"The readines is all." William Shakespeare

Ave Maria!  I am SO ready for my little operation tomorrow, thanks be to God!  Before today, I was almost dreading it, but this morning in my parish I went to confession, then attended Mass and received Holy Communion, and afterward was anointed with the Sacrament of the Sick by dear Fr. Van Vliet, FSSP.  My good friend Loria was with me (except for confession...LOL...but after all these years she already knows all my sins anyway!), making it all the more of a special occasion and a happy celebration.  WOW!  So many marvelous graces in just a little over an hour and a half!  It is true that God, in His goodness and mercy, gives us myriad graces all day long and all night, too.  But the graces flowing from the sacraments are different, truly heart-altering, life-changing, breath-taking.  I could feel them streaming in abundance from God through Fr. Van Vliet, his chosen ordained minister, onto me.  Now I am so incredibly invigorated and uplifted, both in soul and body.  I realize anew with humble gratitude how surrounded and sustained I am by the love of God and of the many wonderful people who are praying for me and cheering me on.  My faithful friend Tom, who gives me a ride to church every weekday morning, summed it up perfectly when he said to me, "You're armed!"  I am indeed -- and in the best way possible, "strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power," armed with the very armor of God Himself, which St. Paul exhorts us to put on -- the belt of truth, the breastplate of justice, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6:10-17).  Is there anything else I need?  I think not.  "For what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth?  For thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever" (Psalm 72:25-26).  The plan is for Loria to drive me to the hospital tomorrow morning, but right now I'm tempted to think that I could get there myself on my God-given hinds feet (Habakkuk 3:19) and eagles wings (Isaiah 40:31)!  Deo gratias!

My heart is ready, O God; my heart is ready.
I will sing, I will sing your praise.
~Psalm 57:8