Reflections from the First Meeting of the Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Church in East Berlin, CT USA

The first meeting of the Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Parish was held on August 3rd 2013.  This group has chosen to hold their monthly Children's Rosary on the first Saturday of the month.  Several of the Children's Rosary groups have chosen the first Saturday as their meeting time in honor of Our Blessed Mother and the First Saturday devotion.  The first meeting of the Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Church in East Berlin, CT USA was small with 3 children attending.  A beautiful picture of the children was taken after the Rosary.  One can see the Roses at Our Lady's feet a beautiful tradition which started with the first Children's Rosary group and has been continued through all the groups. At the end of each decade of the rosary a child is asked to place a rose at the feet of Our Lady if a statue is present or before the children as they are kneeling.  An adult is then saying, Mary we humbly place this rose at your feet and ask for the grace of humility if it were the first joyful mystery.  The graces asked for correspond to the fruits of each mystery.  

As I looked at this picture of the three children standing before Our Lady I was reminded of another picture one you may also recognize: the three children of Fatima.  Maybe it was the folded hands that reminded me of little Jacinta standing with her hand on her hip but there was something so realistic about these three children.  One realizes that the children of Fatima were unique in that they were able to see Our Lady as they prayed the Rosary but they were in many ways just like our children.  We are told that Francisco who was 9 at the time of the apparitions could be a bit mischievous.  Yet he had a soft heart and love of animals and compassion for the sick.  Jacinta the youngest of the visionaries was just 7 when Our Lady appeared to them. She loved to dance and sing but could be stubborn and definitely had a mind of her own. Lucia was the oldest being 10 when Our Lady appeared.  She was the youngest of 7 children and came from a family which prayed the Rosary together.  She was the only visionary who could speak to Our Lady.

As today is the anniversary of the Sept 13th apparitions in Fatima I thought it a perfect day to share these reflections.  On the Sept 13th apparition Lucia asked Our Lady as she had done in the past "What do you want of me?" Our Lady responded "Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war."

As these apparitions were taking place during World War I this was an important message for their time.  Yet with the many conflicts which exist today in our world the message is timeless.  The Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart met this past weekend and these three children again returned to pray and we are happy to report that three new children joined them.  How beautiful it must be for Our Lady to look down from Heaven and see her little children kneeling in prayer of the Holy Rosary.  

May I humbly encourage anyone who is considering starting a Children's Rosary to see this little group and realize that whether 2 children or twenty children come together Our Lady is smiling. The time commitment is small but the blessings are immeasurable not only for your family and parish but for the whole world.  After all, Our Lady told the children that through prayer of the Rosary one can obtain an end to war. 

Word's From the Children Wednesdays

ANSWERING THE QUESTION:

 WHY IS THE CHILDREN'S ROSARY IMPORTANT

Recently we introduced a new weekly highlight on the Children's Rosary Blog: Words from the Children Wednesdays. As the Children's Rosary is a prayer movement composed of children and led by children we would like to begin highlighting some of the beautiful feedback we have been getting from the children from our different Children's Rosary groups.  

Recently I reached out to the different Children's Rosary groups and asked for their help.  The Children's Rosary had a booth at the Catholic Marketing Network(CMN) Trade Show in New Jersey USA from August 7th-9th.  It was our hope that the children could provide the voice of the movement by creating visuals and phrases to briefly describe WHY THE CHILDREN'S ROSARY IS IMPORTANT.

The pictures have been coming in by mail from all over the country.  They were all so beautiful in their own unique way it seemed like a perfect way to begin our Words From the Children Wednesdays.  More beautiful original artwork to come over the upcoming weeks.  Please if you are a child and would like to submit a picture or message see our contact information and send it in.  We will be featuring them here.

The drawing above was done by Konstantin age 9 who is a member of the Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, CT USA.  His answer at first blush seems to be the most obvious answer to the question.  The Children's Rosary teaches children how to pray.  However, as I spent some time reflecting on this picture I realized that in this rather simple answer there were some beautiful mysteries.  The part that really struck me is how this child felt that he was being taught how to pray.  His teacher as is depicted in the picture is Our Blessed Mother.  She has brought him to the foot of the Cross to pray to her Son.  So often people speak of the Rosary as a Marian prayer but Pope John Paul II spoke of the Rosary as Christ centered and here in the simple drawing by a child we see the beautiful mystery of the Holy Rosary. Our Lady is praying with our children but she is always guiding them to her Son.

