Thank You!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the continued prayers and cards and good wishes sent to heaven for me and to me! Y’all have been so generous in thoughts, prayers, and gifts to help us get through this! It is a beautiful thing to experience such love and support! My goodness, when I stop and think about it I am speechless. Thank you all for everything!

My parents and family thank each of you, too! They have been blessed by the show of love by you for me and for them. They send their gratitude also! Thank you!

The prayers lifted up for me have brought to me a great place and quicker than expected. The surgeons and the doctors tending to me are encouraged by how well I am doing. I am feeling good and all my numbers are good. As we look to the next part of this treatment – surgery with chemotherapy during the surgery – everyone is extremely positive.

NEXT PHASE
The next phase is a massive surgery on September 1st to get all the cancer out of my abdomen (this includes a hot chemotherapy wash of the inside of my abdomen). Then, I get back to what I am doing now – recovering from surgery. Between now and the surgery, I need to increase my endurance through cardio and exercise (being assisted by some wonderful people at St. Joseph’s/Candler Wellness Center) and continue to lose or maintain my weight.

They also want me to resume my duties as best I can. I will begin to celebrate daily mass and work my way up to weekend masses (it takes a lot of energy even to say mass myself right now!). You will begin seeing me around the parish and at a few events but I will not push it too hard. I know I cannot get back 100% right now. Thank goodness, I have people in my life and at the office who will tell me when to go rest! Pray that I listen to them and won’t be stubborn and try to do too much too soon (your pastor has a hard head)!

OFFERING AND LISTENING
I offer my suffering for each of you, that the Lord Jesus will continue the good work He has begun in you and bring it to fruition and help you grow in holiness and union with Him. Mary, in today’s Gospel, chose the better part by sitting and listening to Jesus. Our Lord has given me this time to sit with Him and listen to Him. I have a Martha propensity, so please pray that I can be more Marian and listen and ponder things in my heart! Maybe we all need to be more Marian, more contemplative. St. John Paul II said that silent listening to the Lord should be a part of every Christian’s life. May you and I increase our efforts to do this and allow Him to draw us closer to Himself and become holy.

May the Lord Jesus bless you abundantly this week!
I can’t wait to be back with you full time!

~ Fr. Daniel Firmin

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