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February 26, 2026 
(The 'genesis' of Augustine's Border)

Hi Everyone

    A little back story regarding augustines border and the music composition (home) featured in this blog...I revisited some projects I had worked on a while back and that’s where the motivation for this blog came from in preparation for the Lift Jesus Higher Rally.  After leaving the seminary with health issues in 2008, I dove head first into setting up my own music studio.  Since then I have left it behind but from that era I had written a few songs and recorded them semi-professionally.  The cd is comprised primarily of these recordings, along with some classical music I had composed for the late great Pope John Paul.  This inspired music was based on the Passion of Christ and consisted of a choral piece for SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass).  The text was taken from the scene of the Garden of Gethsemane mostly from St. Luke's Gospel.  I had the music printed onto fancy linen paper and placed it in a folder with a plastic cover.  This is what you can see in the pic below that I am showing to Papa.  It was an incredible day and maybe one day you will allow me the indulgence of sharing more in detail the events of that day and the profound moments leading up to the encounter with the Pope.  The main event I speak of is the foolish and vagabond adventure where I had left all behind and went backpacking through Europe.  I will however, give credit to God for this inspiration, and say that I had brought a second copy of this manuscript just in case I was actually going to get the chance to meet His holiness.  Once the Pope had passed me and started to make his way back shuffling with a big grin,  I sprang into action and took advantage of the fact that his personal secretary, Monsignor Stanislaus Dziwisz, was still lingering an arms length before me.  With one hand I held up my "Promise Keepers" pen and with the other I held up the backup manuscript I had brought.  The original manuscript of course was given to Pope John Paul as a thank you gift for his dedication and sacrifice to the church at large.  Going back to the Pope's secretary, with pen and manuscript in hand and my arms outstretched, Mons. Stanislaus instinctively knew before I could even gesture what I was hoping to achieve.  He swooped in and grabbed my pen and manuscript and swiftly caught up with Papa in the middle of this grand reception room square in front of this massive board room table.  He grabbed the Pope's arm and swung it over gently to reveal what was his duty in this grace filled moment.  Papa then placed the manuscript firmly on the table and with his left hand peeled away with conviction the plastic protective cover to reveal the title page to which He signed with a flourish:            

       JPII.    25-VI-99." 

The secretary then called me into the middle of the room to collect this treasure I still hold today as a reminder of the greatest moment of my life.  Well, I guess I am sharing a good portion of what happened that unbelievable June morning on Vatican Hill.  But, there really is so much more to say...one day, maybe?.  If you do buy the cd, you will see under the cd tray the exact moment when Papa is signing my piece of music.  The above picture is a closeup of the actual signature on the document:

(picture below is JPII signing my music)

Most of the proceeds generated from this blog will be directed toward the paramount work of the Gate 

to Heaven Ministry.  Being called to this ministry so shortly after having left the Religious Life is actually what 'saved' my life in more ways than one.  I also included on this special cd a recording of the Luminous Mysteries rosary that Fr. Occhio of late memory helped me to produce.  For now you can 'sample' all of the songs and I have set them to some visual backgrounds hosted on youtube.  I must admit, preparing for the "Lift Jesus Higher Rally" happening in mid March has really motivated me to get this project kickstarted.  I have been procrastinating for about seven years at least.  I guess this was God's timing since it is happening quite organically.  I hope for this blog to be a creative space where others can share as well.  If it becomes possible there may be an opportunity to have some sort of message board or 'chatroom' using ancient terms where we can all respectfully share about the G2H ministry and I can use this opportunity also in a less formal way to break open and unpack many of the extremely dense and deep teachings that God reveals to Rachel.  

   

 This blog will also serve a second purpose besides a home for anything related to 'augustines border' and the creation and selling of related products as mainly a fundraising adventure.  The other purpose of course I see it as a chance to give me the freedom to comment on the Gate to Heaven Ministry to which I belong and strongly support.  I do this because at the outset in 2009 when I first met Rachel, God used my spiritual hero, Pope John Paul II (Papa) to 'recruit' me.  If you want to know more about this process please stay tuned for more blog posts but also please support the wonderful work the Lord is doing by purchasing our books, rosaries, music, sacred images, and much more.  I mention these because one of the four books we are offering is on the Great, St. John Paul and within this book there are a few messages and stories that involve him asking me to help out in this wonderful ministry.  Thanks for your time and the pic below was from one particular warm sunny morning in June of 1999, the private apartments at the Vatican and definitely the day that changed my life.