Gaining Sight

Before I left for Maryland last August to begin with the Franciscans, I had a large image of the Divine Mercy that I wanted to give away.  I had it framed and given to my local parish.  When I came back in February, I looked around the church and didn’t notice it so I asked the pastor.  He said he did not have room for it in the church, and had given it to the school.

I went to the school to find out that the image was locked away in a closet and was not being used, even during Divine Mercy Sunday.  So, I asked for it back, and decided I would give it to another pastor who I knew wanted it and would use it.

I had arranged to have a friend help pick it up and deliver it the Friday before last.  Well that morning, I was talking with my mother, who is struggling with meningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer (that’s a technical way of saying cancer on her brain).  The family has received so many prayers and support like we’ve never seen before.  Food, visitors, helps of all sorts from different directions.  Reconciliations with old family and friends and neighbors.   And she’s been doing amazingly better than anyone expected – the doctors did not think she would still be alive.

So we were talking about listening to the Lord, when she said regarding the big white wall that faces her bed in her room, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a huge Divine Mercy image on that big blank wall?”  See, she didn’t know about the image, that I was planning to pick up the image 2 hours later to bring it to the other church.  But now I knew there was a change of plans.  It was coming to her.  I told her a little later, “I’m bringing a surprise.”

When we brought it in, she couldn’t believe it.  It was a very powerful experience.  (A picture is in the post on June 17: The Divine Mercy Image in Mom’s Room.)  And things began to happen right away.

My friend who helped me deliver the image is a friend of Mother Angelica, and so he told her a whole bunch of inspiring stories.  When he was about to leave, a brother from the Oblates of the Virgin Mary arrived with the Lord in Holy Communion.

He said to me afterwards, “I have never seen anything like that, what she said.”

After my mother received the Lord in Holy Communion, and spent time with the brother, her nurse arrived.  And when her nurse was finishing up with her, the local barber stopped by, and my parents’ living room was changed into a barber shop as she gave both my father and mother haircuts to prepare for my brother’s wedding.  We’ve never seen the house like that before!

Last week, we went to the doctor’s for the first time in a month, for a monthly treatment she is receiving for cancer.  The nurse practitioner was amazed at how she has turned around and has been progressing: “This is miraculous.  We have never seen this before.”  She gave her a 6-refill prescription for her treatment meds: “and that six refills should be a indication of our confidence.”  The doctor came in and said, “We thought we lost you.  This never happens.  We are amazed.”  There was excitement and happiness.

We went to visit the staff on the 6th floor of the hospital, where she had stayed for 9 days in April.  They were amazed to see her.  Her case manager said to us, “I’ve heard of these things happening, but I’ve never seen it.  There must have been a  lot of prayer.”

“And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying: ‘We never saw anything like this!'”  (Mk 2:12)

When we trust in God, we live the greatest moments.  We see things we have never seen before.  Praise God!