As the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross is this week it seemed a wonderful day to highlight Konstantin's drawing which so beautifully shows us how the Rosary is always a circle that ends at the Cross with Our Lady by our side.

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tomorrow, Sept 8th, we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This Feast falls exactly 9 months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.  Tomorrow we are blessed to have three Children's Rosary groups meeting.  It is our hope that the prayers of these children will be a special gift to Our Lady.  Please consider joining the children in prayer either at the Church or from your home.  The children always pray for those unifying their prayers with them.

Here is the schedule of when our groups will be meeting:
The Children's Rosary at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in South Windsor, CT  8:45 AM ET
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle West Hartford, CT 9:45 AM ET
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT 11:00 AM ET

Monthly Mass Offered Today for Renewal of Family Prayer

Pope Francis July 22 at World Youth Day 2013
credit: Getty Image

On the 1 year anniversary of the Children's Rosary we began a prayer initiative to renew family prayer. The children began saying novenas to different saints for renewal of family prayer.  Over 780 nine day novenas have been said each to a different saint. Over 500 Children's Read Aloud Bibles have been given out to families to encourage family prayer.  During each Children's Rosary group meeting the children also pray for renewal of family prayer.  A very special way we are trying to bring back family prayer is by offering Masses for this intention. Many Masses have already been requested and going forward a Mass will be offered on the first Saturday of every month for Renewal of Family prayer.  

Pope Francis during his trip to World Youth Day stressed the importance of family and supporting that family through prayer.

He called “the family, the foundation of coexistence and a remedy against social fragmentation.” (Pope Francis July 25th 2013)

He later said, “How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith!” (Pope Francis July 26th, Angelus)

In a radio interview Pope Francis said, “The family is important, and it is necessary for the survival of humanity.” (Pope Francis July 27th)

On a day called upon by Pope Francis to pray and fast for peace it also seems like a wonderful blessing to have our Monthly Mass said for Renewal of Family Prayer.  For as Pope John Paul II was fond of saying, "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live".

Three Children's Rosary Groups to Meet Tomorrow

JOIN US IN PRAYER

The Children's Rosary at St. Agnes Church in Naples, Florida USA will hold their monthly Children's Rosary at 9:30 AM ET.

The Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Parish in East Berlin, CT USA will hold their monthly Rosary at 10AM ET

The Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, CT USA will hold their monthly Rosary at 3:30 PM ET.

Please consider joining the children in prayer.  As tomorrow is the first Saturday of the Month and a day of prayer and fasting called upon by Pope Francis for peace we hope many will feel moved to join us in prayer of the Holy Rosary.

Thank you all and God Bless!

Why Fast?

Pope Francis has called upon a day of prayer and fasting on Sept 7th for Peace especially in Syria.

One might ask why can we not just pray for peace?  Why do we need to pray and fast?

Fasting has its roots back to the Old Testament. When Moses went on Mount Sinai he was with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights and did not eat bread nor drink water (Exodus 34:28). 

In the New Testament we are reminded of the power of fasting. In the Gospel of Matthew a possessed boy is brought to the disciples but they could not cure him.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said “Why could not we cast it out?(Matthew 17:18)  Jesus goes on to explain “this kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20)

The Popes have also spoken beautifully about the value of fasting.  

Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the value of fasting in his message for Lent on Feb 25th 2009

The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord.

Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God.

By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. 

Pope John Paul II

Fasting is to reaffirm to oneself what Jesus answered Satan when he tempted him at the end of his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness: “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4) -Pope John Paul II Sunday Angelus March 10th 1996

Words from the Saints on Fasting:

"...although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast."  - St. Francis de Sales

"Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity." 

- St. Augustine,

Children's Rosary to Meet Today

JOIN US IN PRAYER

The Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church will be meeting today at 5PM ET.  This group has chosen to hold their Children's Rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  Please consider joining them in prayer either at the Church or from your home.  The Children always pray for all those unifying their prayers with them.  It is also particularly special that this group is meeting on First Friday and in a special way honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  

Thank you all and God Bless!