April 7, 2014

When a Priest Asked an 8-Year-Old Girl for Proof

Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey SS, CC used to often tell the following story. One day, an 8-year-old girl came up to him and said that Jesus spoke to her every time she received Holy Communion. Doubting this was really true, he asked that she seek proof for him. There was a certain man, a Catholic who had fallen away and even become an enemy of the Church. He asked that this man should reverse his ways and come to him for confession.

About a week later, Fr. Mateo was hearing confessions. The young girl told him that this man was coming to the church. As the priest was leaving the confessional, the man walked into the church, came over to Fr. Mateo and asked him to hear his confession. He said that it was his first one since the time he had been baptized. He did not understand it but something had come over him that morning and he suddenly understood the necessity of going to confession. Having so quickly been provided the very proof he asked, Father Mateo no longer doubted the young girl.

The girl also told Fr. Mateo other things. She said the Lord told her He would give this man graces to repent and mend his ways. He said that He would do the same for many other souls. He said, “Always ask Me for souls and I will give them to you, and tell Father Mateo to ask Me for souls. I will give them to him, too, but first you must become My missionary.”

She thought she was too young to be a missionary. Our Lord assured her that she would become His missionary but that she would have to do certain things for Him. “I want you,” said Jesus, “to earn three golden coins a day.” Our Lord then explained what He meant by golden coins:

1. prayers to Him for souls,
2. little sacrifices, especially acts of obedience, and
3. a promise: “never to miss Mass or Holy Communion through your own fault and to visit Me often in the Blessed Sacrament.”

Fr. Mateo used to tell this story in encouraging his listeners to try and earn the same golden coins.

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