The little church in Roussay, France, was full of eager people. They had come to hear a great preacher, one who was famous for the fiery love which imbued his inspiring yet simply worded sermons.
At last, he entered the church: Fr. Louis de Montfort himself. He approached the pulpit, led the faithful in prayer, and began preaching. Suddenly, the church door burst open, and a drunk man stumbled inside. The man was angry. He staggered up the aisle, screaming slurred insults at Fr. Montfort. The congregation froze, aghast. Everyone looked at the priest who stood silently in the pulpit, gazing at the man. What would he do? Fr. Montfort left his place and came down the aisle to meet the drunk. And then, to the amazement of them all, he knelt in front of the man and humbly begged forgiveness. If there was anything he, Fr. Montfort, had done to offend or hurt the man, he asked most humbly for pardon. The drunk man was as astonished as the congregation. He stared at Fr. Montfort for a moment—then turned and quietly left the church with a sorrowful expression. Fr. Montfort rose, returned to the pulpit, and finished preaching his sermon—though he had already preached magnificently with his actions! St. Louis de Montfort left lasting impressions on all he met, winning over even the most hardened sinners. He was successful because he always relied on the Rosary to help him. Narrative courtesy of catholiccompany.com Montfort, which means “mountain fort”, was born in 1673 and died in 1716, age 43.
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