Sometimes Words Speak Louder Than Actions

For many years, Linda Anderson worked a downtown job in Spring, Texas, as an auditor. The commute to work was 45 minutes, enough time to pray a sung Rosary on CD. On her way home from work, she would stop in a perpetual Adoration chapel during rush hour to pray before the Eucharist. Sometimes she would browse the gift shop and buy various religious articles to give to people she ran into.

On her 15-minute breaks while at work, she would pray the prayer for souls by St. Bridget of Sweden. Her faith and prayer became her lifeline throughout her workday. When the clock struck three, the Hour of Great Mercy, she would break to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

One day, Linda noticed vultures flying outside around her office building. She thought it was strange for vultures to be in the city. Linda was convinced it was a sign. She soon felt a lot of spiritual warfare going on at her office. People began to be transferred and laid off. Linda knew she needed to double up her prayer at work during her breaks.

It didn't take long for her co-workers to notice, and they began to join her in praying the Chaplet. Linda and her co-workers started to share about their faith with one another. Miraculously, whenever they would share, the phones that were normally constantly ringing were silent. Linda and her co-workers always made sure to finish all of their work and make time to share their faith. One of her co-workers even converted to the Catholic faith!

Supervisors began to notice how quiet the phone lines were and began to split up the group. The office began to downsize. Many of Linda's collegues were transferred to other parts of the building, and Linda was offered an early retirement. Linda accepted which turned out to be quite providential. Shortly thereafter, Linda's mom was dying, and she was able to care for her mom until her death.

Since retirement, Linda has become a leader of a Blue Army prayer cell dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima and praying the Rosary. She also leads Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) Retreats and has even brought a CRHP Retreat to an Episcopalian church. She and her retreat group introduced the Episcopalians to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song. When the women from the church came out of their service and heard the Chaplet being sung, they were struck by the beauty of the prayer and wanted to share it with their church.

The Episcopalian lay spiritual director who attended the retreat was a former Catholic. She had never heard about the message of Divine Mercy. Linda shared the message and invited the woman to Divine Mercy Sunday at her parish.

Linda continues to share about the message of Divine Mercy whenever she can. Her faith is what keeps her heart aflame with the love of God.

"'I believe' - that is the most beautiful gift, and it is a prayer that needs to come from your heart," Linda said. "The world needs to know how beautifully loving God is."

You, too, can share the message of Divine Mercy in the simplest of ways - at work, at school, even at home - by inviting others to pray with you. You never know what kind of response you will get!
FAMPK

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