Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, zealous apostle of the Sacred Heart, was led by Divine Providence to another devout instrument for souls. This unusual little girl was granted the grace of being able to see and speak to the Child Jesus.

On one occasion, Fr. Mateo told her to ask Jesus for the conversion of a particularly obstinate sinner. At the child’s next confession, when she was all done, she stayed to let her confessor know:

"Father, he’s coming."

"What do you mean, child, who’s coming?"

"The sinner you asked little Jesus for, Father. Don’t you remember?"

Then she explained what had happened.

"Next day, when Jesus began to talk to me, I said, 'Please, Jesus, wait a minute. I want to speak first today.' Then I told Him what you had said to me and that He would know quite well which soul you meant, since He was God. With a lovely smile Jesus said, 'Yes, I know. Ask Me always for souls, and tell Father to ask, too, and he shall have them. After your next confession the man he means and whom nobody has been able to convert will go and make his confession to him. But to get him to do this, you must be My little missionary. Pay the price for his soul by earning 'three golden pennies.' Do this by offering to Me your prayers, your sacrifices (especially by obedience), and your Communions.' "

Having told her story, the girl suddenly seemed in a hurry. She asked Fr. Mateo:

"Father, please, hadn’t you better give me absolution at once? The soul’s just coming here."

Fr. Mateo absolved her, and watched her turn and walk to the altar rail to say her penance. Just then, a man came toward the confessional. Fr. Mateo immediately recognized him. It was the sinner he had asked for - a man infamous for his completely irreligious life.

Approaching the confessional, the man explained to the priest:

"Father, I do not know what has happened, but since this morning I am quite changed and I have come to make my first confession."

This extraordinary conversion was a powerful example of how dearly God values our prayers for sinners. The "golden pennies" that He asked for, to obtain the conversion of sinners, show the incredible hidden value of those simple, everyday acts of virtue. They are small… like pennies. But we can make them golden, with a loving desire to offer them to Jesus and Mary for the salvation of souls. What a beautiful day that will be… when God shows us all the amazing things He accomplished with our generous "golden pennies".