English
For young people
Favours
This section tells about some of the favours that Saint Josemaría granted to children and young people. If you want to write about a favour he granted you or someone you know, click here.
Father, you can’t NOT grant me this favour
I go to the Gimnasio Moderno, which is a very big school. My parents give me money to buy sweets at the school shop.
Last Friday I asked my dad for more than usual, because we were going to have an outing and we had to take in money for the coach.
When I was going to give in my money, I found there was no money in my jacket pocket. I went out of the classroom and went back over the way I’d come in, but it wasn’t on the ground.
Then I asked the Father, could he please help me to find it, because I knew that someone must have picked it up, and they wouldn’t know who it belonged to. I prayed with lots of faith, not because my parents would tell me off, but because I had to give in the money for the coach. I said to the Father, “Father, you must make the money appear.” I was really upset that I’d lost it, but I kept on praying, and I kept saying, “Father, you can’t NOT grant me this favour.”
Suddenly one of the Year Sevens came up to me and said, “Isn’t that money over there yours?” I turned round and looked: it was my money. It seemed like it had just appeared there.
I thanked the Father, and my Gran said I should write about this favour, but as my writing isn’t so good, I told her she should do it, because when I told her about it all, she was really happy. All of my brothers and sisters love the Father lots. I take the prayer-card with me wherever I go, and I have it on my bedside table at night.
Colombia
For my Dad to come closer to God
I heard about Saint Josemaría a month and a half ago, when I started at the Centro Escolar Cedros in the second year. From then on I have been saying the prayer-card to him every day for my Dad to come closer to God, make a good Confession and pray more. Little by little I have been telling my Dad about the things we learn at school about religion and spiritual life. He argued a bit at first and said things like, God has already forgiven him so there is no need for him to go to Confession, and so on.
I went on praying the prayer-card of Saint Josemaría every day for this intention, until my Dad agreed for the whole family to say the Rosary together every day. A few weeks later he agreed to go to Confession and he came out very happy and thoroughly moved. Now we go to Mass and Holy Communion together every day, and the whole family is very happy and grateful to Saint Josemaría for this big favour.
Mexico
Mystery man
In our family we all have a great devotion to Saint Josemaría, and we call him “the Father”. When anyone is in a fix, someone else is sure to say: “Ask the Father!” And what’s more, he always fixes it! I think the most amazing favor was this one: an envelope with just the right amount of money on a family journey. We were driving from Mexico City to Guadalajara, and on the motorway my Dad said: “Could you give me the money for the next tollbooth?”
My Mom said: “Money? Don’t you have it?”
Dad: “But I thought you were bringing it!”
Mom said: “What’ll we do?”
There was a moment’s silence. We didn’t have enough gas to get back home, and there were several more tollbooths to pay before we got to Guadalajara. We seemed trapped inside an insoluble problem... After a bit of confusion we all started to pray the prayer-card. As Mom loves it, we always pray a lot.
Luckily Dad had a bit of loose change which was enough for that particular tollbooth, but there wasn’t any more. Just after we’d gone through the tollbooth the car in front pulled up, blocking our way. The driver got out and came over to Dad’s window. Dad said, “What’s up?”
The man said: “Here, this is for you.” And he gave him an envelope containing the exact money we needed to finish the trip!
Dad said: “How did you know?”
The man said: “I heard you asking if there was a route with no tollbooths.”
Dad: “Give me your address so I can send you the money when I get back home.”
Man: “No, it’s OK. You can do the same for me some day.”
We started praying again harder than ever to thank God and Saint Josemaría for the favor. As we were so happy and a bit shaken by what had happened, Dad said we’d stop and have some lunch. And there was just enough money for the petrol, the tollbooths, and lunch for Dad, Mom and us five kids.
Mexico
For my friend to go to Confession
I have a friend who is the same age as me (10) who did not go to Confession very often, and I felt sorry about this. Then I thought of praying the prayer-card to Monsignor Josemaría.
Before I started I told my sister what I was going to do and she said it would work, because Monsignor Josemaría wanted people to go to Confession. She said go ahead and pray it. I prayed the prayer-card twice, thinking about what I was saying. The Sunday after that, I called my friend to go to Mass together as usual, and asked her if we would go at the same time we always did, and she said that she wanted to go to Confession, so we would have to set off earlier to get there in time. Monsignor Escrivá really was very good to me.
