This is one of those blog posts from which some readers may conclude I am either lying or nuts. So, for the benefit of doubters, I will try to focus on facts and evidence. But before getting to the (seemingly?) miraculous part, I need to provide some background.
Last November, as I rearranged various items around the house while preparing for the upcoming Christmas season, I wanted to clear a table-top area to make room for our Nativity scene. So, I moved a statue of Blessed Mother (right) to a less conspicuous location in the master bedroom. But after squeezing it into one of our display cases, I found the spot too cramped. Consequently, I removed a San Damiano Cross (below) in order to make room for the Virgin Mary statue. Then I stored the Cross in a cabinet, out of view.
[Readers might remember that the unusual San Damiano Cross was the one St. Francis was praying before when God instructed him to go out and rebuild His Church.]
The next morning, however, Betsy (my wife) did not like that I had removed the figurine of the Virgin Mary. She had developed a fondness for the statue in that location because it had been visible from where she would always say her morning prayers. When Betsy stepped over to where the object had once been placed, however, she believes she received an unmistakable message.
Standing exactly where the statue had stood, she sensed a very meaningful aroma. It was a smell that she and I have both experienced before, but only in very prayerful situations. Some call this the "odor of sanctity" - a strong, pleasant aroma, much like the scent of roses. (Briefly described here.) Sometimes it accompanies oils, for example, that exude from holy statues. Yet, at other times, the fragrance seems to manifest itself in the air without any material accompaniment.
Now, I don't want to give the impression that we insist on coordinating our lives around signs and superstitions, but Betsy was adamant that Blessed Mother wanted her statue returned to its original setting. So, both the figurine and the Cross were placed in their earlier display locations.
Then, either that afternoon or the next day - I can't remember which - I received a wonderful gift in the mail. It was from an extremely generous Catholic friend who had attended a recent prayer gathering in New York; one which I had hoped to attend, but couldn't. In addition to Holy Mass and the Rosary, the prayer meeting had included an exposition of the Spiritual Gifts of Carmelo Cortez. (For more background on this amazing Catholic mystic, read here, here, here, and here.)
