Guardian. Originally published in The Illustrated London News 1915.

A Gift for all the Members of the Children's Rosary this Christmas

 

A Mass was celebrated on December 25th for all the members of the Children's Rosary. This is a little gift to all of you! 

The picture above was sent to us leading up to Christmas. This is Fr. Julius Luswata of St. Jude Parish in Masaka Diocese of Uganda. Fr. Julius Luswata helps coordinate the Children's Rosary groups in his parish. The children behind him are members of the Children's Rosary from Vision Park Primary School.

All Nature Glorifies God: Christmas 2020

 This is a picture we took at sunset on the first day of Christmas.

The First Day of Christmas 2020

The Children's Rosary began an effort 6 years ago. We invited people to put a sign in their window through Advent that read: Patiently Waiting. It was a gentle way of witnessing where our hearts were during the journey toward Christmas. On Christmas eve, we replaced the Patiently Waiting sign with one that read simply: Christ is Born. 

We live in a place where people spend a good deal of time walking into town and pass this sign. Through Advent there are always people who do not understand the Patiently Waiting sign. But now we hope that all those questions are answered. For those who hear and see so many signs of the commercial side of Christmas this is a little sign that puts the focus on the true meaning of this season. 

We also replaced the purple bow on our wreath with a red one on Christmas eve. So often it seems Christmas appears to be the signal to take down the decorations. Frequently we see on December 26th Christmas trees start appearing by the curb of the street for pick up. It is sad to see the decorations thrown out so early in the true Christmas season.

These little things we do through the Christ is Born sign and the change to a red bow are our gentle witness to help others realize that Christmas is not a one day celebration. The 12 days of Christmas start on December 25th instead of end on this date.

We wish you all a very blessed Christmas from the Children's Rosary!

Fourth Sunday in Advent 2020

 

Yesterday we received these pictures from the Children's Rosary in Darweshky Church in Pakistan.

The children are preparing for the coming of Christmas.

Join Us for a Christmas Novena Starting December 16th

 

Christmas Novena

Prayer to the Miraculous Infant of Prague

In anticipation of Christmas December 25th consider saying this 9 day Novena from December 16th-December 24th.  

O Divine Infant Jesus, Who said: "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.

(Make your request.)

O Divine Infant Jesus, Who said: "Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Grant me the simplicity and wonder, the tenderness and gentleness of a child. Fill me with innocence, hope and love. Grant me the grace that I need.

(Make your request.)

O Divine Infant Jesus, help me know how close You are to me and how powerful is Your embrace. Help me to trust that You hold the whole world in Your hand. I place my every need and care in Your hands. I ask that you fulfill my request according to Your holy will.

(Make your request.)

Miraculous Infant of Prague, have mercy on us.

We humbly ask that you join us in praying this novena and include as one of your intentions: for all those who help the Children's Rosary through time, talent or treasure may they receive Christmas peace and joy. 

This is spiritual gift we would like to share with all those who have supported the Children's Rosary this year. In addition, a Mass will be celebrated for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary on December 25th.

Day of the Little Candles 2020

We wanted to share some of the pictures from our celebration of the Day of the Little Candles. This is a Colombian Tradition. On the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, lanterns and candles are put outside to decorate. We were introduced to this tradition in 2012 and have tried to participate each year by putting out our handmade lanterns. 

If you would like to learn how to make these lanterns click HERE. 

Large Quantity Discounts for Child Consecration Book Available

We are excited to announce that discounted prices are available for larger orders of the new book: Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower.

Price structure:

Purchase 1-9 books $12.95 each

Purchase 10-24 books $11.95 each

Purchase 25-49 books $10.95 each

Purchase 50 or more books $9.95 each

To order through EWTN click HERE

For more information about the Child Consecration book visit childconsecration.com

Catholic World Report Features Child Consecration Book

Catholic World Report recently published an article featuring the new Child Consecration book. The article is entitled "Book on child consecration builds on St. Louis de Montfort 's True Devotion to Mary."

To read the article click HERE.

Children's Rosary to Air on EWTN on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 2020

 

We are excited to share that the Children's Rosary video will air today at 4PM ET on EWTN in the United States and Canada. Please consider praying along with the children. 

To watch LIVE on EWTN click HERE

The Children's Rosary DVD will all four mysteries of the Rosary plus bonus instructional video is available to order through EWTN. This is a great Christmas present. To order click HERE. To view the complete collection of Children's Rosary materials carried by EWTN click HERE.

