The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-18
How Their Prayers We're
Answered.

This is serious story. People
who do not like serious stories need
not read 1t. 1t is a true story, and yet
it is fiction-which is paradox. 1t
is true in the sense that it contains a
great truth, one of the most consoling
of all truths. namely that our prayers
are always answered, not always in
the way we look for when we pray,
for in our ignorance we often ask for
stone and God in His mercy sends
us bread: but no prayer to God or His
saints offered in faith is ever rejected
It may be refused at the time, but
granted afterwards; refused in the
way it was intended to be answered
but granted in a far better way. In
this sense then this story is true, and
yet as we said before it Is fiction.
In the month of May, at a certain
church in London a certain man and a
certain girl heard sermon at High
Mass, preached by a certain priest.
The name of the man was John Muir
ray, the name of the girl Mary Luttrell:
the names of the preacher and the
church are immaterial. The sermon
was on prayer and the gist of it is
contained in the above remarks, but
the theme was elaborated and the
truth it contained brought out in the
most convincing manner with great
oratorical skill.
The preacher was an elderly man:
indeed it is doubtful if young man
could have done equal justice to the
subject. 1t needs the experience of a
lifetime to speak SO surely, SO consol-
ingly, SO confidently at this priest did
on the efficacy of prayer.
The young may believe it, but the
old know it. The preacher knew by
long experience, by much prayer, by
much watching, in great faith, in great
hope, in great patience, that what he
was saying was true, and he had the
power to impress this truth on some
at least among his hearers. His own
great faith seemed to raise and sup
port the weak and wagering faith of
his audience, as the great futed col
umns of the aisles supported the
vaulted roof of the church Some
there were who felt that they could
lean on his confidence, rest on his
assurance and allow their souls to be
raised to Heaven by his fervor
He spoke as though he had no more
doubt that God was in His Heaven,
and that our Lady, and all His saints
were with Him, than that he was
standing in the pulpit and the con.
gregation sitting before him; the un.
seen was as real to him as the seen
He was, as he said in the course OF
his sermon, more certain that their
prayers and praises were heard in
Heaven than that cablegram sent
that day would reach Australia, or q
message by wireless telegraphy be
signalled from ship to ship on the
ocean; yet no sane person doubted
either of these things.
Many present were much STRUCK
by the sermon, and among others the
two people just mentioned-John Muir
ray, who was a young stockbroker
anu WARY hOLJIGl1~ w III W CAO q NOANOA
of only few years standing. He
father was the rector of a countr.
!, parish; he had large family Of whom
Mary was the eldest, and when sh'
came home from convent in Belgium
, at which she had been educated ant
announced her intention of becoming
; Catholic, a not unlikely sequel t.
; having been brought up by nuns, h
was very angry, and refused his cor
sent unless she left home and earne'
i her own living as a governess. Thi
course Mary elected to pursue. Sh
: loved her home dearly, but she love
, "the home of the saints more! Sh
was now living as governess with
Catholic family in London, at who's
/ house John Murray was frequen
> visitor.
' Mary was plain; she was tall an
) thin and graceful but undeniably plaiT
: featured, and Mary loved and admire
) beauty, she coveted beauty: her si'
t tiers were all pretty and she enyied
them; she was clever and strong an
d healthy, amiable and sweet-temperet
t endowed with a warm heart and
q great capacity for loving; but all thes
t gifts she would have exchanged viii
i ingly for the fatal gift Of beaut.
! Yet there was one thing that not
d her worst and most foolish moment
n would she have battered for beaut,
and that was her faith. She wa
t silly no doubt to desire so passionat
S ly to be beautiful, but she was NJ
t so mad as to be willing IL it wei
e possible to risk her salvation for it.
Y AS she listened to the sermon 81
S made up her mind that she would Il
It if it was really true, that no pray
d made in faith was ever left una
it swered, but sooner or later granite
8 in some way. Only by a mirac
1. could the prayer she meant to PR
be granted, as she thought, for on