Pray Pray Pray the Rosary! This is the meaning behind the spiritual "happening" which came to be significant to me after I returned home from a trip to Paris. It was a lovely trip...sightseeing..visiting museums..fantastic meals..my family and I were the usual ecstatic travelers..taking it all in and loving every expensive second of it. My story today, however, is all about the R O S A R Y.
Please let me lead up to the reason for this beautiful rosary inspiration. I had been working at a local garden shop...Selling perennials, yard pieces, gifts, etc...I worked with a younger woman, in her late twenties. One pre-Christmas season, at a quiet lull in the retail day, I noticed that she seemed quite preoccupied and down. Usually she had a strong, assertive, capable personality--and she was an outdoor/garden designer on her own time. We were not close, yet we worked together just fine. It was a bit intimidating for me to even approach her, since we didn't know each other that well. Yet I got up enough nerve to inquire if everything was alright. This is when Evelyn looked at me sadly and then told me why she felt so bad. About a year ago her brother had taken his life right around the same date. So I went up to Evelyn and gave her a big hug. I told her that I would pray for her brother on the rosary. Evelyn looked so happy to hear that. She expressed her gratitude and mentioned that her mother prays the rosary too.
Evelyn's brother is one of the many names of all the souls I pray for on the rosary. One of the saints said that when we pray for a soul in Purgatory by name, that soul will see our face praying for him. The main cause for the prayers for Souls in Purgatory is because there are many there who have no one to pray for them. Rosary Prayers lessens the time souls have to spend there. Many souls are released to the Glory of Heaven during the miraculous prayers to Mary Our Mother, the matriax of all graces. Prayers are acts of mercy.
Time passed on and the trip to Paris came into being. While at the Notre Dame Cathederal, in the gift shop, I was tempted to purchase a pair of Rosary Beads.
But I said to myself, ' I have a lot of beads already..I should
not get something for myself...' I did not get any beads.Upon the return home, one of the first routines is to check the mail pile. My husband handed me a yellow hand-addressed manilla envelope. I noticed it was a little bulky and then I checked the return address to see that Evelyn had sent something to me.
I opened the mail to find black crystal rosary beads.
Evelyn wrote a small note worded something like this: Sherry, I thought of you when I was in Paris and thought you might like these Rosaries which I found at the Notre Dame Cathederal...A Year Ago!
There, on the day I got home from Paris, I received Rosary Beads from Notre Dame which had been purchased an entire year ago just for me by the girl who knew I was praying for her brother.
This was a very special sign from Jesus and Mary that I should keep praying the Rosary---as well as confirmation that Evelyn's brother had gone to heaven as a result of the POWER of PRAYING FOR SOULS ON The ROSARY!!! I received the beads as a heavenly sign and as a TOOL to use to KEEP PRAYING!
I am not saying that only my prayers are the reason her brother went to heaven. I know God uses many graces to put toward souls coming to heaven--my act of mercy would be one of those graces He needed.
I hope this true story will inspire YOU to reach out and be a part of bringing about the Kingdom of Heaven and working with the graces that God gives you to use for helping others.
Jesus Christ, and ask that for every drop of blood that our Lord shed in his Passion, you will let fall these many drops on All the Souls in Purgatory,(name the souls you want to pray for) and especially those who have no one to pray for them..and then send your angels to bring them to be with you in your glory. Amen"
