Thank you for joining us in nine days of Rosary prayer for Mothers, as we ask for the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), with a 10th Day to pray for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Begin praying on May 4th. Here is how:

We’ll follow this Novena Calendar, with everyone praying the Rosary and the fruits on the same day. Don’t be discouraged if you miss a day. Just hop right back into the schedule with a happy heart and firm resolve to carry on.

It’s lovely to find a rhythm, praying at the same time each day. Do so if you can manage it. You may use the regular daily rotation of the Mysteries of the Rosary (Monday-Joyful, Tuesday and Friday-Sorrowful, Thursday-Luminous, Saturday and Sunday-Glorious). If you prefer to pray the Mothering Mysteries, then splurge on the Joyful Mysteries for this novena. It will be fine. The tenth day, May 13, is the anniversary of Our Lady’s first apparition in Fatima, and on that day, we will pray for the Triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart, and then the Glorious Mysteries would be most appropriate.

(It is taken for granted that you know the structure of the Rosary. For instructions on how to pray the Rosary, scroll to the bottom of the home page of FreshRosary.com, and download a copy.)

May 4 – The Fruit of the Spirit is LOVE

May 5 – The Fruit of the Spirit is JOY

May 6 – The Fruit of the Spirit is PEACE

May 7 – The Fruit of the Spirit is PATIENCE

May 8 – The Fruit of the Spirit is KINDNESS

May 9 – The Fruit of the Spirit is GOODNESS

May 10 – The Fruit of the Spirit is FAITHFULNESS

May 11 – The Fruit of the Spirit is GENTLENESS

May 12 – The Fruit of the Spirit is SELF-CONTROL

May 13 – The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart

Create a list here of the Mothers you intend to pray for, living or deceased:

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Daily Novena Prayer

Recite this prayer as you begin your Rosary

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin Spouse of the Holy Spirit and our own true Heavenly Mother, by means of this Mother’s Day Novena, we seek after the treasures of Heaven, most notably, the Fruits of the Spirit. Through your intercession, may we, and those for whom we now pray, (mention the names here) receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by the spiritual gifts God most desires to give us, which are most needed by the world today. Introduce your Spouse to us in a new way, That the fully ripe fruits of His Presence – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Faithfulness, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness and Self-Control, may be enjoined upon us, bringing to this world the full manifestation of the Glorious Kingdom of God in our time. We place our intentions in your hands, confident that all three Persons of the Holy Trinity delight to honor your humble requests for your children. We make this prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Daily Intentions for the Fruits of the Spirit

“For an outpouring of the fruit of __ in our lives, and in the lives of all mothers, especially (say the names here).”

How to add the Daily Intentions: As you pray the Mysteries of the Rosary, announce each mystery and pray the Our Father. Before the set of ten Hail Mary prayers, pray the daily intentions corresponding to the Fruits of the Spirit.

For example, Day 1:

“The First Joyful Mystery — The Annunciation “Our Father, who art in Heaven…

“For an outpouring of the fruit of Love in our lives, and in the lives of all mothers, especially (add the names here)…

“Hail Mary, full of grace…(10 times)

“Glory be to the Father…

“Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins…”

Move on to the remaining mysteries in the same pattern, praying again for an outpouring of the fruit of Love, after the Our Father and before the Hail Mary prayers. Finish your rosary in the usual way. This concludes Day 1.

Days 2 through 9 continue in the same fashion, using the calendar on page 1.

Day 10 – This day is like dessert, since it falls on the anniversary of Our Lady’s first apparition in Fatima. Of course, people can skip dessert, but why? Our Lady wants good things for us, so as her children let us return her kindness by cooperating with her desire for peace in the world.

Heavenly Father, We praise you for your goodness, extoll you for your glory, and thank you for your never-failing love. As Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son, and our Lord, tells us in sacred scripture — you alone know the day and the hour of the coming of your Kingdom. In the same way, you alone know the moment of the coming Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Because you are a loving and just God, holy and true, we your children desire the fulfillment of your holy and perfect will on earth, as it is in Heaven. As such, we ask with fervent desire for the Triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart. May your Holy Spirit instruct us in the roles we must undertake, the prayers we must pray, the sacrifices we must make, and the virtuous lives we must lead, as docile and obedient children who wish to honor and love their Mother. We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and with similar childlike excitement, we look forward to that glorious day when the Immaculate Heart of the Queen of Angels receives the Triumph that has long been promised. We make our prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen

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²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

You can even offer your prayer efforts as a “Spiritual Bouquet” gift in honor of a chosen soul, near or far.

Be sure to check back for updates, and make a note to visit the blog daily during the Novena, for all of the prayers. Here is the schedule:

• May 4 – The Fruit of the Spirit is LOVE
• May 5 – The Fruit of the Spirit is JOY
• May 6 – The Fruit of the Spirit is PEACE
• May 7 – The Fruit of the Spirit is PATIENCE
• May 8 – The Fruit of the Spirit is KINDNESS
• May 9 – The Fruit of the Spirit is GOODNESS
• May 10 – The Fruit of the Spirit is FAITHFULNESS
• May 11 – The Fruit of the Spirit is GENTLENESS
• May 12 – The Fruit of the Spirit is SELF-CONTROL
• May 13 – The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart

Should you stumble upon this Novena in a future year, simply start nine days before Mother’s Day. The special Immaculate Heart prayer can be done any day you wish, preferably on a 13th Day.

The post “Fruits of the Spirit” Mother’s Day Rosary Novena + Bonus Day for Fatima appeared first on Fresh Rosary | Funeral Memorial Tribute Rosaries.

