One day my 7^th grade teacher told our class that we were to develop a personal relationship with one of the saints, asking that saint to be our “patron saint.”

There were several saints that I prayed to regularly, so I began with the patron saint of my birth day. But saint Charles Borromeo didn’t answer me. I tried several saints, but was disappointed that none of them seemed to want me. So after persuing this for awhile, I suddenly thought, “oh, I haven’t thought to approach the Blessed Virgin Mary,” and I immediately went to her. I thought she might be more willing to have a relationship with me because I followed all the rules she laid out in her many “apparitions.” I wore the medals and the scapulars, I even did “the nine first Fridays.”

But there was no response.

I wondered why I couldn’t reach any of the saints or even Mary, and dreaded the day when I would have to admit this to the teacher.

Then …a thought came to mind. “Try Jesus.” Hmmm, I wonder …. So I approached Jesus Christ …and there was an IMMEDIATE bonding that took place. I was stunned. I didn’t want to brag to others that the only one I could reach was the very Son of God. I was sort of a black sheep, and I knew anyone would laugh at me if I made that claim. So I kept it to myself, but pondered it deeply.

I had a dream one night, I dreamed I was sitting in the first row at church during Mass. I was situated in front of a huge statue afixed on the wall. Very suddenly, in my dream that statue came to life – and began to fall from the wall and I woke up terrified when it would have fallen on me. I was so traumatized that I remember it in detail to this day.

Later, I had another dream – or something – it might have been a dream but I felt it as though I was totally awake and to this day I remember it like it was yesterday. In the dream or vision I got out of bed, went to the dresser and took every statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and laid them face down. Then I went back to bed. When I woke up in the morning and saw what I had done I was appalled! Fear came over me as I looked at those statues laying face down, and I dreaded what would be the wrath to come for this blasphemy.

On another occasion my husband and I went on a trip alone for the first time without the children. The next morning we left the hotel and started out for a shrine. I immediately prayed as I always did, for protection from saint Christopher. No sooner had I said that prayer when a car slammed into us. I was injured and wore black and blue bruising from my shoulder down to my ankles. My knee had knocked over every one of those metal buttons you use to change channels on the radio. And …the baby’s car seat was destroyed (it was the mercy of God that we left the children with my parents). But as we stood outside our wrecked car and the police came, the ONLY thing I could think of was how on earth this happened immediately after my prayer. This bothered more than anything else in this event. It was all I could think of. God was making his point, though I had absolutely no idea of that at the time.

Little did I know …even in my youth God was showing me that he would someday show me the truth about statues and medals and everything concerning these things.