I am going to share a story with you about my family that is true and verifible. Some of it doesn't likely fit your theology but I think we can at least agree we should imitate those who in faith have gone before us. God is working.
Heb.6
[12] so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb.13
[7] Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.
St. Gianna and our little girl
I went to a debate last week between a Catholic priest and a protestant. Something very odd happened in the course of the evening and over the next morning. I became friends with a coworker who started work at the company I am with just after I did, about 1 year ago. He's Catholic as well. I invited a guy from work to go to the debate between a Catholic priest a protestant. We were talking about the debate the next morning at work and I brought up some difficulties my wife had had with my little girl, Gianna. Let me step back a bit.
Nearly 7 years ago my wife, a new Catholic, began a strong spiritual connection and devotion to Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla. You likely know of her. Blessed Gianna is a woman who choose to save her child (she was diagnosed with large fibroid) rather than her own life (
www.saintgianna.org). Prayers to this woman have never failed my wife. Six years ago we were in Fargo, ND after our boy was born. We stopped at a local Catholic book store as my wife was looking for an NFP book. With 7 children, we were thinking we were going to slow down on having babies for a while. The manager of the book store, Janelle, strongly believed that Catholics were using NFP for birth control and so she didn't even have an NFP book in her store. She happened to know of Blessed Gianna and gave us a pamphlet on the Blessed Gianna Maternity Home in, Minto, North Dakota, and gave my wife a poster of Blessed Gianna. My wife was thrilled. She told Janelle "if Andrew had been a girl we were thinking of naming him Gianna". Janelle said "you can name your next baby Gianna". Well two years later in September we found out that we were going to have a baby, due in the middle of May. We found out that the baby was a girl in January and on February 19th Pope John Paul II announced that he was going to canonize Blessed Gianna Berreta Molla, Saint Gianna, on May 16, 2004. Also the woman we invited to be godmother in November, before we knew of this canonization, said she would be going to Rome in May. Turns out she was at the canonization. My wife also goes to a pro-life doctor who was to deliver the baby. Along the way we found out she had a devotion to Blessed Gianna and was going to be going to Rome for the canonization. Thus our little girl was induced before she left. Our little girl, Gianna Mary Hunt, was born on May 11, 2004 at 3:30 in the afternoon. Coincidentally the exact time the godmother was leaving for Rome. I believe our baby was the last baby our doctor delivered before she went to Rome! She was at the canonization as well. I've never known one person at a canonization, but at this one I happened to know two people who were there.
Over the years this story has given my wife and me comfort when people make rude comments about us having too many kids. In fact it almost makes me laugh when they say it because I know that God brought little Gianna, who is simply a joy and makes me laugh and smile every time I see her.
Now what does this have to do with my friend at work? Well, as I said, I started to talk to him about my little girl Gianna and got to the part about the book store in Fargo. He said "I am part owner in that book store". Have you ever felt those chills? I told him the whole story related to you above. I do not believe this to be a coincidence and think God was reviving this story at this time for his purpose. I live in Minneapolis where 3 million people live. What is the chance that I would become friends with a guy that owns that store? What's this about? I asked God that question all day yesterday and last night. I picked up a pamphlet my wife had on St. Gianna and read it and think I found the answer there.
Over the years I have felt like this St. Gianna had a special purpose for this country. I think that the events expressed in this letter are confirmation of that. At the end of the pamphlet it says "May Blessed Gianna intercede for all of us who must live in the culture of death, especially for all the mothers who are tempted by fear or selfishness to destroy the lives of their unborn children. May she give us her powerful aid from Heaven to build the culture of life.". I truly believe that the canonization of St. Gianna was for this country and that this Saint will play a role in the victory we have not yet been able to win. I request your help in spreading the name of Gianna in whatever way you can.
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