In Valpariso, Chile, at the beginning of the 20th century, Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey SS, CC., well known as the great Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a young priest. Fr. Mateo told this story wherever he preached and he found that where people were prepared to earn "three golden coins" with love, many graces were obtained and many conversions followed.
He relates that one day an 8 year old girl told him
that Jesus spoke to her every time she received Holy Communion. Father was
somewhat skeptical and requested her to ask Jesus to give him proof. The proof
Father requested was the sudden conversion of a certain man who was a big
sinner, a fallen away Catholic, and enemy of the Church ... and also that this
man should come to him for Confession.
About a week later when Fr. Mateo was hearing
confessions, the young girl told him that this sinner
was coming up to the church. As the priest was leaving the
confessional, the fallen away Catholic came into the church and walked over to
Fr. Mateo and asked him to help him with his confession. He said that it was the
first one since he was baptized. He did not know what came over him that morning
but he suddenly understood the necessity of going to confession. Father realized
that he had received the proof he requested.
The young girl told the priest that Our Lord revealed
to her that He would give the graces to repent and mend his ways to this fallen
away Catholic, and also to many other souls. He said, "Always ask Me for souls
and I will give them to you, and tell Father Mateo to ask Me for souls. I will
give them to him, too, but first you must become My missionary."
She thought she was too young to be a missionary. Our
Lord assured her that He would make her His missionary and that she would have
to pay a certain price for souls. "I want you," said Jesus, "to earn three
golden coins a day." Our Lord then explained what He meant by golden coins.
1) The first golden coin was her prayers to Him for
souls.
2) The second golden coin was her little sacrifices,
especially acts of obedience.
3) The third golden coin was a promise: "never to
miss Mass or Holy Communion through your own fault and to visit Me often in the
Blessed Sacrament."
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