Join Us for the Day of the Little Candles

 

The Day of the Little Candles or Día de las Velitas is a custom practiced all over Colombia in honor of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The way each state in Colombia celebrates the Day of the Little Candles varies according to the region. 

On the evening of December 7th, lanterns are put in front of homes and in the streets with candles inside.  There are processions to honor the Immaculate Conception.  They carry a statue of the Virgin Mary through the streets finishing at the Church where they end by saying the rosary. 

Beginning in 2012 we have celebrated the Day of the Little Candles. We invite members of the Children's Rosary to also put out candles or lanterns tonight in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception tomorrow. Here is a LINK of how to make the lanterns in English. Here is the LINK in Spanish. The pictures included in this post are from prior years at our home. All the lanterns you see we made. 

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas

 

Yesterday we had a meeting

Join Us for Our Annual Consecration to Jesus through Mary: November 29 through January 1st 2021

Each year we invite members of the Children's Rosary to do a personal Consecration to Jesus through Mary beginning on November 29th and concluding on January 1st: the Feast of Mary Mother of God. For those who have already done a Consecration it is always recommended to renew one's Consecration yearly. 

This year we are excited to have a book to recommend to for the Consecration: Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower.

This book is ideal for adults and can also be understood by children as young as 4 or 5. Children from the first grade class at St. Francis Xavier School in Birmingham, Alabama finished their Consecration on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary: November 21st. Their teacher, Mrs. Cannova, wrote this past week to share feedback from the children.

Here are the first graders words about the Consecration:

Nina - "I am learning to truly love Jesus and Mary."
Ana - "I learned to love my sisters more and to love one another."
Remi - "I want to pray the rosary."
Lizzy - "I learned to love all of God's creation."
RIbaldo - "I love all of God's flowers." (The book begins with an allegory set in the garden)

Mrs. Cannova also shared her experience:

"All of our children look forward to praying the Consecration everyday. Throughout these past days, they have never forgotten to remind me that it was time to pray our Consecration. They understand beautifully that our Blessed Mother is leading them to her Son.  They have a deep love for our Blessed Mother.  I'm so thankful for this beautiful gift of Consecration to Jesus through Mary for our children." 

St Francis Xavier School in Birmingham has had a weekly Children's Rosary for over 3 years. The children meet each Friday in their respective classrooms to pray the Rosary. In many ways this Consecration is the fruit of the prayers of the many children who are part of the Children's Rosary. Our Blessed Mother sees these beautiful children growing in faith through their faithful prayer of the Rosary, and with the attentive care of the best of Mothers she provides tools for these children to grow even more in holiness. Our Blessed Mother knows her children and wants to come to them exactly where they are in their faith journey. There are many Consecration materials available, but this book is perfectly suited to children who have been praying in the Children's Rosary. Adults may find this Consecration also well suited to them as it draws souls to have a more child-like approach to Our Lord. 

To order the book Child Consecration or to pray the Consecration online click HERE.

Patiently Waiting Campaign 2020

This Advent Place a Patiently Waiting Sign in Your Window

Join the Children's Rosary by putting a sign in your window as a beautiful reminder of where our hearts can be found as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. On Christmas replace the sign with one that reads: Christ is Born.

Sixth Anniversary of the Patiently Waiting Campaign

If you have a Children's Rosary in your school we invite you to have the children make signs in class and have them bring them home to put in their windows. 

We have included a flyer for this year. Consider posting this at your parish or school. The flyer can be saved to your computer by right clicking on the image below and clicking save. This can then be printed. Alternatively, if you would like us to email you the pdf please write to blythe@childrensrosary.org 

Send us a Picture
We invite people to send us a picture of their Patiently Waiting sign in their window. Please include in the email where you live. We hope to feature some of these on our website. Pictures can be sent to: blythe.kaufman@gmail.com 

Invitation to Everyone
We should note that the Patiently Waiting Campaign is an invitation to adults and children. One does not have to be involved with the Children's Rosary to participate. 

The story behind the Patiently Waiting Campaign:
A number of years ago, I was walking past a home and in the window a sign read: Patiently Waiting.  It caught my attention.  Each time I walked past it each day I looked at it and was grateful for it. To see the sign made me happy inside. I wondered who put such a sign in their window.  Later I would find out it was a wonderfully holy priest.  After his passing, many shared how special this little sign was to them. It was so simple but it sent a ripple out into the community, a joyful one that is still moving in my heart years later even after the soul who placed it in his window has passed on.  This made me wonder, what if each of us put a sign in our windows?  What would be the effect...these speckles of love sprinkled all over the world. It was from this thought that the Patiently Waiting Campaign was born. 

