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Sign Of Roses


PhoenixLament87

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PhoenixLament87

My friend and I are currently discerning transfer (from our state university) to seminary. As part of this process, we're praying a novena to St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I've heard that a sign of roses is usually given when the novena is completed, even that white or red roses are given, each having a specific meaning or answer to the prayers. However, I'm having a tough time finding any definite information on the subject. Got anything for me?

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Thy Geekdom Come

I'm going to transfer you to Transmundane Lane where a broader number of readers may answer your question.

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Experience has shown that St. Therese's "shower of roses" is both figurative and actual. As she was dying in the convent infirmary, Therese could look out and see the rose bushes blossoming. She loved roses. She had thrown rose petals as a Child before the Blessed Sacrament. As she reflected on her quiet, hidden, and gentle life ending, she believed in faith that God had great things in store for her. She believed that her mission was only beginning as she entered the fullness of life with God. She explained: "After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved..."

Shortly after her death, the rain of roses began. Sometimes roses literally appeared, and sometimes just the fragrance of them. Cures of painful and fatal diseases and many other miraculous experiences were attributed to her intercession. Sometimes people found inner peace and regained an inner warmth of spirit and confidence, by appealing to St. Therese. Many miracles and actions of St. Therese do not involve roses. [b]More often than not, marvelous things happen in people's lives as they ask for her heavenly intercession. The miracles, healings and inner peace come from the trust one places in God, not from any manifestation of roses. [/b]St. Therese lived in the dark night of the senses and spirit, with little consolation. [b]Thus, the friends and followers of St. Therese expect no consolation of sighted roses that their prayers are being answered. Her "little way" is about child-like trust and gentle love. She is the great apostle of faith in God's love, not simple reliance on physical signs. Jesus warned us, and Therese experienced that the desire for signs is a sign of weak faith. It is always important to remember that St. Therese did not experience extra-ordinary phenomena in her life. Her faith was refined and strengthened by God.[/b]

Roses are Therese's signature. It is her way of whispering to those who need a sign that she has heard, and God is responding. Thousands of people have given witness to the way Therese responds to their petitions and prayers with grace and roses. The grace is more important than the roses. So many miracles have happened through the intercession of St. Therese without any roses appearing - usually the deep inner peace of accepting God's will and seeing His loving plan and presence is the "rose" experienced. Sometimes the lack of a physical "rose signature" is an affirmation of a strong faith.

[b]One does not pray for roses. Therese's message is about simplicity and love in the ordinary events of life. [/b]Trust in Therese is important, and when she wills, roses or their fragrance may appear. The stories are remarkable how roses have shown up in the lives and experiences of people, especially in the darkest times. The ordinary and constant way these roses and graces have shown up in people's experience is extraordinary. It is important to always maintain the rose of confidence that our All-Loving God hears and responds to our needs, according to the mysterious ways of His Love.

That's from her the littleflower website. I think it's an important message.

I did hear about different roses being signs for different things, too. I think I heard that in the case of a vocation, red was for marriage and white for priesthood/religious life, but don't quote me on that.
I would advise that you worry less about the colour of the roses and focus on St. Terese's message of a childlike faith in God. It's easy to get caught up in looking for special signs to show us that God is with us, but 'blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.'

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  • 2 weeks later...

I pray the St. Therese Novena every month. I've had times where I've been given roses (not literally, but in myspace bulitens that say "This rose is for you... pass it on" and stuff like that). My girlfriend has also gotten roses.

But, there have also been times where what I've prayed for has happened without roses. The last time I prayed the novena I was praying for guidence to find a new Coordinator of the Youth Office for our diocese, and the committee in charge of hiring the new Coordinator picked the right choice (in my mind and apparently God's) the day before I finished the novena. And that was without getting a rose.

