Outside the Slayton's salesbarn when John was 1year old. Yesterday Pat was begging me to take along his 2 year old grandson... how he loved and loves those little ones! And how we are rejoicing today, as John was given new life a year ago today... as the stem cells that were harvested from him were replanted in him.... The three of us were together to watch the event, as a small IV bag of red cells slowly and carefully - two nurses were in the room monitoring and making sure that every last drop went into his port! John slept, and his dad and I prayed, and trusted, and hoped, and marveled... that our son was to mark this day as the first day of the rest of his life!
An Hallel psalm seems appropriate at this time! Hallel is the highest form of praise that David could muster - I think you will get the drift - Psalms 145-150 are Hallel Psalms and the ones around 100 are Grand Hallel Psalms! Psalm 149
Sing to the Lord a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king
Halleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance.
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord loves his people,
and adorns the lowly with victory.
Halleluia!
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful.
Halleluia!
His dad delighting in his first son...after our 4 daughters... he was very special and loved. And after the two hard losses we had before we had him... that made him so special. I know that his older sister - 3 year old Susan - cherished and protected him and continues to do that in prayer from France! She came to be with him and care for him as much as she could as we faced the giant - Cancer... but it was crazy amazing looking back to have her preparing to take a major step towards becoming a member of her Community of the Lamb at the same time that John was facing cancer, and Nancy and Bill were meeting, engaged, married and now expecting their first child. No wonder that when I walked down the aisle on the arm of my son... cancer free... the whole year and all that it contained just overwhelmed me! It was all in the Lord's hands and thanks to Him!
John grew up with a cousin... as close to a brother as he can get...John and Brad are just 6 weeks apart and Brad is the son of Ed and Rita - whom we farm with. Brad was so caring and supportive of John throughout his cancer journey! We all are eternally grateful to Ed and Rita - John's Godparents- and their family. Your prayers and love were so amazing and we know that because of the prayers that John is where he is at today.... healed cancer free and back living his life as the forever changed John. A person forever changed by his embracing bravely the Cross, that appeared suddenly and without warning in his life - cancer/healing! 
After John I lost 2 boys after carrying them for 5 months! As part of my grieving process - I made these two painting of them... For some reason today I just wanted to have them a part of all this sharing. I have no doubt that all of his siblings in heaven - there are 6 of them,and for a long time I thought that I couldn't carry boys, so all of them are named as boys except for the last one - Christopher, Thomas, Joseph, William, Robert and Mary pray for us! I know that all of John's siblings are having a big party in heaven today... they are wearing their birthday hats, and eating the most wonderful birthday cake, and filled with nothing but JOY! There is so much peace in my heart knowing that all the children I was supposed to have are either here with us or in heaven praying and rejoicing with us! The prayers are so needed and appreciated, and the excitement... knowing that we will have such a wonderful joyous welcoming committee when we hit heaven! It really makes a person strive to get there, and the prayers are very much needed also. When temptation hits...to think that my kids are watching me... truly makes me pause!
John's official 1 year picture, taken by mom! There will be no gathering today to celebrate in an earthly sense,but there certainly is one on the spiritual level! There will be hugs and rejoicing, when we are with John in Rochester on Tuesday for his scans, and the continued good news that the cancer is gone! Just to have John back in his life - independent, and studying, and sharing his story of embracing the cross of cancer/healing and all that it has meant to him. Before this happened he questioned his faith and would say -"But, I don't feel anything! I have never had any reason to turn to my faith, and so I don't really know what I believe." 
All that has changed now... Prayer, and the healing as a result, is very much deeply inside of him... the peace and courage that he had in the face of all that came and washed over him... wave after wave of the "storm"... How he knew so powerfully that Christ was in control, and was able to give it to him... he slept through much of the hard stuff that he faced over the year of the battle - now that is leaving it in the Lord's hands! And that calm and trusting attitude was due to prayers, and the sacraments of our Church! Daily Eucharist while he was hospitalized, annointing of the sick 4 times and frequent reconcilliation... including both reconcilliation, Eucharist and bathing in the healing miraclous waters of Lourdes while we were on our Miracle Journey in France! His dad, John and I also shared every morning and night - morning and evening prayers along with the Gospel for the day - starting the night before... as we have learned to do from the Community of the Lamb - realizing that the Word of God is Christ in our midst, and we are asked to make it part of us, and to carry it forth to the world around us! So many times we would weep at the power of His Word as it lept to life - reflecting exactly what we were facing that day! I will never forget the story of David and Goliath, and how it spoke so powerfully of the courage that we could see in John! Or the parable of the Sower and the seed - it was on this day last year as John's seeds were being planted in the "rich soil!" This is what we read today in morning prayer, and I think that you can see how it is for us on this day - so powerfully does the Word come alive in our lives experiences ... most especially our pain!"What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race." John 1: 3-4
"For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love." Psalm 33
And last but not least the Gospel for today:
The words of Christ to us..."Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light." How I love it when Christ speaks to us in all His wisdom! And how true these words ring within us as a result of our Cross - cancer/healing!
The tent at Lourdes where there is perpetual adortion going on... we are reminded in such a powerful way today... of all the ways that have gotten us to this point with healing for a year now! Yes, the doctors played a part as did the strides that have been taken in ridding the world of cancer, but there were too many times where the Lord intervened, and we know that He was in control, and that the miracles were happening all around us as a result of HIM! One of the most powerful part of it all, was the way that it not only touched us, but so many that were on the journey with us and "saw" with the eyes of their hearts the Work Of Faith and Trust! I know that John and his family were forever changed, but I also hope and pray and have heard from many that they also are more aware and trusting in the power of God in their lives and surrendering all that they have to Him!
John having a wonderful lunch with his Godparents as we were trying to discover what was in his brain and how to fight it! Jesus, we are overwhelmed today with all the support, and love, and deep healing that has taken place over this last year and a half... the first year of John's new birth! A new birth that reminds us of all the power of God in our lives, and the fact that He is truly in control! It fills us with great peace and trust to know that God loves us so much, that He allowed his most precious son to be the Lamb of sacrifice, and to take all the sins away! God is in control, and with that kind of love we cannot go wrong, and whatever comes our way is for our eternal good! Thank you for John's healing, and we are on our knees this day in gratitude and prayers of joy and thanksgiving! Jesus, we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia! 
Bless-bless, Barb"Brothers and sisters: Since through the Blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have a "great high priest over the house of God," let us approach with a sincere heart and in abolute trust, with our bodies sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works..... encourage one another , and this all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10: 19-25 The first reading in mass today! ST Angela Merici pray for us on this your feast day!
Shortly before I lost John's brother, William, at 5 months of gestation... they are all very close today and rejoicing with us! 
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