On this vigil of the Holy Trinity... and John in the midst of writing about his cancer journey for the Relay for Life event next weekend... there are many things pulling our thoughts back to our terrifying discovery of "something abnormal" in John's brain on Father's Day 2009 here in the Marshall ER! John had been complaining of double vision, which was worsening by the day, and we finally had to take him in to get a CT scan. The result was the most unexpected and worst thing a parent could ever hear... a tumor in the brain!
This was taken the weekend before - we had all gathered for a graduation reception for John's twin cousins in St Paul... He was complaining about his eyes, and went down the basement and slept through the entire reception. Fatigue was also a symptom that got to be worse and worse. At the time I thought that he had been very rude and selfish to do such a thing, but later realized that they were all warning signs! It was so freaky to pick up a magazine in the Marshall ER and read about a young girl, who had discovered that she had a brain tumor with vision changes... I even read part of it to John and his dad just before they came to tell us that we needed to go to Sioux Falls to get an MRI and try to discover just what it was that they could see in his brain that didn't belong there!
Gettting all my kids together minus Hallel called for a photo shoot in the midst of the beautiful hostas that lined the steps of Maria and Joseph's new home in St Paul!
This became our wonderful place of rest where our family was drawn together by John's brain cancer... so many nights there coming and going from Rochester for the 6 weeks of whole brain radiation and chemo. How we prayed and laughed and cried and worried and trusted and talked and were silent in the face of something too big for us to control... God was in control, and we were lifted up by a army of prayer warriors... to the point that John seemed to be totally at peace with every arrow that flew at us. He became David in the face of Goliath as he seemed to be totally calm and trusting in the outcome of healing! 
Nancy made this her home too, and so we would be there with two of our daughters under the same roof. For the time of this battle was also the time that Nancy and Bill met and forged ahead in their relationship and then engagement in April and marriage in August and now the arrival of sweet gift of God, Augustine! He is to be baptized into the Church tomorrow up in the Cities, so we all are excited to gather and to celebrate his entry into the Church and Father's day and John's healing - now 18 months cancer free! 
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph... your Holy Family is with us as we remember the last two years and how they have molded and changed us and taught beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are in control and that we can TRUST in you. Life is too big and hard and unpredictable... we need to hand it to you, and then not take it back ever! Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb the humble and fervent
2 Corinthians 13:11-14 2nd reading at mass for Holy Trinity Sunday!
New International Version (NIV)
Final Greetings
11 "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All God’s people here send their greetings.
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. "
Mark 4:35-41
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
This was the reading on Father's Day two years ago... when we called France to tell Susan of our terrifying news... her words to me were...."Mom, did you hear the Gospel for today? This is the storm and Jesus is in control!" My fears were calmed as the sea. Jesus, we trust in you.
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