A story for every day...
The last wish of a pious mother.
A holy missionary told the following story.
An elderly sinner, whose life had been very scandalous, asked me to come and visit him. I went to his invitation, and I saw an old man who threw himself around my neck, saying, “Here, sir, is a dreadful sinner; save me!” I reassured him: then I asked him, in the name of the glory of God, to let me know what had decided his conversion. “I am absolutely ignorant of it, Father. – Did you follow our instructions? – I never did. – Did your friends encourage you? – I have none, and I would have chosen them such as they would rather have dissuaded me from returning to God. – Perhaps you went to public prayers? – Never.” At this moment, my eyes stopped on a painting of the Blessed Virgin. “What? I said to him, such a picture in your house? – Yes, Sir, the old man continued, I have respected only that, and every day I recite a Hail Mary before that picture, to obey my mother’s last wish. – Ah, rejoice, Sir, I cried, it is to Mary and to this small tribute of respect that you owe your conversion and heaven.”
After this line, no one should despair of his salvation, if he sincerely recommends himself to Mary. However, he who would authorize himself of Her power and goodness to persevere in his errors would be in Christian society a wicked, impious and foolish person.
