Presentation of Mary

Caleb pictured in green is one of our younger members of the
Children's Rosary

Today after Mass a familiar face came into the back corner of the chapel: a sweet grandfather and his little granddaughter.  Every day they arrive just after Mass and spend at least an hour in the chapel.

Several of us usually stay to pray the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy after Mass. Today I was enjoying very much watching this little girl no older than a year old toddling around beneath a first class relic of St. Faustina and a large Divine Mercy picture.  The little girl would make her way sometimes crawling sometimes walking with the help of her grandfather over to the kneeler and look up to Jesus and a beautiful statue of Our Blessed Mother.  There were several vases of flowers beneath the pictures and she would look at those as well.  All the while we were praying in the background.  The wonderful soft sounds of the Rosary a backdrop for her exploration.  

I was reminded of a little boy (pictured above in green) who from a tender age of several months old used to come to Mass with his mother.  As he grew she would push his carriage back and forth as we prayed the Rosary after Mass.  As he grew he began coming to the Children's Rosary.  He would watch the older children praying and kneel with them.  Often he would place a rose before Our Lady at the end of the decade taking turns with the other children.  I began to marvel at what a wonderful thing it is to grow up spending time in Our Lord's home.  So often you enter a chapel and it is empty during the day.  For an hour each morning during the week there is a grandfather and a little tiny child learning to walk keeping Our Lord company.  I can imagine Our Blessed Mother smiling to see such a sweet soul and a grandfather who lovingly brings his little granddaughter to Church.  As I was praying today in Church I began to wonder when is the moment when a child has their first lasting memory.  Would't it be wonderful if one of the first memories a child has is looking into the eyes of Our Lord and hearing the prayers of the Rosary echoing in the background.  Such experiences must create a wonderful garden for virtue to grow and flourish in a soul.  

Recently more and more I have been thinking about our Children's Rosary CDs which have little ones praying the Rosary with soft instrumental music behind.  In many ways the prayers are like a lullaby one might play for a child.  I began to wonder if such prayers gently prayed in the background would be wonderfully soothing for a a baby or young child.  So often our children our exploring in their own room or laying down trying to fall asleep.  It might be a wonderful thing to put the Children's Rosary CD on so they might be bathed in the sound of prayers.

Tomorrow as we celebrate the Presentation of Mary I am reminded of the wonderful role St. Anne and St. Joachim played in raising a pure soul which would bring Our Lord into this world.  To contemplate bringing children to Our Lord's home to spend time and just be with Our Lord is something beautiful to reflect on.  Many may not be able to come to the Church each day but you might consider a monthly or weekly Children's Rosary.

We are blessed to have a first class relic of St. Anne visiting our home.  Tonight in a special way I would like to pray for all members of the Children's Rosary and in a special way all parents and grandparents that we may be given the grace and assistance to help guide our own children and grandchildren in holiness. Amen.

Reaching the Age of Reason

Over the years I have asked our youngest son to offer up prayers for certain special intentions or those that have been sick.   In asking him I would also let him know that his prayers are very special to God as Our Lord so loves the prayers of children.  My son would ask why does He love the prayers of children?  In my attempt to answer such a question well too profound for me, I simply said that little children under the age of reason are innocent and pure and thus such prayers from such a soul touch Our Lord in a special way.  He naturally asked me when is the age of reason?  I told him seven.  As this is what I had grown up understanding to be true.  

Well as our youngest son grew he never seemed to forget this fact.  As his 7th birthday approached he often mentioned that he had better do some extra prayers for people while he still had innocent prayers.  Many times he mentioned his birthday approaching and his desire not to lose his purity.  I consoled him saying that these early years are times when one practices the virtues and that he should just continue to do what he had been practicing. Well recently he confided that he had been praying very hard to God to keep his purity and he seemed to think he had an answer.  He said prayer saves.  He was all happy and had a new resolve to pray more and all would be well.  Today on Asher’s 7th birthday I had a thought that I wanted to see what the catechism said about the age of reason.  In doing some research I came across canon law 97 which stated only that on completion of the seventh year a minor is presumed to have reached the age of reason. 

I contemplated a great deal sharing this little personal story from our family.  Yet there was something sweet about it that seemed to speak so beautifully about the hearts of children.  The world is full of harshness and raising a little one we want only the best for our children.  We should pray for them that they are protected as there will be many times we will not be there physically to guard them.  Just as important as our prayers for our children are the prayers of children themselves, something so often overlooked.  Children have a large capacity to pray as we see through such wonderful saints as St. Bernadette or little Blessed Jacinta from Fatima. While it may seem strange for a child to be thinking so much of their purity in fact a knowledge of ones purity and a desire to protect it moving forward through life is something important for our young people.  I am reminded of something Our Lady shared with little Jacinta, that more souls are lost due to sins of impurity then any other.  It is not that these sins are worse than others it is just that they are more common. Our Blessed Mother has come to help all her children even the big ones who have children and grandchildren of their own.  Through prayer of the Rosary we receive grace to help strengthen the virtues. The fruit of the second sorrowful mystery of the Rosary is purity.

As a mother who struggles daily with raising children it is such a consolation to know that Our Blessed Mother is there to help us.  By bringing our children to prayer with her in the Rosary she makes up for so many of our deficiencies as parents and helps lead our children in holiness.