Children Reaching Out to Other Children

As tomorrow is July 13th it seemed timely to share these pictures from our Children's Rosary group at Malaybalay Parish Cathedral in the Philippines.  The pictures were taken on May 13 2017. 

The groups leader shares:
"The children brought the Fatima icon to the Monobo tribe children evacuees and taught them how to pray the Rosary". Several other organizations contributed food to feed some 300 children and their parents. 

After the feeding had taken place the Children's Rosary group leader shared, "the Manobo children put Mama Mary on the sidewalk, lighted candles and pray the Rosary. The Rosary prayer was led by the 3 Manobo older children"

It is special to see the children from the Children's Rosary at the Malaybalay Parish Cathedral reaching out to the Manobo children. Recently Pope Francis in a document entitled the Missionary Pastoral Care with Children invites children to have an active role in evangelization. He writes, "This missionary service is carried out through the protagonist role of the children themselves. Jesus himself is the one who has given them a very important mission in the Church and the World."

Please keep these children in your prayers.  They hope to be able to form a Children's Rosary at San Fernando Parish as soon as peace is attained in their area and they are able to return home.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
The Skies in Alaska are Filled with the Voices of Children Praying
Resources to Help Begin a Group

Don't forget to unify prayers with the children during their meetings. A schedule of meetings is present on our website. By clicking "Join in Prayer" you can add your gold flashing light to our View from Heaven map.

For more information about the Children's Rosary visit our website: www.childrensrosary.org
Visite nuestro sitio web en español para obtener más información: www.rosariodeninos.org

What About You?

Marianne age 6, a member of the
Children's Rosary at the WMOF

This past week members of the Children's Rosary attended the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) in Philadelphia.  Nine children made the trip.  In between the beautiful Masses and our visits to Adoration the children helped answer questions at our Children's Rosary booth and circulated around the convention center handing out Children's Rosary bookmarks and telling people about the Children's Rosary prayer group movement.  Little Marianne, only 6 years old, seemed to be one of the most enthusiastic of the children.  She had a big smile across her face as she went around with her older siblings handing out bookmarks.   In thinking about the words Pope Francis repeated over and over again during the Saturday Papal Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts Peter and Paul, "What about you? What are you going to do?",  I could not help but think of the children.  Pope Francis was repeating the words Pope Leo XIII had spoken to the young Katharine Drexel at their meeting.  These words changed her life. 

On Saturday the Holy Father was addressing both religious and laity and their role in the Church. The Holy Father went on to say:

"First, those words-"What about you?"- were addressed to a young person, a young women with high ideals, and they changed her life.  They made her think of the immense work that had to be done, and to realize that she was being called to do her part.  How many young people in our parishes and schools have the same high ideals, generosity of spirit, and love for Christ and the Church!  Do we challenge them? Do we make space for them and help them to do their part? To find ways of sharing their enthusiasm and gifts with our communities, above all in works of mercy and concern for others? Do we share our own joy and enthusiasm in serving the Lord?"  In thinking about these words I couldn't help but think of these words falling on the hearts of these children.  In so many ways their hearts are open to such a call.  They have joy and a readiness to share their love of Our Lord.  Seeing the children praying and also inviting other children to participate in the Children's Rosary, one can see the important role these little ones have in the future of Our Church.  So often we marveled how receptive people were to hear about the Children's Rosary as the invitation came from a tiny person.  I thought also of the members of the Children's Rosary both in the United States and also in far areas such as Pakistan where the children pray together both in the Church but also out with the poor and sick.  The children blossom when give such an opportunity to come together to pray and give glory to God.  

It would also seem that the Lord smiles upon these little ones helping Him in the field.  Little Marianne was so delighted to meet a "Swiss Guard" in costume as she was walking around sharing information about the Children's Rosary.  Such small gifts mean so much to the children and it would seem Our Lord was very generous with them.  

Our Holy Father asked us to "make space" for the young to do their part.  The Children's Rosary honors this request and seeks to give our children such support in their prayer lives and also a means to make a difference in the Church Universal.  

