"Truly love and mercy itself."⁠ •⁠ A friend recently shared that her mom was diagnosed with COVID-19. She battled the sickness in ICU where she received last rites. My friend stood on prayer, and realize even in the darkness of the diagnosis, she saw God's love palpable in the healthcare workers and that priest. She shared how she knows Jesus enters into our suffering, how Jesus told St. Faustina: "My daughter, suffering will be a sign to you that I am with you." The suffering, it's hard to know what do with it. I struggle with this daily. Still, wonderfully, her mama returned home where she's recovering and starting a long road. ⁠ •⁠ I met this friend once on a retreat many moons ago. Her joy was just as tangible as it was when, some years later on a different continent, I unwittingly tried to ignore her as she walked straight towards me while I headed to the chapel for prayer. Honestly, I hadn't wanted to pray that morning. Things that day weren't going as I'd planned, so I took a l...