35th March For Life in Washington DC

January 21-22, 2008

Monday January 21

I was off from work today for a holiday and spent much of the day looking around some of the Civil War shops in Gettysburg. I took a vacation day from work tomorrow so I could attend the 35 annual March for Life in Washington, DC. Despite having taken the day off I had not firmly committed to actually going to the march. Part of me wanted to go and part of me did not.

The part of me that did not want to go simply felt like taking a year off from the march. I asked myself what difference can one person make and the answer I gave myself was none. The part of me that did want to go was more at peace and I asked myself the same question. This time the answer was, everything.

Later that evening S.C.C. and I both went to the Miraculous Medal Novena at St. Joseph’s. We arrived and the time on the dash was 7:33 and the odometer was 333.

During the Miraculous Medal Novena I prayed mainly for life issues. Fr. Murphy was the priest and when mass ended I glanced at my watch and the time was 8:13. After mass we rode to the other end of town to get some cash from the ATM machine for in the event I decided to go to the march and when we arrived home the odometer was 33.3.

Tuesday January 22

I woke up this morning and again debated if I was going to the March for Life today. The same reasoning ran through my head as yesterday. Then I just suddenly got out of bed and got ready to go. I started the car to leave and the odometer from where I arrived home last night from the Miraculous Medal Novena was 33.3

I drove C.R.C. and Peter to the school bus at Mother Seton School and then rode to St. Joseph’s. I was the first person there. The bus was already there. As I parked my car I noticed the car parked in front of the bus had the license plate of 33.

A few minutes later more people started to arrive. I asked if there was any room left on the bus and I was told yes. Everyone arrived including Fr. O’Malley and the bus left. I was sitting directly behind the driver and as the bus pulled out all I could see was the car parked in front of the bus with the license plate of 33.

We prayed the Sorrowful mysteries on the way to Washington. We arrived and tried to go to mass at the Verizon Center but it was full. We ended up going to mass at St. Matthews Cathedral. During the mass I suddenly felt the peace as the priest elevated the Precious Blood. I glanced at my watch and the time was 11:13. Mass ended and the time was 11:33.

During this time the bus waited for us and then drove us back to the March for Life area. It was border line weather sometimes spitting a little rain. We listened to the pro-life speakers and when the March for Life actually got started and we started to move I glanced at my watch and the time was 2:13. We marched the entire route and when we got to our finish line (St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill) I glanced at my watch and the time was 3:13:33.

We had to wait for the bus to pick us up and then we rode back to Emmitsburg. I drove home and looked at my watch as I pulled in my driveway after returning from the march and the time was 6:33.

R_____ C___

Feb 2, 2008

11:33 Pm