A Meditation on the First Station of the Cross: 

Jesus is Condemned to Death

Photo: R. Massaro (C) 2018 Spirit Singing Cathedral of the Incarnation Nashville, TN

In the cross is the height of virtue and the perfection of all sanctity. Without the cross there is no salvation for our souls, nor hope of life eternal. Take your cross, then, and follow Jesus, and you will go into everlasting life.

Remember that Jesus has gone before you bearing His cross and has given His life for you upon that cross, so that you may bear your own cross and long to die on it for love of Him. For if you die with Him, you will also live with Him; and if you have shared His suffering, you will also share His glory. 
The Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Chap. 12, No. 2

Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Perhaps it was something very minor, but the accusation still hurt you. Maybe you still recall this event, saying to someone, "Do you remember the time so-and-so said I never returned his book?"  Perhaps, it was an accusation for something more serious that got your family members involved, your employer involved, or members of an organization involved. If we have been falsely accused we can identify with Jesus who was falsely accused and sentenced to death.

As we meditate on this First Station, we can recall the events of the false accusations against us and see that they are minor compared to what Our Lord suffered for us, however, our Merciful Savior invites us to offer to him the troubles of our heart. He is ever-ready to heal the hurtful memories we hold closely to our heart. He is ready to help us to forgive all those who have hurt us. 

As Carmelites, let us remember the teaching of our Sister and Saint, Therese, the Little Flower. She teaches us in her Little Way, to offer up these things and keep them hidden, so that only the Father sees what we are suffering and offering up for Him.  We must get over our ego that instructs us to tell anyone who will listen how we have been wronged and falsely accused. 

Scripture tells us that God is slow to anger and quick to forgive. Let us strive to grow in virtue, virtue that helps us to become Christlike, so that,we become quick to forgive all those who hurt us in life.

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.






Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

The Year of Mercy: The Common Spirituality of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and St. Faustina of Divine Mercy

St. Therese-Victim of God's Merciful Love

St. Faustina-Apostle of Mercy

I recently read the diary of St. Faustina during the same period our community was studying St. Therese's, Story of a Soul . I noticed similarities in their spirituality, with the common thread of spiritual childhood weaved through each of their writings.

St. Therese desired to be a victim of Merciful Love.

St. Faustina desired to be an Apostle of Mercy.

St. Therese desired to make an oblation of herself to God's merciful love to show that He is loved in return for his love (from man to God).

St. Faustina made an act of oblation to show that God loves us. She taught that God wants all souls to be aware of his love and mercy (from God to man).

St. Therese desired to sing the "mercies of the Lord."

St. Faustina desired to be a "mist" before the eyes of the Lord. She did not want him to see all the offenses against His love and mercy. She wanted to shield the Lord from the world!

Abandonment to the will of God is at the heart of St. Therese's Spiritual childhood, in which humility is the foundation.

Jesus demanded of St. Faustina a childlike spirit and calls her to greater simplicity.

St. Therese's abandonment was an imitation of Christ's total abandonment to the will of the Father. This abandonment was reflected in Therese's life; she obeyed her superiors in the smallest of details.

St. Faustina was obedient to her superiors, especially in things concerning the growing devotion of Divine Mercy. Jesus tells her he is pleased by her great obedience.

St. Therese sought permission to make the act of Total Abandonment. She has a priest approve the text she wrote.

St. Faustina sought permission to make the Oblation to Divine Mercy on Holy Thursday (she made a holy hour every Thursday).

After St. Therese makes the Act of Oblation she describes a transport of Love in which she realized God accepted her offering of self. She described the great love that filled her being and states she has no fear of purgatory.

St. Faustina suffers great torments after her act of oblation-she undergoes dryness, despair, distrust, all the torments of sinners enters her heart.

St. Therese desired to be a priest, missionary and martyr.

St. Faustina desired to be a priest, missionary and martyr.

Mercy is the heart of the Gospel. As Carmelites, we are called to be apostles of Mercy by living the Beatitudes in imitation of the merciful heart of Jesus. It is preparation for the kingdom where we will live this life of beatitude forever.

St. Therese's Act of Oblation to the Merciful Love of God:

O my God, Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love You and make You loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! to be Yourself my Sanctity!

