Light in the Darkest Places

On a recent Mercy Night, my group headed to Chinatown, a dark and desolate area where many people drug use is rampant. This area isn't my favorite place to go because I tend to think that nothing fruitful will happen in a place like this, where few people are sober. But that night, as soon as we parked, my group and I met a man named KP, who was alone in his tent. After we got to know a bit about him, I asked, "KP, do you have any faith?" With a look that said obviously, he replied: "Of course I do." Then told us how his dad and grandmother were the ones who kept Christ alive in his household and the spirit of prayer was never extinguished from his life. He hasn't had the best health so prayer has been a strong foundation for him to be hopeful of the future. I let him know how providential it was that we crossed paths with him and how brave it was to allow us to talk to him.

We asked if we could pray for him right there, and KP insisted on it. We prayed that the Lord visit that dwelling place and that any enemies be cast out from his path. We also called upon Our Lady's protection over his home and his loved ones. KP has a family and kids and we asked the Lord to bless them, too. The Holy Spirit was, without a doubt, present in that moment and we were filled with a new joy to proclaim the Word of God and let Him radiate through us. We can't see if seeds are being planted, but faith allows us to believe they are.

This encounter taught me to rebuke those lies of the devil that make us doubt in the Lord's power. It's especially in the darkest places where the Lord shines the most. 

by Marcela Velez

photo credit: Jimmy Woo, unsplash.com