Illinois

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The following stories come to us from school student Steven in Illinois:

Early this morning, I completed Course 4 on Evangelization Techniques. Following the instructions, I prayed and asked God to give me a divine appointment. I had a chiropractor appointment at 7:30 AM, about two blocks from my house. Before leaving, I loaded my mobility scooter with some Crucifixes, Miraculous Medals, and several Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth booklets. As I rode the elevator down, there were two maintenance workers inside. They were friendly, and one of them called me “brother,” probably noticing my Sacred Heart t-shirt, Crucifix, and Miraculous Medal. I asked a few questions about the elevator work they’re doing. One told me to “have a blessed day.” I replied, “Amen to that,” and said goodbye. About three minutes later, a light bulb went on in my head. I may have missed a divine appointment. I quickly prayed and promised the Lord I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

A minute later, I turned onto Main St. and saw a man sitting on a bench. I was about to pass him by because my destination was directly ahead of me. Thank God the Holy Spirit penetrated the fog of my 71-year-old brain, which has been through the wringer over the years. I said, “Hi, how are you doing?” He said he was doing well. I asked his name. “I’m James,” he said. “I’m Steven,” I replied. “I’m on my way to the chiropractor, but have a few minutes. Would you care to chat?” He agreed. I asked if he was doing okay, and he said he was. Since it wasn’t yet 7:30 AM, I wondered if he might be homeless. I told him I lived in the housing apartment nearby and pointed to our building. He asked how I liked living there. I told him I liked it a lot. Then he asked if there were any bugs in the building. I told him yes. In fact, we’d recently dealt with a slight bedbug infestation. I explained that it hadn’t become severe because our apartment has been sprayed every three months for more than five years. He seemed a little skeptical and said, “I think I’ll stay where I’m at. I have a pretty nice apartment.”

I was relieved to hear he had a place to live (and jealous that he doesn’t have bugs.) We were only a block away from Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where I attend Mass. I asked how far away he lived, and he told me he lived nearby. I shared that I’d recently become Catholic and really loved it. He asked, “Do you have to be Catholic to attend?” I said no, anyone is welcome to attend Mass, but that a person needs to be Catholic before receiving the Eucharist. I showed him the Crucifixes, Miraculous Medals, and the Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth booklets I had with me. He accepted one of the booklets and a Miraculous Medal. I completely dropped the ball, though, and forgot to ask if he needed prayer. We chatted a little longer, and then I headed to my appointment and received my treatment. My chiropractor is Catholic, and yesterday he and his family had given me a card and a Rosary. I told him how grateful I was.

After my appointment, I returned home and saw a young woman I recognized as a neighbor. As usual, I initially walked past her and headed inside. Once again, though, the Holy Spirit nudged me, so I went back to talk with her. The conversation turned out to be very similar to the one I had with James. I found out she’d been raised Catholic. She told me she had been thinking about returning to church. I encouraged her and offered some sacramentals. She accepted a Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth booklet. This time, I remembered to ask if she’d like prayer, but she politely declined. The elevator maintenance workers were still busy working when I got back, but I’m planning to go check on them again as soon as I post this. My mind is slowly turning back toward evangelization, and I’m grateful for the support and training from SPSE.

Praised be Jesus Christ!