I offer You, too, all the merits of the saints (in heaven and on earth), their acts of Love, and those of the holy angels. Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dear Mother. It is to her I abandon my offering, begging her to present it to You. Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, told us in the days of His mortal life: "Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you!" I am certain, then, that You will grant my desires; I know, O my God! that the more You want to give, the more You make us desire. I feel in my heart immense desires and it is with confidence I ask You to come and take possession of my soul. Ah! I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You not all-powerful? Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate Yourself from Your little victim.

I want to console You for the ingratitude of the wicked, and I beg of You to take away my freedom to displease You. If through weakness I sometimes fall, may Your Divine Glance cleanse my soul immediately, consuming all my imperfections like the fire that transforms everything into itself.

I thank You, O my God! for all the graces You have granted me, especially the grace of making me pass through the crucible of suffering. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the scepter of Your Cross. Since You deigned to give me a share in this very precious Cross, I hope in heaven to resemble You and to see shining in my glorified body the sacred stigmata of Your Passion.

After earth's Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for Your Love alone with the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally.

In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your love the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but You, my Beloved!

Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. You can, then, in one instant, prepare me to appear before You.

In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, I offer Myself as a Victim of the Holocaust to Your Merciful Love, asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up with You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God! May this martyrdom, after having prepared me to appear before You, finally cause me to die and may my soul take its flight without any delay into the eternal embrace of Your Merciful Love. I want, O my Beloved at each beat of my heart to renew this offering to you an infinite number of times, until the shadows having disappeared I may be able to tell You of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!

St. Faustina's Oblation to Divine Mercy:

Before heaven and earth, before all the choirs of Angels, before the Most Holy Virgin Mary, before all the Powers of heaven, I declare to the One Triune God that today, in union with Jesus Christ, Redeemer of souls, I make a voluntary offering of myself for the conversion of sinners, especially for those souls who have lost hope in God‟s mercy. This offering consists in my accepting, with total subjection to God‟s will, all the sufferings, fears and terrors with which sinners are filled. In return, I give them all the consolations which my soul receives from my communion with God. In a word, I offer everything for them: Holy Masses, Holy Communions, penances, mortifications, prayers. I do not fear the blows, blows of divine justice, because I am united with Jesus. O my God, in this way I want to make amends to You for the souls that do not trust in Your goodness. I hope against all hope in the ocean of Your mercy. My Lord and my God, my portion – my portion forever, I do not base this act of oblation on my own strength, but on the strength that flows from the merits of Jesus Christ. I will daily repeat this act of self-oblation by pronouncing the following prayer which you Yourself have taught me, Jesus: “O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You!”

St. Therese, victim of Merciful Love, pray for us!

St. Faustina, Apostle of Divine Mercy, pray for us!

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

The Cell of St. Therese-The Carmel of Lisieux

HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL CARMELITES AND TO EVERYONE!

SAINT THERESE, PRAY FOR US!

SUBMIT YOUR PETITION TO BE PLACED IN THE CELL OF ST. THERESE

(Don't forget to use your translate button) If you still have a problem, click on "Intentions de priere" on left side bar and then click on "Envoyer une intentions de prière"

THE SISTERS HAVE OPENED THEIR ARCHIVES!!!!

CLICK ON THE PHOTO

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit- Eighth Hymn of Virtue: Patience

Eighth Hymn of Virtue: Patience

It is my belief that a lack of patience is one of the most common stumbling blocks to spiritual people who wish to progress in holiness. It is a struggle to endure patiently what God sends us even for those not spiritually inclined. We are a fast-paced, instant gratification oriented society. It takes extra-ordinary grace to remain patient and loving in our family life, place of business, and in the market place.

Patience and peace go together and we know that peace of heart flows from a life of faithful prayer and meditation. If we are at peace we prepare ourselves for the moments God wishes to test us.

St. Therese is an example of someone who prepared herself to practice patience. She says:

At meditation I was for a long time always near a sister who never stopped fidgeting, with either her rosary or something else. Perhaps I was the only one who heard her, as my ears are very sharp, but I could not tell you how it irritated me. What I wanted to do was to turn and stare at her until she stopped her noise, but deep down I knew it was better to endure it patiently-first for the love of God and, secondly, so as not to upset her. So, I made no fuss, though sometimes I was soaked with sweat under the strain and my prayer was nothing but the prayer of suffering.

Story of a soul, Chapter 10

We can see in the life of the saints the same struggles that we have with attaining virtue. If bearing her suffering patiently caused St. Therese to sweat, who knows what I will have to suffer to remain patient and loving in my response to the world and my neighbor.

