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A Day in the Life of a Soldier of Jesus The following is a letter from David R., MJ, from the men’s community in Madrid, Spain to family and friends that gives a clear testimony of some of the challenges we face when doing God’s work. Blessed be the Name of Jesus! This past month we inaugurated our Holy Hour for families in the church of the Blessed Sacrament, in Barcelona. During the Holy Hour there was a big festival with over a thousand people present, in Paseo de Gracia. The interesting thing is that ever since we started going to Barcelona to set up this Holy Hour things have happened that tried to discourage us. For example, when we were there last month for the first meeting with the director of Nocturnal Adoration to plan dates and a the time for this Holy Hour, there was a demonstration, or rather, protest of anarchists against work – and this was the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. The funny thing is that these are the same ones against unemployment. Now this demonstration just happened to pass in front of the Church where we had to meet and followed the same path we had to walk to get to our car. So there we were, young men in suits and ties, walking behind other young men in jeans and rags, who were spray painting and defacing everything in their way with no respect, blasting heavy metal music, while 7 or 8 police squad vans followed them, “just in case there may be a riot, or any crimes committed.” Well, i don’t know what the police of Barcelona consider a crime, but i found out later that those same young people entered the Church where we were, a little after we left, and spray painted blasphemies on the walls: [“Dios no existe, lo siento!]” – God doesn’t exist, sorry! The good thing was that these disturbed youths didn’t go in to the chapel, where coincidentally there were people in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Two weeks later, there we were again in the same church inaugurating the Holy Hour after Mass when, lo and behold, there was loud music outside in the streets from the Festival. I was in charge of waiting in the vestibule to guard the tables of books and sales and also make sure no one entered the Church again to spray paint. Meanwhile, the other Miles Jesu men led the Holy Hour. Some of the people came out of the chapel disgusted with the noise that was coming from outside. So i closed the interior doors to the chapel but left the outer doors open to keep an invitation to people to come in and pray. And some actually did, but very few. I decided then to take advantage of the time and go in front of the church to pass out pro-life literature. Wow, was i surprised at the ocean of people i saw! Thousands in a big party in the street! How many people flock to such worldly things! Oh, that it would be that way for Jesus! But narrow is the road to Heaven... May God have mercy on us all. The whole thing gave me a clear contrast of what i had left to follow Jesus and what i was living now for Jesus. It made the crowd in the chapel seem like nothing. But when the Holy Hour was over i counted some 30 people, and they were very happy and asked when we would come back for the next Holy Hour so they could invite others. There was a happiness on their faces that i didn’t see on the faces of all those people that i passed out pamphlets to. One young lady in the church said, “We need you here.” Well, the One Who is really needed here and everywhere is Jesus. We only do what we can and offer our little work to Him so that He can reap the harvest when He wishes. The temptation is to think that the little we do is nothing. This can lead us to give up, and then end up actually doing nothing but complaining. But God can work miracles and do many great things in our smallness, if we just trust in Him and give Him a chance. Your monthly donations are an example of that. They may seem small to you, but God can do great things with them. Thank you for helping us every month. May God bless you always. Be assured of our prayers for you. To learn more about the Holy Hours for families and our work in Spain please contact: |