A Totally Unexpected and Unplanned Trip To Emmitsburg
Friday, January 25, 2019
One of the most complex and difficult things to explain in these papers is the feeling that overcomes me and causes me to believe that I am being summonsed to Emmitsburg. This has happened many times over the years. Despite it happening somewhat frequently I have purposely neglected to mention it in great detail in these papers because of the difficultly in describing exactly what happens in that split second that leads up to KNOWING that Our Lady is calling. What I can tell you is that when it happens it is ALWAYS accompanied with a 13, 33 or 333. ALWAYS.
I believe one of the most profound experiences of this happening to me took place back on July 29, 2002. I was at work that afternoon at SWIFT in <Hometown> when SUDDENLY and WITHOUT WARNING something struck me and I KNEW I needed to go to Emmitsburg and I needed to go NOW. Little did I know that, that very evening Our Lady of Emmitsburg spoke a message for the world through Gianna Sullivan for the very first time since the Thursday Night Prayer group was closed down 2 years earlier! It was an amazing night.
The reason I am using this as an introduction to this paper is because in exactly the same way, I knew I needed to go again today and it seemed to be just as urgent.
I woke up this morning and decided that I would sleep in for a while. I decided that I would attend the 7 PM mass this evening at <Home parish>. With that I rolled over and went back to sleep for another hour or so. After waking up for the 2nd time I was just lying in bed and SUDDENLY LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE I knew I needed to make a trip to Emmitsburg. It was the sudden feeling I have learned to recognize and is so hard to describe. I opened my eyes and looked over at the clock next to the bed and the time was 8:13.
I got up and while I was drinking a cup of coffee I again thought about attending the 7 PM mass at <Home parish> when suddenly I realized it was still early enough to make it to the Grotto of Lourdes for the 12 noon mass. This caused me to glance up at the clock and it was XX:XX:13 (13 seconds).
I soon left and while I was driving to Emmitsburg I had another sudden, out of nowhere CRASHING thought that said this trip to Emmitsburg was to pray for a vocation to the priesthood for my son, C.R.C.. SUDDENLY an oncoming car had the license plate of 33, it was immediately followed by a 2nd car and it had the license plate of 13. Then a third car with the license plate of 133.
I continued driving and when I arrived at the Grotto I walked directly to the glass chapel and walked in precisely as mass was just beginning. The priest was Fr. M. M. and has been encouraging C.R.C. to join his order. There was only one other person there. Shortly after mass began a third person came in. Fr. M. gave a very good homily on St. Paul. Mass ended and I walked up to the Our Lady of Fatima statue and decided that I would sit there in the cold wind and pray the rosary for C.R.C. I glanced at my watch as I began the Joyful mysteries and the time was 12:33. I sat there and also prayed the Sorrowful and Glorious. I never looked at my watch until I finished and the time was 1:33.
At that point I felt I had accomplished what I needed to do and I actually thought about leaving and going back home to <Hometown>. I decided to take a leisurely walk through the Grotto so I did just that. As I was walking out I arrived back at the entrance of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and I was suddenly struck with the sudden desire to complete the rosary by praying the Luminous mysteries for C.R.C. I sat down in the same place as where I started and prayed the Luminous mysteries and at the instant I finished and kissed the crucifix I glanced at my watch and the time was 2:13:33.
I then walked into the gift shop just to warm up and then I got in the car to go home. Suddenly I thought I should stop by St. Joseph’s first so I started driving there. I got to the intersection of Old Emmitsburg Road and Seton Avenue when I SUDDENLY KNEW I NEEDED TO GO TO THE ADDORATION CHAPEL in Fairfield that is run by the same order C.R.C. is thinking about joining. At the instant that thought crashed through my head a car that I was waiting on to go by before I could pull out had the license plate of 333. I followed this car all the way to St. Joseph’s and arrived there at 2:33.
I said a few prayers and left to go to the Adoration chapel. I arrived at the chapel and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. A few minutes later J. F. came in and said hello to me. J.F. is P. F.’s mother who along with C.R.C. is considering joining the Missionaries order. The F_______’s came here from Louisiana because of Our Lady and we came from Virginia. While sitting there before the Blessed Sacrament I thought about the slim chances that both of our family’s came from far away and now both of our sons are considering the priesthood in the same order.
A few minutes later I stood up to leave and as I turned around to walk out of the door C.R.C. came walking in. I was shocked to see him. I sat back down and C.R.C. prayed and then we both got up and walked outside and talked. He told me about a trip he and P.F. had just made to the Missionaries Linwood, New Jersey headquarters with Fr. R.M. During this conversation C.R.C. told me he feels called to this order. After we finished talking C.R.C. went back inside and I left. As soon as I pulled out of the parking lot I noticed the odometer was 333.
I then rode back to Emmitsburg and arrived at St. Joseph’s and the time was 4:13. I felt the very strong urge to pray another rosary for C.R.C. so I prayed the Luminous Mysteries and finished at 4:33. I then left to go home. While driving home I had a sudden thought of J. F. in the adoration chapel and the thought I mentioned above of both our sons considering the priesthood in the same order. At the instant that crashed through my mind an oncoming car had the license plate of 13. I continued driving home and pulled in my drive way at 7:33.
R. C.
Jan. 27, 2019
8:33:33 PM