Fr. Tanquerey in the Spiritual Life teaches that the degrees of patience correspond to the three stages of the spiritual life:

The First Stage:

*At the beginning suffering is accepted as coming from God; without murmur, without resentment, in hope of heavenly rewards.

The Second Stage:

* Patience, in its second degree,makes us eager to embrace suffering, in union with Jesus Christ, and in order to make us more like that Divine Model.

The Third Stage:

*This leads to the third degree of patience, the desire and the love of suffering for the sake of God Whom one wishes to glorify, and for the sake of souls, for whose sanctification one wants to labor.

Spiritual Life-#1089, #1090, #1091

The Church teaches that one of the spiritual works of mercy is to bear sufferings patiently. Let us strive to be merciful to ourselves and to others by bearing the small things of life in patience. Why should we let these things disturb our peace of heart?

St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) teaches us to not go looking for crosses. She teaches us that we should accept the cross that is presented to us each day. If we want to progress in holiness of life we must be found faithful in small things--be able to endure patiently the small irritations and annoyances of people and situations before the Lord will entrust us with a deeper union with him. Let us pray for each other.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

Carmelite Feast Day-St. Therese of the Child Jesus

CARMELITE QUOTE

Photo:R.Massaro(c)2013SpiritSinging

Carmelite Monastery Cleveland, Ohio

The day chosen for my entrance into Carmel was April 9, 1888, the same day the community was celebrating the feast of the Annunciation, transferred because of Lent. The evening before, the whole family gathered round the table where I was to sit for the last time. Ah! how heartrending these family reunions can really be! When you would like to see yourself forgotten, the most tender caresses and words are showered upon you, making the sacrifice of separation felt all the more.

Papa was not saying very much, but his gaze was fixed upon me lovingly. Aunt cried from time to time and Uncle paid me many affectionate compliments...

On the morning of the great day, casting a last look upon Les Buissonnets, that beautiful cradle of my childhood which I was never to see again, I left on my dear King's arm to climb Mount Carmel.
The Story of a Soul




Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

CARMELITE SPIRITUALITY

Fr. Greg Homeming, OCD

Homily on the Cross according to Carmelite spirituality

speaks of the cross in the life of St. Therese.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

RELICS OF ST. THERESE

SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES
2008

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ST. THERESE

JANUARY 2

Far from resembling those heroic souls who from their childhood use fast and scourge and chain to discipline the flesh. I made my mortifications consist simply in checking my self-will, keeping back an impatient answer, rendering a small service in a quiet way, and a hundred other similar things.

I have a longing for those heart-wounds, those pin-pricks which inflict so much pain. I know of no ecstasy to which I do not prefer sacrifice. There I find happiness, and there alone. The slender reed has no fear of being broken, for it is planted beside the waters of Love. When, therefore, it bends before the gale, it gathers strength in the refreshing stream, and longs for yet another storm to pass and sway its head. My very weakness makes me strong. No harm can come to me, since in whatever happens I see only the tender hand of Jesus...Besides, no suffering is too big a price to pay for the glorious palm.

I endeavored to practice little hidden acts of virtue, such as folding the mantles which the Sisters had forgotten and being on the altar to render them help. I had also a great attraction towards penance, although I was not allowed to satisfy the desire. Indeed the only mortification I was permitted was the overcoming of my self-love, which did me far more good than any bodily penance could have done.

Bl. Louis and Zelie Martin the holy parents of

St. Therese

The Martins' Beatification at Lisieux



  

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

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Carmelite Saint of the Day

ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS

AND OF THE HOLY FACE

VIRGIN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

CARMELITE PROPER

Therese Martin was born in Alencon in France in 1873. While still young she entered the Carmel of Lisieux, where she lived in the greatest humility, evangelical simplicity and confidence in God. By her words and example she taught the novices these same virtues. Offering her life for the salvation of souls and the spread of the Church, she died on September 30, 1897.

An excerpt from St. Therese's  Act of Oblation to the Merciful Love of God:

O my God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to love you and make you loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by savings souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. I desire to accomplish your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory you have prepared for me in your Kingdom. I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg you, O my God! to be Yourself my sanctity!