-Julia

Volumes are written on the Rosary. Surely as I type this blog post, somewhere a brilliant writer is composing a heartfelt story, a compelling exhortation, a historical compilation. All I can do is offer my musings and some of my rosary stories, and hope you’ll find me sincere and believable.

Let’s begin by saying I was born and baptized into a Catholic family, with a legacy of devotion that spans centuries, originating in Ireland. My maternal grandmother prayed the rosary so consistently that she wore the edges off of her beads.

When did I become aware of the Rosary? I remember handling mom’s bejeweled rosary with childlike awe, enchanted by its shiny, faceted beads, textural metal crucifix, and image of Mother Mary resembling a bracelet charm. Getting into mom’s jewelry always elicited a stern, “hands off,” but not if I wanted to hold her rosary. Why she never rebuffed me and removed it from my tiny fists baffled me. Much later I realized that mother wanted me to form a relationship with the Rosary, and more than materially.

I think of the rosary in three realms:

The rosary is physical. It’s an arrangement of beads, chain, and a crucifix, with a centerpiece medal most often depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some people think the rosary is jewelry, like I did as a little girl. When ordering rosaries in bulk to include in our FreshRosary.com shipments, I found them listed online as “Rosary Necklace.” My overseas supplier emails me offerings of other types of jewelry – chokers here, bracelets there — amusing, but not enticing. I don’t sell jewelry. I do, however, promote the rosary!

People pray it with their hands, hearts, minds, and voices. They read rosary meditations from books. They kneel in churches, sit in living rooms, walk with a rosary in their pockets, pray while driving, pray at hospital bedsides. Even without beads, a rosary can be prayed on the fingers. Ten fingers equal a decade. Its physical nature, and repetitive prayers, have led some to believe that the rosary is rote, mindless, meaningless, vain. But “misunderstood,” is more like it.

The rosary is mystical. While dying on the cross, “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’” (John 19:26). With this action, Jesus gave His mother to all of humanity, because Jesus loves all of us.

Every time I pray a “Hail Mary,” I am literally asking Jesus’ mother – MY mother! – to pray for me, “now and at the hour of our (my) death.” With a 5-decade rosary, I’m asking her 53 times to remind God of my needs, present and future. What mother would deny her child this favor if they asked her 53 times? Imagine the fruitfulness of asking that many times, every day.

Asking the Heavenly Lady to pray for me, now and at the hour of my death, has pulled me into some unexpected encounters that make no earthly sense.

On a flight to California, I sat next to a little old lady whose plaid wool blazer reeked of mothballs. “Bless her heart, and give me patience for this flight,” I selfishly prayed. She got out her rosary and began to finger it silently. For the entire time she prayed, about 45 minutes, I could not smell mothballs, but was overwhelmed by the scent of the most heavenly roses. So much so that I asked a flight attendant, and even another passenger, “Do you smell roses?” Quizzical looks and head shakes were their answer.

The rose scent didn’t mask the odor of mothballs, but completely replaced it. My seat mate zipped her rosary back into its pouch, and the strong odor of mothballs returned, as instantly the glorious rose scent vanished. I tried to ask her about it, but English wasn’t her native tongue, and she didn’t savvy my question. Still, I know Our Lady was with her in prayer. The fragrance of roses has been associated with apparitions of the Blessed Virgin, and is taken as a comforting sign of her mystical presence.

At a Catholic women’s retreat many years ago, our group of about 50 had reverently prayed the rosary together in a makeshift chapel. At its conclusion I left the room with my friend, Cindy. As we stood in the retreat center hallway near a window, she held her rosary up to the light, and we watched with surprise as the silver rosary turned metallic gold, like paint were slowly pouring down its length all the way to, and including, the crucifix. I whispered, “Cindy, are you seeing this?” and she affirmed. It was over 20 years ago, and we both remember the event clearly. We saw it together. It really happened.

The account of my brother’s holy death is here. We’d just finished praying the rosary at his bedside, and witnessed the physical signs of his soul leaving his body. I’m certain he could see us surrounding him in prayer as he passed on to the next life.

I could tell many more stories of answered prayer occurring almost immediately after the conclusion of praying the rosary: A hopeful and positive report from medical staff. An unexpected reprieve from an IRS tax lien. Good news where there had previously been worry or despair. Ask around. If you have friends or family who pray the rosary, I bet they have stories, too.

The rosary is timeless. The rosary has a storied past, a vibrant present, and a prophetic future. The history of the rosary can be found online and in books like The Rosary Collector’s Guide, but I believe that it transcends time, because the rosary is more than a physical object. Rather, it accompanies people on their life journeys.

Praying the rosary regularly is akin to developing a trusted relationship with the Mother of Jesus, who said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Then as one servant to another, at the wedding feast at Cana (John 2:5), she says, “do whatever He (Jesus) tells you,” Mary is all about serving God, and urging us to do likewise, and she leads by example. Having a relationship with her enhances my relationship with Jesus. It makes me want to love and serve him in a more growing and fruitful way.

I like to think of the Rosary as a celestial lasso connecting all of humanity in a circle of love, guided by Christ’s Mother, who wants only to assist her Son by encouraging us into loving service and obedience to God.

Now with our recent FreshRosary.com effort, I’m seeing and hearing many new stories of beloved souls, whose love for Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, is well known among friends and family, because the rosary became much more for them than a pretty piece of jewelry. It became a prayer lifeline, accompanying them on their journey to the afterlife.

I hope to share more of these stories with you in future blog posts. In the meantime, has the Rosary touched your life, or brought Heaven closer to you in a discernible way? I’d love to hear about it!

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