I Am Sorry To Say That It Was My Intention to Take a Shortcut and Combine Two Reasons For Making Only 1 Trip to Emmitsburg
Over the past 22 years I have thought back many times to the night I was at St. Joseph’s and during the apparition of Our Lady I was overcome with the gift of dispelling any lingering doubt as to the authenticity of Our Lady’s presence at these apparitions in Emmitsburg. I can clearly remember the silence in the church that night as Our Lady appeared to Gianna Sullivan. I clearly remember during this apparition of suddenly KNOWING not believing but KNOWING the Virgin Mary was truly there. The result of this suddenly infused knowledge (I don’t know of any other way to describe it) was to tell Our Lady in prayer during the apparition that I no longer had any doubt about her presence and I know this is real. I also said in prayer to her that nobody has had a harder job on earth than what you have had and even now 2000 years later you are still tirelessly working to bring souls to your son Jesus. At that point I said in prayer to Our Lady that I was willing to help her in any way that I could and I meant it. I had no idea what that would entail, but I have kept it documented in these papers over the years. I am continually astounded even after all these years.
Over the years I have made a trip to Emmitsburg on New Year’s day or within a few days of the start of the new year. Always during this trip I find myself renewing my offer of helping Our Lady that I made on that unknown Thursday during the silence of the apparition. It distresses me that I don’t know exactly what Thursday night that was. Perhaps with God’s Grace I will be able to figure it out from my records one day. This year was a little different. I did not drive up to Emmitsburg for the sole purpose of renewing my promise as soon as the year switched to 2021 as I have done in the past. I have been very busy with mortgage closing that I do as a notary. Additionally the 2nd Sunday Eucharistic Prayer Group was coming up in just a few days on January 10th at St. Mary’s in Fairfield. I am sorry to say that it was my intention to take a shortcut and combine those two reasons for making only 1 trip by attending the prayer group and renewing the promise I made to Our Lady the same day. That was my intention but this is how it went:
Sunday January 10, 2021
S.C.C. and I went to the 8:30 mass at <Home Parish> in <Home Town>. I started the car to leave and the time displayed on the dash was 8:13. We arrived and <Parish Priest> was the celebrant and after the consecration he elevated the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood both at 9:13. Mass ended and both S.C.C. and I stayed behind to help wipe down the pews with Clorox wipes because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We then drove home. A little later and without regard for the time I left to go to Emmitsburg for the 2nd Sunday Eucharistic Prayer Group and to renew the promise I made to Our Lady that Thursday Night during the apparition at St. Joseph’s. S.C.C. stayed home. I started the car to leave and the time on the dash was 10:13.
I rode in silence for a good while then suddenly I thought I would like to hear some music. I reached for a CD and the first one I picked up was music from Medjugorje. I inserted the CD and at the instant it started to play I just happened to notice the odometer was 3.3. I continued driving and I arrived in Emmitsburg. My first stop was St. Joseph’s and for some reason things just seemed bleak as I arrived. There were no instances of 13, 33 or 333 whatsoever which is highly unusual. The church was locked and so I rode to the Grotto of Lourdes to pray a rosary for my son C.R.C. at the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I glanced at my watch and was comforted as I began the Luminous Mysteries and the seconds were 13. I finished the rosary and drove back to St. Joseph’s to pick up Raymond Sanders. Again there were no instances of 13, 33 or 333 upon my arrival.
Raymond was standing outside waiting for me and we drove straight to St. Mary’s in Fairfield. We arrived and both of us were stunned to see absolutely no cars in the parking lot, No lights on in the church and the door locked! Both of us were stunned. Raymond then called Mike Sullivan and asked what was going on and if we were having the prayer group. Mike asked if we read the email he sent stating the prayer group has been moved to next Sunday January 17. Neither of us had seen the email. Even as I write this I have not seen the email. In any event Raymond and I rode back to Emmitsburg. Raymond asked if I could drop him off at the “Square” in the middle of town. I did and then I rode the rest of the way back to St. Josephs where I was going to renew my promise to Our Lady that I made years ago at the Thursday Night Prayer Group at St. Joseph’s. I parked and it was cold outside. I glanced at my watch as I began the Joyful mysteries of the rosary and the time was 2:13:13. I prayed the entire rosary during which time I reconfirmed and renewed my promise to God and His Mother. I glanced at my watch as I finished and kissed the crucifix and the time was 3:33:33.
