Saturday, January 24, 2004
Dear Reader;
In sharing my Faith with you, I would like to try a slightly different approach.
I would like to share with you the first time I clearly remember God answering a prayer of mine?
In the Bronx, when I was growing up, I liked to climb rocks... you know big boulders. I wasn't real good with trees, but they would do, in a pinch! Anyway, sometimes my friends and I would climb buildings. Even though this was technically trespassing I didn't feel it was wrong because we didn't do it with malicious intent. Of course, if caught, the authorities (police) or the owners of the property might not agree.
One boring Saturday night in the Bronx, I decided to climb "Hill Top's" restaurant (the names have been changed to protect the ignorant). They also had wedding receptions and such. We would leave Douglas K. "lookout" cause he couldn't climb very well due to his being overweight. This evening it was Fred L., Doug and myself embarking on an evening of danger and exploration.
We waited for the right moment to ascend the first in a series of summits. When no one was around we entered the back alley of the bank, which led to the restaurant fence. There was barbed wire on the fence, that made our task more exciting. There were also large windows that provided air and a view to the outside. But, as I am sure you are well aware, someone looking from a well lit room out into the darkness cannot see anything. So, we knew that if we were quite we could make it to the top of this 'mountain' without any problem.
We had to actually use the bars on these windows to boost ourselves up to the next and highest roof. Before we ascended Lalli, as he was known to his friends, caught sight of some empty beer bottles. He picked one up and threw it, sending it sailing over the fence way out into the empty lot behind the bank where it crashed on some torn up cement!
We had to duck down quickly due to the fact that some men looked out the windows to see what was going on. We waited, holding our breath... minutes went by, we were ready to spring over the fence at the first sign of trouble... nothing. After a while Dougy showed his face again and gave us the all clear.
So, we climbed to the second and highest roof. Hill Top was situated on a high hill, in the Bronx. So, from it's roof, someone could see all the way to the Throgs Neck or Whitestone bridges. They looked like diamond necklaces in the night. I wouldn't admit it to my friends, but they were pretty.
On mounting the summit we enjoyed the feeling of achievement! We surveyed the night streets. Looking down at the cars driving by. The people walking and especially any chicks that we might gaze upon from our secret hideaway in the dark.
I found an empty liquor bottle... you know what that meant?
I went to hurl it to the cement that Fred had made use of earlier, but this time, as the bottle left my hand, it slipped... arching almost straight up and coming almost straight down... but not quite. It came crashing down on the lower roof where all the aluminum air conditioning vents were! What a sound!
In a flash, people were coming out on the roof and up the alley... Dougy was gone.
Fred and I were in the middle... we couldn't go back the way we came up and forward meant a two story drop and we would have had to run past several men to make it.
I grabbed Fred and we jumped for the next roof. It was the roof of the gas station on the corner. Just then police showed up! Squad cars all over the place! WOW!
Now we couldn't get off the building! There were literally police everywhere we looked,
behind the bank, all around the restaurant, in the empty lot and all over the gas station!
I told Fred to lay down on the garage roof. We were just a tad lower than Hill Top's roof, but it was pitch black. Both people and police started searching with flashlights, I thought this was it!
But, I was basically a good boy and I knew God existed or at least that is what the nuns told us, so I started saying the Memorare (pronounced - mem or R A). I was repeating the prayer under my breath, over and over again, fervently. The light from more than one flashlight swept over us many a time in the next few minutes, but no one saw us. I found this amazing! Then a cop climbed on some old tires behind the gas station... he was eye level with us... I was looking right at him through the darkness... he splashed his light back and forth across the roof stopping on Fred and I. He told us to get up and come to him. Fred went to move and I told him to lie still, he did. The cop repeated his command, we didn't budge.. but we were both ready to run. I kept praying! Finally...amazingly...after what seemed like an eternity...he climbed down and left. Can you believe that!
After awhile the men and police left the roof. They were still in the alley and around the gas station and the restaurant, but Fred and I were able to get into a crouching position and decide our next move. I suggested that we climb off the roof, one at a time, and split up. I told him to walk casually out across the gas station acting like we didn't know who each other was and what was going on. I went first...with my heart in my throat! I had to walk past several policemen. But, no one stopped me. As I was about to cross Westchester Road, at the traffic light, of course, Fred entered the gas station and was stopped and questioned. I went across the street and caught up with Dougy, who was waiting behind Blast Arrow (restaurant and kiddy park), in the shadows of the parking lot. We both waited for Fred, who was along in a moment.
After that, of course, I got a reputation for knowing how to elude the cops, but now you know different. It wasn't my cunning, but the grace and mercy of God answering the intercessory prayer of the Blessed Mother on behalf of her son!
Philip
"sharing the truth in love" Ephesians 4:15
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