I picked my first wet rainsoaked (thanks be to God) lilac yesterday morning before leaving to church. I was disappointed by the lack of smell, but as it dried - by church starting - it was giving my nose, which has been waiting a year, great joy! I shared that joy with those that wanted to smell their first lilac of the year, and there were a few of those. Now I am constantly smelling this wonderful sweet smell in my house... I had brought in a apple branch and the apple blossoms are blooming and smelling beautiful too, along with some lilacs that I picked and are in the water with them. The Easter tree that I brought in about 2 1/2 weeks ago also put out some lighter purple lilacs, which are wide open now and smell glorious! My house is permeated with this wonder, and yesterday with the many prayers and hopes for little Gage to find peace in the arms of his family- being the most grace filled day of Divine Mercy Sunday! And the constant hopes and prayers for the rain we so hugely need after virtually having no moisture since July 1st of last year!
Arriving home after a Holy Hour with the Divine Mercy Chaplet - sharing with many gathered in Church.. so powerful! I had to head out to the apple trees blooming despite the 3 nights of kiling frost. I see that the centers on many are dark and dead looking, so we are unsure if they can develope into apples. Still they are so beautiful! A booklet we were graced with about St Faustina... I had read her amazing diary in the midst of my battle with John and the family against the enemy brain cancer. Jesus said this to her;
"I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. On the cross, the fountain of My Mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls - no one have I excluded! The graces of My Mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is - TRUST. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive." Wow! This speaks volumes of why the words are on the picture of Divine Mercy that He revealed to her... "Jesus, I trust in you." And the day that the Bishop LeVior sent this to us on caringbridge- the day that we were terrified by the cancer growing rapidly back through the chemo - Bishop reminded us that we needed to repeat at times of distress - "Jesus, I trust in you." That is the vessel by which we gather His Mercy! Jesus continues; "I never reject a contrite heart. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My Mercy not embrace a trusting soul... I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with Trust, I will fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls." How true this was for this humble sister, who died at a very young age of TB! To be in the church yesterday throughout the world and witness the graces and worship of Divine Mercy Sunday... Her goal given her by Christ is being accomplished! Praise HIM!
Many gathered and in one voice we sang the chaplet together... How I wanted to set up to the microphone before beginning and ask for prayers for an 8 year old boy dying - he passed away at 7p last night! But I knew that each one of us has our dead and dying to remember, and there are so many prayers needed for them. I use the chaplet to pray for those in our marriage that have gone ahead of us. I hope and pray that my loved ones will return the favor for me! From my perspective... the second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday- and seeing so many that are embracing this grace and devotional.. it was a very gracefilled glorious day to be called from this world for little Gage. Now prayers to give his family the strength to look forward to seeing him someday in heaven. My losses were so hard, yet they draw me heavenward... knowing of their prayers and concern for me - my 6 babies lost as some part of pregnancy from 3-5 months; my brother, who died when he was 2 days old; and my sister Mary who died at 28 from lymphoma are the main ones that I know look down on me...I know that the group will grow larger, because death is a part of life, and as Gage has reminded us, we know not when! http://www.godvine.com/Your-Guardian-Angel-Beautiful-Cover-by-2-Guys-1341.html This is amazing about our guardian angel, and seems so powerful after the gut wrenching loss of little 8 year old Gage Driver yesterday!
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gagedriver Jesus, we trust in you.
Jesus, we are so happy to be aware of your endless and undying Mercy for us! May we remember constantly to have the Trust in that always being there for us, and may that be the vessel to overflow with your Mercy for our weaknesses as well as those around us! "Be strong in the Lord in armor of Light! With helmet and sword, with shield for the fight; on prayer be dependent, be belted and shod, in breastplate replendent - the armor of God....Go forth for God with news of his grace: No foe will disarm you nor force you to yield, no arrow can harm you with faith as your shield." (opening hymn for morning prayer - see http://www.magnificat.com/ ) We are never alone, Lord, as we are surrounded by the army in heaven - Your angels and saints along with our amazing Spiritual Mother, Mary Most Holy! We are able to fight and win against all odds! May all the difficulties and obstacles be a chance to Trust in your Mercy, and look to Faith and LOVE of You and your LIFE and LIGHT! We are able to make a difference in this world - especailly in our domestic Church/Our family - only with YOUR Mercy and LOVE for all! May we look into your face in all that we meet this day and forward. Onward into battle! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb"St Isidore, Pray for us.
St Isidore, patron of farmers, pray for us
St Isidore, tiller of the soil, Pray for us.
St Isidore, model of laborers, pray for us.
St Isidore, devoted to duty, pray for us.
St Isidore, loaded down with the labors of the field, pray for us.
St Isidore, model of filial peity, pray for us.
St Isidore, support of family life, pray for us.
St Isidore, confessor of the faith, pray for us.
St Isidore, example of mortification, pray for us.
St Isidore, assisted by angels, pray for us.
St Isidore, possessor of the gift of miracles, pray for us.
St Isidore, burning with lively faith, pray for us.
St Isidore, zealous in prayer, pray for us.
St Isidore, ardent lover of the Blessed Sacramant, pray for us.
St Isidore, lover of God's earth, pray for us.
St Isidore, lover of poverty, pray for us.
St Isidore, lover of fellowmen, pray for us.
St Isidore, most patient, pray for us.
St Isidore, most humble, pray for us.
St Isidore, most pure, pray for us.
St Isidore, most just, pray for us.
St Isidore, most obedient, pray for us.
St Isidore, most faithful, pray for us.
St Isidore,most grateful, pray for us.
Jesus, Our Lord, be beseech you, hear us.
That you would protect all tillers of the soul: we beseech you, hear us.
That you would bring to all a true knowledge of the stewardship of the land...
That you would preserve and increase our fields and flocks...
That you would bless our fields
That you would preserve all rural pastors...
That you would grant peace and harmony in our homes...
That you would lift up our hearts to YOU...
Be merciful, spare u, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.
From lightening and tempest: deliver us, O Lord.
From pestilence and floods...
From winds and drought...
From hail and storm...
From the scourge of insects...
From the spirit of selfishness...
Christ, hear us, Christ graciously hear us."
Litany of St Ididore
Patron of farmers and workers - we prayed this yesterday at the end of our Holy Hour!
St Isidore is certainly the role model of the most wonderful kind of farmer, and my husband Pat comes pretty close to this - with the grace of God! Farming is a wonderful LIFE! Jesus, we place all our Trust in YOU!
Just reminded that it is Pope Benedict XVI's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Papa Benedict! We love you and thank God for your wisdom and humility! You certainly place your Trust in HIM, Jesus Christ! How you love HIM, and share that love and understanding with the world! We are blessed by you!
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