Feast of The Immaculate Conception

December 7-8, 2002

The first thing S.C.C. told me this morning when I woke up was that Cecilia C. had a flat tire and needed a ride to work. She needed to be there by 9:45. I went to mass at "Parish Church" and then I stopped by Fant’s Amoco to borrow their air tank. When I arrived at Cecilia’s house her friend Pat H. was there and was going to take the car and get new tires while Cecilia was at work. I pumped up the tire and it looked like it would hold air long enough to get to town. As I was leaving I had a very sudden thought about how much better Cecilia is doing. The new house is very nice, she is keeping the rent paid and she is even starting to pay back some of the money she has borrowed from people. As this thought was in my mind I just happened to notice the clock on the dash and the time was 9:33. On my way to return the air tank I stopped at "Parish Church" and prayed the rosary. I arrived home at 10:33 and I sat in the drive way and started filling in my daily journal from last nights trip to Emmitsburg and when I finished I looked up and the time was 11:13.

Later in the day S.C.C. said she wanted me to go to Wal Mart and make more pictures of Our Lady of Emmitsburg because she wanted to include them with some Christmas presents to different family members. I drove to Wal Mart and started making the pictures but the picture machine broke down before I was finished. I drove to CVS pharmacy because they also have a picture machine. When I first started making the pictures I suddenly felt the desire to go to St. Joseph’s. I looked at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. About 5 minutes later I had the same sudden desire and I knew to look at my watch again and it said XX:XX:13. About 10 minutes later as the last sheet of Our Lady of Emmitsburg pictures was printing I had another sudden inner knowledge that I should go to St. Joseph’s after mass tonight. It was as sudden and strong as I have ever felt it. I looked at my watch and the time was 2:13:33. I came home and gave S.C.C. the pictures and told her what happened. At the very instant I finished telling her I looked at my watch again and it said XX:XX:33. About 10 or 15 minutes later I called Scott Fisher to tell him something about Knights of Columbus Christmas cards and at the very instant I hung up the phone I was again overwhelmed with the unmistakable knowledge that I had to go to Emmitsburg tonight after mass. I looked at my watch and the time was 3:33:13.

I returned a phone call later in the afternoon to Dennis Dunn, a former co-worker who was recently laid off from SWIFT. Dennis is a convert and has been to St. Joseph’s on Thursday nights on several occasions. When Dennis came to the phone I suddenly remembered the first time he went there with me. I looked at my watch and the time was 4:13:33. Dennis said he and his wife Margie want to go to the Grotto in Emmitsburg tomorrow at 1:45. I said I would meet them at Sheetz in Opal at 1:45.

Later S.C.C. said we better start getting ready for mass. C.R.C. was scheduled to serve and I was scheduled to be Eucharistic Minister. We arrived at "Parish Church" at 5:33. After mass S.C.C. wanted to go through the Wendy’s drive through window and get something to eat. When we arrived home I changed my clothes and kissed S.C.C. and C.R.C. good by. S.C.C. is very gentle and understanding because she knows everything. When I pulled out of the driveway the time was 7:33. As I was driving to Emmitsburg I decided that when I got to St. Joseph’s I would walk around the church on the side walk and pray the Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous mysteries of the rosary in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I had already done the Joyful earlier in the day at "Parish Church". When I arrived at the entrance of the Grotto the odometer said 33. When I arrived at St. Joseph’s there was a car parked in front of the church with the license plate of XX13. I parked and started praying the rosary as I walked around the church. It was bone chilling cold and my fingers became so numb that it was difficult to go from one bead to the next. By the time I finished I felt like a block of ice however the peace that accompanies this makes it a very rewarding experience. It reminds me a lot of climbing Apparition Hill in Medjugorje at night. The sidewalk that goes around St. Joseph’s is a public sidewalk. When I finished the rosary I walked over to the Ott House and had a hot cup of coffee. When I finished the coffee I walked back over to St. Joseph’s and got in my truck to go home and the time was 11:13. At the very instant I pulled out the trip meter part of the odometer switched to 13.

I drove home and went to bed and when I got up I was not at all surprised to find a new message, it arrived via email at 8:18 AM. I went to CCD and we had a good class we discussed the Immaculate Conception. At the very end of class as I was leaving I felt a very sudden peace and I said “Thank You Jesus” the peace was strong enough to make me look at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. After I sold Knights of Columbus Christmas Cards after the 11 AM mass I took the Eucharist out to Bob G. When I left there I drove out to “Our Father’s House” to give the Eucharist to Mary Ann Carta and Agnes C. I arrived there at 1:13 and gave the Eucharist to both of them and when I finished and returned to my truck the time was 1:33.

I had the day to myself because S.C.C. and C.R.C. were spending the day at her mothers house decorating the house and tree for Christmas. I drove to Sheetz in Opal to meet Dennis D___ and his wife Margie and ride to the Grotto in Emmitsburg. I was a little on the tired side but I knew I should spend some time with Dennis because he has been a good friend to me and he loves going to Emmitsburg. When Dennis was in RCIA at St. John’s in Warrenton he would always come to me with questions and sometimes we would talk for hours while we were working the midnight shift in the computer room. Margie did not show up and Dennis said she was not feeling well.

Dennis and I rode to Emmitsburg and stopped first at St. Joseph’s but the front door was locked, about a minute later Joe and Laurie Stromberg’s little boy Cody opened the door from the inside and we went in. Father Kennedy was there and had just finished baptizing Ray and Jennifer B_______ ’s new baby. I prayed my daily rosary while I was in the church and when I finished I just waited for Dennis to finish praying and make the first move to leave. When Dennis finished praying he started walking around and looking at everything in the church, when he walked out I followed him and we left. The time was 4:33. We then drove to the Grotto and walked through there. We ran into Ray Sanders who said there was an article in the Frederick newspaper about Emmitsburg. When we left the Grotto we drove back to the Getty store and bought the newspaper and as I was paying for the paper I noticed the time was 5:13. We left and started driving home at that time. I dropped Dennis off at the Sheetz in Opal. When I got back to Virginia I stopped at "Parish Church" to drop off the empty pix from this morning when I took the Eucharist to people. I then drove home and arrived there very shortly after S.C.C. and C.R.C. returned home. The time was 7:33.