Easter Tridium
2006
Before I lived in the Emmitsburg area I would always find myself praying the entire rosary at St. Joseph's on Holy Thursday. In years past I always ended up writing a paper describing just how all this took place and this year is no exception.
When I lived in "hometown" I usually left right after The Mass of The Last Supper at "Parish Church". This year I left directly after the same mass at St. Mary's in Fairfield. The results were the same.
This Easter was especially busy because I was honored to be Nathan Krasinski's God Father and Confirmation sponsor. I work with Nathan's father, Frank. This brought me a lot of joy because I told Frank about Emmitsburg and ended up taking him there on February 11, 2005.
He has since been attending the 1st Sunday apparitions and Our Lady of Emmitsburg took it from there. It resulted in Frank's return to the church and Nathan and his brother Alex receiving the sacraments on Holy Saturday. Frank's wife Corrine also attended the apparitions and as a result attended RCIA. She will come into the church upon the completion of a pending annulment process.
Holy Thursday April 13I do pray the rosary everyday and sometimes I will pray the rosary more than once. On an average I would say I pray the rosary twice a day. When I left the house this morning to go to work I stopped by St. Joseph’s to say a few prayers. When I arrived there the odometer was 1.3.
I just sat out in the car and prayed and I remembered all of the years past and how I suddenly felt compelled to go to St. Joseph’s late in the evening on Holy Thursday and pray the entire rosary. As I thought about this I made a promise to God that I would pray the entire rosary today.
I left and drove to work in Manassas. I did not stop at All Saint’s this morning because there was no mass but just as I arrived at All Saint’s a car pulled in front of me and I followed it all the way to work and its license plate was 33. I arrived at work and the odometer was 1.3.
It was so busy at work that I never even took a lunch break. I just worked straight through. At the end of the day when I finished all my work I left for the day to go back to Emmitsburg. I pulled out and from where I arrived this morning the odometer was still 1.3.
While I was driving home I suddenly remembered that I had made a promise to God to pray the entire rosary today. It was getting late and at this point I had not yet even started. I then prayed the Joyful mysteries while driving home and at the instant I finished and kissed the crucifix I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.
A few minutes later my cell phone rang and it was S.C.C. saying that she and C.R.C. were going to Holy Thursday mass at St. Mary’s and they would meet me there. I had actually thought about going to St. Joseph’s but I told S.C.C. I would meet them at St. Mary’s. I continued driving and went straight to St. Mary’s. When I arrived I glanced at my watch just as I walked in the church and the time was 7:13.
S.C.C. had saved a seat for me and I joined she and C.R.C.. During mass I remembered that I still had 3 mysteries of the rosary to pray in order to fulfill the promise I made this morning at St. Joseph’s. It was at that instant I also realized that S.C.C. and I were supposed to be sitting up front with the rest of the Eucharistic Ministers.
Suddenly a feeling of peace hit me that completely did away with the momentary uncomfortable feeling of knowing I was not exactly where I was supposed to be. It was so strong I glanced at my watch at the split second I realized all of this and the time was 7:33.
Mass continued and later I just happened to look over and I noticed Mike and Gianna Sullivan sitting directly across from us on the other side of the church. It instantly made me remember this past Palm Sunday and being present for Our Lady’s apparition at Mike and Gianna’s home. It caused such a feeling of peace I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.
Mass ended with a Eucharistic procession. S.C.C. and C.R.C. went home and I rode to St. Joseph’s to pray the 3 remaining mysteries of the rosary. I could have done it at St. Mary’s but because I have done it for so many years at St. Joseph’s, that’s where I wanted to go. I pulled out of St. Mary’s parking lot and followed a car more than half way to St. Joseph’s and it had a license plate of 13. I arrived at St. Joseph’s and the time on the dash was 8:33.
Holy Thursday mass was still in progress so I did not go in. I started the Sorrowful mysteries as I walked along the side of the church. When mass ended Marie H came out and said they were having Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament until 10 pm. I then walked in the church and completed my rosary by praying the Glorious and Luminous mysteries. When I finished I felt good that the promise I made early this morning was fulfilled. I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:33.
When I finished the rosary I continued to pray until Exposition was over. I left and ran into Bob F (who is the person who is experiencing the same exact thing as I am) and we talked for a few minutes. When we finished talking I got in my car to leave and the time was 10:13. I drove home and when I arrived in my driveway the odometer was 1.3.
Good Friday
April 14
Shortly after I got up this morning there was a time period of about an hour where I would suddenly think about it being Good Friday. During this period the thoughts that just seemed to hit from out of nowhere were strong. Each time it happened I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.
During this time I sat down in a chair and re-read the Palm Sunday message from Our Lady of Emmitsburg. At the instant I finished reading it I felt the peace caused by the fact that S.C.C. and I were present as Our Lady appeared and gave this message to Gianna at her home. I glanced at my watch and the time was 8:13.
Later C.R.C. walked through the living room and I showed him Our Lady’s message for the first time and let him read it. I sat down and as I watched C.R.C. read the message I again felt the peace that was caused by the serious look on his face as he read the message. This caused me to look at my watch and the time was now 9:13.
