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In the year 1821, a pious young woman in the city of Lyons* was moved
with compassion on hearing of the sufferings and destitution of the French
missionaries in heathen lands. One evening, while her companions were playing
cards, she was thinking about a subject she had in her heart. She asked her
friends for the money that was won at the game to give to the missionaries.
Sitting quietly by the fire, she jotted down in pencil on a card the simple but
fruitful plan of the Propagation of the Faith. Little by little, she induced the
needle women and servants of the town to join in her work. The first year she
collected 1500 francs. The subscriptions rose to nearly 5 million francs in
50 years. Brought in by so many hands, the weekly penny became like a
mustard seed, each day it grew and multiplied. On every side, men and women,
rich and poor, great and small joined the association. If God had said 50 years ago to that young girl, as He did to Abraham,
“Look at the heavens and count the stars if thou canst; the souls that will
be saved by thy work will exceed them in number,” would not her faith have
been put to the test? Yet, if she lived today, she would not be able to count
the millions of souls saved by the two great works that God inspired her to
found: The Propagation of the Faith and the Living Rosary. Oh, how the
Heart of Jesus must rejoice at the abundant harvest! How rich a reward must He
not reserve for the foundress and associates of these fruitful organizations!
Let us love and spread these devotional Catholic works and we shall save
those souls for whom Jesus has shed His Blood!
( * This woman was Ven. Pauline Jaricot)
(Taken from Moments Divine - 1922)