A Mother's Story of Hope

Dear Friends,
Her is an intriguing story of hope from a desperate mother learning to trust.

"It was a time when I was praying for my children. My faith was strong but I didn't know how to trust. That morning, things weren't going well at home with my husband and my children. After Mass, I sat in front of the statue of Our Lady and I cried. I asked Jesus if He was hearing my prayers, and why weren't things changing? I was crying and I was very exasperated. I said, 'Jesus, I don't think you're listening to me, so I'm going to your Mother.'"

"I prayed, 'Oh dear Mother, you're my Mother and you're always taking care of me.' That's when I asked her to be my mom because I was raised an orphan. I was telling Her all my woes and everything (as if She didn't already know!). I prayed the Rosary and the Divine Mercy. I had my head down with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I was so desperate because I was worried for my family's souls. I raised my head up, tears rolling down my face, and I had this urge to look over to the left side. I saw this man bow to the tabernacle. Where did he come from? The priest had already locked the church doors and I had been alone for quite some time. The man came over to me and said, 'Peace be with you.'"

"I looked at him in surprise and I thought, 'People don't talk like that. Who is this?' I started to tell him about my family and how things are going to pot, and I pray and pray and pray and nothing seems to change."

"He said to me, 'Don't worry, my mother prayed for me for many, many years.'"

"I myself think it was St. Augustine. He put his hand on my shoulder and he said, 'Don't worry.' Then he repeated, 'Peace be with you' and he walked away."

"I felt this grace come over me and it undated my soul. It was so powerful. I was in such awe."

"I put my head back down and I thought, 'Who was that? That was really neat.' I turned to look and he was gone. It's a long aisle! He couldn't have possibly reached the exit in that short period of time. How did he disappear so quickly? He wasn't anywhere around. I thought, 'Oh my goodness!'"

"I presumed he must have been a heavenly being. It was when I finished praying to our Lady that he came to me. She must have sent him to me."

"I don't remember what he was wearing, but he had a book in his hand. He had brown hair and it was kind of curly. The book wasn't a missal; it was larger and thinner and more squarish (in shape)."

"It was so wonderful. I was lifted up with this grace, this beautiful grace that just enveloped me. I felt trust after that. I felt that Jesus really cared. I said to myself, 'WOW. THANK YOU, JESUS! THANK YOU, MOTHER!'"

"It was shocking but I thought, 'What in the world is going on here?'"

"I'm totally convinced that I"m on this earth to help save my family's souls through prayer. The more I think about it and the longer I live, I meet so many mothers, and I think that the Lord has chosen them to do precisely that because of the situations in their families. That's their mission on earth -- to pray for their families. The Lord doesn't need help but He desires us to to help Him. I'm more convinced every day that mothers who are close to Jesus are helping Him to save their families' souls. Our Lady says, 'If you pray and give them to me, I will take care of their souls and see that they get to heaven.' What She says, She means. It's true. It keeps us from worrying so much, and She doesn't want us to worry. It's a lesson in Divine Mercy and trust."

"I heard this story about Padre Pio: This woman came to him in Confession and Padre Pio wouldn't give her absolution. He said, 'Go home and think about it.' She returned and confessed her sins again. Padre Pio got angry and said, 'YOU, the mother of these children! I was shown that your children are in hell because of the way you raised them!' She didn't correct her children or guide them in the right way."

"I always pray for people in danger of losing their souls. Our Lady said souls are falling into hell because there is no one to pray and do penance for them."