Over the past weeks there have been numerous times that the desire or sudden thought about planning another trip to Medjugorje would strike unexpectedly. The other day I received an email from Jim Farrell who I met on a trip to Medjugorje 2 years ago. Jim asked if we wanted to go back this coming December 27. At the instant I finished writing this down in my daily journal I again felt the peace come over me. I glanced at my watch and the time was 12:33.
Later in the day I left to go to the Good Friday service at St. Mary’s. S.C.C. said she would meet me there after going to Brewsters Ice Cream to pick up C.R.C. from his part time job.
I arrived at St. Mary’s and shortly later S.C.C. and Chris met up with me there. The Good Friday service was very good. I returned to my pew after venerating the Cross and again felt the peace just as I knelt down. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. The Good Friday service ended and I got in my car to leave and the time on the dash was 3:13.
We drove home and got ready to leave for "hometown" because I needed to be in Fredericksburg on Holy Saturday night for Nathan K ’s baptism and confirmation. After we finally finished getting everything ready we left and when I started the car the time on the dash was 5:33.
We took two cars because we had a lot to do once we got to "hometown". When we arrived S.C.C. and C.R.C. went straight to S.C.C.’s mothers house and I drove to visit my friends, David and Sharon Fischer. I finished my visit with David and Sharon and as I was driving back into "hometown" I SUDDENLY remembered that I had not yet prayed my daily rosary. I drove to "Parish Church" which is very close to S.C.C.’s mom’s house to pray the rosary and when I arrived the odometer was 13 and the time was 9:33.
I parked in the "Parish Church" parking lot and prayed the Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the rosary just like I do at St. Joseph’s when it is closed. I prayed for Fr. ___ and all of the parishioners of "Parish Church". When I finished the rosary I started the car to leave and the time on the dash was 10:13.
Holy Saturday
April 15
When I got up this morning I had every intention of going to Advanace Auto to buy a set of jumper cables so I could start my lawnmower that would not start the last time I was here in "hometown". Just as I walked out the door I suddenly felt compelled to start the day off by praying the rosary before anything else and dropping off the latest pack of papers. It was so strong I drove straight to "Parish Church". I walked in the church and dropped the papers on the table. I glanced at my watch and the time was 10:13.
I walked in the church and Fr. ___ was walking straight towards me. He said he was coming to Carrol Valley on May 11 and I could pick him up at the Liberty Mountain Resort at 2:30 to show him around. When Fr. ___ started telling me this the time was still 10:13.
When we finished talking I glanced at my watch as I genuflected to enter my pew and it said XX:XX:13.
I was just getting ready to start the rosary when Don B came up to me needing help setting up a few last things for tonight's Easter Vigil mass. I helped him set up some sand boxes needed to extinguish the candles at tonight’s mass. When we finished that I then prayed the Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries along with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. When I finished I glanced at my watch as I got up to leave and said goodbye to Fr. ___ who was sitting in the back of the church. The time was 11:13.
I then rode out to Advance Auto and got the jumper cables I needed and rode out to my house and got the lawnmower started. I did a little work around the house and was very pleased at how the tenants are taking good care of the house. When I finished I rode back to S.C.C.’s mothers house and got ready to go to St. Mary’s in Fredericksburg for the Easter Vigil mass. When S.C.C. was ready we got in the car to leave and when I started it the time on the dash was 6:33.
We drove to Fredericksburg and arrived at St. Mary’s. A few minutes later Frank K showed up. He asked me to go over to the parish hall where I would meet up with Nathan. I walked over the parish hall and I saw Nathan standing there. This was just the 2nd time I ever met Nathan. The first time was at an apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg at Karen & Mick Major’s farm this past summer. The time was 7:33.
Nathan and I spent a little time together talking about baptism and confirmation and I answered his questions. Nathan was very serious about wanting to get baptized and confirmed. I asked Nathan how old he was and he said 13. The Easter Vigil mass started and Fr. Rooney blessed the fire at 8:33.
During mass there were two instants where I just suddenly felt the feeling of peace hit me very hard and very unexpectedly. The first time was at 9:13 and again at 9:33. Mass continued and Fr. Rooney said there were 26 people getting baptized tonight. The first baptism took place at 10:33.
When Nathan’s turn came he was baptized. Immediately after the baptism I glanced at my watch as we started walking towards the confirmation line and it said XX:XX:33. Nathan was confirmed and took the name “John of The Cross”. After the confirmations mass continued and Nathan received the Eucharist for the very first time. I received right after Nathan and at that very instant I felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and the time was 11:33:00.
Mass ended and there was a reception in the parish hall. S.C.C. and I then rode back to "hometown".
Easter Sunday April 16
I slept in a little later than normal and I attended mass again at "Parish Church". Fr. Roger was the priest. Just as mass was ending and Fr. Roger gave the final blessing I again felt the peace. It caused me to glance at my watch and the time was 12:13. Mass actually ended at 12:14.
We then all rode out to my sister Barbara’s house and had Easter dinner with my family and S.C.C.’s mom came too. Later in the evening S.C.C. said she was ready to go. We drove back to Emmitsburg and arrived at St. Joseph’s and the time on the dash was 8:33. We said a prayer and drove home. Just as we arrived in our driveway and the car came to a complete stop the CD flashed 013.
R_____ C___
May 2, 2006
10:13 Pm