"the coming Light..."

My sister in law found this wonderful baby Jesus at a garage sale, and my brother made a manger for him.  Mary wanted to reach out and touch him!  I am always amazed at my Mary and how she truly appreciates and is drawn to all that it Real and True!  As soon as she could walk...she would go over to the statue of Our Lady, and hug and lean on her - as though she recognized her to be the giver of all LOVE and PEACE!  The tabernacle of the Lord and Light of the world!

I just had to have a flurry of pictures after remembering my little ones and their recognizing the Real and the True!  Pat and John are just off to run some errands, and one of them would be to get a gift for the grandkids... "They aren't big on presents just for the sake of presents." said John of their parents.  But two days before Chirstmas we start feeling like we "need" to have something for them...  They are talking about a John Deere hat and gloves for the 2 farm boys, and maybe a small farm animal for the princess... the size you can hold in your hand and not breathing.  Presents have become painful for me, and I just can't seem to get around to facing shopping for them.  They are nice to show that we care, but to me there are so many other ways to do that - foremost is spending time together enjoying each other.  After John's cancer - that is all I want! 

Dear Lord, I am reminded today..."John is his name" in the Gospel.  For the girls I had the name Luke for my boy, but by time I had my 8th pregnancy, and it was a boy... no longer was it to be Luke, but John.  Probably all those years of following without reservation Blessed John Paul II, and how I loved him!  He became Pope 2 months after our marriage began, and all that we learned and believed about the True Church came from him!  There was no seperating our marriage journey from our Church journey led with love and wisdom by Blessed John Paul II, and now continuing with the man that was always at his side - Pope Benedict XVI!  We have been so filled with continual graces and blessings by these wonderful men, who love Jesus and His Bride, The Church without thought of themselves - only Him and His Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth!  No wonder that after 12 years of marriage and 8 pregnancies - 4 girls, 3 losses, and then JOHN!  My name went from Luke to John... and that was right!  His name is JOHN!  So many wonderful siants named John to look to, and now Blessed John Paul II has joined them!  Thank you, Lord, for my John and his journey called cancer/healing, for all the John's that are saints to guide us on this journey - including the one born today in the Gospel - St John he Baptist, for my patron saint - ST Luke, and the Gospel account he left us of these later days of Advent...with "the coming Light!"  Jesus, we are filled with wonder and awe, you are in control, and we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

From the Christmas letter we received from France yesterday..."The Community if growing, 12 young women and 3 young men on the brother's side, have knocked at the door 'to follow the Lamb wherever he goes.'

At the moment , in one of the villages in Saint Pierre ( the family home of the Community of the Lamb)... workers are hired, but to keep down costs , a little team of sisters work there each day, helped by several friends: wood siding, carpentry, painting.... (We are told by our daughter, Hallel, that she is one of this team, and she has discovered that her farmgirl roots have given her an appreciation for working hard and with her hands)... Winter is now at the door and we enter into the time of Advent, a time offered by Mother Church for preparing our hearts to welcome He who is to come!  May the goodness of the Lord be our star for the New Year!  May it guide us and give us strength, joy and hope to accomplish all the Lord awaits from us!.."

"Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by the example of the Priest St John of Kanty we may advance in the knowledge of holy things and, by showing compassion for all, may gain forgiveness in your sight.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen"  St John of Kanty, pray for us, on this your feastday.