Mary smiled at my grandmother

This story took place in Grenoble, France, in 1940, where my grandmother had taken refuge with her three children after my grandfather was sent to a prison camp in Germany.

My mother was eight years old at the time. She caught rheumatic fever and had a bad heart condition. The doctor was worried as her health was steadily deteriorating. My mother could no longer stand up and was getting weaker and weaker every day.

My grandmother taught her to offer her sufferings for priests. One night, a great light filled her room and she saw the Virgin Mary smile at her. She then fell asleep peacefully, which she hadn't been able to do for several weeks since she usually had difficulty breathing.

The next morning, my mother actually jumped out of bed. My grandmother panicked and told her to go back to bed and rest because she was so ill. But my mother told her very simply that she was no longer ill because Our Lady had come to visit her and had cured her. My grandmother nevertheless asked her to stay in bed while waiting for the doctor’s daily visit. The doctor confirmed the cure, and my mother had permission to leave her bed!

It was she who taught me to offer my sufferings for priests when I was seriously ill as a child. And on September 12th, our son will be ordained a priest, praise be to God!

Laurent J., a reader of A Moment with Mary