Bishop Paul Ssemogerere Endorses the Book: Child Consecration

 

We are very grateful to Bishop Paul Ssemogerere of the Kasana - Luweero Diocese of Uganda for his kind support of the new book: Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. His words of support are included here:

"As human beings, we are all called to live a life of holiness- a life easily attained and lived through the motherly guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a life which is fruitfully nurtured at our early stage of life as children. This book, presents to children the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary which leads to a deeper and more perfect devotion to Jesus who calls all to a life of holiness. I commend this book to all who nurture the tender souls of children- the future of the Church, for through it they will be able to introduce many to the Mother of God who opens great realities of the faith to the simple hearted especially children and also searches for them when lost." -Bishop Paul Ssemogerere  

To learn more about this Consecration book visit the website: https://childconsecration.com

Books can be purchased or one can complete this 33 Day Consecration journey online. This Consecration Journey is written in the Spirit of St. Thérèse. It is characterized by simplicity, confidence and trust. While the book is written in a simple style, it is in no way simplistic. This book can be used by children but is also ideal for adults including priests.

Other posts you may enjoy:

The Power of the Prayers of Grandparents

How to Start a Children's Rosary Prayer Group

Join Us for the Novena of the Miraculous Medal: November 18-26th 2020

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother,
penetrated with the most lively confidence in your
all-powerful and never-failing intercession,
manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal,
we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena,
if they be beneficial to our immortal souls,
and the souls for whom we pray.

(Here mention your petitions *)

You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been 
the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity.
Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that
purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so 
that our every thought, word and deed may tend to 
His greater glory.
Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial
that we may recover by penance what we have lost
by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode 
where you are the Queen of angels and of men.
Amen.
(source: EWTN)

The Children's Rosary would like to humbly invite you to join us in praying the Novena of the Miraculous Medal (November 18th -26th).  
* In a special way may we pray for the intentions of Our Blessed Mother and a fulfillment of Her plans for each of us and the Children's Rosary prayer group movement. We pray for Peace, Peace Peace!  May God help us to put more miraculous medals in the hands of children. Amen.

A kind family sent the Children's Rosary 2,000 miraculous medals to share with children during our month long trip to East Africa in the summer of 2019. The children were so grateful to receive a miraculous medal. Unfortunately, we ran out of medals and many many children did not receive one. We pray God may open hearts to help us send more miraculous medals to not only the children in Kenya but other Children's Rosary groups throughout the world. The family that sent the 2,000 miraculous medals ordered them from St. Paul St. Evangelization.

If there are any souls who feel moved to send us miraculous medals to share with children please send them to:

Children's Rosary

PO Box 271743

West Hartford, CT 06127 USA

May God Bless you!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Holy Spirit the Great Unifier

A Kenyan Priest's Experience with the Children's Rosary

Consider making a Consecration to Jesus through Mary with our new book: Child Consecration. Learn more at https://childconsecration.com

New Children's Rosary Christmas Card for 2020

Dear Friends,

This is the time when we begin to think of writing our Christmas cards to family and friends. This year we have a new Children's Rosary Christmas card. Abigail, who has been illustrating our Christmas cards for the past 5 years, did an amazing job again. Some say it is the best one yet. To purchase a box of 25 Christmas cards visit our Children's Rosary collection at the EWTN Religious Catalogue click HERE. This year's card is shown above. EWTN also has available two additional Children's Rosary Christmas cards:

Madonna and Child click HERE.

Jesus and the Angels click HERE. EWTN recently featured the new Children's Rosary Holy Family Christmas card on their catalogue show. To view click HERE.

For every box of cards sold, one dollar goes back to the Children's Rosary. This helps us cover shipping costs to Children's Rosary groups around the world. 

We thank Abigail, a member of the Children's Rosary, for sharing her talents in service of Our Lord. A picture of Abigail is shown below.

Thank you 

Your Friend in Christ,

Blythe

You may also enjoy the following posts:

Hidden Fruit

New Book Release: Child Consecration

"Yesterday with the children we joyfully closed the holy month of the Holy Rosary"

We received a beautiful email this morning from Fr. Frank Ssuuna. He sent the greetings, "Yesterday with the children we joyfully closed the holy month of the Holy Rosary." He sent a picture of the children who are part of the Children's Rosary in Mirembe which is part of the St. Joseph parish in Mityana, Uganda. This Children's Rosary group began earlier this year. The children meet to pray at this grotto before a statue of Mary.

