Mother Mary arranged “roses” in St. Juan Diego’s tilma but She continues to arrange “roses” in the fabric of our own lives – Her beloved children!
Yesterday, was the Feast of the Assumption whereby we celebrate Jesus’ coming down to earth to escort His Mother – the Blessed Virgin Mary to Her Heavenly Throne.
However, our “Mother Mary” doesn’t stay there and makes Her way back down to us every moment of our lives.
Are we aware of that? Do we truly believe that?
On the Feast of the Assumption – August 15, 2025, a Mass was celebrated at St. Laudislaus Church in Hempstead, New York in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe! Yes! You are absolutely reading that “intention” correctly!
I would imagine that it seemed “odd” to most of the parishioners that attended the Mass! We were there to celebrate the Feast Day of the Assumption!
However, we were also celebrating our “finishing the goal” of 46 days praying in unison with Fr. Richard Heilman, Doug Barry and Christine Watkins who wrote the book, “Mary’s Mantle Consecration.” This consecration was written by Christine as a “spiritual retreat to inflame our souls with the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
Forty-six days refers to the number of stars glistening on the Mantle of Mary when She appeared to Juan Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531. But – this is not a story about “stars” but of “roses.”
Yesterday, the parish secretary of St. Laudislaus shared words with me by the poet – “Alexander Pope” that her husband always quoted….I share them now with all of you.
“All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;”
They seem to describe very accurately the “chance” and the “direction” that led me on my path after the Mass celebrated in Honor of Lady of Guadalupe.
There is a passage in the book, “Our Lady of Guadalupe – Mother of the Civilization of Love” by Carl Anderson and Eduardo Chavez that spells out what possibly “lurks” in the minds of us all.
The following are the thoughts of Juan Diego as he encountered the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Hill of Tepeyac.
“He said to himself, “By any chance am I worthy, have I deserved what I hear? Perhaps I am only dreaming it? Perhaps I’m only dozing? Where am I? Where do I find myself? Is it possible that I am in the place of our ancient ancestors, our grandparents told us about: in the land of the flowers……”
At St. Laudislaus, the tradition of “blessing the flowers” took place for the Feast of the Assumption!
“According to ancient tradition concerning the Feast of the Dormition (Falling-Asleep) of the Theotokos, when St. Thomas and the other Apostles discovered Our Lady’s tomb to be empty and that she had been bodily translated (assumed) from earth to heaven, they also found that flowers were growing out of the stone sarcophagus in which she had been laid, giving forth a sweet order, thus confirming their faith in her assumption.
Because of this tradition of flowers springing forth from the stone tomb of the Theotokos, the custom of blessing flowers at the Divine Liturgy of the Feast of Her Dormition has been practised since the 10th Century.”
It was beautiful to see the “lovers” of Mary bring flowers of the fairest to Her at St. Laudislaus Church.
And…the Holy Spirit seemed to center my gaze on the sacristan who laboriously carried out vase after vase filled with water for the flowers to be immersed in. I was being given a heads up about a “direction” that “chance” was going to take me to.
I, too, would find myself filling up vase after vase with water in my own home only hours later.
Yes…once again you are reading this title correctly. Leaving St. Laudislaus, I headed out to a local CVS Pharmacy to pick up meds. I also picked up a bouquet of roses to bring home to the Blessed Mother for this significant day.
As I was exiting the parking lot, I passed two dumpsters of a local supermarket. My eyes caught a “sight” that I will never soon forget!
In the sun, I saw “glistening” not stars but “cellophane wrapped roses” piled high. From my vantage point, I could see they looked magnificent. . .placed one on top of the other. I quickly got out of my car to take in the sight that I saw from behind the driver’s wheel. They were gorgeous and quite alive still – who would throw these out????
I could never express in mere mortal words what my soul felt at that moment. They were clearly marked by the supermarket to whom the dumpster belonged. Did they actually do this? Or did they?
Or possibly was it “another Hand” that placed them there?
Yes…there were exactly “9 bouquets” that I gathered into my arms on the Feast of the Assumption.
I didn’t count them at the time! I was overwhelmed. I still had another stop to make at my bank. Mother Mary wasn’t finished with my “direction” yet!
