Boise

Country: United States
State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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The Work Continues - 2025-01-12

January 19, 2025

Even as seasons and decorations change, we offer witness to the Faith. So, thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.

As a large group of non-Catholic Christians carrying pamphlets (evidently to hand out to people) came close to us, a woman broke from the group and strode to the table demanding to know why we “prayed to dead people”. We began to point out what the Bible and the Catholic Church has to say, including “[God] is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive“ (Luke 20:38). But, her manner abrupt and angry, she interrupted to glibly explain away that and other Bible passages we were sharing. She continued to make false claims about what the Church teaches and what Catholics believe in their hearts. We came to learn she had been raised Catholic and had left the Church when she “found Jesus.” When we expressed sorrow at what she was missing out on in the Church, she indignantly insisted that she was the one who was sorry for us. Then she sarcastically asked what she could possibly be missing out on? We began to talk about the Sacraments, but she interrupted to say, “I have Jesus, that’s all I need.” And she returned to her group. Please pour out your prayers for this woman, that her angry and outraged heart would be softened, that her mind would be open to truth, and that her expressed love for Jesus would lead to true conversion.

Last week, as a man was lifting a red chain Rosary off the table, we suddenly noticed that it was defective. (The group of Our Father and 3 Hail Mary beads at the beginning had been attached backwards so that the two Our Father beads ended up together.) We repaired it, and then lay it out on the table as one of our first Rosaries this week. Three teenage boys came to the table, and one of them, who said he’d gotten a Rosary from us before, chose it. A bit later in their visit, one of the other boys asked if we had another like it. We said no, since we didn’t have another defective-and-then-repaired-red-chain- Rosary that we knew of. All three boys chose a Rosary for himself and accepted the pamphlet on how to pray it.

A couple stopped to greet us, though they declined receiving a Rosary. Their names were “Kate(?)” and “Olivier”. May God grant them the gift of Faith!

“The merchant” just waved as he went by. May God grant him knowledge of his need for Our Savior and the willingness to pray.

“Marty” stopped briefly. His hand was out of the brace, since he said it hurt less without it. He mentioned he would wait on “The Big Guy” to heal it, pointing upwards. We offered to pray for him for healing, but he declined and went away.

A Catholic man went by. He said he had “plenty of Rosaries” and thanked us for being out there. May God bless him and grant him perseverance in Faith!

A man wearing “tactical pants” veered off his course to come get a Rosary. He wasn’t Catholic, but listened politely to our explanation of the devotion. Then he chose a Rosary for himself and accepted the pamphlet on how to pray it. May God grant him the desire to pray that Rosary and keep him safe!

A tall teenager in a black trench coat, wearing a black trapper hat with the ear flaps down, paused to pull a single ear bud out so he could hear us. He didn’t know what a Rosary was and was evasive about what he believed. The idea of praying seemed off-putting to him, so the evangelist offered that having a Crucifix with you was a good reminder that God was willing to die for us to save us. This seemed to resonate with him and he picked out a Rosary. But he declined the prayer pamphlet as he honestly admitted he would never use it. Pray that the sight of that little Crucifix will be the tiny seed that takes root in his life and grows into a relationship with the God Who loves us.

A teenager sped by on an electric scooter with a younger boy on another scooter trying to keep up with him. The second boy skidded to a stop wanting a cross necklace. His t-shirt depicted hands holding a cross and a dollar sign. Though he was in a hurry to catch up with his friend, he politely listened to our exhortation to pray the Rosary. Then he rushed off. As he and his friend zoomed by later, the boy was wearing the Rosary and gave us the thumbs up. We thank God for his willingness to publicly display his faith in Christ and pray that he will mature with perseverance and a humble poverty of spirit that leads to life everlasting.

A family of four were our last visitors. The mom was the first to want a Rosary. And she accepted a copy of the Rosary pamphlet in Spanish. Then all the other members of the family each chose a Rosary. May the Lord bless them as a family!

The skating rink that took up the center of the business park has been dismantled, although an opaque 6-foot-high fence still surrounds the decorated Christmas tree in the middle. The weather was chilly out and dark clouds moved in to block the sun just before the session was over. Unsurprisingly, foot traffic was very light. Still, we gave away 12-15 Rosaries and its pamphlet on how to pray it.

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 the effort.

We maintain hope that people will be ready to hear the Good News about Jesus Christ. 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!

“They are happy, whose strength is in you, in whose hearts are the roads to Zion” (Ps 84:6).