The Little Flower Chaplet Novena
July 11, 1993
Brother John Raymond
One cannot say enough about the miraculous intervention of St.
Therese of the Child Jesus in many people's lives. One of the Popes
called her the greatest Saint of modern times. Before her death St.
Therese prophesied that she would spend her Heaven doing good upon
the earth. We see that prophesy fulfilled all over the world today.
I learned about the powerful intercession of St. Therese in a
very interesting way. Before entering the monastery I was visiting
with a friend. We were sitting out on the patio. Her daughter was
just coming out of the house when my friend said, "watch this." I
was a bit perplexed as to what she was referring to. Her daughter
went over to a little flower garden picked out a rose and brought it
to her. I really didn't see anything so amazing about that. Seeing
the questioning look on my face my friend said she was praying a
novena to St. Therese. I still didn't understand. So she went on to
explain to me that St. Therese gave her a rose as a sign that the
request of her novena would be granted. Her daughter knew nothing
about all of this! Now I was impressed! Since that time I have heard
other similar stories.
One person praying a novena had rose petals fall out of nowhere
in her car while she was driving. Also another person praying a
novena tried to get on a bus which the driver said was completely
full. The person looked back in the bus and saw a vacant seat with
three roses on it. She told the driver about this. He looked back
and said that he didn't know how the seat became empty. When she
asked the people sitting near the seat who left the roses they said
they did not know. She began to suspect who had emptied the seat and
left the roses - St. Therese.
Some people make a novena to St. Therese by praying a chaplet
which honors the 24 years of her life. The origin of this chaplet is
quite interesting. Father Putigan, S.J. started a novena to St.
Therese on December 3, 1925. He prayed the "Glory be to the Father"
24 times each day in thanksgiving to God for all the graces He
showered upon this Saint during the 24 years of her short life. He
asked St. Therese, as a sign that his novena was heard, to give him
a fresh rose. On the third day of the novena Father Putigan received
a fresh rose from an unknown person.
Father Putigan decided for his next novena on December 24 to give
St. Therese a bigger challenge. This time he asked specifically for
a white rose as a sign. On the fourth day of this novena a Sister
brought him a white rose saying that St. Therese wanted him to have
it. Father Putigan was amazed and asked the Sister where she got the
rose. Sister said that she was praying in a chapel. When she went
got up to leave she passed by an altar with a picture of St. Therese
above it. From the bouquet of flowers on the altar a white rose fell
at her feet. She wanted to put it back but the thought came to her
to bring it to him.
Father Putigan, in thanksgiving to St. Therese for the favors he
received through these novenas, promised to spread this devotion for
her greater honor. Thus began the practice of making a novena of
chaplets to St. Therese.
One practice which has sprung from Father's devotion is the
custom of praying the novena from the ninth to the seventeenth of
each month and adding to one's own intentions all the intentions of
those who are making the novena at the same time.
The Little Flower Chaplet Novena
One form of the chaplet to pray each day is the following:
Pray 24 Glory Be's saying between them, "Saint Therese of the
Child Jesus, pray for (mention the specific intention)."
One can ask St. Therese to send a rose or conclude with the
following prayer:
St. Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the
heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love. Ask God to
grant me the favor that I implore and tell Him I will love Him each
day more and more.