Fr. Scott A. Haynes
Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey SS, CC., frequently told people the following story when he went from place to place to preach. He found that where people were prepared to earn "three golden coins" with love, many graces were obtained and many conversions followed.
The story begins in Valpariso, Chile, where one day an eight year old girl told him that Our Lord Jesus spoke to her every time after she received Holy Communion. Father was somewhat skeptical about this. He requested the young girl to ask Jesus to give him proof. The proof Father requested was the sudden conversion of a certain man who was a big sinner, a fallen away Catholic, an enemy of the Church, who would come to him for Confession.
About a week later when Fr. Mateo was hearing confessions, the young girl told him that this sinner was coming up to the church. As Fr. Mateo was leaving the confessional, the fallen away Catholic came into the church and walked over to Fr. Mateo and asked him to help him with his confession. He said that it would be his first confession ever. The sinner explained to Fr. Mateo that he did not know what came over him that morning but he suddenly understood the necessity of going to confession. Father realized that he had received the proof he requested.
The young girl told the priest that Our Lord revealed to her that He would give the graces to repent and mend his ways to this fallen away Catholic, and also to many other souls. He said, "Always ask Me for souls and I will give them to you, and tell Father Mateo to ask Me for souls. I will give them to him, too, but first you must become My missionary."
The little girl thought she was too young to be a missionary. Our Blessed Savior assured the girl that He would make her His missionary. Jesus told her that she would have to pay a certain price for souls. "I want you," said Jesus, "to earn three golden coins a day." Our Lord then explained what He meant by golden coins.
1) The first golden coin was her prayers to Him for souls.
2) The second golden coin was her little sacrifices, especially acts of obedience.
3) The third golden coin was a promise: "never to miss Mass or Holy Communion through your own fault and to visit Me often in the Blessed Sacrament."