Such a great quote from Blessed John Paul II!
"Thank you, women, who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, who helps it grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life." Ruth gazes upon her beautiful new daughter, Rose Ida, and there is an immediate smile of LOVE for this precious gift from God. She nurtures her and as she said to her last night..."Rose, anytime you want to eat you are welcome."
Cousin, Augustine, visiting his new cousin. Another quote from the saint from our day and age - Blessed Teresa of Calcutta..."The special power of loving that belongs to a woman is seen more clearly when she becomes a mother. Motherhood is the gift of God for women." How amazing that two people that are celebate saints can stand back and "see" with eyes of faith the Truth about the beauty of Motherhood! We are so blessed with the gift of new life and the expanding LOVE we have for each new little one that comes into our domestic church/family! Love grows bigger and larger and more complete - never ending as we are open to LIFE and the resulting LOVE!
So wonderful to see my girls openness to LIFE, even with the difficulties that some of them have - Ruth waiting between babies to heal her uterus sufficiently and then trusting and relying on PRAYER, and Maria with her mischarriages. I know that my own losses - 6 - have given us a tie to heaven that is very strong as well as bringing us to such a closeness as a family in the appreciation we have for those that are here with us on this earth! Pat and I just shared morning prayer together after some days unable to due to getting the crop in... so much of our prayer is directed towards LIFE in the womb. Now we can pray for little Rose by name, and that is a wonderful special thing! "Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet especially your family. Be holy – let us pray." Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
What better way to bring JOY into a family than to welcome a new precious little beautiful work of God, baby, into our arms and family life? As St Francis de Sales tells us; "Live joyfully!"
"Joy is the echo of God's life in us." Blessed Columba Marmion A new little one is the fruit of God's life and love in us! I will never forget the tiny nun, who taught me anatomy and physiology at St Catherines in nursing school said; "All you need to do is look at the human body to know that there is a God. All the systems and how they all work so wonderfully and mysteriously together - that's the fingerprint of God!" So true when you gaze upon the wonder of a newborn child, and to realize that 9 months after the two cells came together in the marriage act of LOVE - that this new LIFE is now this perfect gift from God! Thank you, Lord, for this JOY! Pope Benedict calls us to have joy in the Resurrection because Christ enters our lives, "bringing joy and peace, life and hope."
Jesus, we rejoice with great JOY as we embrace our family... a little bit of paradise! Sometimes we lose track of that joy and finding of paradise when the ball tossed through the air... knocks over the roses and the water is running all over the table and the floor, or there is a huge loud pile of every pillow in the house filled with arms and legs and voices of excited and laughing kids. But to watch mom and dad sitting on the couch with the new little sweet baby girl with relaxed and happy smiles on their faces - that is a little bit of paradise and that is deep found JOY! Then to have the honor of sharing with prayers before bed, now shared with their new little sister out of mommy's tummy for the first time... "For the new baby, Rose." Many prayers have been answered and surrounded our newest member, as they continue for the other 2 in the womb, Nancy's and Maria's! "Nothing can replace the family!" says the wise old grandfather in Moonstruck. Pat and I as wise old grandparents take our prayers for our family very seriously and find great JOY in our shared time together, as we do in all those that we raised as Lights for the world. Thank you, Lord, for your wisdom and Truth! Bless all LIFE in the womb, and protect it! Blessed Mother Mary Most Holy show us how to love without counting the cost, and to say "yes" to LIFE and along with that comes LOVE and JOY! We truly feel "God's own smile" as we gaze upon our precious children and grandchildren. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia, Halleluia, Halleluia, Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb
Blessed John Paul II - Letter to Families
"It is important to emphasize how important and burdensome is the work women do within the family unit: that work should be acknowledged and deeply appreciated. The 'toil' of a woman who, having given birth to a child, nourishes and cares for that child and devotes herself to its upbringing, particularly in the early years, is so great as to be comparable to any professional work. Motherhood, because of all the hard work it entails, should be recognized as giving the right to financial benefits at least equal to those of other kinds of work undertaken in order to support the family during such a delicate phase of its life."
Cute alert - Mary's Snowball and Snowflake by the fence the other day - Snowball is such a good mom!
A picture of LOVE, JOY and LIFE!
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