We thank this Children's Rosary group for all their prayers which have made this month of the Rosary special for Our Heavenly Mother Mary. 

Other Posts you may enjoy:

Under the Protection of Our Mother

Learn How to Start a Children's Rosary

Please consider starting a Consecration to Jesus through Mary using our new book. To learn more click HERE.

Early Snow

 

Today we woke up to a surprise. Heavy snow was falling. While not unprecedented to have snow in October in Connecticut, it is still a bit surprising. Our harvesting is far from finished in the garden but these Juliet tomatoes surely are not happy about the cold snap and fresh show weighing down their branches already laden with tomatoes (see the picture above). The harvest has been so abundant this year, we have been hard pressed to get all the tomatoes in before the cold. Asher, one of our children, has been out picking red and even the green tomatoes . . . buckets full in fact. 

We have been trying something new this year. We have netted the plants and also created a brand new enclosure to keep all the unwanted squirrels at bay. This has helped tremendously. Yards are small where we live and a whole harvest can be taken by unwanted critters. This year, the squirrels have had to find something else to eat and we have been enjoying fresh tomato salads and a special tomato strata recipe we found in my grandmothers old cookbook. This has been perfect for those tomatoes that look a bit bruised or are soft but cooked taste great. 

As the month of the Rosary comes to a close this coating of white clean fresh snow is an inspiring sight. One's heart begins to think of the coming of Advent and also Christmas. Yes, the picture below was taken today. We keep this ornament in our window all year.

Our son Kostin has been splitting wood for the fires we look forward to having as the cold weather sets in. This is also the time when we begin to think of writing our Christmas cards to family and friends. This year we have our new Children's Rosary Christmas card. Abigail who has been illustrating our Christmas cards for the past 5 years did an amazing job again. Some say it is the best one yet. To purchase a box of 25 Christmas cards visit our Children's Rosary collection at the EWTN Religious Catalogue click HERE. This year's card is shown below.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

A Child's Cross Made of Out of Snow

More Snow

Please consider starting a Consecration to Jesus through Mary using our new book. To learn more click HERE.

New Children's Rosary to Meet on October 30th at Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Maracay, Venezuela

 

We welcome the new Children's Rosary group at Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Maracay, Venezuela. They will hold their first meeting on October 30th 2020 at 9AM local time. The children will be praying in Spanish. Please consider unifying in prayer with them. 

First Children's Rosary in Malaysia

 

We are excited to announce that there is a new Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Parish in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. A picture of Sacred Heart Church is shown above. The children held their second Children's Rosary meeting on Saturday. Given a spike in Coronavirus cases in their region the children met remotely. 

We wish to welcome these new members of the Children's Rosary. 

We would like to provide some resources to help new Children's rosary groups form:

Here is a link to step by step instructions on how to begin a Children's Rosary.

We also have a video demonstrating how to run your first meeting. Click HERE.

We have a special instructional video for schools. The link is present HERE.

EWTN Bookmark Brief Features the New Child Consecration Book

Recently EWTN Bookmark filmed an interview featuring the book Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. They filmed a short 4 min Bookmark Brief at the end of the video. We wish to humbly share this video. To watch click HERE.

This new book is a resource for Children's Rosary groups to use. It is another tool to help our children reach the spiritual heights. The goal of the Children's Rosary is to support the prayer lives of children. Each year we encourage children who participate in the Children's Rosary to do a personal Consecration to Jesus through Mary beginning on November 29th and concluding on January 1st the Feast of Mary Mother of God. Please consider using this new book released through the Children's Rosary for your Consecration Journey. This can be purchased through EWTN and EWTN Great Britain. 

The Consecration journey is also available free online at https://childconsecration.com/

Mass Offered on October 25 2020 for all the Members of the Children's Rosary

A Mass was offered today for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary.  We continue to have a Mass said for the this intention on the 25th of the month. The Eucharist is such a powerful gift from Our Lord that when I wanted to extend thanksgiving to all of you I knew of no better way to express my gratitude.  May Our Lord's love be poured down on all of you through the powerful sacrifice of the Holy Mass. 

