In his autobiography All for Her, Father Peyton writes that in the fall of 1941 he was “in the highest heaven.” After having been saved from death from tuberculosis by Our Lady two years before, he had been ordained a priest, fulfilling his dream. He knew he had a special call from Our Lady, and he deeply trusted that in her time she would make it known. Yet the increasing carnage being caused by World War II was constantly on his mind.
Thoughts of Our Lady of the Rosary kept coming to him – until then on the last Sunday of January of 1942, during a day of retreat, suddenly aware of the power of prayer, he asked himself, "But how should we pray and what should we pray for?" What was needed was not simply an end to the fighting but an atmosphere of true peace in the heart, peace in the home, peace in the family. "Yes, here was the key: family prayer, in particular the prayer that had consistently brought God’s favor, the Rosary … I have it. It can’t fail. This is God’s will for me.”
The next 50 years of his extraordinarily anointed ministry proved this to be so. After his tuberculosis/crucifixion and then receiving back his life, thanks to Our Lady, he came to his Pentecostal moment. As the Holy Mother nurtured the still weak faith of the Apostles in the Upper Room until the Holy Spirit came to them, she nurtured Father Peyton till his life mission was fully clear to him. We need to follow the example of the Apostles and of Father Peyton now.
With the celebration of the Ascension in these days, the Church enters the Pentecost novena. We must prepare.
Our Church and our world need a new Pentecost. Holy Spirit come and guide us to truth! Dear Mother Mary, nurture our faith, intercede for us now!
Let us ponder Father Peyton’s words: what is needed is not simply an end to the fighting but an atmosphere of true peace in the heart, peace in the home, peace in the family. "Yes, here is the key: family prayer … the Rosary. It can’t fail."
I still have many things to say to you, but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will lead you to the complete truth.
John 16:12-13
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