Growling and the Rosary Prayer

The story I am about to unfold occurred in November 2005. It was just a normal Friday night. As I had planned to meet friends the following evening, I spent the night at home watching T.V. and in general just relaxing. About midnight, I decided to go to bed. On this particular evening just my father and I were at home. Since he had gone to bed earlier it was my responsibility to turn off all the lights and lock up the house. On my way to bed, I passed the holy water font and blessed myself. This was a nightly habit and nothing out of the ordinary.

At this stage in the story I must point out that I am a practicing catholic. My religious beliefs play an important role in my day to day life. That said, I do not publicly show this. Put simply, it is between my savior Jesus Christ and me.

Soon I was tucked up in bed. As an avid reader, I was reaching out for a book to enjoy, when a little booklet of the Holy Rosary caught my eye. It is important to note that the week prior to this, I had kept hearing about the wonderful graces given by Our Blessed Lady for reciting the Rosary in her honor. Although claiming to be religious and well versed in such matters, the Rosary was one prayer that confused me as a child, well that and the fact that is was so long. For these reasons, it was never on my prayer agenda but for some unknown reason, I felt required to say it. As already stated, I did not know how to go about it correctly though.

So during Saturday evening mass I mentally said to Jesus "If you want me to say it just give me a sign!" All was forgotten until just after mass, when I was waiting on my Grandmother who was receiving confessions. Whilst waiting, I looked at some fresh flowers placed in front of an image of Our Lady when to my astonishment, a step by step guide on how to say the Rosary was resting beside it (having gone to this church for all of my 24 years I had never seen such a leaflet!). I took the guide home with me and that night said it in its entirety for all the holy souls in purgatory.

My good intentions soon diminished until that Friday night. Seeing the booklet and taking my rosary beads in hand, I started it again. At 4.45am I awoke to my doorbell continuously ringing. I had obviously fallen asleep whilst saying it. At my door, I found my older sister a little worse for wear. She had been out at her work Christmas party and in the merriment had mislaid her key. I let her in and helped her to bed, while she told me of all the office scandal. Not wanting to wake my father as she was a little loud, I informed her that she would have to fill me in on all the gossip the following morning. Now I found myself wide awake as I went back to my own room. I switched on my stereo to a low volume, switched off the light and climbed happily into what was earlier a warm bed.

I closed my eyes, plumped my pillow and pulled up my duvet to my neck in anticipation of a snug sleep. In the background, I could hear a song being played that was the cheesy hit of the previous summer. I was contemplating how come such a song would be so popular when all of a sudden I heard the most terrifying sound of my life. In the darkness of my room, about ten inches from my face, I heard the most terrible growling in my entire life. It was so loud that I was sure that at any moment my father and sister would run into my room. My eyes were clamped shut in fear and my heart beating out of my chest.

Although I did not see what was there, the image in my head was that of a snarling evil dog. I felt pure evil that night; this evil had descended upon my room and like the darkness was enveloping me. My immediate cry for help was to recite the Our Father aloud while blessing myself over and over again. I don't know when the growling stopped for sure. It was probably when I blessed myself. What I do know is that I got up and switched the light on as soon as possible and for the rest of that night, said prayers until I drifted to sleep with the light on.

I would like to say that there is no way I was dreaming when I heard this sound. I was completely awake and aware of my surroundings. Looking back, I feel it was the Devil that visited me that night. I believe that somehow this experience was related to me saying the Rosary. I believe that the rosary is a powerful prayer, one that the devil does not want us to use against him. This is only one supernatural experience of many that has occurred to me but it is one that I hope will give hope to others of the power and protection of God.

This is now my prayer before bed each night:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -

by the Divine Power of God -

cast into hell, Satan and all the evil spirits,

who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Thank you for reading. Opinions on this would be much appreciated.