Hi everyone! I have a friend who is in some very significant need of prayer. Of course, as the problems were shared with me in total confidence I can not say anything beyond this. But the Lord knows the intention in my heart and to whom it is directed, so your prayers will efficaciously build on my own. Thank you all in advance!

There is also a member of my church named "Anna" who is having health issues, and could use some prayers. As a helpful suggestion for both of these individuals and for others, St. Raphael has tremendous intercessory power where it specifically relates to healing. Asking for him to pray along with us will be helpful.

My life continues to be a real whirlwind-- but I have quadruple-downed on turning to the Lord these past few nights especially, and to say it's been fruitful is an understatement! I feel like the strongest spiritual hurricane couldn't knock me over-- or that an Earthquake couldn't even swallow me up. I say this as a reminder, to myself especially but to all of you as well, that God is strongest when we are weakest: like an empty glass, our own deficit creates a greater opportunity for God's grace to fill us.

Over these past few nights, God has presented a couple of helpful metaphors, along with corresponding imagery. I only have time to type one of them up right now, hopefully I can do the other one in the coming days.

I asked God if Autism and other conditions like it were bugs, or features-- are they results of our fallen natures, or gifts of the Holy Spirit? He put the image in my mind of a perfect sphere: perfectly round, down to the sub-atomic level and even beyond, to infinity-- incomparably and perfectly polished and reflective too. This is God.

Then he showed me the picture of what I can best describe as a disco ball, but with ninety percent of the panels smashed and scuffed. This is us. Each panel is some attribute which we have. But the surfaces are not perfectly round-- not even close. They are flat panels, merely approximating a sphere when assembled.

To stick with the Autism example, people on the spectrum are often fantastic planners, great with details, and make connections which others miss. Also very often, they are super empaths, which is what leads to them feeling tired after social engagements.

God has all of our gifts, but perfectly and totally. Being absolutely complete, the positive aspects of the Autist are qualities which God also shares- ergo, overlooking or, to take it further, criticizing those qualities would also be criticizing God, which is nonsensical.

While it's true that the Autist suffers, so too do all humans in their own unique ways. This is because, unlike God, we are not complete. We are made in His likeness-- disco balls are roughly spherical, after all-- but our coarseness and obvious imperfections are what cause us grief. To not suffer would require us to be perfect. And no one is perfect except for God.

So just know that God loves you so, so much, as the misshapen disco ball you are. And always remember that He shares your best qualities-- qualities you should never discount, because in doing so you would be discounting Him too!

Friday: A healing ministry night at "the big church in town". Saturday: Serving at First Saturday Mass, and Adoration afterwards too. Sunday: Lectoring and leading the Pastoral Council election process. So many blessings that the Lord is leveraging all of our gifts in so many myriad ways!