Our Spiritual Bouquet

Between now and early February, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit can join in offering a Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict XVI. Spiritual Bouquets are prayers, devotional acts or good deeds that someone offers for someone else. This can be the number of Masses attended, Holy Communions offered, rosaries and/or other prayers said, or good deeds performed. Here’s a definition from Catholic Answers that may be helpful:

A ‘spiritual bouquet’ is a group of prayers gathered together for a particular intention. The idea is that each prayer is like a flower and that the group is like a bouquet mystically offered as a gift to God for a particular intention. That is why, for example, you’ll sometimes see Catholics organize ‘spiritual bouquets’ for particular purposes, such as for the intentions of the Pope in honor of his birthday. Those who participate promise a certain amount of prayers and devotions for the intention and then the list is compiled and given to the person whose intentions are being remembered in prayer.

One of the best parts of this ministry is that it can be done communally or alone, at church, at school, or at home.

On behalf of the entire Archdiocese, Archbishop Vigneron in February at the Vatican will personally present to the Holy Father the Spiritual Bouquet collected through this blog. It will be presented to Pope Benedict in the form of a list of all the spiritual offerings given for his intentions.

How do you participate? You can do it by simply offering for the intentions of the Holy Father whatever you already do regularly, or whatever you are planning to do. It could be you alone, or a group effort — including intentions offered by your family, by prayer groups, a class of Catholic school students, a religious education class, etc.

Do you and your spouse and/or children pray a devotional on a given day? Simply offer that prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father. Do you help at a soup kitchen or other outreach ministry? You, and those who are with you, can offer your service for the intentions of the Holy Father. Do you attend Mass on weekdays? Offer the Communion you receive for the Holy Father’s intention.

When you type your offerings below — in this “comments” section or anywhere in this blog — that “flower” so-to-speak will be added to the list of good works that will be presented to Pope Benedict upon his meeting with Archbishop Vigneron and our auxiliary bishops.