A Beautiful Journey from Despair to Hope

One listener of The Patrick Madrid Show recently handed a handwritten letter to Patrick Madrid, telling a story about how Patrick introduced him to a saint that would change his life. Edward* had suffered for many years with mental health struggles, and nothing he tried made much of a difference.

“For most of my life, I spent countless hours reading self-help books, going to therapy sessions, and meditating using eastern techniques. All of these attempts only gave me a small amount of comfort. I lost my marriage of 23 years, most of my family and friends, and my faith at times. I fell into despair time after time only to look at suicide as a possible way out,” he wrote.

One morning in November 2018, Edward returned home after a walk and sat down with a cup of coffee to listen to The Patrick Madrid Show. What he heard set him on a path to healing and hope. He titles the story “My New Life”. Here’s some of what he wrote:

“Patrick was telling a personal story of how he met his wife. Little did I realize how one story could start a spiritual domino effect that would last 10 months. Patrick talked about how he prayed a novena for eight days to St. Therese of Lisieux after a break up with a girlfriend. Upon the eighth day he received a card from a friend with a white rose to comfort him. That friend that gave him the card would later become his wife.

“After I listened to Patrick’s story, I was fascinated how a saint could influence a person’s life so much. I wanted to learn more about St. Therese, so I googled her. After I hit return, I noticed a picture of St. Therese that captivated me. I’ve been an artist a long time and enjoyed drawing faces of people. Her smile conveyed a secret that I wanted to know about. So I said a sort prayer to St. Therese. A few moments later my whole life would change I was overcome with a profound and supernatural love from her. I could feel my soul come alive or the first time in 60 years. It was a love so consuming that it forged a deep bond with St. Therese and Jesus. …

“The wounds from my childhood were so great that I never had hope or knew how to love. As time went on, I noticed my thoughts of suicide that plagued me for over 30 years melted away. Over 45 years of PTSD were a distant memory. The love given by St. Therese still lives 10 months later. My thoughts go back to how all this started. It was a gift given to me because I did a small task of listening to The Patrick Madrid Show and saying a short prayer.”

The stories that Relevant Radio listeners share are incredible—lives saved, divisions healed, souls brought back to Christ. All the glory and honor goes to Our Lord, his Blessed Mother, and the intercession of his angels and saints in heaven.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!

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*Name changed for anonymity.

 

Lindsey is a wife, mother, and contributing author at Relevant Radio. She holds a degree in Journalism and Advertising from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Lindsey enjoys writing, baking, and liturgical living with her young family.