The tears of joy and farewell and the beginning of a new chapter are dried on my cheeks... I really wasn't so much sad or upset rather I was emotional at the hugeness of this for and for John! This was the feastday of the Passion of St John the Baptist - his martyrdom, and so the name John was very prominant at mass today. Reminding me of the day just a few days after John's fateful CTscan showing his tumor in his brain. John and I shared morning prayers and the Gospel for the day on the nativity of St John the Bapist! How we wept together remembering the miracle for Mary's cousin Elizabeth of this son in her old age after being childless of all her years of childbearing! John being my only son, after 4 girls and numerous losses - I thought that I was unable to carry boys and those were the ones that I lost. All my 6 losses except for the last one are all named boys - Christopher, Thomas, Joseph, William, Robert and Mary. The two I lost at 5 months were boys and are buried at the cemetary with a small service there provided by my father, Deacon Robert Cross, and our immediate family. So in many ways the fact that our 5th child was a boy was an unexpected time of great JOY! And to have bonded - I said that the umbilical cord almost reappeared - over the last 3 years of our cancer/healing journey. We have shared so much, and it is with great joy and excitement that we send John forth on this new leg of the journey!
A very beautiful blessing was given to John this morning! At the end of the petitions - Fr Paul had all those assembled hold their hands out in blesssing over John and he prayed in a very beautiful way over him! It was wonderful that Pat and I could be there with him, and have our hands upon him! Fr spoke of how this was a special day for John being a feastday of this most amazing saint John the Baptist. He prayed that John would be blessed on his journey and thanked God for the young men from our parish, who are answering the call to discern the priesthood. I wish that I could have the words to listen to again, but it is deep in my heart and soul and it is continuing to give me much joy and happiness! Of course it was so much of a reminder of the day that John was in the center aisle at Sunday mass 8a on a weekend in November 2009. Fr Paul annointed him as well as he was prayed over with a relic of Venerable Solanus Casey! The church was packed with people all with their hands over John in blessing and prayer for healing! And all those prayers were answered! Not with a miraculous instantaneous healing, but in a healing just the same - now he is 2 1/2 years without any cancer! He is healed and goes forth to answer the burning question - "Why was I healed? What does God have in mind for me?"
In church this morning was another young person, Sarah,who is entering the Handmaids today! She is John's age, and they have known each other most of their lives. She was at mass with many from her family, and there were many hugs and tears among us as we are all so touched and moved by the faith and love of Christ we see in these two young people! I think that is the most powerful part of all this - to see LOVE in action as they leave the world behind and possibly the thought that they will ever have their own families... as they answer the call to discern! I hear that Sarah has only a small amount of items she is taking with her, but John is taking much more to "college-seminary."
I had to get one last silly face to tell me to stop taking pictures, but I thought I would put it on here to teach him a lesson!
Jesus, we are so filled with such gratitude as we are blessed by the army of prayers that are already sending John off to consider your call! The memories of your army of prayers and how they surrounded John and led him to be healed... so they continue now! Our family is once again being blessed by all that your Church has to give us. There is no end to what we are learning and growing with each moment of each day. May John rejoice and retain all the wondrous Truth there is to learn about our Church! So exciting to begin a deeper and deeper journey into understanding and wisdom - come Holy Spirit and be his guide! Our prayers will continue to be shared in the Spirit and in the Truth! Jesus, we thank and praise you for sparing our son, and we trust that you are leading him down the narrow path carrying your Most Cherished Cross - cancer/healing! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleuia
Bless-bless, Barb
"In his Precusor, St John the Baptist,
we praise your great glory,
for you consecrated him for a singular honor
among those born of women.
His birth brought great rejoicing;
even in the womb he lept for joy
at the coming of human salvation.
He alone of all the prophets
pointed out the Lamb of redemption.
And to make holy the flowing waters,
he baptized the very author of Baptism
and was priviledged to bear him supreme witness
by the shedding of his blood..."
Preface to the mass today!
This is the song that Susan played over and over before she left to join the Community of the Lamb - it speaks to me through my tears of that LOVE for HIM above all else!
Go with God John-John! We love you and will miss you here in the arms of your home! We will be surrounding you with PRAYER!
Go with God John! We are so proud of you! You are in our prayers daily!
ReplyDeleteUncle Steve and Aunt Marty