Happy Twenty-Fourth Sunday! Well, for those who have been in the loop on the latest school news, this past week we launched our new school website, which, after many months of hard work, felt like an exciting relief. If you haven’t seen it yet, maybe take a peek at the fresh new look! It will soon be joined by an updated church website, which is currently in the final stages of completion. We live in a digital-native world, so the gospel often needs to meet people at our virtual doorsteps to invite them to our physical doorsteps. May God bless all the families out there looking for a safe harbor to educate their children.
Speaking of news, I have a personal update on the progress of my hand injury. Two weeks ago, I went to my follow-up appointment at OrthoMichigan. My doc said that the visual inspection of the skin and newly growing nails looks good. The x-rays look generally unchanged from a month prior. So, the bones still “look” broken. Given the fact that I haven’t experienced any pain or pressure sensitivity, I was a bit surprised (and a little bummed) by that. I’ve been so careful and safe! But the doctor did not seem too concerned.
It turns out that especially in the case of finger bone tuft fractures, the visual evidence of bone healing on x-rays lags far behind the functional healing of the bone. Unmineralized cartilage and tough fibrous tissue will form at the fracture sites to stabilize the bone initially. But since these connective tissues lack calcium, they do not block x-rays or show up on the film. It routinely takes six to twelve months for the bones to fully re-mineralize and appear healed on film.
It’s also possible that, long term, the bones will retain a fibrous union without mineralizing. This is a common outcome for tuft fractures, and is still considered clinical healing, with no need for surgery. But my hobbies involve a lot of finger dexterity, so I’m hoping and praying for full bone healing! I’ve started taking a daily Calcium+Vitamin D combo supplement to ensure that I’m doing my part to help the cause. I still have some mild skin tightness and discomfort surrounding the scar tissue of my middle finger, and a few localized spots of slight numbness. So, if you ever think of it, keep these digits in your prayers!
All of our Scriptures today link mercy with judgment, and the rules of the gospel are pretty clear about it. If you want eternal mercy for yourself, you can’t keep the receipts of injustice and withhold forgiveness from others. It can be a truly fearful proposition. But the good news is that the exchange rates are in our favor. Keep uncovering all the moral bills we’ve conveniently thrown away without opening, and eventually we come to terms that we owe far more unjust debt than is owed to us. In light of God’s offer to cancel it all, will we hold up our end of the bargain? That’s up to each of us. Just reverently recall that at the end of life, all debts are rendered. What will Jesus find on your final balance sheet?
From Fr. Brian