By Rhonda Zweber

Immediately, things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized…and began at once to proclaim Jesus…as the Son of God. (Acts 9 18-20)

How many times have you seen something over and over again, and then one day, the scales fall from your eyes and you see the situation in a totally different light? I call them close moments.

Jesus is the one who “opened” my eyes at Sunday Mass just two days after being diagnosed with breast cancer.  I was still processing the news of my diagnosis and I had many thoughts going through my mind when a peace came over me.  I looked around the church when something absolutely amazing happened. There were light beams shining down on the women in our faith community who had gone through breast cancer before me. Literally, light shining on them! And they weren’t sitting by each other, they were scattered around the sanctuary. I looked to see where the sun was located at that time of the morning and it was shining outside but this source of the light was not coming from that sun. I believe that God sent His angels to point out to me those women who would be there for me as I began my journey. The light was like the flash of light that Saul saw which caused him to fall off his horse. If I was sitting on a horse at that moment, I can surely bet that I would have fallen right off of it too! The scales on my eyes did not allow me to see these women before that moment as breast cancer survivors and certainly not understanding what they had gone through. I had been seeing these women Sunday after Sunday, some I saw more often, but until I was diagnosed I had not given them much thought or concern. I felt and still feel a little ashamed about that.

When the Holy Spirit filled Saul he began to turn his life around and as we know he became one of the greatest apostles. Without realizing it at that time The Holy Spirit had opened my eyes and my heart and I began to see life differently. And, like Saul, I continue to share my commitment to Jesus.

Rhonda Zweber and her husband of 22 years, have three beautiful daughters. After being a stay home mom for the girls’ informative years, she joined her parish staff and is the Pastoral Care Associate at St. Michael Catholic Church in Prior Lake, MN. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Rhonda’s faith began to grow and she created the Pink Prayer Warriors ministry at her church to support and pray for other cancer warriors. She shares her trust and faith in God’s plan for her and she is currently working on her second book which documents her faith journey through cancer. Her first book, Mommy’s Hats, is her cancer story through the eyes of her youngest daughter.