I then drove home to <Home Town> and later in the evening with no regard for the time whatsoever I walked upstairs to ask S.C.C. if she would like to pray the rosary but she had already gone to bed. I did not wake her up but she woke up. I then asked if she would like to pray the rosary for C.R.C. and she said yes. We prayed the Glorious mysteries and I glanced at my watch as we finished and kissed the crucifix and the time was 9:13:59.
Saturday January 17, 2021
Well as it happens today is the correct date for the Eucharistic Prayer Group at St.Mary’s in Emmitsburg. S.C.C. and I started the day by attending mass at <Home Parish> in <Home Town>. <Parish Priest> was the celebrant. He gave another great homily as he always does and for some reason when he finished his homily this morning I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:13. It came time for Holy Communion and S.C.C. and I were sitting upstairs in the balcony. The usher guided people out of the pews and into the communion line. For some reason the usher stopped the flow of people and signaled for S.C.C. and I to enter the line. As a result of this I could not help but notice S.C.C. received Holy Communion and 9:33 and I received Holy Communion at 9:33:33.
Mass ended and <Parish Priest> announced that the upcoming March For Life has been “cancelled” for all practical purposes and changed to an “online event” and as a result there will be no busses. S.C.C. and I then stayed behind again to help sanitize the pews. Mass ended and as we pulled out of the parking lot we met an oncoming car with the license plate of 13. I then drove S.C.C. home and I left for the Eucharistic Prayer Group at St. Mary’s in Fairfield. I was sitting at a red light where you turn off of Rt. 29 onto Rt. 15 when I SUDDENLY had an instant replay in my mind of receiving Holy Communion this morning at 9:33:33. At that VERY INSTANT I looked up and the car turning off of Rt. 15 onto Rt. 29 not more than a few feet from me and in my direct line of sight had the license plate of 333.
I continued my drive to Emmitsburg and I picked up Raymond Sanders like I did a week ago. We then rode to pick up Brother Paschal O’Brien who had called me earlier in the week saying he would like to go. We arrived at St. Mary’s and walked in the church. It was nice that the prayer group was back in the church instead of downstairs in the parish hall. As I sat down I thought to myself how nice it is to be back in the church and I thought about the confusion of getting the dates wrong last week. This thought caused me to glance at my watch and the time was 2:13:33.
The prayer group began about a minute later. Mike Sullivan gave a good talk on several topics including Garabandal. Afterwards we prayed the Luminous mysteries of the rosary. A little later I led the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. J_ _ and C_ _ _ _ L_ _ _ _ _ were there and I returned the book they loaned me, The Seton Miracles about Fr. James Bruse who is pastor just down the road at Our Lady of The Blue Ridge in Madison, Va. When everything was over Mike, Brother Paschal, Raymond and myself ate dinner at Venturas Resturant in Fairfield. While we were eating Brother Paschal asked if I could take him to the Jubilee Grocery store in Emmitsburg. I said yes. We finished eating and left. We dropped Raymond off again at the “Square” in Emmitsburg and then I drove Brother Paschal to the Jubilee. He said he needed about a half hour so I dropped him off and I rode back to St. Josephs which is only a few blocks away. I wanted to pray another rosary for my son C.R.C.. I arrived at St. Joseph’s and glanced at my watch and the time was 6:13:33. I prayed the Glorious mysteries and glanced at my watch as I finished and the time was 6:33.
I drove back to the Jubilee and picked up Brother Paschal and drove him back to his house and helped him unload his groceries. At that point I thought I was going to leave and drive home but as I left Brother Paschals I again felt the SUDDEN urge to pray another rosary for C.R.C.. I stopped at St. Josephs and completed the rosary for today by praying the Joyful and Sorrowful mysteries. I finished and kissed the crucifix as I glanced at my watch and the time was 7:33:13.
R. C.
Jan 31, 2021
3:33:13 PM