Marian Helper • Spring 2022 • marian.org 11 In the infusion chair, I extended my left arm as instructed, and my nurse injected a burning jab before she would insert the very long intravenous tube up my arm. It didn’t work. She jabbed again and the IV failed again. Another jab, and my arm was aflame with redhot pain. All the while, I clenched my newly recovered Rosary discreetly in my right hand. It felt like ‘The Twilight Zone’ “Jesus, this is for You,” I silently prayed. “You suffered intensely for me. I offer my pain, my fears, and my uncertainty for Your holy will. Please get me through this.” Suddenly, the realization of the profound timing of my dire situation pierced my brain. Wow, this is happening as Holy Week approaches. God is in control. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted. My nurse spoke up. “No offering it up here!” What? How could she know I was praying silently? I was absolutely stunned. She didn’t miss a beat. “It is not as if nails are being driven into the palms of your hands.” How uncanny! It felt like “The Twilight Zone”! I couldn’t remain silent. “Yes! I am offering it all up to God.” I needed to defend my position. Well, that sure broke the ice! The infusion finally commenced. I asked her if I would be able to travel in a week. She wanted to know the purpose of the trip. I told her I was a Catholic author and speaker and would be presenting at a women’s conference. “Oh! I am a Catholic. But not a very good one,” she answered. I felt compelled to ask if I could give a copy of one of my books to her. She said, “Yes!” It turned out that the infusion procedure was not a “one-shot deal.” It would be 11 days of therapy to kill the deadly bacteria. That meant my nurse and I were engrossed in many long chats. On the very last day, I understood more fully why our dear Lord had allowed me to go through that suffering. When it was time to bid goodbye to my nurse, she surprised me. Right in the middle of the infusion room, she hugged me tight and loudly exclaimed, “Donna-Marie, you came into my life just when I needed you most!” Wow. What a gift! I thanked God for the opportunity to offer suffering to please Him, and to help another soul as well as my own. Great graces are given Yes, our Lord calls us to meditate upon His sorrowful Passion and to offer our sufferings to Him. In my book 52Weeks with Saint Faustina: AYear of Grace and Mercy, I wrote: It might be difficult to meditate upon the bloody wounds and the other sorrows and sufferings of Christ. After all, the human heart tends to recoil from suffering. In addition, pondering what Jesus suffered for love of us can make us very sad. Sister Faustina deeply loved her Lord Jesus and often meditated upon His Passion. In fact, Jesus asked her to do so. During the forthcoming season of Lent, we can recall Jesus’ requests to St. Faustina. For instance, the young mystic wrote in her Diary, “Jesus told me that I please Him best by meditating on His sorrowful Passion, and by such meditation much light falls upon my soul” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 267). Jesus told her, “There are few souls who contemplate My Passion with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on My Passion” (Diary, 737). We too, can aspire to please Jesus and be one of those “few souls.” As I noted in 52Weeks with Saint Faustina: When sufferings unfold in our own lives, we might want to run from the Cross. Yet our Lord calls us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him. He will help us through our afflictions: As our Divine Physician, He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Let us wholeheartedly trust God with our lives and pray for the most holy Lenten journey ever. Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, TV host and international speaker, is a best-selling author of more than 35 books, including 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina (Product code: B53-WEEKS) and Divine Mercy in a Woman’s Life (B53-DMFW). Visit ShopMercy.org/b53 to order these books.
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