And so I found myself to be Her “flower deliverer.” Grabbing two of the bouquets, I headed thru the doors of Flagstar! I name the bank for the significance of the two worded title!
“Stars” once again….and finding myself literally “flagging” down unsuspecting children of Mary.
Placed in my mind were “two tellers” that seemed to be the designated receivers of a bouquet of roses from Mama Mary….however. . .
Only one of the tellers were present to receive this gift named “Judy.” I found myself still holding another bouquet to be given out. The next “directive” on what to do came quickly!
A couple were sitting at a banker’s desk discussing their accounts. Apparently they were longtime customers, because “Judy” went out to get a birthday cake for the woman. This ordinarily does not happen in a bank! It was a beautiful loving sight to behold to hear the staff of a bank sing “Happy Birthday” and present a customer with a personal birthday cake.
But this unsuspecting child of Mary was in for another surprise!
I can only say I was “directed” once again to get up and present this woman with a bouquet of roses.
The husband looked quite astonished when I told him it was from the Lord and His Mother on this grand Feast Day! He probably thought I was some sort of nut but clearly Mama was at work with Her “bouquets of love.”
Yes…there were 9 bouquets – holding 16 gorgeous roses in each cellophane wrapped package. Two bouquets had been given out at the bank. A third was given to a friend who walked in the door with me when I arrived home from this “chance” journey.
I was left with “6 bouquets” to place at the “Feet” of a Blessed Mother statue in my living room who has been visiting my home for the last couple of months.
I could not help but think of the Sacristan at St. Laudislaus coming off the altar – holding many vases filled with water.
Here I found myself doing the same – just hours later. Chance no! Direction – yes!
What is this whole story about? It’s about the Rosary and the Love of The Blessed Virgin Mary for us – Her children.
I sat with Mother Mary in candlelight last nite in awe of “Her” delivered “rose garden” through a dumpster dive.
We just finished “Mary’s Mantle Consecration” which called for a “daily reading” that Christine supplied in her book but there was also a request of a rosary and a day of fasting.
The Rosary, the Rosary, the Rosary!
Could it be possible that Mother Mary was showing me and all of you in a very significant way that nothing happens by “chance?”
As I was told by the Parish Secretary of St. Laudislaus….”Anita…you were supposed to get those meds on Tuesday but you went Friday instead. If you had gone Tuesday this would never have happened on such a beautiful Feast Day of Our Mother.
Chance doesn’t exist but “direction” does!
Mother Mary holds out the Rosary with beckoning eyes of love in the above image. In the other hand…She shows us clearly what those simple beads turn into. Doesn’t She do the same in every apparition? In all the Medugorje messages that we continue to receive and are blessed by!
Could the roses that were placed at Her feet yesterday – “supplied by Her loving hands”…..be a sign for us of the many Hail Mary’s that we pray in our rosaries to Her? A manifestation of the prayers prayed with the heart to Her.
Could She have been showing us how powerful the prayers of our beads are? ABSOLUTELY!!!!
In the 9 bouquets of roses, there were 16 long stemmed flowers totaling 144. Did you ever wonder how many roses Our Blessed Mother lovingly placed in the Tilma of St. Juan Diego? I don’t think we will ever know that answer but maybe this is another “directive” not by chance.
“The number 144 holds signifiant meaning in the Bible, often symbolizing completeness and perfection. This number is derived from multiplying 12 (representing God’s divine authority and power) by 12 (representing the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve apostles).
In this way, 144 is seen as a number that represents the fullness of God’s divine plan and purpose. Throughout the Bible, the number 144 is often association with God’s chosen people and the fulfillment of His promises.
©2025 Anita Guariglia
Picture Credits/ Pinterest/ Instagram
Anita Guariglia – Rose Trunk Pictures and Rose Garden
Blessing of Flowers/ St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church
Quote from Our Lady of Guadalupe/ Carl Anderson & Eduardo Chavez
The number 144 – Jesus everyday.com
One Response
This is such an awesome message from Our Blessed Mother that you shared with us so exquisitely, Anita! Yes, She arranged roses for you as She arranges every detail of our lives when we turn to Her, trust in Her and give Her our heartfelt rosaries.