My Life with St. Joan and St. Thérèse - Chapter 3 (Third Edition)
How my initial devotion to Mary led to total consecration after the Feast Day of St. Thérèse.
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With a big smile, Josey approached me and gave me what seemed to be a piece of jewelry—a necklace, perhaps. There was a silver chain adorned with black beads and a crucifix. Based on our location, I had a feeling it wasn’t jewelry.
We found ourselves in the “old” St. Peter’s Church, hidden on a side street. Despite the nearly completed move to the new church, the old St. Peter’s continued to host services and special events. Our RCIA class schedule was in full swing, meeting every Monday night at the parish hall in the new church on Quinn Street. Despite the profound spiritual encounters I had during my conversion on St. Thérèse’s Feast Day in October, I had not officially committed to joining the Catholic Church. Although my heart and mind went through a conversion, my will struggled to catch up. Despite that, I found attending these church events with my future spouse enjoyable and started feeling more at ease.
I can’t remember the exact activity that took us there that afternoon, but I recall the many gift items displayed on folding tables at the back of the sanctuary. They were selling Catholic books, pictures, and “jewelry” that resembled what Josey gave me.
“Lovely. What is it?” I inquired, my expression pleasantly perplexed.
“It’s a rosary. You need one of these,” she replied.
A what?
She clarified the meaning of the rosary for me. Although I didn’t fully grasp it at first, I realized it aided us in reciting the captivating Hail Mary prayer I learned in the RCIA class a few months ago. I understood it was a devotion to Mary and to Our Lord. The act of praying the rosary involved reciting the Hail Mary, the Our Father, and a few other short prayers repeatedly.
It was something I truly loved. I started praying it every day, sometimes even multiple times. I formed a spiritual bond with Mary, and using these beads seemed like the ideal method to deepen that connection. Since Josey gave me my first rosary, it has become my most treasured practice after Mass, the Sacraments, and Eucharistic Adoration.
One December afternoon after lunch, I sat on my couch at home, praying the rosary. I frequently drove the short distance from work at the family business to have lunch at our house. With only around six thousand residents, commuting was not a concern in Guymon, a small town.
While I was saying the rosary that afternoon, it struck me. I decided to join the Catholic Church. I formally decided and publicly declared my intentions, resulting in the church scheduling my entry for Easter in 1985.
That Easter, I joined the Church. On the upcoming Saturday, Josey and I exchanged our vows. The next day, we left for Hawaii. The man who got on the plane to paradise with his new wife was not the same man as the week prior. I wasn’t just married; I was Catholic.
The months that followed were full of activity and anticipation. Work mostly took my time up, but we were also purchasing a new home. Similar to the new church of St. Peter’s and the new rectory, our house would also be completely new. Juggling financing and choosing colors, cabinets, and carpets had us filled with excitement. It was all a blur. We moved into our new home in the middle of summer in 1985. Within a year of proposing to Josey and her accepting with a “Yes, however...” response, I was married, Catholic, and a homeowner. Events were progressing rapidly.
On a sunny and sultry Sunday afternoon that summer, while Josey and I were relaxing at our new home, the doorbell suddenly rang. It was Josey’s cousin Delilah. Josey’s many cousins, aunts, and uncles in Guymon were the reason she initially came to town and later returned from El Paso to visit the previous summer. Delilah was just a year or two older than us.
Delilah entered our living room with a wide grin and gave me two books: “The Glories of Mary” by St. Alphonsus de Liguori and “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort. Delilah had realized I developed a powerful love for the Virgin Mary. She stayed briefly, assuming I would be interested in those books. That assumption proved to be remarkably accurate and prophetic! She departed, following a brief exchange of pleasantries.
I quickly immersed myself in those books. “The Glories of Mary” was the first book I read. St. Alphonsus’ praises for Mary ignited a fire of devotion in my heart.
Once I completed that book, I immediately immersed myself in de Montfort’s “True Devotion to Mary.” As with my experience on the Feast Day of St. Thérèse the previous October, I did not know what was about to happen to me. The writings you read here reflect the lifelong journey I was about to begin. “True Devotion to Mary” became the foundation of my spiritual journey. According to de Montfort, this is the safest and easiest way to Jesus Christ, the true foundation of the church. To dedicate oneself to Mary is to establish an intimate and sublime connection with Jesus. I was on the verge of uncovering one of the most valuable treasures in church history.
De Montfort’s book thoroughly captivated me, and his thesis met my immediate approval. Upon thoughtful consideration of his words, I realized I must take action. I needed to fully dedicate myself to the Mother of God in a total and perfect consecration. The love I felt for Mary over the past year was only the beginning. Mary sought a significantly more meaningful relationship. She requested my complete surrender to her in order to experience the ultimate salvation of Jesus Christ.
The Mother of God was seeking my life. I gave it to her.
I was unaware that Mary was planning next to introduce me formally to my spiritual sister, who had interceded anonymously and led to my conversion in October, all to assist me in fulfilling this consecration. I was on the verge of learning about St. Thérèse of Lisieux to form a personal connection with her. Being connected to St. Thérèse would ultimately unite me with St. Joan of Arc. Their guidance would lead me on a spiritual journey to the center of Mary’s Immaculate Heart, where Jesus Christ reigns in glory.
But I am getting ahead of the story.