I have no idea how many times I have prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and asked God to give me the graces necessary to accomplish His Will. During this prayer time I continually tell God that if the things that happen to me are from Him or His Mother that I am willing to continue without conditions or restrictions.
I do not pretend to know the final outcome of these things but what I do know is that it all started at St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg during the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Gianna Sullivan. I also know that St. Joseph’s is the center, focal point of these events currently taking place here in Emmitsburg regardless of who likes it or not.
The intensity and frequency of these things that happen to me has increased since we moved here to the Emmitsburg area at such a rate that it is hard to keep it all written down. I do my best to keep in all in my handwritten daily notes/journal but find it impossible to keep in all in the papers I write. If I wrote a paper for every time these things happen I would be writing a paper for every day of the week.
I am not complaining because I value this. I value it because during the early days of me going to the Thursday Night Prayer Group I offered myself to Our Lady once I realized this was the real thing. I believe She took me up on my offer and that is why these things happen to me. I also value it because since that time I have renewed my offer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament a countless number of times. I believe my offer has been accepted and that is why it continues and increases.
Sometimes I wonder why me and not someone else. I then realize that it is not just me but many people here who God has allowed special graces that make it impossible for them to doubt the validity of the appearances of the Mother Of God here in Emmitsburg.
I also believe the same thing must have happened throughout history where Our Lady appeared otherwise when those apparitions were put under the test they would not have survived the years of persecution and ultimately their approval.
It takes people who have no doubt to keep it going. Believing 99.999 percent in something like this is not good enough. It takes 100 percent certainty or it would not be possible to continue. I believe 100% certainty can only come from God. I also believe that what happens to me is my proof. It may not mean anything to anybody else but it means everything to me.
I also know for sure that the one thing Our Lady of Emmitsburg wants more than anything else is prayer and turning back to God. This is all She wants and I look at myself and realize I still have a long way to go but I also realize I have come a long way since this all started. My life has changed for the better. With this said I will write down the events of Saturday November 27.
Last night I sat down to complete the paper that covered the LMC retreat. When I sat down the time was 9:33. After many interruptions and having to stop for one reason or another I considered finishing the paper later. Each time I felt like stopping I suddenly felt the urge to continue and get it done. Each time this happened I looked at my watch and is said either XX:XX:13 or 33 so I continued and finished it at 2:13.
When I completed the paper I was very tired and decided that I would sleep late and go to the 12 noon mass at the Grotto of Lourdes. I ended up getting up around 9 o’clock which is the very latest I have slept in years. After getting dressed did a few things around the house and then sat down at the kitchen table and started writing out the monthly bills. I did not have time to finish before I had to leave for mass at the Grotto.
I drove to the Grotto of Lourdes and when I arrived at the Glass Chapel for the noon mass I noticed Mike and Gianna Sullivan were there. Fr. Jack Lombardi was the priest.
Shortly after returning from receiving Holy Communion I had a very strong and sudden mental recall of the other night with Fr. _______. The thoughts that hit me very hard and suddenly were the understanding and support Fr. _______ gave me during our very long and intense conversations. I also thought about what he said about offering myself totally to God. It was so strong and clear I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.
Mass ended and Gianna said hello as I walked out the door. Her husband, Michael reached out to shake my hand and asked me if I had received the November 21st message from Our Lady that was just released yesterday. I told him that I did have it.
I then left and as I was driving to St. Peter’s Books for a cup of coffee I had the sudden out of nowhere urge to go pray the rosary at St. Joseph’s. I was only a few blocks away and when I arrived the odometer was 3.3. I prayed the Joyful mysteries of the rosary and when I finished I got up to leave. Fr. Steve was in the church and stopped me just to chat and again welcomed us to the Emmitsburg area. The time was 1:13.
I then rode to St. Peter’s Books and got a cup of coffee. When I arrived, there were several people who I know very well from the Thursday Night Prayer Group. Brian F initiated a rosary and we each had a decade. During this rosary the sincerity of each person who offered their intentions between decades was almost enough to bring tears. The rosary ended at 2:33.
After the rosary I drove home and when I got there I sat back down at the kitchen table and completed writing out the monthly bills that I started earlier this morning. The last check I wrote was our deposit for our upcoming trip to Medjugorje on March 28th. When I wrote the check the ending balance was X number of dollars and 13 cents.
I then walked upstairs and took a shower and thought about going back to St. Joseph’s for the 4:30 mass because S.C.C. and C.R.C. are still in "hometown" visiting. I also knew I needed to get postage stamps because I did not have enough of them to mail the bills.
I left the house still not knowing for sure if I was going to mass this afternoon or tomorrow. About half way to town I decided to go today at St. Joseph’s. When I arrived there the odometer was 1.3. There were no parking spaces whatsoever so I had to park way down the street. As I was walking back to St. Joseph’s I noticed the clock in the bell tower was broken down again and had stopped at 12:13. I suddenly felt the peace hit me as I opened the front door of St. Joseph’s and walked in. I looked at my watch and the time was 4:33:33.
Fr. Steve was the priest celebrating mass and today was the First Sunday of Advent. When mass ended I again felt the peace as I walked out the door. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. I started driving home and after about a mile or so I suddenly remembered that I meant to get stamps to mail off the bills and our Medjugorje deposit. I turned around and it was then the peace hit me again. I then noticed the time on the dash was 5:33.
I drove to the Jubilee supermarket and purchased the stamps. I then sat in the parking lot and put the stamps on the envelopes. I suddenly thought about this being the next step of our next trip to Medjugorje. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. I drove to the Emmitsburg post office and mailed the bills. I dropped the Medjugorje deposit in last as I prayed a Hail Mary. I then glanced at my watch just as I finished and it said XX:XX:13.
It was at that instant I had the sudden urge to go back to St. Joseph’s and pray the rosary especially for this trip and for all the people around here that want to go. When I arrived there the odometer was 3.3. The church was still unlocked and when I walked in I was the only person in there. During the rosary I had a lot of thoughts again about my conversations with Fr. _______ as well as our upcoming trip to Medjugorje. When I finished the rosary I looked at my watch and the time was 6:13:33.
R_____ C___
Dec. 5, 2004
8:33:13 Pm