Lauds (Morning Prayer) from the Carmel
in Lisieux, France-Feast of St. Therese (2009)

http://youtu.be/_ZY6pz4eMMQ

RAIN OF ROSES
SUNG BY PADDY KELLY






Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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Novena to St. Therese

She had a presentiment that her activity after her death would extend far beyond the influence of a book, that it would be worldwide. "How unhappy I shall be in heaven if I cannot do little favors for those whom I love." She began to multiply mysterious promises: "I will return!" I will come down!" Then on July 17, she made her now famous prediction: "I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making others love God as I love Him, my mission of teaching my little way to souls. If God answers my requests, my heaven will be spent on earth up until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth."

On Wednesday morning, September 29, Therese was breathing with great difficulty. Mother Marie de Gonzague gathered the community, who recited the prayers for the dying for an hour. At noon, Therese asked her Prioress: "Mother is this the agony?"...What should I do to prepare for death? Never will I know how to die!" After the doctor's visit, she asked: "Is it today, Mother?"--"Yes, my child."--"What happiness if I could die right now!" And a little later on she asked: "When am I going to suffocate entirely?...I can't stand any more! Ah! pray for me! Jesus! Mary! I will it!"

In the evening, Father Faucon came to hear her confession; when he came out of the infirmary, he was very much moved and said: "What a beautiful soul! She seems to be confirmed in grace!"
From The Story of a Soul Study Edition, Prepared by Marc Foley, O.C.D.

Old Footage-Exhumation of St. Therese's body



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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Novena to St. Therese

Preparing for the feast of St. Therese:

At the World Youth Day in August 1997 the Holy Father had made the announcement that he intended to enroll St. Therese of the Child Jesus as a Doctor of the Church on Mission Sunday, October 19,1997. The long awaited day (for there were many petitions, worldwide, seeking this honor for the saint) arrived. St. Peter's Square was bathed in a brilliant sunlight, with thousands of pilgrims as the Holy Father declared her "Doctor of the Universal Church."

The relics of the Saint were brought from Lisieux and carried in procession to be put in a place of honor before the altar of Sacrifice. When the Holy Father read the official proclamation, representatives from the six continents showered the reliquary and the crucifix with rose petals, as the choir sang in French verses from St. Therese's poem, Jeter des fleurs.

The Gospel was sung in Latin, the universal language of the Church, followed by the the same text sun in Old Slavonic by a Russian deacon, recalling the fact that St. Therese was designated by the reigning pontiff, Pope Pius XI, as the patroness of the Pontifical Russian College in Rome. At the time the Church in Russia was under severe persecution. After Communion the famous passage from St. Therese's Story of a Soul, was read, "In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love."
Excerpt from St. Therese Doctor of the Little Way, published by Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate






Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
____________________

Carmelite Quote

I feel in me the vocation of the Priest. With what love, O Jesus, I would carry You in my hands when, at my voice, You would come down from heaven. And with what love would I give You to souls! But alas! While desiring to be a Priest, I admire and envy the humility of St. Francis of Assisi and I feel the vocation of
imitating him in refusing the sublime dignity of the Priesthood.
O Jesus, my Love, my Life, how can I combine these contrasts? How can I realize the desires of my poor little soul?

Ah! In spite of my littleness, I would like to enlighten souls as did the Prophets and the Doctors. I have the vocation of the Apostle. I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach Your Name and to plant Your Glorious Cross on infidel soil. But O my Beloved, one mission alone would not be sufficient for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all the five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years only but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages. But above all, O my Beloved Savior, I would shed my blood for You even to the very last drop.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face-Doctor of the Church

Visit the Basilica and Sanctuary of St. Therese

Lisieux, France

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

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CARMELITE QUOTE

 When I want to rest my heart fatigued by the darkness which surrounds it by the memory of the luminous country after which I aspire, my torment redoubles; it seems to me that the darkness, borrowing the voice of sinners, says mockingly to me: ' You are dreaming about the light, about a fatherland embalmed in the sweetest perfumes; you are dreaming about the eternal possession of the Creator of all these marvels; you believe that one day you will walk out of this fog which surrounds you! Advance, advance; rejoice in death which will give you not what you hope for but a night still more profound, the night of nothingness'...Ah! my Jesus pardon me if I have caused Him any pain, but He knows very well that while I do not have the joy of faith, I am trying to carry out its works at least."

I desire no longer either suffering or death, and still I love them both; it is love alone that attracts me...abandonment alone guides me. I have no other compass!

