Boise

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State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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Hot, Cold, and Indifferent - 2022-08-21

August 28, 2022

Reactions are mixed, but we continue to offer the Rosary as a sure way to grow closer to Christ. So thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.

As we were setting up, a homeless man zoomed past on his bicycle. Then he circled back and gave us one of his two chilled water bottles, receiving our thanks and prayer for God’s blessings. We trust in Christ’s promise to reward anyone who gives “even a cup of cold water” to one of His little ones (cf., Matthew 10:42). May we all seek to be one of Christ’s little ones.

“Aaron”, the man with a Rosary from Rome, stopped. He and e. Chuck talked about something secular.

A young man, dressed all in black, came to the table. He said he would take a Rosary, but just for the sake of the cross on it and “nothing else.” E. Lucy went around the table to stand beside him and described how the Mysteries can draw us closer to Jesus. He seemed to not know what to say, but he accepted the how-to-pray-the-Rosary pamphlet and chose a black Rosary. May he hear Christ’s voice from the Cross saying, “Behold, your mother.”

A woman paused, undecided, when offered a Rosary. She said she “didn’t know what to say.” We suggested she say “yes”, and she took our suggestion! She then came around to the front of the table and chose a Rosary. When e. Lucy explained the devotion, and the peace and protection that people often experience when praying it, our visitor said she would wear the Rosary and read the pamphlet that night. We pray she follows through and is moved by the Mysteries to say YES to Christ.

A large, multi-family group strolled past, declining our offer. Then one man seemed to suddenly realize what we were offering, and came to the table. He said he was familiar with the Rosary and a couple of the boys joined him in choosing one apiece. He said they were going to someone’s baptism. (This is where the story gets confusing because one evangelist missed some of what he said, and the other doesn’t remember.) The man may have been Catholic, but perhaps he wasn’t but another part of his family was, and they were the ones that included those getting baptized. At any rate, may his openness to our Mother and the Church draw him deeper in Faith.

The father of a family of four shook off our offer, but the mother brought her two sons to the table as the father waited nearby. Though the boys were mostly occupied with choosing a Rosary, the mother accepted our explanation of the power of this prayer with a polite smile, and agreed to let the boys have their pamphlets when they got home. May the pictures illustrating Christ’s great love for us draw this family together in love for God.

Two Catholic women stopped. One was from out-of-town, but hadn’t brought her Rosary with her. She felt blessed that we were there so she could get one. We encouraged the two women to pray it together.

John, the parking lot attendant, came and told stories of war survivors and an elderly great-aunt.

A 20-something couple started to decline our offer, but then the man came to the table. He seemed to struggle to choose a Rosary and, after our explanation and exhortation, he took just the pamphlet but not a Rosary. The woman didn’t either. They walked away, but came right back, the woman saying, with a smile, that the man decided to choose one after all. May he continue to use his free will to say yes to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

For perhaps the third week in a row, a man zoomed by on his bicycle, loudly saluting the enemy of his very soul. May he recognize his grave mistake before it’s too late, and may he turn to Our Savior Jesus Christ Who can save him from destruction.

Not too many people were out, possibly because of the continued record-breaking heat wave. Still, the two evangelists gave away about 15 Rosaries and its pamphlet.

Please pray for us again today? Ask God to send people to us with hearts prepared to perceive their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

People respond to us and our at least tacit invitation to choose Jesus Christ. Some are happy to see us; some are curious; most are polite, but a few express hostility. God loves each one and wants them saved. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and all those you love!

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).