As I mentioned last week, today we are starting a novena to St. Therese the Little Flower. I do hope you join us. https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-therese-novena
St. Therese, also known as the Little flower, has been a prayer warrior for Aaron and I, since day one. I honestly would say her, and Mamma Mary are responsible for pushing me towards Aaron in the first place. When we were connected with the Home Study Agency, Little Flower Adoptions, we were stunned. Just another sign that this entire process is divinely driven. The home study was the source of my main worries about this process. Knowing that the Little Flower had this in her prayers and hands has been so reassuring.
So, story time…
When I started college, I was very unsure of the life God was calling me to. The thought of being a religious sister was so appealing to me. I had ongoing emails and phone chats with sisters from several communities. In hindsight, I know that for me, it was all about trust. I had seen and watched loved ones and friends be heartbroken through ended courtships and marriages. I knew that no one would ever love me like Jesus. That Jesus would never break my heart. And, although the later is true, that is not a good reason to join the convent.
However, at the time, I was still discerning. Pretty early on in my freshman year at Tech, I felt the Lord calling me to date. To be open and available to dating. I thought that entire idea was ridiculous. Why would I start something with someone that I do not intent to marry? I was for sure, at the time, that the religious life was for me. Yet, I am stubborn, and the Lord kept calling me to date, so I did. I went on dates…nothing serious. Now, I know I was just doing this because God told me too…not really being open to dating. All three of the young men I went out with a few times are all priests now…so if that tells you how seriously I was taking this “call to date.” Hahaha.
Enter Aaron.
I had seen Aaron a few times around St. Elizabeth, through CSA and Raider Awakening activities. I could not understand why I was drawn to him. Aaron will tell you, he was not “relationship material” at the time. Thus, a friendship emerged. It was easy to tell we both had feelings for each other, but we were young, so a bit of a back and forth started. This went on for some time.
The summer after my freshman year, Mamma Mary made way for me to go on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. I went with reckless abandonment. I knew she was calling me there, to her, for a specific purpose. I was still trying to decern what the Lord was calling me to do with my life. My spiritual director, Fr. Joy (yes that is his name), suggested praying a novena to St. Therese the Little Flower. One of the traditions is to pray a discernment novena to her. Asking for guidance in the forms of roses. Thus, I started a novena to coincide with my pilgrimage. I asked for her to send white roses if I were to stay discerning the sisterhood, red if I was called to marry, and furthermore yellow if I should consider dating Aaron.
Many beautiful things happened on that pilgrimage. If you ever have the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage, wherever it is, you should take it. Just being in a place were everyone is in prayer and striving for true holiness…it is life changing. One night on the trip, some of the group took a short hike up apparition hill to pray. I went along. Somewhere in the middle of the Rosary, I was overwhelmed by the sense of warmth and light. I opened my eyes to see that there were dozens of red, yellow, and yellow roses with red tips all along the ground in front of the statue of Our Lady. There have been few times in my life where I have clearly heard the stirring voice of God in my heart. This was one of them. I knew God was calling me to marriage, and not just anyone, but to Aaron. He has used St. Therese and our Holy Mother to bring me to this point. To guide me along the path He had chosen for my/our life. Although I was full of questions, and a bit fearful, I had an OVERWHELMING sense of peace. The kind of peace that comes from Holy certainty.
You would think that an experience like that would be enough…hahaha. When I returned, I prayed that St. Therese novena about 4 times over the course of the summer. Each time, the same outcome.
Since college, St. Therese had been such a driving force in my personal faith. I have asked for her intercession for many things throughout the years. I have come to know more about her, and her family. I have sought her guidance in how she lived her life and loved her sisters. How every task, no mater the size, is a way to love someone. Before her passing, she is known to have said, “I am going to spend my time in Heaven by doing good on earth. When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens.” That she has. 😊
When our adoption case worker told us that Little Flower Adoptions would be conducting the home study portion for us, Aaron and I were overwhelmed. It was just another sign to us how God truly is driving this part of our journey. That this adoption is something much bigger than Aaron and I, and this sweet little soul we are welcoming into our hearts. We have seen God’s handiwork all over this, and we could not be more moved. As I mentioned earlier, the home study process was the only part I had worries over. It is just a lot of paperwork and interviews. It brings up all the doubts you have about your lives. Hearing that The Little Flower had her hand in this, we knew that the Lord was here and was in control.
Thus, I once again invite you to join us in prayer starting today. We will be specifically asking for a smooth and prompt adoption, that our final days of the Home Study end with success (about 2 more weeks), and that the soul the Lord is sending our way is safe and healthy.
Here is a link to the novena we will be praying. https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-therese-novena.
As always, thank you for your prayers and support. We are so blessed by each and every one of you.
-Kiki
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