The Basilica and Sanctuary of

St. Therese-France

(click here)

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

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Stained Glass Scapulars-Reflections on the Secular Carmelite Rule

From the Rule of St. Albert:

As the life of man upon earth is a warfare and all who live piously in Christ shall suffer persecution; moreover your adversary, the devil, goes about seeking whom he may devour. Endeavor, therefore, with all diligence to put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the snares of the devil. Gird your loins with the girdle of chastity and guard your hearts with holy thought, for it is written: a holy thought shall preserve you...

What are some of the snares of the devil  in which we can be trapped ? The dictionary states that a snare is a "skillful maneuver."  It is a trap to entangle one's prey.We know from Scripture that Satan is intelligent, cunning, and deceitful. He knows our weaknesses and plays upon them.  We must guard ourselves with prayer to build our spiritual strength for the time of temptation and trial that is a part of our daily life. We must strive to guard the door of our heart and mind and be diligent about what we let enter the temple of the Holy Spirit.

As Secular Carmelites, we build these spiritual muscles by being faithful to prayer each day.  God does the work of purifying our heart so that we can see the snares of the devil before us and avoid them. We are called to receive the Sacraments on a regular basis, these vehicles of grace, too, strengthen us for the perilous journey we must make toward union with God.

As Secular Carmelites, we must also have an intense love for Our Lady, especially to her under the title of "Our Lady of Mt. Carmel." She will defend us now and at the hour of our death if we keep close to her every moment of our lives.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus is just one saint that comes to mind as we discuss this subject of preparing for battle with our enemy. She prepared herself for the difficult moments of monastery life with prayer. She was able to respond charitably in these difficult moments, because she put on the armor of love. She fought the good fight and now we call her "Doctor of Love. "

St. Therese knew herself through prayer, she received the same gift of self-knowledge that God will give to each of us if we remain faithful to prayer. The devil doesn't need to reveal our weaknesses, the Lord himself does this for us in prayer so that we may prepare ourselves for those moments of spiritual battle.We know that this battle is mainly an interior battle, it includes our intellect, our memory, and our will. The three powers of our soul that St. John of the Cross writes so eloquently about.



Let us pray for each other that we be given the gift of self-knowledge, that we may know our weaknesses and faults; through this knowledge we will be given the spiritual insight to prepare for battle with that "roaring lion" who seeks to destroy us.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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CARMELITE QUOTE

APRIL 9

Date of St. Therese's Entrance into Carmel

The day chosen for my entrance into Carmel was April 9, 1888, the same day the community was celebrating the feast of the Annunciation, transferred because of Lent. The evening before, the whole family gathered round the table where I was to sit for the last time. Ah! how heartrending these family reunions can really be! When you would like to see yourself forgotten, the most tender caresses and words are showered upon you, making the sacrifice of separation felt all the more...

I left on my dear King's arm to climb Mount Carmel...

My emotion was  not noticed exteriorly. After embracing all the members of the family, I knelt down before my matchless Father for his blessing, and to give it to me he placed himself on his knees and blessed me, tears flowing down his cheeks...

A few moments later, the doors of the holy ark closed upon me, and there I was received by the dear Sisters who embraced me... my desires were at last accomplished; my soul experienced a peace so sweet, so deep, it would be impossible to express it. For seven years and a half that inner peace has remained my lot, and has not abandoned me in the midst of the greatest trials.
(From a Story of a Soul)

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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CARMELITE QUOTE

St. Therese of the Child Jesus:

I desire no longer either suffering or death, and still I love them both;it is love alone that attracts me...abandonment alone guides me. I have no other compass! I can no longer ask for anything with fervor except the accomplishment of God's will in my soul without any created being able to set obstacles in the way. I can speak these words of St John of the Cross:''After I have known it/LOVE works in me/That whether things go well or badly/Love turns all to one sweetness/Transforming the soul  into itself."


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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Scroll down for Novena Prayer to St. Therese
Click on right sidebar for complete novena

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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Novena Prayer to St. Therese

(For complete Novena

click on right sidebar)

St. Therese, Flower of fervor and love, please intercede for me. Fill my heart with your pure love of God. Make me more aware of the

goodness of God and how well he tends His garden. Instill in me your "little way" of doing ordinary things with extra-ordinary love. Give me the heart of a child who wonders at life and embraces everything with loving enthusiasm. Teach me your delight in God's ways so that divine charity may blossom in my heart.


Little Flower of Jesus, bring my petitions (mention here) before God our Father. With your confidence, I come before Jesus as God's child, because you are my heavenly friend.
Amen.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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