My Shower of Roses

I have recently been charmed by the wisdom of a young lady. Her journey was short, but she traveled a long way. She has become my traveling companion, offering to clear away the brush to help me chart my course.

St. Therese was guided through her short life by her supreme faith. Even as she lay dying she expressed her wish to spend her days in heaven doing good on earth. Upon learning this, I wanted to hear more about the continued works of this young carmelite nun. The Internet offers so many opportunities to give voice to those who wish to share their stories of faith. I came across stories of her intercession in remarkable ways, and some that could be dismissed as coincidental. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn about St. Therese and her little ways. Her simplicity charmed me. She came into my life as I faced a cross road. I decided to ask her for guidance and began to pray her novena. Now, I am someone who tends to be skeptical when it comes to people having religious experiences. And I have to admit, I wanted to experience one of my own. Don't we all? Many of the stories of her intercession end with her fulfilling her promise to send down "a shower of roses." So I prepared to pray her novena by printing out a very nice picture of her to place on that growing shrine that used to be the top of my dresser. Her picture would remind me of my commitment to pray to her and of her admirable faith. I knew I had an old fashioned looking picture frame that needed to be filled. I had just come across it a few days before. When I went to retrieve it I was quite surprised that I had never noticed that the detailing on it was little roses. Hardly a shower of them, but it did make me think she was listening. The last day of the novena was the strangest. Plumbing problems in my building caused the water to be shut off. I really didn't want to go to 4 o'clock mass without showering first. My neighbor asked me if I was going and I explained the situation and said no. Then I realized I could just tame my hair and freshen up as best I could. So I called my neighbor back and we went to mass. I sat in my usual spot on the right side of the church. I never even go to the left side. As mass concluded, father reminded us that there were house blessing kits available by the Blessed Mother on the left side of the church. I humorously told my neighbor I was going to bless the house to get the water flowing. So after mass I went over to the basked at the feet of the Blessed Mother. I had to kneel down to reach the kit so I kneeled on the padded kneeler and took a kit. I then looked up and saw a beautiful spray of white roses.(My favorite roses). There were no other roses in church. I never go to that side. I almost didn't go to mass that day. And the Blessed Mother seemed to be beaming down at me. I got the message. A shiver went up my spine and my eyes teared up. My prayer would be answered.
A few days later I went to a meeting regarding my crossroads. I had prayed for direction and was second guessing my ability to make the change I was planning. As I entered the city limits where my meeting was to take place I notice the welcoming sign. A rose. It was in Roseville. St. Therese gave me my answer. Suddenly something that seemed very frightening, had become the door that God opens when he closes another. And Theresa held my hand and helped me through it.

Wait, it gets better. I wanted to thank my traveling companion for all she had done. I promised her I would spend my birthday by being her messenger. So I bought a dozen white roses and spent my day giving her calling card to those who just seemed to need to feel her presence. I went with a good friend on his daily pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Little Flower. I brought a rose to give to St.Therese. As we waited to pray at her alter, I noticed an elderly woman praying so intently. My friend was looking at the display dedicated to Therese's parents as I watched the woman rise from her prayers. She had a troubled look on her face so I walked up to her and gave her the rose. I told her I brought it to St. Therese and that she should have it. She smile and said "Thank-you, she is my patron saint." St. Therese can't shock me anymore. I don't think the elderly woman was surprised either. That's just the way St. Therese works.

Faith is a wonderful thing. But we have to ask ourselves from time to time if we can recharge it. Of course we can. By walking with the saints and carrying their load, we can feel the spirit of God in our hearts and hear his message so much more clearly. The blinders of skepticism often cause a numbness to our faith. We have to shake it off and give the heart a spiritual workout. Bring the saints into our daily lives as reminders of what we can do to follow God's map. My new friend St. Therese gave me a wonderful gift. She showed me the way.