We would like to share with you the picture of one of our new Children's Rosary prayer groups from Pakistan. This is the Children's Rosary from St. Bernard Catholic Church in Kaka Basti Pakistan. The children are one of 7 new Children's Rosary groups in Pakistan that wait for rosaries. The group leader had no rosaries but he had paper so the children drew pictures of Jesus. We are trying to raise funds to cover shipping costs. We have the handmade rosaries but the shipping costs remain the hardship. To make a donation to the Children's Rosary click HERE. Donations are tax deductible in the United States.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Little Ones become leaders in Faith

Beauty, Beauty Everywhere

For more information about our new Child Consecration book click HERE.

New Children's Rosary Christmas Card for 2020

Dear Friends,

We are excited to release our new Children's Rosary Christmas Card for 2020. This joins two other Children's Rosary Christmas cards currently available to order through EWTN Religious Catalogue. 

The message inside the card reads: "May the Prince of Peace reign in our hearts. Wishing you and your family Christmas joy!"

The card was painted by Abigail Ryan, a member of the Children's Rosary.

For each box of cards sold, one dollar goes to the Non profit: Children's Rosary. This helps further the mission of the Children's Rosary which is to support the prayer lives of children and help to bring more children to prayer. 

To purchase this card and see the other Children's Rosary Christmas cards available click HERE.

Last week EWTN featured this card on their Religious Catalogue show. To view the segment click HERE.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

An Unexpected Meeting with St. Therese

Learn How to Start a Children's Rosary Prayer Group

Doing Less so You Can Do More

To learn more about our New Child Consecration Book click HERE

Meet the Illustrator

 The new book Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower was illustrated by Abigail Ryan. Many have asked about how Abigail came to do the illustrations of the book. We would like to share the little story here.

Abigail's mother began a Children's Rosary prayer group on February 6th 2015. The group met monthly on the first Friday of each month. In May of 2016 Abigail's mother sent several pictures from their May Children's Rosary meeting. The group had begun the meeting with a May Crowing. Abigail just 7 years old at the time was selected to crown Our Lady. Abigail not yet tall enough to reach Our Lady's head, needed a step stool to place the crown of flowers on the head of Our Blessed Mother.

As the monthly prayer meetings continued Abigail and her siblings began sharing some pictures they had drawn for Christmas. The idea came to use one of the children's drawings for a Children's Rosary Christmas Card. It was Abigail's picture that was used. The following year we asked Abigail again to paint something for the Children's Rosary Christmas card. It was then at age 9 that Abigail painted a beautiful image of Mary holding the baby Jesus to be used for our Christmas card. The face of Our Lady was so tender. Many commented about the card and it was not uncommon to hear that people had kept the card to display well beyond Christmas. Like those who had received a card, I kept one in our prayer room and often prayed the Rosary looking at it. Shortly after the Child Consecration book was started, one day in looking at Abigail's Christmas card a thought came. This could be the cover of the Child Consecration book. It was perfect! The Consecration journey is to Jesus through Mary and here on the cover was Mary presenting her Son. 

Very quickly I wrote to Abigail's mother to ask permission to use the image for the cover of the Consecration book and also if Abigail would consider illustrating the Child Consecration book. Her mother wrote back that she had asked Abigail and after going away and praying she came back and said "Yes". Abigail thought Our Blessed Mother wanted her to do it. Over the course of approximately 2 years Abigail painted the illustrations present in the book. She used watercolor and ink. She began each illustration with a light pencil sketch and then added watercolor pencils and later added the water. To accent certain parts of each illustration she added ink. We are so grateful to Abigail for all her work to help Our Lady and Our Lord. Abigail stands as a beautiful witness of the hearts of children and all they can do.

To learn more about the book Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower visit the website: https://childconsecration.com/

EWTN currently carries our Children's Rosary Christmas cards illustrated by Abigail. To view these cards click HERE.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Remembering Our Lady

How to Start a Children's Rosary

A Child's Devotion to St. Joseph

Hidden Fruit

Every year we have a large vegetable garden. It would be hard to imagine a summer without planting. This year we planted a large number of root vegetables. We planted carrots, beets, potatoes, garlic, and sweet potatoes. One of our neighbors ordered lots of sweet potato slips, too many for her garden. She offered us plenty from her surplus. This was a new crop for us. We found some empty buckets, filled them with rich soil and planted the little thin roots they call slips. All summer the kids tended the garden, watering when it was dry. This summer we had very little rain so there were many days of carrying the heavy buckets of water.  It is fun to see the plants growing and the tomatoes and squash setting fruit. But when it comes to all the root vegetables one has very little idea of what is growing under the surface. One has to stay the course, keeping faith that at the end of a long season of work, by the Grace of God there will be a harvest. 

