When the Homily is about Immunology

Pause and count your blessings

I spent a good deal of energy complaining that we staffers here in the lab are being asked not to use the freight elevators and instead to use the main clinic elevators. Inconvenient, time consuming...blah blah blah.

I just got off those elevators after getting my lunch and in the midst of that brief 30 second ride now find myself a different man. Yes, if you are a regular here then you've read it before...but so what. If you are like me, you need these lessons.

A young family were riding along with me. Mom carried a young boy who looked to be the age of my eldest son Nicholas...completely bald and looking terribly sick...clearly tired of the poisons we were giving him in our efforts to kill the cancer. As they left, I heard him softly say, "Momma, my leg hurts." It was heartbreaking, and I nearly lost it as I passed the next two floors.

I am guessing that the vast majority of us have NOTHING to complain about, NOTHING to be depressed about, and NOTHING we can fairly count as a real problem. Give me perspective Lord...and forgive me for complaining about something so assinine as a long elevator ride.

For that little boy:

O Holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and bodies, who hast sent thine Only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to heal all our ailments and deliver us from death: do thou visit and heal thy servant, granting him release from pain and restoration to health and vigor, that he may give thanks unto thee and bless thy Holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.