February 14, 2005
Like I have said before, I could not withstand what I am currently going through without attending daily mass. Attending mass everyday is where I receive the strength and courage to continue with the unusual events that started happening to me almost if not immediately after my very first trip to Emmitsburg.
Over the period of the last 5 years or so I have only missed daily mass 3 times. Never intentionally. Each time I was unable to go to mass it caused me to realize even more just how important mass is. This is because the day did not seem complete and I realized just how much I depend on going to mass and receiving the Eucharist.
I thought I was going to miss mass today because of unexpected things that changed the whole course of the day. That is why I am writing this paper because I had given up any hope whatsoever of attending mass today. To my amazement and astonishment I did not miss mass and this is how it went:
When I got up this morning it was snowing I checked my email on the computer and looked at the Catholic News and saw where Sr. Lucia of Fatima died yesterday on the 13th. The news of her death surprised me but the fact that she died on the 13th of the month did not surprise me at all.
I left the house to go to work and was running a little late because of the snow. I pulled out of my driveway and was suddenly filled with peace as I noticed the temperature on the dash was 33 degrees and the time on the dash was 6:33.
I stopped at St. Joseph’s like I always do to start the day with a few prayers and when I arrived the temperature on the dash was again 33 degrees. I said my prayers and in addition I prayed for Sr. Lucia. At the very instant I completed my prayers and was pulling out the CD counter flashed 33.
I drove to Manassas and after about 30 minutes or so Phil C called my cell phone to ask me about something. I mentioned to him that Sr. Lucia had died and at the very instant I told him a car approached from the opposite direction with the license plate of 13.
I arrived in Manassas and went to All Saint’s but I did not go to mass because it was almost over and I was planning on attending mass tonight at the Miraculous Medal Novena at St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg. I did not go in the church I just sat in the car for a minute and said a prayer. The odometer was 1.3. I then drove across the street to work and at the very instant the car came to a complete stop I felt the peace just at the CD counter flashed 13 and I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.
I arrived at my desk and Frank K was waiting for me. Again Frank told me how much his trip to Emmitsburg meant to him and that he wanted to return. I checked my email at work and the first message that popped up was the news story and picture of Sr. Lucia as a child that I forwarded from my home computer so I could read it when I got a break. The picture of Lucia taken during the time of the apparitions that popped up on my computer screen suddenly caused a feeling of peace in me. I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:33.
Later while working I got another email from Roberta Marziani. She sent me the new message from Our Lady of Emmitsburg for Ash Wednesday. I read it and at the very instant I finished reading I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.
Frank K came to my desk at lunch time and wanted to know if he could go to All Saint’s with me to pray the rosary. Frank and I went and at the very instant we entered the pew I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. We prayed the Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary and when we finished we got in the car to go back to work. We arrived just as the clock on the dash switched to 12:33 and the CD counter flashed 13.
Towards the end of the day I became very busy and I had to stay at work late along with my co-worker Venkat. We were very busy and I realized I would never make it back to Emmitsburg in time to go to the Miraculous Medal Novena. Suddenly I was filled with peace and I knew Our Lady understood. I glanced at my watch and the time was 6:13:13.
When I finally got off work I started driving home thinking I had missed mass. Suddenly I remembered that there was a mass at Mount St. Mary’s at 10 PM. I remembered this very suddenly and at the instant I remembered it I noticed the odometer was 3.3 and I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.
I rode home and ate dinner and later I left to go to mass at Mount St. Mary’s. I walked in the chapel and glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. Fr. Jack Lombardi was the priest and there were about 20 college students there. Mass ended and at that instant I felt the peace of knowing I had not missed mass. I knew to glance at my watch and it said 10:33. On my way home I stopped at St. Joseph’s and said Thank You. The odometer was 3.3.
R_____ C___
Feb 27, 2005
7:33 Pm