# The Rose Prayer by St. Thérèse of Lisieux
*2016-09-30*

> Bill Young shares how the Rose Prayer of St. Thérèse of Lisieux has become a personal novena for him, recounting miraculous rose‑petal signs and the saint’s promise to help souls.

## Why I Turned to St. Thérèse

A few years ago I was struggling at work, so I began praying the rosary and various novenas. One of those novenas was to St. Thérèse, the "Little Flower." The prayer I received came with a picture of St. Thérèse surrounded by roses and the words, “I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses.” That image sparked my devotion.

## First Rose‑Petal Sign

In July, on my wife’s birthday, I bought her a dozen red roses as usual. While she was out, I prayed the Rose Prayer, holding a petal in my hand with my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes, a petal had fallen onto the table. I took it as a sign and, a few weeks later, repeated the prayer with another bouquet. Again, a petal dropped onto the table as I opened my eyes. These small miracles encouraged me to keep the prayer in my heart.

## St. Thérèse’s Promise and a Feast‑Day Miracle

In her autobiography, *Story of a Soul*, St. Thérèse asked God to let her help souls on earth after her death, and I believe God granted that request. Her way of showing herself is often through roses. On October 1, the feast of St. Thérèse, our parish distributed a rose to each participant for a prayer march. While we were praying, a car drove by and a hard‑boiled egg struck a fellow parishioner’s rose, scattering its petals onto the sidewalk. When I later examined the rose, every petal and leaf had fallen off—nothing remained. That striking loss seemed another sign of St. Thérèse’s presence.

## The Rose Prayer

I invite you to pray this novena with me:

All‑little Teresa, child of Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it as a sign of love. All‑little flower of Jesus, ask God today to grant the favors I place with confidence in your hands. (You may now mention a specific request.)

My personal request today is for strength and courage for John and Roseanne, whom I had the privilege of giving communion to this past Sunday.

## Looking Ahead

Starting the 15th of this month I’ll begin a Christmas novena, and on December 12—our Lady of Guadalupe feast and my birthday—I’ll share a special prayer. If you have any prayer intentions, feel free to email me at prayerandlunch@yahoo.com; I’ll be glad to pray with you.

*St. Thérèse’s simple “little way” reminds us that even a single rose petal can be a powerful sign of God’s love.*