On October 1st, we celebrated the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. If you haven't read her autobiography, I highly suggest it. A beautifully simple young saint, she didn't aspire to be exactly like the other saints...“I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would no longer be enamelled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, Our lord's living garden.”
Saint Therese is a powerful force. She is the patron saint chosen for my sister's workplace, Word on Fire, and she is a personal favorite. In her short life, she claimed, “When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens; I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” And, she has. I have always called on her in important times...for our annulment, for our second child's speedy delivery (when it appeared something was wrong during labor), for my brother's annulment, and a few other things. Taking my petitions to the Lord, she has never failed. So why would I fail to call on her again?
This September, Pray More Novenas, sent out emails nine days before the feast of St. Therese. So, I began my prayers for two very specific petitions. On the Saturday before her feast day, I walked out of evening Mass (along the same path I took walking in). Right in front of the statue of St. Francis of Assisi was a rose. It was growing from the ground, singly. Not a part of a bush, but one single, beautiful poppy-colored rose. The most beautiful rose I have ever seen. At that moment, my heart was at ease. I knew that God's will would be done and that my prayers had been heard, regardless of how they were answered.
At the end of this month, my first request was granted...
On October 31, Sean asked RoRo to marry him.
I've already talked about it a few times, but this is such an incredible answer to prayer. I know parents pray for their children to find someone who will help them to Heaven. Sisters pray for that, too :) Sean is just that man for Rozann. And, Rozann is that for him. A Godly, selfless couple...and a force for Christ.
Thank you, St. Therese.
Her feast day brought the answer to my second prayer request. That evening, we discovered this blessing...
who will join us in this world (God-willing) in early June.
We are over-joyed with the opportunity to bring one more soul into this world. A child is a blessing like no other. With all that comes with bearing and raising one, we are allowed a constant reminder that we are not in control and are only shepherds guiding each soul back to Him. St. Therese constantly reminds me, “Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be.” He has called us to be parents and as she says, “When one loves, one does not calculate.”
May we always be open to at least one more soul.
