Having shared my fears about eye surgery before my second operation in the September issue of the Catholic Review, I thought I would share the results afterward. As you can imagine, as I am able to see to be able to write this column, the operations went well.
I had cataracts removed, first from my left eye, then waited two weeks to have the second surgery. While I still struggle to read very fine print without my glasses, I am able to drive and read without glasses. That is nothing less than a medical miracle. I feel very much like the blind man in the Gospel of Mark, who leaped for joy when he was cured.
I want to again thank my surgeon, Dr. Ivan Garcia, who always prays with his patients before surgery. I want to again thank Drs. Dana and Ed Wazlowski, my optometrists, who cared for me before, during and after my surgery. As I’ve already written, they even shared their home with me the night of the surgery!
You and I live in what any previous generation would call an age of miracles. I’ve shared in past columns how I almost died of a kidney infection in high school seminary, but was saved at St. Agnes Hospital. I’ve been in auto accidents in which my car was totalled, but I was able to walk away. I couldn’t even see writing on the blackboard in the first grade, but glasses saved me.
We live in a society in which the big news is always the bad news. Hundreds of millions of people lead relatively peaceful lives every day, but broadcast news is always about the wars and the calamities and the tragedies.
Someone has said that if the only prayer we said was: “Thank you, God,” we would be very holy people. I think that’s true.
Yes, we do experience individual losses and pains, but, as a whole, our lives would be considered miraculous by virtually every previous generation. The fact that we have easy access to food and clean water and housing would amaze those who discovered and settled this continent. The fact that we can cure and prevent so many diseases would amaze those who came before us.
The word Eucharist, what we commonly call the Mass, means “giving thanks.” We like to accept good things from God. Let’s not fail to say thanks by gathering together weekly and by praying personally daily. Life really is a gift. So we give thanks to God, and thanks for all those who made our lives the miracles that they are.
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