“After my death, I will make a shower of roses fall”these were the words of Saint Therese of Lisieux, shortly before his death. Just as God gave her love throughout her life, she, in turn, wanted to spread love on earth once she attained eternal life. And the fact is that she has been dropping roses from the sky ever since! She has inexplicably found petals, or even roses, on the path of people who have received the wonderful graces obtained by the intercession of Saint Teresa. In fact, for this reason, many people pray to Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus. Furthermore, since 1992, thanks to the initiative of the Community of the Beatitudes, a prayer vigil: the Rose Petals Evening, which takes place every year around the world on October 1, the date on which the Catholic Church celebrates the little saint
Novena – Holiness for all, with Saint Therese
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Rose Petal Evening Prayer
personal prayer
The best known prayer of the Petals of Rose evenings is very personal. In fact, it is about writing a letter of intercession to Saint Teresa. It should then be placed in a stamped envelope, taking care to write her personal address on it. Then, the letter will be placed at the foot of the altar, entrusted for a year to Saint Teresa and to the prayers of the organizing community. Finally, after that time, the letter is returned to its author.
Model prayer for writing your letter to Saint Teresa
If you’re worried that you’ll run out of inspiration when the time comes, or if you’d rather be guided in writing your letter, you can write it before you go to the soiree. Below is an example of a letter, freely inspired by the intercessory prayers to Saint Therese of Lisieux.
“Oh blessed Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, who has promised to make a rain of roses fall from heaven, turn your merciful eyes to me and listen to my many needs. Great is your power because God has made you great among the saints in heaven.
I beg you, then, oh my kind protector, obtain for me from God the graces I ask of you, whenever it is for greater honor of God and salvation of my soul. I beg you in a special way to make me partake of the roses that you have promised us, separating my heart from the vanities and expired pleasures of this life, and teaching me to love Jesus and Mary with true love, so that one day I can enjoy with you of eternal bliss. So be it.”
Prayer of trust and abandonment
Why not take advantage of the numerous moments of prayer during the Rose Petals evenings, to ask Saint Teresa to guide us towards absolute trust in God?
“Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus,
I wish, in your image,
Deliver myself with infinite confidence into the arms of the Father.
Intercede for me, Saint Teresa,
And that I also see the love of God,
His tenderness,
His unwavering loyalty.
Just as you threw yourself into the arms of the Lord,
I also want to always see love and comfort in Him.
May my eyes and my heart always turn to the Lord,
In joy and in difficulty,
For your powerful intercession, oh Saint Therese!
Amen!”
Prayer translated from French by
Other forms of prayer in the Petals of Rose evenings
While it is true that the letter is the highlight of the Rose Petals evenings, this is not the only time of the night when you can pray to saint teresa. In fact, most of the time, these evenings also offer testimonies of the graces received by the intercession of little Teresitaas well as moments of praise and worship during which you can praise God; sometimes, a passage from the gospel is also read and commented on: each of these are appropriate times to pray. To tell the truth, it is believed that it is good to prolong the prayer by offering a miraculous novena to Saint Therese in the days following the evening.
Rose Petals Evenings: the return of the letter written to Saint Teresa
The letters we write at these evenings are returned to us the following year. The fact of rereading the letter that was written a year before, immerses its author in a new reading of the year that has passed: Have your prayers been answered? Were they valid at that time in your life? What was the action of Santa Teresa in you? And what action did she herself take to direct your life toward what was expressed in her prayer? Remember that the graces obtained can serve as testimony at the next Rose Petals Evening.
Pray to Saint Teresa with
The Rose Petals evenings are held on dates close to October 1, the day on which Saint Teresa of Lisieux is celebrated. But why settle for an annual prayer to one of the greatest saints of modern times? In , you can join a community and make a novena to Santa Teresa, or even pray to her every day of the year.