How I am enjoying having little Rose here with us! She is so much like the 4 little girls we were blessed with - the oldest being her mother, Ruth Ida! Her healthy size, and dark eyes and hair makes her a little Verly girl in my eyes, heart and mind. Ruth held her close, and snuggled her yesterday, while they were here for a visit, and gushed about how special she is! That life without her would have been so much less wonderful, and filled with the LIFE and LOVE that little Rose Ida Lanoue has brought with her... a light has come into the world! Ruth was speaking about those couples that are misled to believe that it is only the right thing to limit your family to the perfect 2, and they miss out on the joy of having more children. With each one... we are blessed by their uniqueness, and our entire life is expanded by the LOVE we have for each additional child. It doesn't get stretched more and more thin by adding others to our circle of our Domestic Church/family - our LOVE grows larger and more deeply do we experience Faith and Family!
Family time out by the clothesline yesterday, as we gathered in the shade of the tree... It was a special warm memory to realize last evening was the vigil of the Queenship of Mary today. Three years ago John and I and his sister, Nancy, were in France for Susan to take her habit, and to become Little Sister Hallel! John had just finished his second chemo, and got better! He could make it to the bathroom on his own, so in 24 hours we had bought tickets to go to France, and found ourselves there for this huge occassion for Susan/Hallel! We know that a large number - over 12 - took their habits last evening, and today that there will be a group taking their first vows! Then there will be the feasting on the hillside for each group that has someone making a step with the Community. Hallel and many others will be very busy preparing, and doing all the work necessary. It is a very big, and busy, and special time for the Community, as well as a glorious feastday for Our Lady! St Maximillian Kolbe wrote that Mary "has a right to be loved as Queen of all hearts so that, through her,hearts would be cleansed and themselves become immaculate, similar and like unto her own heart, and so worthy of union with God."
Arriving in France 3 years ago - Susan and John see each other for the first time! I feel the tears tugging at my eyes! This was truly a Holy Spirit moment in our lives of family! The Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Our Lady got us here by a miraculous means! We could hardly believe that we had done this impossible thing - gone to France just a few weeks after discovering through a brain biopsy that John had lymphoma of the brain... leaving him unable to walk due to ataxia! Then, a few days after Sue became Little Sister Hallel, we found ourselves in Lourdes, and John had them pour water over his head from her miraculous springs - "because that is where I need my healing." And now, 3 years later, we are 2 1/2 years cancer free, and becuase he was spared he feels that he must discern if he was spared to become a priest - carrying forth the LIFE and LOVE of Christ! It is all too much for me, and how I love to reacall the fingerprint of God upon us!
Yes, there are tears in my eyes - too many emotions ! Jesus, we are forever grateful for the many graces and blessings that we receive through the intercession of Your Glorious Mother, Mary Most Holy! The rosary was my lifeline throughout the year of the great battle of our lives... for the healing of our precious only son, John. "O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession,we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children." (openning prayer from mass today)
"For by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she conceived your Only Begotten Son, and without losing the glory of virginity, brought forth into the world the eternal LIGHT." (preface to Eucharistic prayer I)..."Mary's fullness of power is expressed in her intercession for us and her mediation of graces, so that we receive all personal graces from God." (von Balthasar) Mary, our wise and ancient Church has shown us why we are free to come to you as our Spiritual Mother, and we are comforted there in your arms as you carry us forth to your Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
Every morning, in France, I would go into the kitchen down the hall and make Krusties pancakes for us... we just got home from mass together - Pat, John and I - and we made some Krusties to celebrate our feastday of Our Lady - Queen of Heaven and Earth!
"Behold, you are blessed among women, intact among women in childbirth, mistress among handmaids, queen among sisters. For behold, henceforth all generations will call you blessed; all the powers of heaven recognize you as blessed; all the prophets preach you as blessed; all the nations celebrate you as blessed. Blessed are you for your faith; blessed are you for my soul; blessed are you for my delight; blessed are you for my heraldings and preachings. I would preach you as much as you should be preached, love you as much as you should be loved, praise you as much as you should be praised, and serve you as much as your glory should be served..."
St Ildephonsus of Toledo ( 667) writing about the Queenship of Mary
Just thought that this song would be good for today - Danielle Rose singing
A Mother's song
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