BREAKAWAY - A Time for Miracles

Scott Shepard, a former Air Force test pilot and retired commercial airline captain accepts a part-time managerial position at the Loretto Chapel in his home town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Chapel is known for it’s legendary 'Miraculous Staircase.'The spiral staircase built in 1868 from wood and held together with wooden pegs has no center support. Its unique engineering design and construction was finished in complete isolation by an unknown stranger. The Sisters of Loretto credit Saint Joseph. There are 33 stairs...the age of Christ at the time of his death. Only weeks after Shepard’s arrival at Loretto; the stairway develops a small fracture, a crack in its wooden support...a trigger event for new miracles that will soon follow. Scott Shepard’s retirement is about to end. His life is about to change forever by a visit from an angel...butnot a Sunday School angel that Shepard may have remembered as child. Michael, the Arch Angel guided by God’s command and embodied with the power to intervene in the affairs of nations in accordance with His principles of righteousness visits the Chapel in a most unique encounter: There’s a knock on Shepard’s office door at the Chapel...it opens, and a distinguished gentleman wearing a dark blue blazer, white open collar shirt and khaki trousers hesitantly introduces himself. 'Good afternoon, Mr. Shepard. I’m Michael St. John from Loretto’s Denver office. I received your call regarding the fracture in the staircase. I was here earlier and met with your secretary, Sandy and made an initial inspection of the choir staircase.' Shepard stands up from his desk offering a handshake while gathering his thoughts.'Yes, hello Michael, thanks for following up on my request. I hope we don’t have too much expense on this project.' Michael hands his report to Shepard. Scott reads it briefly looking at its findings. 'I see you don’t identify the cause of the crack in your report Michael, what do you think happened? ' 'It’s the climate here, the high altitude and the air is very dry. It was only a matter of time before the wood dried to a certain point and began to crack. Scott looks up from the report, 'I don’t see an estimate on the repair cost Michael?''Actually the cost is very minimal Scott...Could we have a look at the stairway? I’ll explain.' They walk together from the lower level office and up a flight of stairs to the sanctuary. Scott and Michael walk to the rear of the Chapel and the stairway; Scott raises his hand pointing to the area where the repair was needed. Scott looks closer but there’s no sign of the crack or any wood separation. The entire length of the stairway looks as though it has already been repaired and totally refinished. Scott is amazed and elated. 'Michael, it looks outstanding! It’s repaired completely. I can’t even see where the repair work was done. When and how did you do it?'Michael quietly laughs and smiles.'Scott, what would you say if I told you it was a miracle?'Scott replies; ' I like your miracle Michael...but what’s it going to cost?'Michael replies, 'The cost is not monetary.' he pauses for a moment. 'I need you to trust me...and also have faith in God.'Scott at first doesn’t know how to respond. Michael is direct and serious...and looks directly into Scott’s Eyes.Hesitantly and with a sense of the moment and of Michael’s presence Scott answers;'Michael, your faith is overwhelming...much stronger than mine. I don’t know if I believe in miracles anymore. I sometimes wonder if there is a God at all...' Scott Shepard’s life is about to change...