Boise, ID
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The following story comes to us from team leader Lucy with our team in Boise, ID:
We continue to present the Rosary as a way to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. A youth hockey game had just finished up and a line was already forming outside the hockey arena for the professional match later that afternoon.
A homeless woman, rolling her little dog in a stroller, stopped at the table. Her religious views were confused. But she felt the need for God in her life and, after hearing a description of the Rosary devotion, she chose one and accepted the booklet on how to pray it. Nancy then talked with her at greater length. Our visitor had moved here to care for her mother about 9 years ago and has since suffered through cancer. She enthusiastically shared that she had been raised Catholic and was confirmed. However, oddly, she didn’t seem to notice that the churches she attends are all non-Catholic. The evangelist tried to talk with her about receiving the Eucharist, and what a blessing this is, but our visitor didn’t seem to be tracking too well. She did, though, seem most encouraged to find out that there is a 5pm Mass at a nearby church. She said that her main hindrances from weekly Mass attendance were getting up early and loud music (probably in the non-Catholic Christian churches). Lord, please grant her the grace to follow through and rejoin the Church that You founded.
A tall white-haired man left the sports arena but didn’t reply to our offer of a Rosary. He passed by a couple of more times, but still didn’t respond. As it turns out, he was listening to something on his phone, using his hearing aids as ear buds. He finally stopped to talk with Chuck, saying he was the bus driver for the visiting hockey team and belonged to a large non-Christian sect. He asked about the Rosary, but then interrupted the evangelist’s explanation to say he didn’t “need beads to talk to God”. The evangelist began again to talk about the Rosary, being sure to let him know it wasn’t the only way Catholics pray. The evangelist also extolled the virtue of saying prayers that don’t originate within our own understanding or needs, but guide us to see and come near to God in ways that don’t necessarily come natural to us. As the evangelist talked about the mysteries of the Rosary, especially as he talked about the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the man said that, though we had many theological differences, we did both know of our need for God. At that, he went on his way. Please pray that the Holy Spirit opens his eyes to the true nature of God and that he puts his full trust in Christ Our Savior.
Altogether, we gave away 25-30 Rosaries and its pamphlet, 2-3 Our Lady Undoer of Knots prayer cards, and a Divine Mercy prayer card. Thank you for your past prayers, and please continue to pray for us, asking God to send people with hearts prepared to receive Our Savior Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes from our efforts. May God protect and greatly bless you and all those you love!