I have been anticipating this day for several weeks, now. Planning and praying, waiting and thinking, I practiced patience to a great degree. When I mentioned to my room-mate my excitement concerning the fifth of October, she expressed confusion. She was silent for a moment and then spoke, "Why October fifth?" I do not expect a lot of people to remember, but the crime would be abominable if I did not.
A year ago today, I was waiting anxiously for a phone call from my father. I had been waiting all week. My sister and I had been praying a great deal that week for God's will and for patience.
My family was living in Kansas and for a year, our lives there were tortuous. From losing a large amount of money, to being homeless and having my father's job in peril, I had begun in May of 2005 to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and read Saint Faustina's diary. Every night, I faithfully hit my knees and prayed with great faith. "Anything you ask in Faith will be granted." I clung to that and fervously prayed. Fast foward five months. Dad had been on two interviews within one week of each other and both looked quite promising. The week of October the fifth, 2005 was when we were expecting an answer. I continued to pray.
On October the fifth, I had no idea who's feast day it was. At workstudy that morning, I looked up the information online and found it was Saint Faustina's. For a mere moment, I enterained the idea of how awesome the situation would be if my father got hired that day. I immediately pushed it out of my mind, not wanting to get my hopes up. However, at four o'clock that afternoon, my father called me.
He had recieved a call at three alerting him he had gotten the job in Texas. The screams that emanated from my sister and me on our tiny Catholic campus in Virginia would have raised hairs on anyone's neck. Jumping up and down, we cried tears of absolute joy and relief. A year later, my family is no longer homeless. We have a home and beds and food. We have friends and support. My father has an incredible job and my family is happy.
"Anything you ask in Faith will be granted." Indeed, this is true. Saint Faustina, who spoke to Jesus as a child, helped my family recieve the miracle we so desperately needed. As I look back and see how much more we have this year, I am so grateful to that humble and powerful Saint. Not only do we have a home and happiness, but I have a new niece (another petition I made to Saint Faustina). If we make of ourselves little children and ask with great faith, we shall receive a hundred fold what we ask. God is good and so is Saint Faustina. Today, remember her and thank her. If not for yourselves, then thank her for me. I shall never be able to thank her or God enough.