“When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens” - A few moments before passing away, St. Therese of Lisieux made this promise. She received the love of God throughout her life, and now that she is beside Him in Heaven, she wants to keep her promise and spread His love on earth.
People who have prayed for her intercession and obtained graces claim that they have inexplicably found petals of roses, or the flower itself on their path. The Devotion to St. Therese is still strong today. Every year, the french branch of the Community of the Beatitudes observes a vigil of prayer to “the Little Flower”, implemented in 1992. The event takes place on October 1rst, the Feast Day of St. Therese.
Usually, when celebrating the Feast Day of St. Therese of Lisieux, people write a personal prayer to St. Therese: first, they write a letter, in which they ask for the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux. Then, they place it in an envelope stamped with their name and personal address. Finally, the letter is left on by the altar, to be entrusted for an entire year to St. Therese and the prayers of the Community organising the event. At the end of the year, the letters are returned to their respective senders.
If inspiration doesn’t come easily to you when praying, and you need guidance, know that you are allowed to write your letter prior to the prayer vigil. Find here a letter template, composed with the classic intercession prayers to St. Therese.
“St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
you promised to send down a shower of roses from the Heavens,
I implore you to grant me your powerful intercession.
Shower me with a flood of your roses, and obtain for me the grace of:
(name your request)
Oh glorious St. Therese,
I trust in your powerful intercession
and in the love that you continue to pour on earth from Heaven.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, pray for me!
Amen.”
“Oh St. Therese,
like you, I want to abandon myself in the arms of the Father with absolute confidence.
Intercede on my behalf, Oh St. Therese,
So I too may feel the love of God,
His gentleness,
and His unwavering faith.
You made your nest into the arms of the Lord,
like you, I wish to always find in Him love and consolation.
May my eyes and my heart always turn to the Lord,
in joys and sorrows,
with your powerful intercession, Oh powerful St. Therese!
Amen.”
Though writing a letter is a traditional way of celebrating the Feast Day of St. Therese, it is not the only moment of the event when you can pray to “the Little Flower”: during the prayer vigil, there are testimonies of people who obtained graces through the intercession of St. Therese, a time dedicated to praising the Lord, and sometimes, a reading and commentary of the Gospel - all these moments are perfect opportunities to pray.
You can also complete your prayers by offering a miracle novena to St. Therese, on the days following her Feast Day.
The letters to St. Therese are returned to their owners in the year following the event. It is an opportunity to reevaluate the year when they were written: were your expectations met? Were your prayers heard, were your petitions legitimate when you wrote them? Did you take personal steps to direct your life to what you want to obtain?
When receiving graces, you can include them in the testimony section of the Feast Day of St. Therese.
Hozana is a social network designed to help you practice daily prayer, by connecting you with your Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Discover the many prayer communities on Hozana!
Say a novena to the Little Flower: walk in the footsteps of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face for nine days. Learn to make yourself small to invite the Lord into your heart.
Pray with the Little Flower: reflect on daily quotes from St. Therese to explore her beautiful spirituality.