Vigilant through Our Trials

Maria is off on her own today!  The first time that her mom hasn't driven her and been by her side since we together faced the birth of her son, Patrick, two weeks from tomorrow!  I feel a bit lost and sad not to be with her today, but she knows that it could be the entire day away hopefully normally feeding her son.  This has to happen for him to be able to come home, and she is quite determined to start first thing this morning!  So my prayers are rising with the morning sun to HIM  that her heartfelt wish to make strides towards bringing her son home may be answered!  WE all yearn to have him here in the heart of his loving family, and to think that he is so healthy and content is such an answer to prayer!  Maria just called and I almost got my wish to be with her today... the doctor hasn't been there yet, and they needed more of her milk, so now Joe is running it in to her.  It is best that he be by her side to support her as they wait with as much patience as they can muster and vigilance for their little Lamb, Patrick. 

This morning Joseph had out his guitar and the kids were around him dancing and happy!  Now he is off to support his wife and son.  Such a blessing that he seems to have returned from Afghanistan unharmed inside and out!  As with John's terrifying appearance of brain cancer 3 years ago... it brought the family together and included so many others in our Spiritual Family of Prayer as we battled for John.  Now we are all united around Patrick and it brought his father back home to the loving and empty arms of his family.  Now they have their dad!  And hopefully soon they will have little Patrick home to grow and discover the wonderful domestic church/family that he has been blessed with. 

Just as Joe returned with great JOY to the loving arms of his family... each day he was away was one of constant prayer for his welfare as he found himself often in harms' way!  So will the rejoicing be heard to the highest heavens when we are able to bring their son, Patrick Joseph, home!  Today Christ speaks to us in the Gospel - Luke 12: 35-38

"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival."  In the midst of Trials we are to not be doubting or lose faith but we are to be vigilant and Trust that the Lord is in control in the midst of the storm!  I have shared this story numerous times from the first day of our journey with John's cancer.   It was Father's Day 2009, and John's double vision that was getting worse by the day forced me to make a decision to take him into the ER in Marshall for a CT scan.  It showed a growth in his brain!!!  We stopped at home on our way to Sioux Falls and called France to tell Hallel.   Divine Providence made it possible to speak to her - she was close to the phone!  This is what she said to me, when I told her that John had something in his brain..."Mom, did you hear the Gospel for today?"  It was Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4..."Mom, this is the storm, and Jesus is in control."  Yes!  We got through that storm in our weak and hopelessly terrified state by being lowered into His Presence and forgiven and healed - walking away carrying our mat!  We must not lose faith but gain greater faith through our trials!  

The rosary given to Patrick early in his journey by an old man, who prayed this many times for his son, Patrick, who has Downs Syndrome.  So true that we find such beautiful gifts of Faith on our journey - most especially the difficult storms and trials - when we really need all the blessings and graces that we can receive through our amazing Church!  Jesus, we thank and praise you for the times of weakness that we need you!  That is when we must keep our faith and Trust no matter what!  May we be vigilant in our trials and stand at the roadside calling out to Jesus as the blind man, who would't be stilled...

Mark 10:46-52

New International Version (NIV)

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

^{46 "}Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."
It just tells us that Jesus has the power, and we must never stop calling out to him in our need!  

A stainglass windows of feeding the 10 thousand in the Eucharistic chapel at St Patrick's Cathedral!  The boy is holding the fish and Jesus is blessing the bread that He then broke and distributed with baskets of fragments left over!  We are fed, O Lord with everlasting food of your Body and Blood!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia

Lord, make a way for Patrick to make more steps towards being more and more whole and healed this day.  Bless-bless, Barb

Psalm 104

A grand Hallel psalm!

"Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord God, how great you are,

clothed in majesty and glory,

wrapped in light as in a robe!

I will sing to the Lord all my life,

make music to my God while I live.

May my thoughts be pleasing to him.

 I find joy in the Lord.

Bless the Lord, my soul."

The windows to our temple within the soul - we fall before you, LORD!