Have You Read the Promises of the Rosary to Your Children?

This past Wednesday was the Feast of St. Therese.  With a large picture of the Little Flower set up in our living room the children and I prayed a Rosary before bed.  Our middle son Konstantin had found a little prayer book given to us at one time and was looking through it.  When we finished the Rosary he walked over to me on his kneels as we had just finished praying.  He asked if I could read something to them.  It was the promises of the Rosary.  I was familiar with these promises and my first inclination was to say no, we can read them another night as it was late.  But then I waited and thought better of it and agreed to read them.  Both Konstantin and his sister remained kneeling and looking down at the ground as the promises were read.  With each one that was spoken there was love bellowing up in ones heart.  A freshness to the promises as if they were new to me as well.  There was a feeling of validation as if all heaven was nodding that indeed such graces have been granted by the Father to those who pray the Rosary.  As the last promise was read nothing was said.  We all were soaking in the grandeur of what was promised to us.  The next night again I found Konstantin reading the page of promises himself and then again today.  We all seemed to be thinking about the list and also that which was not said but rather felt in our hearts.  The promises have an Imprimatur associated with them and I will include them here.  Although I had not thought to read them to the children it was they that showed me that sometimes it is worth appreciating all that has been purchased for us.

The 15 Promises Of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary:

(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alain)

Imprimatur: Patrick J Hayes D. D Archbishop of New York

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve Me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces. 
2. I promise My special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary. 
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies. 
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. 
5. The soul which recommends itself to Me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish. 
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life. 
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church. 
8. Those who are faithful in reciting the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise. 
9. I shall deliver from purgatory, those who have been devoted to the Rosary. 
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven. 
11. You shall obtain all you ask of Me by the recitation of the Rosary. 
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by Me in their necessities. 
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death. 
14. All who recite the Rosary are My sons, and brothers of My only son Jesus Christ. 
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

How to Make a Cross out of Palms

Folding each palm in half

Let me begin by saying, I take no credit for anything presented here below.  This method of making a Palm into a cross was developed entirely by my 9 year old son during Mass today.  My first introduction to his handiwork was looking out from the altar where I had been lectoring during the sign of peace and from his seat he was waiving a Cross made of Palms.  His abilities were further endorsed by members of the Children's Rosary who asked for one of his crosses at the end of his Children's Rosary today.  This afternoon Kostin came down from his bedroom with a huge smile on his face and with an armful of Crosses. One he placed by a statue of Our Lady in our sun room where we say family prayer.  One he kindly gave to me and others were decorated around his room. Kostin also mentioned as he was doling out his treasures that he had spared several palms for the two boys who live next door ages 7 and 9 who were also able to make crosses. Seeing so many crosses the idea came that maybe others might want to make a cross, as the means to do so did not seem obvious to me.
Well enough about the back story lets get to making a cross.

slipping the V of one palm through the other palm

Materials needed:
Two Palms
A scissor

Steps
1. Take your palm and peal off a thin strip longitudinally from one of its sides.  Do this step again for the other palm.  Now you have the material "string" which will be used to tie the cross later in the process.
2. Take each of your two crosses and fold them in half forming a V shape
3. Once folded take one palm and slip the V of the palm through the V of the other palm.  Now it should look like a Cross. 
4. Now take the palm "string" you made and pass it under the cross and make a single tie at the center.
5. Flip the cross over and tie again with the same string. 
6. Now make a double knot . Please use force making the knot and hold it for a minute so the palm keeps the "memory" of the desired position. 
7. Cut off the ends leaving about a half of an inch tale so it does not slip out.  

Optional variation not photographed.  If the free arm end of the cross is too long or rough looking one can bend that arm in and tuck it into the side where one made the knot.  This gives a more refined look.

Extra pieces of palms Kostin suggests giving to your Church next year to be burnt for the Ashes used on Ash Wednesday. They often collect them in baskets the weekend before Palm Sunday. (Kostin also mentioned he would like to burn some of his extra materials on his birthday in our fire pit. This seemed acceptable as blessed items should be either buried or burned if one would like to get rid of them). 

Thank you all for joining us and may Our Lord bless you abundantly. Amen.

Other posts you may enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary