Praying Can Be Simple!

A Personal "Jesus" Story:

    In the middle of breakfast one day I received an urgent call from a nearby Hospital to assist a dying parishioner of mine.

    Within minutes I was at the bedside of the sick man, clasped his could, clammy hands and stooped to his ear to introduce myself: "Joe, this is Fr Bosio, your pastor. I came to pray for and with you".
    With great difficulty he opened his eyes in recognition and managed a "Hello, Father".
    I moved quickly for fear of losing him and talked into his ear again: "Pray with me, Joe". I knew I could not suggest the 'Our Father' nor the 'Hail Mary' or the Rosary. The time for all that had long passed. Nor the 'Act of Contrition'. In short order I had to come up with a prayer, brief, powerful, worthy of Joe's last hour. I prompted: "Jesus, I love You!". Joe eagerly picked up on it gasping at every word: "JESUS... I... LOVE... YOU!" . At the word Y-O-U  he closed his lips forever... Joe had saved his very last breath to utter a beautiful act of love.

    Angelina, his lovely wife, who had taken in the whole scene from the foot of his bed, seeing that Joe was gone, dropped to her knees, thrust her arms upward as if to hold her husband back long enough for him to hear he response. It was not long in coming - loud and clear: "JESUS, I, TOO, LOVE YOU!". The moment was charged with emotion as I raised my hand in blessing and absolution.

    I must told this story hundreds of times across four Continents, always with wonderful results. It has served me as an excellent means of Evangelization and a powerful summary of the faith.

    Following a homily on this topic one December, a bearded young man, who had head me, came dashing across the Church yard to hug and thank me for introducing him to "JESUS, I LOVE YOU!" Repeating it many times, he also gave me a beautiful insight: "Your narrative, Father, was so interesting, that I felt that every word of yours was anointed by the Holy Spirit.

    Thank you, Jesus, I needed to hear that. Just be sure that the same applies to this written account and every repetition thereafter.

    I left the hospital that morning with a fervent prayer that the Lord would grant me the grace of dying like Joe. And so I daily   practice saying and teaching to others what should not be regarded as MY PRAYER but "MARY'S PRAYER!!". After all, what else could such a MOTHER repeat millions of times to such a SON? And if She never tired of saying it, could I? Should you?.

Rev. August P. Bosio, SDB
Don Bosco's Marian Shrine
West Haverstraw, N.Y. 10993
(914) 947-2200

If you hunger and thirst for the personal love of Jesus, do read "HE AND I", a book truly anointed by the Holy Spirit. Call. Write.

Distribute this message by the handful, in homes, churches, schools, clubs, jails, hospitals: among the elderly. religious, prayer groups; on trains, buses, planes etc. The world needs JESUS' LOVE.