Agnes was a little girl who tried to be very good. But like other children she had her faults, and, although they were small, they still had to be corrected.

One night she had a dream. She dreamt that she was wandering through a thick forest and had lost her way. She looked on all sides to find some path which would lead her to her home, but she did not see any. The night was coming on, and the cold wind began to blow fiercely among the trees. She also heard the cries of wild beasts in the distance, which frightened her.

In her loneliness and danger she fell upon her knees, and joining her little hands together, and raising up her weeping eyes to Heaven, prayed to God:

"O my God, I am lost in this big forest, and I am so scared. Perhaps some wild beast may come and eat me. Some robber may carry me away, or I may die of hunger. O my Jesus, since You love little children so much, come and save me."

At that instant she saw near her a beautiful little Boy with a heavy cross upon His shoulder. He had on a crown of thorns, the points of which pierced the sides of His head and caused the blood to trickle down His cheeks. He seemed also to be trembling with cold, for He was thinly clad.

Agnes knew Who He was at once, and running up to Him, fell down at His feet and earnestly said to Him, "O Jesus, take me with You, so that I may get out of this forest and see my parents again."

"Follow Me, then," said the Divine Child.

Agnes followed Him in silence. She no longer complained of the sharp stones that hurt her bare feet nor was she now afraid of wild beasts or robbers, because Jesus was with her. In a short time He led her out of the woods into a beautiful field, where there was a great multitude of angels clad in white, and singing joyfully.

Agnes fell at Jesus’ feet to thank Him, but He raised her up gently, and, embracing her, told her that because she had followed Him so lovingly He would make her live in this beautiful place for ever with His angels.

Agnes awoke, and from that moment she became a faithful imitator of the Child Jesus.

As we enter the season of Lent, we also are called to follow Jesus as Agnes did. Let us, like her, keep our eyes on Jesus as we make our way through this penitential time. If we do so, not only will we find comfort in the midst of our sacrifices, but we will also share more deeply the joy of Jesus’ resurrection.