Our Lady of Fatima's Rose Opens

Our Lady's Rose opens today 7.2.2013
for the first time this year

Last year on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima members of the Children's Rosary planted a Peace Rose at St. Thomas the Apostle Church as a gift to Our Lady.  The children prayed that with each petal that forms on the rose that 1,000 families would begin family prayer.  All spring we have been watching Our Lady's Rose.  While many of the roses in the rose garden at St. Thomas were blooming our small rose was bare.  But then just last week I spied two buds.  Today as I walked to daily Mass the blossoms were gloriously open.  After a day of heavy down pours yesterday it was clear the blossoms had just opened as there was no damage to the two beautiful flowers.  

Our Lady had another beautiful gift in store for the Children's Rosary group today.  It came with an inquiry about the Children's Rosary.  The individual contacting us was from East Timor a country in South East Asia.  He was excited about the idea of starting a Children's Rosary.  When I wrote to him and asked his parish he said, Our Lady of Fatima.  Both of us were deeply touched to realize the beautiful timing of his inquiry and the opening of the Rose planted last year in honor of Our Lady of Fatima.  Another wonderful gift was to see this new connection in Asia after Our Holy Father had released his missionary prayer intention for July which was: "That throughout Asia doors may open to messengers of the Gospel."

The plans of Our Lady and Our Lord are so beautiful that as they unfold there is a wonderful excitement and joy at the realization of how intricate they are and impossible to predict.

The Peace Rose being planted as a gift to Our Lady
on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima 2012

Little Peter one of the members of the Children's Rosary
helped with the planting and watering of Our Lady's Rose

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions for July 2013

Pope Francis prays in front of Blessed John XXIII's tomb on June 3, 2013 in St. Peter's Basilica.
Credit: ANSA/Ettore Ferrari.

General intention: “That World Youth Day in Brazil may encourage all young Christians to become disciples and missionaries of the Gospel.”

Mission intention: “That throughout Asia doors may open to messengers of the Gospel.”

You may also like the following posts:

Pope John Paul II

Pope Francis and the Rosary

Pope Francis Urges Families to Pray the Rosary

Children and the Diary of St. Faustina

The following is an excerpt from the Diary of St. Faustina:

765 "On one occasion, I saw the convent of the new congregation.  As I walked about, inspecting everything, I suddenly saw a crowd of children who seemed to be no older than five to eleven years of age.  When they saw me they surrounded me and began to cry out, “Defend us from evil,” (179) and they led me into the chapel which was in this convent.  When I entered the chapel, I saw the distressful Lord Jesus.  Jesus looked at me graciously and said that He was gravely offended by children:  You are to defend them from evil.  From that moment, I have been praying for children, but I feel that prayer alone is not enough."

In speaking with Fr. Andrew Apostoli recently he brought this passage to my attention.  There are several things that struck me:

The first was a call to defend children from evil spoken both by the children themselves and by Jesus.  The children just didn’t ask for protection they cried out for help which would imply an urgency.

The second is that young children between the ages of 5 and 11 offend Our Lord Jesus.  

What are we to do with such a piece of information.  St. Faustina’s reaction was to pray for them but she herself says this alone did not seem to be enough.  What if the children were to pray themselves?  Would that please Our Lord and help to foster their own interior growth?

How does a parent or anyone start to encourage prayer for their children.  One such avenue is to join a Children’s Rosary group or start one. A Children’s Rosary is a prayer group composed of children and lead by children.  Once a month or if interest exists weekly the children meet together with their peers to pray the rosary.  It is here in prayer that they begin to reflect on the life of Jesus.  As the Rosary is repetitive in nature it is ideally suited for children.  As each child prays a decade we are told that fruits are given.  If one were praying the first joyful mystery the fruit of that prayer is humility and the second joyful mystery is love of neighbor.  How beautiful to contemplate ones children growing in the virtues in such a gently way.  I have often reflected on the many deficiencies I have as a mother and am consoled by the thought of Our Blessed Mother helping in the shaping of my children.  For when we bring our children to her in prayer she makes up for our deficiencies enveloping them in a maternal love so strong one can not fully appreciate such a thing. Another way to initiate your children into prayer is to have a small family prayer every night.

Some posts you may find helpful:

How to Start a Children's Rosary

How to Begin Family Prayer

Find a Children's Rosary Near You.

Children's Rosary Tomorrow

JOIN US IN PRAYER

The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT will have their weekly Children's Rosary this Sunday at 11AM ET.   Consider joining the children in prayer either at the Church or from your home.  The children always pray for all those unifying their prayers with them from their home.

A Humble Request for Prayers

Dear Friends,

With the recent closure of the Neumann Press the Children's Rosary book is in need of a new publisher.   As the Children's Rosary continues to grow, there is more and more need for our book to once again be published.  In times like this I know only one place to turn....more prayer.  Our Lady and Our Lord surely have plans but like everything they need to be moved by fervent prayers to act.  So I am once again humbly asking for prayers for Our Lord's plan to be realized. Please consider joining this 9 day novena to the Holy Spirit for a realization of God's plans for the Children's Rosary and the Children's Rosary book.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Novena to the Holy Spirit 

Dearest Holy Spirit, confiding in Your deep, personal love for me, I am making this novena for the following request, if it be Your Holy Will to grant it:(mention your request*). 

Teach me, Divine Spirit, to know and seek my last end; grant me the holy fear of God; grant me true contrition and patience. Do not let me fall into sin. Give me an increase of faith, hope and charity, and bring forth in my soul all the virtues proper to my state in life.

Make me a faithful disciple of Jesus and an obedient child of the Church. Give me efficacious grace sufficient to keep the Commandments and to receive the Sacraments worthily. 

Give me the four Cardinal Virtues, Your Seven Gifts, Your Twelve Fruits.
Raise me to perfection in the state of life to which You have called me and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life.I ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. 
(novena obtained from EWTN website)

*For the realization of God's Plan for the Children's Rosary and the Children's Rosary book. 

Children's Rosary in Nairobi, Kenya

REFLECTIONS FROM THEIR FIRST MEETING

The Children's Rosary at Holy Trinity Church in Nairobi, Kenya held their first meeting on Saturday June 8th.  This was an especially beautiful day to hold their first meeting as it was the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Approximately 40 children gathered for the Rosary.  We were so blessed to have some pictures from the first meeting. 

The next meeting of the Children's Rosary at Holy Trinity Parish in Nairobi, Kenya will be held on Saturday July 13th.

We feel especially grateful to Our Blessed Mother as the first meeting of a Children's Rosary held outside the United States occurred on a day honoring her Immaculate Heart. It is our prayer that others living both within the United States and beyond will feel inspired to begin a Children's Rosary in their parish.  If you have any questions or would like to begin a Children's Rosary please contact Blythe at blythe.kaufman@gmail.com

You may also like the following posts:
New Prayer Initiative Praying for Our Seminarians
How to Start a Children's Rosary
Find a Children's Rosary Near You

Mass to be Offered for Members of the Children's Rosary Tomorrow

A Mass will be offered on June 25th by the Capuchin Friars for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all those who help the Children's Rosary.  We will continue to have Masses said for this intention on the 25th of each month. The Eucharist is such a powerful gift from Our Lord that when I wanted to thank all the members of the Children's Rosary and those that have helped us in so many beautiful ways I knew of no better way of saying thank you.

Two other Masses will be offered tomorrow for the following intentions:
1 Mass for the Intentions of Our Blessed Mother
1 Mass for Peace, Peace, Peace