Boise

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State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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Defending the Rosary - 2023-01-22

January 29, 2023

The Rosary, even when misunderstood or maligned, can spark a conversation about God. So, thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.

A gymnastics competition was being held in the hockey arena. Many young girls, ages 3-7, accompanied by their families, sported a clanking mass of medals around their necks as they left the building. Only one family came to the table for a Rosary.

A heavy-set woman in a parka stopped for a Rosary. She had been raised Catholic, but resented that her mother expected her and her siblings to pray the Rosary three times a day, on their knees. Rather than join her in judging her mother, we encouraged our visitor to take up the devotion again and give it another try. She chose a Rosary and accepted the pamphlet with the Mysteries. Pray she is granted a true love for this devotion.

A previous visitor stopped to chat. Do you remember the man who hopes to retire to a Catholic country where Our Blessed Mother has appeared? He talked with e. Chuck for a few minutes, mostly about housing prices over there. He asked when we were going to another purported apparition site. E. Lucy thought it was a bit too close to an active war zone right now.

A family stopped for Rosaries. Don’t remember the conversation, but every member chose one.

A man and woman, who were walking hand in hand, declined our offer of a Rosary. As they continued on their way, the man shouted over his shoulder , “We pray to Jesus and don’t need beads.” We are thankful for their faith in Christ Our Savior, and pray that His Spirit will open their hearts and minds to the fullness of Faith found in the Catholic Church, and to the joy of knowing His mother.

A couple of groups of Catholics thanked us for being out there.

A slender man with a lisp stopped for a Rosary. May Our Blessed Lady lead him to her Son and Sainthood!

A well-dressed man stopped for a Rosary. When we asked if he were familiar with it, he said he didn’t speak much English. Asked what his native language was, he said something like Kirundi (Burundi). He had heard of Jesus ,but was not Christian. Besides the Rosary, we gave him its pamphlet, as well as a copy of the Good News/kerygma, suggesting he use an online translator to read it.

A man declared that “praying on beads to dead people” wasn’t Biblical. Though he slowed down to make this statement, he didn’t stop, until e. Chuck wondered aloud if he thought it was okay to ask another person to pray for him. He agreed that it was, but not to ask “dead people”. So, the evangelist pointed out that in the Bible, God said he “was not the God of the dead, but of the living”, while specifically referring to certain “dead people”. Also, “dead people” were there for Christ’s Transfiguration. The evangelist began to mention the “great cloud of witnesses” from Hebrews as an example of more “dead people” in communion with us. But the man interrupted to say he would love to stay and argue, but was late for something and moved on. May our visitor’s love for God’s Word help him see that God’s love and membership in His family do not end at the grave.

The weather was damp, breezy, and around freezing. So, there was almost no foot traffic. Still, the evangelists gave away nearly 10 Rosaries and its pamphlet, 1 Divine Mercy prayer card, and 1 copy of the kerygma.

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.

If people let us, we try to clear up misunderstandings. 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).