A story for every day...

The confidence of Mr. Léon Dupont in Saint Joseph was one day rewarded in a charming way. Here is the story in its naivety.

Mr. Dupont was in the habit, on certain feasts, at Carnival, for example, and on the first of the year, of giving a small solemn supper to these good old men of the Little Sisters of the Poor. One of these occasions, always impatiently awaited by the elderly, was approaching. This time, Mr. Dupont was obliged to tell them that he had absolutely no resources to buy the extraordinary provisions that he offered them in such a case. He urged them to turn to Saint Joseph and to make a novena to the good patron of the Little Sisters of the Poor in order to obtain chickens and turkeys to serve at the usual feast: “Let’s rather ask for a wild boar,” several voices suddenly exclaimed. Why a boar? This request seemed strange to Mr. Dupont. As the good old men wanted it, he agreed. And every day they made the agreed novena for this intention. Mr. Dupont, while making it, prayed with his usual fervor and confidence; but he could not help laughing and joking about the strange idea that the old men had of asking Saint Joseph for a boar. Now, on the penultimate day of the novena, the day before the feast, a railway commissioner suddenly entered Mr. Dupont’s house and warned him to open the big doors of his house, because a carriage was there bringing him a boar; and at the same time he handed him a letter. It was one of his friends from the country who wrote to him: “I, who am only a mediocre hunter, do not know by what good fortune I have killed a boar in my woods. As I am alone in the country, not being able to eat this boar alone, I thought that it could be useful for your poor; I send it to you.” Good reception was given to him, one would think. And the old men of the Little Sisters congratulated themselves on their thought and blessed a thousand and one times the good Saint Joseph, who had listened to their prayers and satisfied their desires.

This very touching line is well suited to give us a most consoling idea of the condescension of our Father who is in heaven. It is understandable that the Lord should intervene to manifest His omnipotence in the resurrection of a dead man, and His infinite mercy in the conversion, a thousand times more marvelous, of a hardened sinner. But that the Most High should lend Himself in some way to the whim of the poor old men who do not want to be satisfied with chickens and turkeys to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph, but who declare that they prefer a wild boar!… as if they could be found in the first barnyard that comes along! here, we confess, is something that goes beyond all our thoughts.