Everyone who knows me, knows my obsession with the Virgin Mary. I love the stories and images of her. I collect statues, candles, and Holy cards with her image. I think she's beautiful.
Having lost my job not once, but twice this summer really paid a toll on me. (More on that in another blog...) Having no where to turn, I turned to my faith. Praying to God I would find a job and be able to get back on my feet. Then something very surreal happened.
It was the week of the Assumption oddly enough. My mom had visited her Aunt Helen and during their visit she told her aunt about my unemployment situation. Aunt Helen, being the holy woman that she is, gave my mom a novena for me to pray. It was the Efficacious Novena of The Three Hail Marys. Aunt Helen said that every time she prayed it, her prayers were answered. My mom passed the novena on to me and I started praying it that Sunday night.
It was yet another rough week. No news on the job front. I was getting frustrated and really nervous about my situation. I had no money, no prospects, and was having a really hard time staying positive. I had an interview with the Department of Human Services to get food stamps on August 15th - the Assumption. I looked up where I had to go and it wasn't very far from where I live, so I decided to walk there. Along the way I passed two churches. Feeling spiritually renewed, I stopped and took pictures of the churches. One was St. Helen's Church and the other was Holy Rosary Church.
Later that evening, I met up with Amy and Jeremiah for Jeremiah's last day at the magazine. We decided to go to a bar up in Ravenswood. After a bit, I just wasn't feeling social anymore and decided to head home. I walked about a mile before I decided to hop on a bus, but along the walk, I found a rosary. It was sitting perfectly placed on a window ledge, as if it were put there just for me. I put it in my purse and continued walking.
When I got home I couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to start a book I had checked out of the library. It was a book about Mary and the miracles and apparitions of her. I opened it up and read the first story. It was about a little boy that is visited by Mary and she says to him, "Pray the rosary." After I read those words I got chills. My mind raced back to the rosary I found on Ashland Avenue that was sitting in my purse. Then to earlier that morning when I passed Holy Rosary church. Was this a message for me? I had been praying the novena. Should I be praying the rosary too? I took it as a sign that yes, yes I was supposed to pray that rosary. I went to my purse and retrieved it. I never prayed a rosary before and I didn't know how. I quickly looked up "the rules" and it seemed easy enough. Hail Marys, Our Fathers, and some Glory Be's. I could do this. After all, what did I have to lose? I had nothing left.
The next day I had a little bit of a breakdown. I felt so helpless and emotionally drained. I called my mom crying and made plans to see her that night. She gave me a pep talk and made me feel a lot better. When I left she gave me a copy of the career section of the Sunday paper. Maybe I'd find something in there, she told me. With only a few companies that still advertise in newspapers, I wasn't too sure, but I found two jobs and applied for them the next day. I got call backs on both, had interviews with both, and landed a job with one of them. My prayers were finally answered.
I can't help to think of the divine intervention of all of this. As I said earlier, it was very surreal. From getting the novena from my Aunt Helen to taking pictures of St. Helen's church the same day as the Assumption. Also that very same day, taking pictures of Holy Rosary Church, finding a rosary, and then reading in the book about Mary to "pray the Rosary." It's just all so amazing and I feel truly blessed.
Things are definitely looking up towards the Heavens...
Holy Rosary Church
Chicago, IL
Image of Mary on the marquee of Holy Rosary Church
Statue of St. Helen outside St. Helen Church