It is my humble hope that many will see this challenge from Our Holy Father as an invitation to help our young people and support them in their prayer lives.  

For more information about beginning a Children's Rosary in your parish click HERE.

Other posts you may enjoy:
Children's Rosary Book
Children's Rosary CD
Going Out to Pray with the Poor

Teenagers...Yes You Can Help Too!

Two teenage girls from Immaculate Conception Church in North Delta, British Columbia Canada are taking the lead to help grow the Children's Rosary in their parish.  Romina and Elisha have designed an advertising campaign. With the help of some of the smaller children they will be making announcements after each of the weekend Masses this weekend to spread word of their monthly Children's Rosary which is held the first Sunday of each month at 3PM.  As they stand before all the parishioners at each of the 5 Masses they plan to invite all the children present to stand and share with them information about the Children's Rosary and personally invite them to the upcoming meeting. This effort to grow their group and their approach was completely their idea. They are so excited to share this prayer group with other children their excitement is infectious.  Hearing today about these two girls brought such a smile to my heart.  Such a wonderful story of hope. Young people are so dynamic it is truly inspiring to see them direct their efforts in service of Our Lord.

While the target age of the Children's Rosary is between 4-14, children at either end of the age range are always welcome if they have an interest. Older children can be wonderful mentors to the younger children and also be a wonderful help.

You may also enjoy the following post:
How to Start a Children's Rosary

For Those Outside the Church Who will Open the Door?

It is an interesting question.  I relate it to an experience I had several weeks ago.  Arriving at Church as I usually do, I found I was a bit later then most days and I feared that all had already entered the Church for Mass.  See I have a genetic condition which affects joints and results in joint instability.  Although I can no longer drive I can by the grace of God walk to Church.  However, my hands are too weak to open the Church doors.  So I stand and wait at the door until someone comes along to let me in.  There have been a few instances such as this particular day, when I arrive close to the start of Mass and all have already entered.  It is at such times, when the large wooden doors stand closed and I am outside that I wonder how I will get in.  There is a no way I would attempt to open the door myself as this would surely result in a joint dislocation.  And so I remain outside.

This one particular day, a few weeks ago, a cold wind had kicked up and I stood praying with a little prayer book by the door.  Looking up I noticed a child walking toward me with her mother at a distance.

Her mother inquired if I needed help and I said, yes.  Her daughter ran on and opened the door.  As I passed through she smiled at me.  I did not know the little girl or her mother.  They had been waiting in a car for school to start, as there is a parochial school associated with our Church.  I marvelled as I prayed at Mass that it was a child who opened the door to the Church for me.  It occurred to me that many stand outside the Church unable to open the door themselves.  The cause of the obstacle is different for each person.  Yet there is a comfort and ease of accepting help from a child.  They do not judge the one in need and seem only to happy to be of assistance.

I would meet this girl again only a week ago.  She again saw me waiting at the door and this time seemed to know just what to do.  I asked her name and she said Hannah.  She mentioned she was in second grade, probably 7 or 8 years old.

It gave me joy to see this little one with smiles so eager to help. I did not feel silly needing the help as so often I do when asking the help of a stranger. 

It occurred to me that our children are uniquely suited to reach out to others who silently wait for help.

Recently such a thing happened within the Children's Rosary. A member of our group asked for prayers for a man whose knee joint replacement had failed.  He was without a joint and in horrible pain.  The children began praying for this man and his wife who was caring for him.  Something beautiful happened.  The wife felt so moved that children were praying for her husband that she encouraged her daughter to begin a Children's Rosary, buying the books needed for the children.  She herself is not Catholic but her daughter had recently converted.  An unlikely individual to encourage a group to form but children have a way of bringing people together.

As more Children's Rosary groups form it is my hope that more people will experience the help and love of our children and through them they will be drawn closer to the warm embrace of Our Lord. 

Other posts you may enjoy:
Children's Rosary turns 1
How to Start a Children's Rosary
A Grandmother's Experience with the Children's Rosary