In love with Ordinary time!!!!!!!!

All the poinsettias and lit trees are cleared out of the sanctuary, and we are back to the bare bones of just HIM... I too have taken down the advent wreath, the Christmas tree, and the stockings... the lights in the front bushes are still lit, and looking special as the first mini blizzard is howling outside.  I remember the winter that we came home from John's stem cell transplant in early February of 2009... I felt that the light strings that I put in the bushes in the front of our house were a sign of our HOPE and TRUST that we held in John's healing... and they blazed on until the spring and then we went every 3 months, and continued to hear that the cancer was gone!  Armed with unbelievable prayers as we forged ahead... we were healed and now 2 years later the cancer continues to be gone!  I sat in the Church yesterday for my favorite hour of the week, and probably the most important - Adoration at His feet in the cleared out decluttered sanctuary, and just as I felt at home... it was a good clean feeling to have it gone til next year.  I decided that I love Ordinary time, which we have now entered.  But what is Ordinary about the ministry of Jesus that we read about in the Gospel today?  The picture we are given of the entire town gathering outside the door, and Jesus coming to the door of this humble home and "He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him."  Mark 1: 29-39

Pat loves to have John home for these weeks of nice weather... they are both enjoying having a "snowday" today - watching sports in front of the woodstove and talking about going to a lunch meeting in a neighboring town for cow/calf operators.  John really caught onto the fact that Jesus would not only expell the demons that possessed people, but also tell them to "be still!"  "Why would he not want them to acknowledge that He was God?"  Was the million dollar question this morning... I lamely tried to explain how he might not want to have that acknowledgement from demons in case others should think that he was casting them out in the name of Satan, and he did get that question behind his back at one point in the Gospel... but I start to see how wonderful it is to have the centuries of prayer and study of all those amazing Church Fathers and Doctors.... I finally told him to google it, and discover the true standing and understanding of all those super smart people as to why Jesus did this.  It could be as simple as the reality that He is calling each of us individually to come to know, and to follow HIM, and to turn to HIM, and include HIM in every moment of every day.  He wants to share everything with us!  John decided that he wanted to put his feet up in front of the TV this morning, and just realize that He had a reason and knowing that it was God... Jesus must have had a good one reason to do what he did, and that is good enough for him to know.  He has FAITH!

Jesus, thank you for all the "gathering at the door" of your humble home... the beauty and glory of Christmas has been cleared away, and we are filled with the wonder of the Ordinary time.  We walk with you in all that we do... you want to share everything with us!   Yes, your "seasons" of the Church are filled with Truth and Graces... that fill us with such blessings and growth in your Way, Truth and Life!  Advent and Lent are so amazing, but afer passing through Advent and Christmas - how wonderful to enter the day to day journey called Ordinary time!  The season that fills most of our year with you, and where we bring into the day to day life we are called to within our domestic Church - our family.  We are in love with Ordinary Time, you are with us with every beat of our heart and every breath that we take... "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, we love you, and serve you, and are nothing without you!" Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb... it looks like Herbert has the right idea on this howling day...

"Speak, for your servant it listenting."  Samuel 3: 19-20 First reading at mass today!

"O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands."  Isaiah 64:7

"True faith takes us into the unknown.  It calls for blind trust; it calls for profound humility and surrender.  This is real asceticism, the self-denial that Jesus tells us is essential if we are to be his disciples."

Sr Ruth Burrows

The Light to proclaim to the world we are HEALED by HIM!  How can anyone call that Ordinary?