Marvels of St JOSEPH (5)

Little Rose-Bud

It is not necessary to have a high level intelligence to please Jesus a lot: a loving heart is enough. The story of "Little Rose-Bud" proves it.

This little Chinese girl, when she was born, was given that poetic name. But if her name was charming, she herself was hardly so. Moreover, she was so unintelligent that her companions could not help making fun of her. At the age of fourteen, she had still the size of an eight-year-old child and her intelligence was even less developed, so much that she could only learn the Pater and the Ave. She knew that there is a good God, His Son Jesus and his Mother, whom she naively called the Holy Mother Mummy, and his foster-father St. Joseph, whom she loved very much. The poor little girl was gentle, humble, resigned, obedient, putting up with all the mockeries of her companions. But, if she was not intelligent, she was virtuous, which is better.

Little Rose-Bud longed for baptism, but she knew so little of catechism! She had not rebelled when she was denied the Sacrament, thinking herself very unworthy of this great grace. (When the parents of a child are pagans, we must wait for the child to know his catechism before baptizing him).

A few days later, wrote the missionary, I met her in the courtyard: "Where do you come from, my child? – “From the chapel, from visiting the Blessed Sacrament”. – “Who is in the Tabernacle? » - "Jesus." - "And what do you tell him when you visit him?” - "I say to him: Jesus, Give me Jesus!". Hearing this, the Father could not resist Little Rose-Bud’s prayers any longer: not only he baptized her,  but also gave her Jesus in the Host, which she then received every day.

Two years went by and nothing seemed to change in the little Chinese girl's mind, but her love never ceased to grow and Jesus thought her to be ripe for heaven. The little girl fell ill: she was burning with fever. However, she made her confession with perfect clarity and she received the Extreme Unction. Since she had not yet been confirmed, she was given the sacrament that makes the strong. And this little ignorant, transformed by the Holy Ghost, started talking continuously with God and to see what the most intelligent people cannot see. “My God, she cried out, you love me and I love you! Men have nothing but contempt for me, but you, my God, you have humbled yourselves so much for me! Behold the Holy Mother Mummy: how beautiful she is! And my Father, the great St. Joseph: how good he is! And my Guardian Angel! Good Angel, I've thought too little of you... I won't upset you anymore... Jesus! I love you! " And she spent the night so in prayers.

In the morning, the child asked for Holy Communion. But the Father, fearing that she could not swallow the Host, gave her an un-consecrated parcel, which she immediately rejected, saying: "Why does Father not give me Communion? What Father has given me is not the Blessed Sacrament. Give me Jesus and quickly! ».

Bishop Lécroart was deeply moved when he saw the marvels worked by grace in this poor little creature. He blessed her paternally and gave her an image of the Blessed Virgin. "The image of Mummy" she murmured, and she held it until her last breath, while conversing softly with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Suddenly she said: "Saint Joseph tells me to take the vow of virginity". So she did, in the hands of the bishop. She got weaker and weaker, while keeping on repeating distinctly: "Jesus, I love you! Mary, good St. Joseph, take me with you!” And she breathed her last kissing the crucifix.

She was then dressed in white garments and with a wreath of flowers. She had naively said this prayer to the Blessed Virgin: "When I die, make me beautiful so that my companions will not be afraid of me". It was answered: Little Rosebud had become so pretty!... Into the big church adorned for the feast of St. Joseph, she was carried as if in triumph, and the Bishop himself attended the ceremony of Absolution, to honor this angel to whom love and suffering had opened heaven!