M
Matt_Collins
Guest
Until nine years ago, I had thought the whole thing about St. Therese sending roses in answer to prayers bordered on superstition. I had no particular devotion to her, but at the time, I was attending daily Mass at the Shrine of the Little Flower, in Baltimore. The pastor would lead the congregation in a novena to the Little Flower after daily Mass for the nine days leading up to her feast day. Part of the novena asked for a flower to be sent, and that if the favor was granted, that I would spread devotion to her for the rest of my life. Well, it’s too long to go into now, but suffice it to say that I was made a believer, and my rose was sent to me on October 1, 2003, in a completely unexpected way. There have been several other instances since, when St. Therese sent me a rose as an answer to my prayers. I never tell anyone when I’m making a novena to St. Therese so that when the rose comes, in whatever form it takes, it can’t be explained away by someone giving it to me, knowing I was expecting it.
Well, I have to share with you a new favor that St. Therese has done for me – the greatest favor I’ve received from her yet!
Just last month, on September 13, my mother passed away after a very difficult 2-month long ordeal. I made a novena to St. Therese, in preparation for her October 1 feast day, asking for a rose to be given to me as a sign that Mom is in heaven, and that my father would be granted the consolation of knowing she is there. I did not receive a rose. I started another novena, which ends today, October 12, asking for the same intention.
Yesterday was my birthday, the first one without receiving a gift from my mother, or even the opportunity to speak with her. Or so I thought. Early in the morning, I prayed to Mom, asking her for a birthday gift. Without explaining why, I simply asked Mom to ask St. Therese to send me a rose. It was an OK day, but I really felt Mom’s absence very keenly.
I have to make an aside here. We have a big family, and it wasn’t always possible for my Mom and Dad to get together with all the kids during the holidays. Last year, for various reasons, we were never able to get together, even though Mom had already prepared a gift for my wife and me. We saw each other at many family events since Christmas, but we were never able to get together to exchange Christmas gifts.
In the middle of July, Mom had to have emergency heart surgery. Before the surgery she expressed regret that we still hadn’t exchanged Christmas gifts from last year. I told her not to worry, that we would do it after she got out of the hospital. Well, she never recovered from the surgery, and she struggled for 8 weeks in intensive care. Eventually they put a valve on her tracheostomy that allowed her to say a few words. At one point, shortly before she passed away, Dad told her that he would give that gift to my brother and sister-in-law. Mom very forcefully corrected him, that it was to be given to my wife and me.
Well, last night my father came to dinner for my birthday. He brought the gift Mom had prepared. It was an expensive china vase that Mom had bought in France, heavily decorated with – you guessed it – roses!
The fact that this vase was bought by Mom, that she had intended it for my wife and me, that it was the Christmas gift she had expressed regret at not having given to me yet, and that it was given to me on my birthday, the very day I had asked her to ask St. Therese to give me a rose, fills me with the certainty that Mom is in heaven. The favor I had asked for included the request that my father would receive the consolation of knowing that she is in heaven. St. Therese arranged that he was the instrument of delivering her rose to me, and witnessed my surprise, just completes the favor in a way I simply could not have anticipated. I broke down in tears as I explained to Dad, my wife, and my son, what had just happened.
St. Therese lost her own mother at a very young age, and felt the loss very keenly. I knew she would understand my need for the consolation of knowing Mom is in heaven.
Please forgive me if this seems a little maudlin. But I cannot contain myself, and simply must share this favor with all of you, so that if you also need the support of the saints in heaven, you will be encouraged to pray to them for help. And of course, I hope you’ll also become a friend of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Don’t be turned off by the sentimentality of it all. St. Therese is a powerful friend. Learn to follow her “Little Way.” You men out there… It’s not a lack of masculinity to seek the comfort and help of a woman who is clearly one of God’s favorites!
Well, I have to share with you a new favor that St. Therese has done for me – the greatest favor I’ve received from her yet!
Just last month, on September 13, my mother passed away after a very difficult 2-month long ordeal. I made a novena to St. Therese, in preparation for her October 1 feast day, asking for a rose to be given to me as a sign that Mom is in heaven, and that my father would be granted the consolation of knowing she is there. I did not receive a rose. I started another novena, which ends today, October 12, asking for the same intention.
Yesterday was my birthday, the first one without receiving a gift from my mother, or even the opportunity to speak with her. Or so I thought. Early in the morning, I prayed to Mom, asking her for a birthday gift. Without explaining why, I simply asked Mom to ask St. Therese to send me a rose. It was an OK day, but I really felt Mom’s absence very keenly.
I have to make an aside here. We have a big family, and it wasn’t always possible for my Mom and Dad to get together with all the kids during the holidays. Last year, for various reasons, we were never able to get together, even though Mom had already prepared a gift for my wife and me. We saw each other at many family events since Christmas, but we were never able to get together to exchange Christmas gifts.
In the middle of July, Mom had to have emergency heart surgery. Before the surgery she expressed regret that we still hadn’t exchanged Christmas gifts from last year. I told her not to worry, that we would do it after she got out of the hospital. Well, she never recovered from the surgery, and she struggled for 8 weeks in intensive care. Eventually they put a valve on her tracheostomy that allowed her to say a few words. At one point, shortly before she passed away, Dad told her that he would give that gift to my brother and sister-in-law. Mom very forcefully corrected him, that it was to be given to my wife and me.
Well, last night my father came to dinner for my birthday. He brought the gift Mom had prepared. It was an expensive china vase that Mom had bought in France, heavily decorated with – you guessed it – roses!
The fact that this vase was bought by Mom, that she had intended it for my wife and me, that it was the Christmas gift she had expressed regret at not having given to me yet, and that it was given to me on my birthday, the very day I had asked her to ask St. Therese to give me a rose, fills me with the certainty that Mom is in heaven. The favor I had asked for included the request that my father would receive the consolation of knowing that she is in heaven. St. Therese arranged that he was the instrument of delivering her rose to me, and witnessed my surprise, just completes the favor in a way I simply could not have anticipated. I broke down in tears as I explained to Dad, my wife, and my son, what had just happened.
St. Therese lost her own mother at a very young age, and felt the loss very keenly. I knew she would understand my need for the consolation of knowing Mom is in heaven.
Please forgive me if this seems a little maudlin. But I cannot contain myself, and simply must share this favor with all of you, so that if you also need the support of the saints in heaven, you will be encouraged to pray to them for help. And of course, I hope you’ll also become a friend of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Don’t be turned off by the sentimentality of it all. St. Therese is a powerful friend. Learn to follow her “Little Way.” You men out there… It’s not a lack of masculinity to seek the comfort and help of a woman who is clearly one of God’s favorites!
