Bl. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was one of the most famous Catholic preachers of the 20th century. Millions heard him on the radio and television, but one of the people who profoundly influenced his own spiritual life was a little Chinese girl whose name has been remembered as “Little Li.”
During the Communist persecution of Catholics in China, soldiers imprisoned a parish priest and desecrated his church, breaking into the tabernacle and scattering the consecrated Hosts across the floor. From his captivity nearby, the priest was helpless to intervene. He watched Little Li's story unfold and shared it with Bl. Fulton Sheen.
Father told Bl. Fulton that, under cover of darkness, Little Li secretly entered the church, knelt before the Blessed Sacrament for an hour, and then reverently received one of the Hosts from the floor with her tongue. She returned night after night, risking discovery each time, as she made her Holy Hour and received one more consecrated Host to prevent further sacrilege of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Finally, when only one Host remained, Little Li returned once more. This time, a Communist soldier discovered and shot her, but, mortally wounded, she crawled forward and received her Lord one final time before she died.
Sheen later told this remarkable story in connection with the promise that would shape his entire priesthood: he would spend a daily Holy Hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. For nearly sixty years, through teaching, preaching, writing, travel, missionary work, radio, television, and the responsibilities of a bishop, he remained faithful to that promise.
Amazingly, a child almost entirely unknown to the world deeply influenced a man who would eventually preach Christ to millions and be declared Blessed by the Church.
Little Li had no audience or public ministry. Still, her actions testified to a truth Sheen would carry throughout his priesthood: Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, and He is worth our time, our reverence, our love, and everything we have to give.
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