A story for every day...

In the kingdom of Aragon, there lived a young girl named Alexandra. She had often attended the preaching of St. Dominic, and eventually joined the Confraternity of the Rosary. Ardent and passionate, she too often forgot to say her rosary as she should. When two young men fought a duel and killed each other in the process, their families threw themselves on Alexandra and immolated her to their fury; they then threw her body into a well. However, the Queen of the Rosary did not forget Alexandra’s few acts of devotion to her. She inspired St. Dominic to go and resurrect her. When he came to the well, the Saint called out to her: “Alexandra, come out.” O prodigy! the dead woman came to life, and came out full of life, at the sight of a huge people present at this miracle. The resurrected woman threw herself at the feet of the Saint, and told him that at the moment of expiring, she had obtained the gift of contrition, thanks to the merits of the Confraternity of the Rosary; that the demons wanted to take her soul to hell, but that Mary had come to deliver her; that she was condemned to two hundred years of purgatory for the death of the two young men, and to another five hundred years for having been, through her fault, an occasion of sin to many people; but that she hoped that the confreres of the Rosary would shorten her sentence by their entreaties to Mary.

Her hope was not deceived. She died again, and after a fortnight she appeared radiant to St. Dominic. She told him to thank the confreres, who had been so many benefactors to her, and who by their suffrages had hastened her deliverance. She added that she had come as an ambassador for the souls in purgatory, to beseech the Saint to preach and extend the devotion of the Rosary, which gave them admirable relief every day. “May the confreres,” she said, “apply to these poor souls the indulgences and spiritual favors of which they possess such an abundant treasure! They will lose nothing, for the elect, in their turn, will intercede for them in heaven. The Angels rejoice in this devotion, and their Queen has declared Herself the tender Mother of all who embrace Her.” Thus spoke this soul, about to enter into glory. St. Dominic himself recounted this revelation.

Let us therefore resolve to recite the Rosary often in favor of the souls in Purgatory. These souls are thirsty: the rosary opens up a source of living water for them.