Spain
I go to the Gimnasio Moderno, which is a very big school. My parents give me money to buy sweets at the school shop.
Last Friday I asked my dad for more than usual, because we were going to have an outing and we had to take in money for the coach.
When I was going to give in my money, I found there was no money in my jacket pocket. I went out of the classroom and went back over the way I’d come in, but it wasn’t on the ground.
Then I asked the Father, could he please help me to find it, because I knew that someone must have picked it up, and they wouldn’t know who it belonged to. I prayed with lots of faith, not because my parents would tell me off, but because I had to give in the money for the coach. I said to the Father, “Father, you must make the money appear.” I was really upset that I’d lost it, but I kept on praying, and I kept saying, “Father, you can’t NOT grant me this favour.”
Suddenly one of the Year Sevens came up to me and said, “Isn’t that money over there yours?” I turned round and looked: it was my money. It seemed like it had just appeared there.
I thanked the Father, and my Gran said I should write about this favour, but as my writing isn’t so good, I told her she should do it, because when I told her about it all, she was really happy. All of my brothers and sisters love the Father lots. I take the prayer-card with me wherever I go, and I have it on my bedside table at night.
Colombia
For my Dad to come closer to God
I heard about Saint Josemaría a month and a half ago, when I started at the Centro Escolar Cedros in the second year. From then on I have been saying the prayer-card to him every day for my Dad to come closer to God, make a good Confession and pray more. Little by little I have been telling my Dad about the things we learn at school about religion and spiritual life. He argued a bit at first and said things like, God has already forgiven him so there is no need for him to go to Confession, and so on.
I went on praying the prayer-card of Saint Josemaría every day for this intention, until my Dad agreed for the whole family to say the Rosary together every day. A few weeks later he agreed to go to Confession and he came out very happy and thoroughly moved. Now we go to Mass and Holy Communion together every day, and the whole family is very happy and grateful to Saint Josemaría for this big favour.
Mexico
Mystery man
In our family we all have a great devotion to Saint Josemaría, and we call him “the Father”. When anyone is in a fix, someone else is sure to say: “Ask the Father!” And what’s more, he always fixes it! I think the most amazing favor was this one: an envelope with just the right amount of money on a family journey. We were driving from Mexico City to Guadalajara, and on the motorway my Dad said: “Could you give me the money for the next tollbooth?”
My Mom said: “Money? Don’t you have it?”
Dad: “But I thought you were bringing it!”
Mom said: “What’ll we do?”
There was a moment’s silence. We didn’t have enough gas to get back home, and there were several more tollbooths to pay before we got to Guadalajara. We seemed trapped inside an insoluble problem... After a bit of confusion we all started to pray the prayer-card. As Mom loves it, we always pray a lot.
Luckily Dad had a bit of loose change which was enough for that particular tollbooth, but there wasn’t any more. Just after we’d gone through the tollbooth the car in front pulled up, blocking our way. The driver got out and came over to Dad’s window. Dad said, “What’s up?”
The man said: “Here, this is for you.” And he gave him an envelope containing the exact money we needed to finish the trip!
Dad said: “How did you know?”
The man said: “I heard you asking if there was a route with no tollbooths.”
Dad: “Give me your address so I can send you the money when I get back home.”
Man: “No, it’s OK. You can do the same for me some day.”
We started praying again harder than ever to thank God and Saint Josemaría for the favor. As we were so happy and a bit shaken by what had happened, Dad said we’d stop and have some lunch. And there was just enough money for the petrol, the tollbooths, and lunch for Dad, Mom and us five kids.
Mexico
For my friend to go to Confession
I have a friend who is the same age as me (10) who did not go to Confession very often, and I felt sorry about this. Then I thought of praying the prayer-card to Monsignor Josemaría.
Before I started I told my sister what I was going to do and she said it would work, because Monsignor Josemaría wanted people to go to Confession. She said go ahead and pray it. I prayed the prayer-card twice, thinking about what I was saying. The Sunday after that, I called my friend to go to Mass together as usual, and asked her if we would go at the same time we always did, and she said that she wanted to go to Confession, so we would have to set off earlier to get there in time. Monsignor Escrivá really was very good to me.
Spain
Prayer
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