"Taking hold of the gate of the sanctuary closed at night, he begged God to save his terminally ill daughter." Pope Francis recently told an extraordinary story that happened in Argentina a few years ago.
A kneeling man at the gate of the sanctuary
We do not know the girl's name, the surname of her parents or the name of the priest who, moved by the sight of a young man kneeling in the street at night, opened the gate of the sanctuary for him . Even sharing his testimony with Vatican Radio about what had happened, the Argentine priest chose to remain anonymous so that - as he confessed - the Gospel itself spoke, which is also miraculously fulfilled in our time.
That day he was returning from dinner at his family's. It was close to midnight. The streets of Luján were dead. As he was passing the square where the sanctuary of the patron saint of Argentina is located, he saw a man kneeling with a bouquet of roses in his hand.
His friends were standing next to him, who had brought him seventy kilometers from the capital, where a 9-year-old girl was fighting for her life in the hospital .
Jesus must be asked for everything
- The Sanctuary of Our Lady was closed, and he, clinging to the gate, prayed all night: “ Lord, save her! Lord, give her a life! ". He prayed to the Mother of God all night, crying out to God, crying from the heart, Francis said to the Angelus, sharing this testimony of faith with the whole world.
That day he commented on the story of the blind Bartimaeus, whose insistent plea was heard by Jesus passing nearby. The Pope recalled that "when faith is alive, prayer is sincere: it does not beg for pennies. Jesus, who can do anything, you must ask for everything, insisting on Him. He is looking forward to pouring His grace and joy into our hearts. But unfortunately we are the ones who stay away, maybe because of shyness, laziness or unbelief. "
Francis added that many of us, when he prays, do not believe that the Lord can work miracles. It was different with the desperate father.
Mary obtained a miracle
The priest stopped by the kneeling man and asked what had happened. When he heard that his daughter was fighting for her life in the hospital, he led him through the side entrance to the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Security was surprised, but did not obstruct.
The man put flowers in front of the altar. He was on his knees all the time while I prayed the rosary out loud for his little daughter. At the end I gave him my blessing and we said goodbye - recalls the priest who told the Pope about the whole event .
A few weeks later, while he was hearing confessions at the shrine, he was approached by a smiling man with a cute blonde in his arms.
- He asked me if I recognized him. When he saw my surprised face, he said that he was the man with whom I prayed at night, and in his arms he was holding a daughter whose miracle Mary had obtained - the priest says, adding that they have never met again.
As the man stormed the sky, the doctors at the hospital rubbed their eyes in amazement . At midnight the girl woke up, sat up in bed and as if nothing had happened, she told her mother that she was hungry. There was continuous improvement.
- When the man returned to the hospital in the morning, he found his wife crying. He thought that his daughter was dead - said Franciszek. Meanwhile, his wife told him that something incomprehensible had happened that the doctors were unable to explain. It seemed their little girl had been healed. This miracle was confirmed by the following days , when the girl left intensive therapy and left the hospital full of strength.
- The cry of the man who asked for everything was heard by the Lord who gave him everything. This is not just a story - said Francis, asking if we too have such courage in prayer.
God is working here and now
The Argentine priest adds that he witnessed many miracles that were implored through the intercession of Our Lady of Luján. - The Gospel is also happening in contemporary events. They present us to the mystery of God who is also at work in our time, he says in his testimony. She emphasizes that persistent and courageous prayer really opens up heaven.
By telling this story, Francis encouraged courage in prayer. "May Our Lady, the Virgin of prayer, teach us to turn to God with all our heart, trusting that He listens carefully to every prayer."
The Pope also asked an Argentine priest to document the miracles happening in Luján . A book about the courage of prayer is already being written. The priest confesses that when he listens to these stories, he has the impression that he is walking with Jesus today through the pages of the Gospel.