03/22/2022 – Power of the Rosary Fulton Sheen

Br. John Paul Puschautz, a Dominican aspirant, describes his personal rosary miracle.

“After a couple of challenging but enriching years of study in France, I was inspired to ask my superior to renew my consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary by making a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fatima.

I received permission to embark on this adventure with Br. Patrick (another aspirant) but we were told to set out in the simplicity and abandonment of the apostles, which meant we were to hitchhike without any phone, money, or plans. Let go and let God.

Let go of all our illusions of control and let God reveal his paternal providence…(in this adventure). To go through this pilgrimage we needed to imitate the perfect disciple, Mary, and to hold on tight to our chain of hope, the Rosary.

The Rosary is the chain of hope which connects us to heaven through Mary. When we hold our rosary in faith, we hold the hand of Our Mother which gives us the confidence to face any danger with courageous hope. An image of this is the cord you sometimes see toddlers holding connecting them to their parents in order to not get lost in the crowds. In the crowds and distractions of this world we can hold on tight to our chain of hope to guide us to our heavenly home.

The Rosary also unites us to our brothers and sisters. ..Much like this human chain, the Rosary unites all of Mary’s beloved children. … A Rosary a day keeps the devil away by anchoring us in heaven. It is the perfect antidote in whatever trial, for it brings us “to Jesus through Mary.” On my pilgrimage to Fatima, I experienced daily miracles of God’s presence through Mary’s intercession. On my last day traveling, I was dropped off in a foreign city in the middle of the night. Without many options, I started walking and praying my rosary.

I asked a factory worker on a night shift taking a smoke break if I was going in the right direction. After confirming this he asked what I was doing in that part of town, at that time of night with such strange clothes. I explained that I was a Catholic religious brother on the last leg of a 15 day hitchhiking pilgrimage, just a couple of hours away from my destination. Much to my surprise he offered to drive me the rest of the way after he got out of work. God arranged this meeting. This man needed a sign of God’s presence in his life as much as I needed a ride, and I was able to be that sign for him”.