SOULS ARE SAVED BY SACRIFICE 

"I've been waiting for you a long time...."

An artisan had a house full of children but he was also a great swearer; he cursed everything

in Heaven and earth. Besides this he drank far too much, ill treated his wife and prevented her

going to church. He probably had not been inside a church since his marriage.

His wife prayed continually for his conversion. To achieve this she did penance for years, but she did it secretly so as not to be rebuked on account of it and hindered in it. 

One Sunday he was inspired to go to church. The sermon happened to be about sinners and sinning, and he got the idea that the priest was looking only at him and preaching about him. He was so moved that he went immediately after Mass to the servant of God in the neighboring village. The servant of God wept, and the dear Savior too, and He said him, "I've been waiting for you a long time. I wanted you to come to Me so that I might clasp you to My 

Heart." And the dear Savior helped him through His servant to write down all his sins. He forbade him to return home until he had made his confession. By now it was late afternoon, As at this period there was no evening Mass, but only Vespers and Benediction, the priest did not wish to hear him. But when he was told what Our Lord had commanded, the Guardian heard the man's confession. He received Holy Communion the next day. 

His wife was so amazed at his conversion that she could not believe it for joy. Other people, too, when they saw him later reading the Bible and other pious books, asked him with surprise: "When did you become holy?" He answered them: "When I was, I was, but now, folk, be wise, listen to me, and save yourselves!" And like an Apostle, he explained to them the Holy Scriptures, and told of the lives of holy men and women. From then on he lived a devout life, always went to church, Confession and Communion. Just as he had formerly loudly sworn, so he now aloud and openly said his prayers, and especially the Rosary. 

(pg. 154 of Jesus Calls Us Volume 1)