Boise

Country: United States
State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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Beloved Souls - 2024-05-19

May 26, 2024

Jesus Christ is the bedrock of our hope. So, thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.

A university, whose main campus is in another part of the state, was holding graduation ceremonies here for local programs. A mobile gift shop set up near our typical location, so we moved to the other side of the fountain.

“Stephen” went by, near our usual spot, and waved heartily to us from across the square. His coworker, in his usual haste between jobs, came by later, pausing long enough to tell us that his name is “Blake”. May God bless both men with Faith!

Two married couples, walking together, stopped as they passed our table. One of the men was a long-time Knight of Columbus at a local parish. He had arranged for the Knights there to purchase 100 Rosaries to have on hand for funeral vigils. The other man told e. Chuck that he had resisted joining the Knights of Columbus for many years. Then he finally became a Knight which, to his surprise, helped him mature in his faith in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, his wife went over to talk with e. Lucy. The woman wanted a Rosary for her 86-year-old mother. She also told the story of how, when she and her husband were in Rome, they’d ended up getting invited into the Vatican by a bishop who acted as if he recognized them. The bishop then blessed the Rosary they purchased there. Thank God for the witness of faithful Catholics.

Another couple stopped, twice. The 60-something man said he knew about the Rosary because he had been raised Catholic. But, he had quit the Church as a teenager because he thought it overemphasized the dangers of sin. He now acknowledges the dangers are real, but still feels justified in leaving. E. Chuck encouraged him to return to the Church, the fullness of the Faith, and to the Eucharist. But the man interrupted with, “I mean no disrespect, but...” This became the pattern of the conversation, the man picking Bible verses that supposedly contradict the Catholic Church, and then interrupting the evangelist’s reply with a new objection. Finally, on the question of the sacrament of Confession, the evangelist insisted he consider Jesus’s words in John 20:22-23, when Christ gave the power to forgive sins into the hands of the Apostles. The man shrugged it off, and said, “I guess I’ll have to ask God about that when I get to heaven.”

The second time they stopped, the man asked what we need to do to be saved. He then refused to believe there is actual Biblical instruction from the mouth of Jesus Himself. The evangelist summarized the teachings, namely, that one must believe, be baptized, and receive the Eucharist in order to have eternal life. The couple then left for the graduation hall, where their son was getting a law degree. Please pray for this man, and for all fallen-away Catholics, that their eyes and ears be opened to the Truth before it’s too late.

A non-Catholic Christian woman stopped, also on her way to the graduation ceremony. She was glad to see fellow Christians out in public. At first, she wasn’t interested in the Rosary. So, e. Lucy explained the devotion, and how the Rosary itself is a tool to help you time your meditations on the life of Christ. She ended up taking one.

Two homeless women stopped. One woman said she had hung her Rosary in a certain place in her apartment, and bad stuff then stopped happening. The evangelist tried to clarify that it was God Who is protecting her, which she acknowledged, though perhaps in only a semantic way. Still, the evangelist thought it important to help the woman not see the Rosary as mere superstition, that is, as a way to manipulate God. Also, if God honors the mere presence of a Rosary by providing protection, how much more would the woman be blessed if she actually prayed with it? Please pray for both of these women?

“The traveler” (Douglas?) stopped to chat with e. Chuck a bit.

“The merchant” stopped and offered e. Chuck a banana.

A 20-something thin man, with a high-pitched voice, paused to say he was going to call his grandmother to see what color Rosary she wanted, and that he would be right back. He returned a few minutes later, saying that his grandmother “hadn’t picked up”. He told us that he’d been Catholic when very young, until his immediate family had joined a pseudo-Christian cult. But now he was ready “to return to [his] roots again”. After he chose a Rosary for his grandmother, we also set him up with a Rosary of his own and encouraged him to pray it with his grandmother. May God draw him all the home to the Catholic Faith.

“Pam”, a friend from e. Chuck’s former church (before he became Catholic), stopped to chat. After catching up for a while and she was preparing to move on, e. Chuck offered her a Rosary. She declined, saying, “I prefer to speak directly to God, I don’t need all those saints or Mary getting in the way.” To this, the evangelist replied, “Really? I love it when friends pray for me.” All you Saints of heaven, pray for us!

Three teenagers on skateboards came to the table. One boy asked e. Chuck what the difference was “between Christians and Catholics”. The evangelist let him know they were the same thing and outlined briefly the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ Jesus that is the cornerstone of our belief. Our visitor then asked if members of a certain pseudo-Christian sect were Christian. The evangelist said he didn’t know the states of individual souls, but that the organization itself did not teach Christianity. This seemed to satisfy the young man’s curiosity, and he and his friends went on their way (after each choosing a Rosary). Pray for young people that they may diligently seek out the truth.

Please also pray for “Adam”, a 20-something man who had been an addict for 12 years but is now three years sober. He had recently become a Christian, and his aunt gives him a ride to church every week. Pray for his growing faith, for an increase in strength, and for perseverance in his battle against addiction.

Altogether, we gave away 20-25 Rosaries and its pamphlet, as well as 2 “Our Lady Undoer of Knots” prayer cards, 2 Divine Mercy prayer cards, and 2 St Michael relic cards.

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.

We stand as witness that Truth Himself will be the victor. 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).