Thursday August 19, 2004

For some reason there are days I feel more drawn to prayer than others. Today was one of those days. When these days come I offer my prayers for the intentions of The Immaculate Heart of Mary and that way I know I am covering everything.

I got up this morning and got ready to go to work in Manassas. I stopped by St. Joseph’s first and when I arrived I noticed the time on the church clock tower was 6:33. I sat in my car and said a few prayers and then drove the rest of the way to Manassas. I stopped at All Saints and attended mass before going across the street to work.

I had not been at work very long before I realized that I was going to have to go to "hometown". I left Manassas and went to "hometown" and was fairly busy most of the day. Later I took my lunch break and as I was leaving to go to "Parish Church" to pray the rosary I was stopped by a co-worker who wanted to discuss the upcoming 25 year anniversary of our employment there. When he finished talking I left and drove to "Parish Church" and arrived there and the time was 1:33.

I walked in the church and was stopped by a man who was going to strip and wax the floor and he said I could not come in the church. I turned around and left and decided to walk back and go upstairs in the balcony and pray the rosary. I told the man I was going to go upstairs and he very angrily repeated to me that I was not coming in the church at all. I left and for some reason I glanced at my watch and the time was still 1:33.

The thought ran through my mind that I would just go back to work but the desire to pray the rosary in church was so strong that I decided to go to Our Lady of the Blue Ridge and pray. I arrived at OLBR and prayed the Luminous mysteries of the rosary and at the very instant I finished the strong feeling of peace hit me. I looked at my watch and the time was 2:13. I drove back to work and arrived at 2:33.

Later in the afternoon when I got off from work I left to go home. I changed my mind and drove to Wal Mart to get the oil changed in my car. There were 2 or 3 cars in front of me waiting to get their oil changed. After I was finished at Wal Mart I started driving home. While driving I had the sudden urge to go to St. Joseph’s first. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

I arrived in Emmitsburg and drove straight to St. Joseph’s. When I arrived the time on the dash was 8:33. I walked up to the corner of the church and kissed it because the peace was so strong. I looked at my watch and it said 8:33. I prayed the Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the rosary while sitting in the car and when I finished I started the car to leave and the time on the dash was 9:13. Again the peace came over me so strong that I got out of the car and walked back over to the corner and kissed it again. I looked at my watch and it said 9:13. I then drove home and when I pulled in my driveway the odometer was 33.

R_____ C___