AN INTIMATE ENCOUNTER WITH GRACIE ANN AT HOLY MASS
By Jeremy Lustig (Her daddy)
This evening I was blessed with the most supernatural consolation I have ever been blessed to witness. I write these words, with fear as to what people will think of me, and therefore I won’t be sending this out as I have the previous text messages. I am documenting this, as someday I know I will have the courage to really share.
I took Madison, Savannah and Nicholas to Mass with me this evening. In our usual fashion, since Kerry’s transplant, we sat at the very back of the church. We always do this to decrease the chance of getting sick (no one to cough from behind). We were sitting at the far northeast corner, in the back pew. We were the last to go up to receive the Eucharist, and I always allow my family to go before me, therefore I was the last to go. (This side of the church seems to go slowly, and therefore I believe that I was the last one in the church to receive the sacrament.) As we always do, when I returned to the pew, I knelt down to pray.
I had been praying for only 10 or 20 seconds when I recall saying aloud (yet under my breath) “oh, Gracie”. When I did, everything changed. I felt myself flying forward, as it would feel if you were on a swing and someone pushed you forward. My surroundings completely changed, I was still on the side of the alter, but now I was up at the front row and there were no other parishioners that I remember. The alter, floor, ceiling, well everything was now bright white. There were yellow streaks of color with small pink streaks as well coming down from the upper left to the lower right. Standing on the steps going up to the alter was my sweet angel, Gracie Ann.
Her hair was golden and curled. She appeared older, maybe 4 years old, but I could be wrong since I had never seen her as a toddler (she was always infantile even though she was almost 2 years old). She was wearing her white baptismal gown and had her left hand and arm extended towards me. She said, “come on daddy” as if we were going to the park to play. At this moment the alter-rail was not in view and I was on the lower steps. I reached my hand towards her and she grabbed my hand. It seemed as though she was going to lead me by the hand and we were going to go somewhere, but that is not what happened. Instead, she took my hand and immediately transferred it into another outstretched hand, palm up. She placed my hand in HIS. Gracie Ann then patted the top of my hand in a manner that told me “everything is going to be okay daddy”. Now, my hand lay in what I assumed was the hand of Christ. It was big, strong, firm, yet I was given this feeling of security and love. (It was like holding the hand of my dad as I remember it when I as a small child - so secure, caring, loving) I immediately looked up, to verify who’s hand I was holding. HIS face was so bright, almost transparent in appearance. I could only see the bright white light with rays of light shining out from the center, and could not make out any facial features, but irregardless, I knew it was HIM.
Instantly, I opened up my eyes in an effort to see everything better. Just as soon as I did, my body was “swung backwards” and I was back in my position in the last pew, with all the other parishioners in front of me. The colors was dull, browns, etc. I was back here again. Quickly I closed my eyes again, and again, and again. Never to see what I had just seen.
I have never wanted to get back to somewhere so badly again, but as you know the end of this story - here I am. Until then, Dear Lord and Gracie Ann, the brief moment I had with you both was one that will permanently be embossed in my memory. The consolation you gave me is the biggest and best gift I have ever been offered. I have always been fearful that when I baptized by sweet Gracie Ann, I did it wrong.
I feared that her salvation rested on my shoulders, and I just knew that while our Lord was so forgiving, I had this small fear of “what if?” I now know, with out a shadow of a doubt, you sweet girl are in the most loving hands our our Lord. Praise you Jesus. And thank you.
love,
Jeremy