Edited by Jevitt
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i have had strong scents of roses randomly appear with no practical source. i i have thought of St. Therese often, but have not done an entire novena to her yet, so i believe Our Lady was responsible. as far as i can remember, miracles are usually completely unexpected and i don't expect anything to come but the will of God. it took me a while to accept that i shouldn't expect any signs, nor should i even look for them, and i should be just as joyful as if they did come. of course when they do appear it is a special treat!

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Saint Therese

Once, at a very dark time in my life, when I actually believed that God didn't love me, a stranger just came to me and said "Here's a rose so that you'll know that God loves you." and handed me a red rose.
St. Therese is my baptismal patron, and i have a great devotion to her.

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[quote name='Saint Therese' post='1684113' date='Oct 23 2008, 01:12 AM']Once, at a very dark time in my life, when I actually believed that God didn't love me, a stranger just came to me and said "Here's a rose so that you'll know that God loves you." and handed me a red rose.
St. Therese is my baptismal patron, and i have a great devotion to her.[/quote]

That is really cool, you must have been really touched.
Probally 5 or 6 years ago when comeing back to my faith (lost it compelty and was so lost and probally deeper then i knew in the occult) I was sitting in my grandmas liveing room in the middle of the night and roses in a vase proally 7 or 8 feet away, we like danceing around, moveing in a circular motion. Thats the only way I can describe it. I remember seeing something on ewtn way back then talking about how roses could be a sign from God or something like that. I never told anybody because it just sounds crazy but I know I saw it.

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dominicansoul

I have an incredible devotion to this wonderful Saint!

I agree that one shouldn't put too much emphasis on signs and the roses...what matters is the prayers, and trusting that the Little Flower does indeed intercede for you at the Altar of God in Heaven...

But it totally rocks that she does send us flowers when we ask for her help!

My brother, God rest His soul, died under very mysterious circumstances 15 years ago. In my heart, I knew he had committed suicide. I needed to know if there had been any chance for his salvation...I begged St. Therese to plead before the Altar of God and save my brother's soul.

Mourners came to his funeral, every single one of them carrying a single red rose!

Days later, the autopsy estimated that my brother's time of death came 30 minutes after the initial impact. I felt that thirty minutes of excruciating pain and suffering may have been what he needed, and he may definitely have been asking God for mercy during that time!

Also, we come from a very devout Catholic family. How my brother came to be in this dark spot of his life is very hard for me to grasp at times...
..but we would pray the Rosary every single day, even my brother. I know the Blessed Mother would not have abandoned him "at the hour of death."

Weeks later, a relative had offered to buy my brother's gravestone. Engraved all around the stone was roses...

I do believe St. Therese was praying extra hard for my brother's soul at the time of his death, and I wait for the moment I will meet her in Paradise, as well as see my brother once again...

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HisChildForever

I love St. Therese - I almost had her as my patron, but then instead I chose St. Joan. But every single time I say the novena to St. Therese, I am always blessed with roses. In fact, the more frequently I say the novena (for example, let's say I have said it a total of five times in my life, the fifth time I have seen more roses than the first time) the more likely I will see roses as soon as the third or fourth day. I have two novena cards of St. Therese and the prayers are slightly different, as well as how long the novena should be said for, but either novena is fine - I feel strongly that it is the intent and the heart more than the prayer.

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[quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1686535' date='Oct 25 2008, 11:47 PM']Not to steal the thunder from the awexome St Therese, but doesn't Our Lady give gifts of roses too?[/quote]

ya, there was this guy named Juan who got some in his coat once.. :P

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True story.

When my wife was pregnant with our first daughter, her pregnancy was high-risk and, having decided to name our daughter after the Little Flower, we prayed a novena for a healthy delivery and a spirit of peace.

On the ninth day (or maybe it was the tenth; I think it was the last day of the novena, though) of the novena, we received a large bouquet of pink roses out of blue, from an aunt who lived across the country and had no idea about our daughter's namesake patron.

We distinctly felt the intercession of Therese from then on, and had a healthy delivery.

Glory be...

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