How my mother learned to trust.

[This is one of my favorite blog posts from 2017. Fr. DeLillio, OSFS]

My mother was a young immigrant from Southern Italy. At age 12, Adelfina, my mother, left her close friends and with her family sought a new future in the United States.  As she left that day, she saw only fear and panic ahead.

As a young migrating girl, my mother was consumed by the challenges that left her future wrapped in the worries of the unknown.  She only saw before her a new country filled with overwhelming barriers and offering her little hope.  Why? She faced a strange and different language, the absence of close friends, and perhaps worst of all, six weeks on a big ocean vessel. She felt helpless, sad, and lonely with no one who could lift her spirits.

She asked herself repeatedly, “Why was God doing this to me?” She thought dying would be better than facing her life with such a scary and mysterious future.  At the moment of her deepest despair, she remembered to pray the rosary. She knew Mary, the Mother of Jesus, had always helped her before.  She decided to turn her troubles over to Mary at this time too.

Clutching her rosary, she prayerfully praying each Hail Mary in silence. Soon Adelfina felt comforted because in the praying of her rosary, she began to remember the love and protection God had given to her and her family. Mary always had the love of God with her as protection, along with Joseph and Jesus, her holy family. Empowered by these hopeful thoughts, my mother began to feel that maybe she could do the same on this journey: trust that Mary, Jesus, and Joseph were with her.

Praying the rosary calmed my mother’s fearful heart.  Her faith reminded her that God indeed was accompanying her on this journey.  With God, and the Holy Family, as her companions, my mom began to trust again.  She soon saw a brighter future for her and her family.

Young Adelfina, learned a lasting lesson which followed her to America and became the bedrock for our entire family:  All is possible when we invite God to be a part of our plans. And God still is till this day.

"Flight into Egypt" Painting by: Michelangelo Merisi da Carravaggio