As the nights are getting colder, there is the realization that the gardening will shortly be coming to an end for the season. There will be no more early morning watering....all that will be finished.  All the potatoes will be dug up. Carrots will be pulled and the sweet potatoes we have been so anxious to discover in the buckets will be unveiled. What will we find? 

In many ways so much of our daily work in the spiritual garden is taking care of plants that right now have hidden fruit. Some of our plants are fruiting in the light of day, but as many gardeners know, those are much more easily taken by critters. It is the fruit that is under the ground that is often most protected from predators such as the hungry squirrels that patrol the garden. 

How do we stay the course and not grow tired when our plants are setting hidden fruit? May I suggest that it is Our Heavenly Mother who helps us stay the course. She wants us to have a bountiful harvest to give to Our Heavenly Father. But we need to ask for her help. Raising children today is not easy. There are so many distractions that lead our young children away from Our Lord and all that Our Lord is asking of each of us. To have a Heavenly Mother who can help in guiding our children, encouraging them, and at times correcting them is a tremendous help. 

Our Blessed Mother sees our struggles and she gives us tools to help us. She understands that some tools may be too large for her little children to use. So in her attentiveness to each of our needs, she shapes some of these tools in such a way that even her youngest children can use them. One of these important tools is Consecration to Jesus through Mary. It is a means to keep us on the straight path. Over the last three years this tool, which was crafted by St. Louis de Montfort was being shaped in such a way that it could be taken up by some of our youngest children. Indeed, the smallest ones need the help of their parents to use the tool. When these small children first take it up they need to be accompanied by their parents who can show them step by step how to use it. On September 29th this new tool was unveiled! It is the book Child Consecration: to Jesus through Mary. Many wise gardeners, experienced in years, such as Robert Cardinal Sarah and Cardinal Burke have taken up this tool and given their approval. We are so excited that it is now available! 

In the coming weeks, we will be harvesting and all that has been hidden from us will be clear. But until then we keep our heads down and stay focused on our duties under the watchful guidance of Our Blessed Mother. For those of you who would like learn more about the new Child Consecration book visit our new website childconsecration.com

The new book can also be ordered through EWTN Religious Catalogue HERE.

Photos: The top photo is of our sweet potatoes growing in pots. The bottom picture is one of our raised beds. In the center of the bed is a thick line of carrots which we hope to harvest soon. 

A Surprise on the Feast of St. Thérèse

 

The new Consecration book which was released three days ago was written in the Spirit of of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. Given yesterday was her Feast, we wanted to highlight this aspect of the new book. The Consecration journey was written through a lens of spirituality identified with St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. It is characterized by simplicity, confidence, and trust. 

Sanctity is something children in particular can attain as it is most easily reached through simplicity. Once when St. Thérèse was participating in recreation, a saintly Novice Mistress spoke to her. She stated, “My child, it seems to me you don’t have very much to tell your Superiors.” Thérèse asked why the Mother thought this. The nun responded, “Because your soul is extremely simple, but when you will be perfect, you will be even more simple; the closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes.” St. Thérèse relates, “The good Mother was right.”

Yesterday we had a surprise on the Feast of St. Thérèse. The National Catholic Register published their article about the Child Consecration book. We were aware an article was coming out in October but we did not know the date. To read the article click HERE.

To learn more about the book Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower visit our new website HERE.

To purchase the new book click HERE.

New Book Release: Child Consecration

Today we are excited to release a new book on the Feast of the Archangels. The book is entitled Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. The book seeks to unpack the St. Louis de Montfort Consecration outlined in the classic text, True Devotion to Mary, in a way children can understand.

The book has received praise for many Church Fathers:

“Child Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower is a wonderful means by which children can come to know God’s Blessed Mother in an easy and accessible way. . . . I commend this book to parents and teachers, who will find here a solid and ready means to develop the spiritual and devotional life of children, giving them a firm foundation from which to build their relationship with the Lord and his Church.” 

- Robert Cardinal Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

“I highly recommend it to parents who wish to introduce their children to Marian devotion and thus help them to give their hearts, one with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, completely to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

-Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

 “I encourage every parent, teacher and priest to read this book, quite unique in these times. . . . Were I a parent, this would be my number one Marian book for my family. As a pastor of souls I pray many parents will take it up, confident that it has within it the grace to bring in a great harvest for the Church and the world in the generations too that lie ahead.”

- Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, Scotland

The book is currently available to order through EWTN Religious Catalogue. 

                                            To order Click HERE

                                 Visit childconsecration.com for more information.