This is a statue of a young Mary, mother of Jesus, in my parents' parish, Mother Cabrini in Littleton, CA. She looks like a woman of action, doesn't she?

From Today's psalm reading, no. 34: "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves." I have a friend who is receiving treatment for a rare auto immune disease. He's gone to Chicago to receive it and has had stem cells removed while he receives chemotherapy. The stem cells will be returned to his system and he will have to re build an immune system. from scratch. Our friend, Jim, is a searcher! In college, he drove his motorcycle to Washington state to see an eclipse, because that was the best vantage point from which to see it. He asked us if we wanted to go and I'm sure we just stared at him. Uh, we were gonna go to class and team practice. He had built and set up a giant telescope on the roof of his dorm. We went to his wedding back in the 80's. He joined the Air Force and was a fighter pilot, having somehow gotten around the color blind test. He was color blind. Fast forward: he has three children (one named Katie) and is separated from his wife. He has retired from the USAF and is now working with his brother in real estate. He ran/power walked a marathon last fall and immediately experienced symptoms that led him to the diagnosis of this disease. It came on fast and furiously.

I asked him (via Facebook) how he was doing. He is living temporarily in an apartment high above Lake Michigan with two women who also are coping with this same disease. They are angels!! They take him to his appointments and generally take care of him as they are further along in the treatment and are on their way to health. Jim shared that he does believe in the power of prayer.. and that he's doing a lot of it himself. So bring it on!! he says. After the Super Bowl , he wrote "you can DROP KICK me into the loving healing arms of touchdown Jesus ! I am just so lucky and grateful to have loving friends like you. I just feel so grateful - this illness - has been the biggest blessing of my life. I think you know what Iam saying!" "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted." I am so grateful.