If you’re craving a holy dose of faith, flowers, and popes across the ages, this Morning Air episode with John Morales and Fr. James Kubicki delivers a soul-stirring bouquet! Here’s your heavenly highlight reel… in all its rose-scented glory.
St. Thérèse and Her “Rose-Sending” Promise
Fr. Kubicki talks about St. Thérèse of Lisieux, affectionately known as The Little Flower, and her legendary promise:
“I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens and I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.”
💐 She’s the saint who keeps on giving… through roses. Literally. Many Catholics, including Pope Francis, have experienced her intercession through the unexpected appearance of a rose when praying for guidance.
🌹 The White Rose at the Tomb of Pope Francis
In a touching moment that seemed like something straight out of a divine screenplay, Pope Leo XIV recently visited the tomb of Pope Francis at St. Mary Major in Rome. What did he do?
➡️ He left a single white rose. Simple. Silent… But packed with spiritual dynamite.
Why does it matter? Because Pope Francis himself often asked St. Thérèse for roses as signs of answered prayers. So, this gesture by Leo XIV felt like a final celestial “rose delivery” from the Little Flower herself, symbolizing continuity, prayer, and communion with the saints.
This isn’t just a story about two popes and a saint: it’s a trifecta of popes and their connection to Thérèse:
Pope Leo XIII: Back in the day, young Thérèse boldly asked him for special permission to enter the Carmelite convent early. His response: “If God wills it, it will happen.”
Not exactly a yes, but Thérèse took it as divine affirmation.
Pope Francis: He openly shared how he turned to St. Thérèse for help and was gifted roses in “odd ways.” She was his heavenly helper.
Pope Leo XIV: By leaving the white rose, he ties together the threads of Thérèse’s legacy, Francis’s spirituality, and Leo XIII’s historic papacy. Also… he took his papal name specifically to honor Leo XIII’s focus on human dignity, labor, and society.
💓 Sacred Heart Throwback
Quick history detour:
Pope Leo XIII, before he passed, said his greatest act wasn’t an encyclical but consecrating the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1899.
🔥 Fr. Kubicki is hopeful that Leo XIV might follow in those same sacred footsteps, a timely reminder that devotions are power tools for our spiritual lives.
A Pope with Warmth and Awe
Finally, Fr. Kubicki shares his first impressions of Leo XIV:
-A warm, welcoming presence
-A deep love for reverent liturgy, especially influenced by Eastern traditions
Heaven is Involved
From teenage Thérèse grabbing the Pope’s hands in Rome…
to a white rose left at a tomb 100 years later…
This conversation reminds us that the saints are alive, and we’re part of one big, beautiful body of Christ: living and deceased, praying for one another, with roses as God’s love note to us.
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