Fully Felt the Presence of Jesus

October 7, 2017 – Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

On this memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, I recall the most powerful experience I ever had while praying the rosary. My father-in-law, Joe, passed away eight years ago. He was a good man and is still missed by all. The following was written a few days prior to his death:

I took Tuesday afternoon off to go sit with Joe. Not only to spend time with him, but to give my wife and her mom and her sisters a chance to step away from it for a time.

Joe’s body was shutting down and was reacting with twitching and agitated involuntary movements. When it was just he and I in the room, I took out my rosary and began to pray. I prayed in a whisper, but audibly. Joe became visibly calmer. As I increased the volume of my prayer, he became calmer still. Finally, I moved my chair closer to Joe, leaned forward and simply prayed the rosary aloud. His body movements all but stopped, his breathing slowed and there was a sense of peace. I felt peaceful as well. For those fifteen minutes of prayer, Joe and I were at peace and fully felt the presence of Jesus.

Being part of such an intimate experience was powerful. The message was powerful as well…love of family, the power of prayer, the presence of Jesus in our lives and the gift of perspective — high school dances, what’s for lunch, and the AC in my car not working don’t seem very important.