One day, St. Frances of Rome opened her prayer book and began to recite the office of the Blessed Virgin. Before she had finished, her husband called for her. She got up right away to go see what he wanted. Once she was done with what he needed her for, she returned to her prayers.

She was part of the way through the same prayer when her husband called for her again. Again she answered his call immediately. This happened two more times. The four interruptions were all over unimportant things - the important part was that her husband wanted it.

She remained in a pleasant mood for him, not allowing the repeated interruptions to disturb her peace. After all, in living her vocation as a wife and mother, the needs of her husband and children came first. Whatever devotional practices she wanted to do came second, because living her vocational duties - especially when they were difficult to do - was a prayer to God in and of itself. Frances was putting into practice that which is so easy forget in the course of day to day living.

When she returned for the fourth time, ready to leave a fifth time if need be, she was surprised to see a change in her prayer book. The words she had four times begun and left unfinished were written in letters of gold!

Then her guardian angel whispered in her ear:

"It is in this way that God rewards the virtue of perfect obedience."

The golden letters remained in her book for the rest of her life.