St.

Therese, Kelly and the Rose

No one ever said that prayers are always answered immediately, but it seems the ones that take the longest to get answered are appreciated all the more. I would like to share a true story with you about St. Therese the Little Flower and how my prayers have been answered through her intercession. HER PROMISE No one ever promised that prayers would be answered immediately, but it seems the ones that take the longest to get answered are appreciated all the more. I would like to share a true story with you about St. Therese the Little Flower and how my prayers have been answered through her intercession. St. Therese said in the last hour of her life: "I have never given to the good God anything but love. He will return that love. After my death I will let fall a ceaseless shower of roses upon earth." As a child, I always admired holy cards of St. Therese. My grandfather used to decoupage various saint's pictures onto plaques of wood. I always thought the plaque he made of St. Therese was the most beautiful. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties and having difficulty deciding which path to choose for my life, that I turned to St. Therese for help and made the decision to pray a novena.

A True St ory

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WHAT IS A NOVENA? A novena is a private or public devotion to obtain special graces. It is made by saying certain prayers over a set period of time. I said the St. Therese Five Day Novena asking for a rose as a signal that she was listening to me and would help me. The fifth day of novena had arrived and I had not yet received a rose. It was getting towards evening. My good friend Lisa and I had planned an evening out and I was to go pick her up. I went to Lisa's house and visited with her family for a while as she was getting ready. After a few minutes Lisa called me into her room and told me to close my eyes and hold out my hands. I asked, "But why?" She said, "Please, just do it, Colana." I said, "Ok, Lisa." I held out my hands and closed my eyes. When I opened them I saw a beautiful burgundy silk rose lying in my hands! It was attached to a small hair comb. In utter amazement I said, "Lisa, why did you do this? Why did you give me this? She said, "Colana, don't you like it?" I cried, "Like it? I LOVE it, but why did you give this to me?" Quite surprised by my reaction she said, "I don't know. I was cleaning out my drawer today and saw this comb with the rose. I knew you liked to wear combs in your hair and something told me to give you this." I thought to myself, WOW! There really IS a God! There really are saints that listen to us! St.
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Therese does exist and novenas do get answered!" From that day on, I couldn't learn enough about Saint Therese who knew that I, Colana, existed and cared enough to keep her promise and send me a rose.

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A SPECIAL REQUEST In 1982 I decided to entrust to St. Therese my most special prayer of finding a good husband... a man I could spend the rest of my life with. I even wrote this request on a piece of paper. I asked St. Therese, that if it was alright with her, that the man who was to be my husband would give me a single pink rose. I continued that prayer to her and never forgot my request. Time went on and I dated and received roses from various boyfriends, but never received a single pink rose. I did not share this special prayer request with anyone other than St. Therese. In 1989, seven years after the prayer was written, I met and fell in love with Kelly, a very wonderful young man from Anchorage, Alaska. In the back of my mind, I always remembered my prayer to St. Therese and my request for a single pink rose. I thought, "Well, I shouldn't put too much emphasis on the pink rose. I trust that God and St. Therese know what they are doing. I love this good man and we want to get married and spend the rest of our lives together." November 3, 1990 was the date of our wedding, exactly one year from the date we first met. The day before our wedding, we were driving down the highway returning from getting our marriage license when Kelly pulled over to the side of the road, got out, opened the trunk of the car, came back and handed me a beautifully wrapped package. A bit confused, I said, "What's this?" Kelly said, "Please open it, Colana. It was your birthday yesterday and we have been so busy with wedding plans that I didn't have a chance to give you this gift." I opened the package and received the biggest surprise of my life. Inside the box was a large glass snow globe and encased in the snow globe was the most beautiful single pink rose I had ever seen. When the globe is shaken, snow flakes float all around the rose. St. Therese had answered my prayer after all! She waited one day before my wedding to give me the pink rose! The snow in the globe had significant meaning also. Not only was I going to be starting a whole new life in Alaska with Kelly, but I had read that St. Therese loved snow so much that she prayed that God would allow it to snow on the day she was to take her vows to become a Carmelite nun. She took her vows in the month of May. God did answer her request and there was a blanket of snow that covered the ground that day. Is it just coincidence that St. Therese happens to be the Patroness of Alaska also? From the time of my very first St. Therese Novena, she has always answered my prayers and showered me with many roses, as she promised she would do after her death. There is no doubt that St. Therese always keeps her promises!

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IN THANKSGIVING In thanksgiving to St. Therese, I try to promote devotion to her in what "Little Way" I can. May she teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls. May St. Therese shower you and those you love with many roses. You may contact me at Igloomom@wi.rr.com many roses.

A ROSE FOR ST. THERESE

Composed by Colana, 1988
St. Therese, my precious friend, I need you oh so much. Thanks for all the love youve sent. My heart is truly touched. I did not know how wonderful True love could really be, Until you came into my life And showed me tenderly. You took this lonely mixed up child And taught her many things. How loving my sweet Jesus Is the greatest gift life brings. I try to live your Little Way Each day God gives to me Even though sometimes I fall And stumble to my knees. You pick me right up off the ground And brush away my tears. You send me back to Loving Arms, Then gone are all my fears. Each lovely rose you shower down From Heaven up above, Has truly taught this little child, The meaning of Gods Love.

5 Day Novena of Saint Therese the Little Flower Saint Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love. Ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell Him I will love Him each day more and more. The above prayer, plus 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Mary's and 5 Glory Be's must be said on 5 successive days, before 11 a.m. On the 5th day, the 5th set of prayers having been completed, offer one more set - 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Mary's and 5 Glory Be's.

Pray with Confidence.

Try to say it the same time every day so you don't forget. (That is probably the reason why it is recommended saying the prayer before 11 a.m.) If you don't receive a rose by the 5th day, don't be discouraged. St. Therese is always listening and will answer you in God's Time. Continue with perseverance. This is prayer, not "magic". It is a spiritual devotion to help draw us closer to Jesus through the intercession of St. Therese. This is vocal as well as mental prayer. Please try to concentrate on the meanings of the recited prayers and on mentally asking Jesus, "May Thy will be done." Our Lord hears and answers all prayers. Remember, we don't always get what we want. We receive from the Lord and His Father what is best for us. So pray with faith knowing your are being heard.