Consoling Roses for Jesus and Mary

With all the suffering and pain that God and the Blessed Virgin Mary went through in Jesus’ Passion and Death, a question I like to meditate on often is how can I console both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Since September is the month of Our Lady of Sorrows, I think consoling the Blessed Virgin Mary in a special way is fitting. When we console the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we also console and honor her Son, Jesus. You may ask, but how? I will answer that we should console and honor them by the best way we know how. For me, one way is by weaving a crown of roses. Let me explain.

Recently, I was pondering the third sorrowful mystery: the crowning with thorns. A part of Jesus’ agonizing Passion, this mystery is in Sacred Scripture.

‘Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”’ (Matthew 27:29)

Pondering this mystery in my heart made me realize that I can console Jesus’ very own Heart and that of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s, too, when I give them all the roses I carry within my own heart. By this, I mean I can give red roses to Jesus and Mary to show my deep love and devotion to them. I can give yellow roses, as my friendship with them is the most important friendship I could ever have. I can give them white roses, because I hope to imitate their purity of heart in all things. Lastly, I give them pink roses in admiration of their sweetness and gentle nature which I hope I can emulate, especially with everyone I encounter in day-to-day life. I take all these roses, weave them into a nice crown of roses, and place this crown on the top of each of their heads. Consequently, I can feel their smile as they have accepted my prayer.

Remember that as much as we can do this spiritually in our hearts, we can also honor statues with real roses. I encourage you to make your own crown of roses for religious statues in your home. Honor Jesus and Mary in your hearts and homes.

Another thing to remember is that the word rosary actually means “rose garden” or sometimes even “bouquet of flowers.” So, every time you offer up a Rosary, you can imagine that you are giving a bouquet to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Praying the Rosary is such a beautiful devotion, and the Blessed Virgin Mary promises many special graces if you pray it faithfully. Here is a list of the promises.

1. Those who faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. The recitation of the Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish. It will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God. It will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
6. Those who recite my Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. In His justice, God will not chastise them; nor shall they perish by an unprovided death, i.e., be unprepared for heaven. Sinners shall convert. The just shall persevere in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Those who have a true devotion to the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who faithfully recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces. At the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
11. By the recitation of the Rosary, you shall obtain all that you ask of me.
12. Those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of their death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my beloved children and the brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion for my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Since flowers always have a way of making someone’s day and brightening up a room, Rosaries offered up to Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary can brighten their day as well.

Truly, reflecting on the hearts of Jesus and Mary often reminds me of a quote from the Little Flower herself, St. Therese of Lisieux: “The world’s thy ship and not thy home.” Our true home is in Heaven with Jesus and Mary. On that note, with each fragrant petal we offer up to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us never forget how their love and sacrifices make the most grand and sweet-scented bouquet of them all.