Roses...where no roses were...

The Day We Smelled Roses

My friend, Denise and I
set off on our Friday pilgrimage
to see St Francis in the country
and Holy Trinity
beautiful churches built for our
beautiful God
we drove in the glory of the
golden sun, though a hot summer's day
and poured out our hearts on the way
we entered the country sanctuary
and amid the workers remodeling
we prayed for mercy for our sins
and those of the whole world
and spoke our hearts to our Lord
the noise of the workers was not going
to keep us from our prayers
though Satan tried hard to distract us
we prayed and thanked our God
it was time to leave after reading
more at the table by the doors
and we stepped out into the glorious
summer day, now blessed by our
Mother's presence in a tender way
"I smell roses!" Denise grabbed my arm
and asked in a girlish pitch of excitement-
"Susie, Do you smell roses?"
“Yes I do!” I answered like a little girl.
“ I smell roses, too!”
we looked but there were no roses
smiling, laughing, and thanking our
Mother, Mary, for blessing our prayers
and delighting us with Her scent
then with the soft summer wind,
Her fragrance was gone
we drove to Holy Trinity a few miles
down the road and visited our God
the beauty of skilled hands was all around us
and Mary continued with us, too
and we were blessed to meet another
precious mother, Betty Lou.
She told us of a statue and it's mysterious
history and before we knew it, we were
on the road to visit our Mother in the
beauty of her Assumption -
Her Assumption!
in the town of Dwight was Mary
standing tall with halo bright
and blessed us once again with
roses in the air, between angels
and on the stairs, our Mother's scent
once again made us smile and thank Her
for our day and Her heart and Her love
"I smell roses!" I exclaimed on the stairs
and we laughed with our new found joy
and left, taking the "long way" home
with drops of "holy water" falling on our
car - yet no other seemed to be touched
by this “mysterious rain”…
baptized and cleansed for our journey
home, we laughed in joy again
we shared a day that was indeed a
‘divine appointment’ for our hearts to beat
in time with the Heart of our Lord Jesus
and His beloved Mother, our Mother, Mary
so great a day forever cherished
in the hearts of two new friends.
Blest be the Lord, the God Israel
the God of Nebraska, too,
who reigns in glory waiting to
meet us with His Mother, who
waits to hold us in Her arms and
bless us with tender mercy
in the aroma of roses
and a rose to me will never be the same...
we know the rose's name, Mary-
Blessed Mary gave us Her heart
and the heart of Her Son
beating as one for all time
yes, I smell roses!
and one day Our Lady's fragrant love
will guide us to the Feet and Heart of Jesus
The Rose of Sharon - where we will forever
...smell roses

© susie melkus
06.25.05