Today is the feastday of Maximilian Kolbe/Maria' birthday! Yes, this was the day or very early morning 29 years ago that I gave birth to my 3rd wonderful and very active daughter, Maria Theresa! I had about 3 nights of false labor before I went in the early hours of August 14th to discover that I was dilated to 8 and then shortly to a 10... but unable to push - I was put on a drip to induce that! My little beautiful House Mouse (a name she earned by her getting into everything in sight) cried to eat in the middle of the night like most kids do. But I had been spoiled by my first 2 that slept all night from the first week home! So I would get up and feed her, and if she continued to cry we would push her crib out of our room... knowing that she was fed and dry and probably just needed the exercise! She got held and walked more than the others of course too! She is one determined and stubborn girl from the beginning, but she has put that into good use in her life of Faith and Family in her devotion to all that is Catholic! She takes raising lights in this world very seriously, and we share a lot her and I. We both have the Cross of having losses in our childbearing years - Maria has 6 siblings in heaven and she has now given me two of hers/for me grandchildren in heaven! I was with her both times that she miscarried, so now when she was pregnant with Patrick (he should join us in about 6 weeks) - she told me she didn't want to see me for 3 months! I have shared the sweet story of Therese - Maria's oldest- telling her dad after the last mischarriage; "We will have to have a van in heaven for all those kids!"
I am double dog tired after many hours of applesauce - we went out and picked an entire treee starting at 4:30p yesterday, and I am still processing the last of our 90 quarts of applesauce! Yes, we took a few hours to sleep in there, but it has been a very big job. Thanks to Pat and John for helping me through! I would normally love to go on and on about Maximillian and Maria, but I just am too tired to do that. I suppose many are happy to hear that. I did find some comfort in reading the morning prayer with Pat in the midst of the applesauce craziness... John had wished his sister a happy birthday on the phone first thing this morning, and she had told him that these are the last 4 days of Ramadan - and for some of these extremist Moslems - it is immediate ticket to heaven if you kill an American! Oh, how we have to PRAY without ceasing! Psalm 27 was used in Morning Prayer today because St Maximillian was a modern day martyr in World War 2 - he died in Auchwitz concentration camp a priest that gave up his life in place of another man, who had a family. He was surrounded by the evils of war!
"When evil-doers draw near
"When evil-doers draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my ememies and foes,
who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savor the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
I am sure that I shall see the Lord's goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!"
Psalm 27
I know that this is the HOPE, and PRAYER of Maria and Joseph!
An old picture of Maria in honor of her birthday today! Lord, we are on our knees begging for you to protect our Joseph, who is in harms way! WE take great comfort in knowing of your LOVE for us - You knew us in our mother's womb and YOU LOVE us with your LIFE! We are following in Your footsteps carrying our Cross after YOU! "For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow." We look at the amazing example of St Kolbe today and see that he found your Mother always there to help him along the path. As John said to Maria this morning, after returning from mass and Adoration... "I was storming Mary to protect Joseph and bring him home safely to his family!" Yes, Lord, we are so grateful for the rosary always there to hold onto and be our lifeline of prayer in keeping us focused on YOU through your amazing Mother of God, Mary Most Holy! She brings us to YOU! She holds us close to her Immaculate heart and gives the comfort and HOPE that we need to know that it is all in your hands! Guardian Angels we know that you are circled around Joseph and his men! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
St Maximillian Kolbe addresses the Gospel for today - The Humility that Leads to Greatness
"How many times have we heard resigned or even desperate expressions such as: I can't succeed, I can't make it, I lack the strength!
Undoubtedly, in the physical field the energies we have are limited; it would be useless for someone to try to lift a weight of a few tons with only one hand.
But also in the moral field, we sometimes happen to hear this same lament: I cannot get rid of this fault; I'm too weak to decide to acquire this virtue; this is too much for me!
But is is really true we cannot make it, as we claim?
If we listen to St Paul, he expressly says: '... I have strength for everything!' Still, the complete phrase says: "In Him who is the source of my strength... I have strength for everything!' (Phil 4: 13). And, 'For apart from me,' Jesus himself says, 'you can do nothing' (Jn 15:5).
And why?
Because if God asks something from us, he surely provides us with the energy we need to carry out his will, on condition we do not neglect to do our part.
We require God's grace in order to function, and our soul can surely obtain that grace through prayer.
At our disposal there is someone through whom we can easily and surely obtain this: the Mediatrix of all graces. All that is required is that we really accept her and keep always closer to her, that we love her always and ardently in every temptation, difficulty, or trouble, acknowledging her power, her universal mediation next to God, and that we turn to her with total confidence.
Then we too shall be capable of everything, but in him who gives us the strength through the Immaculate."
Wow! You are telling the Truth that we have found and are following with every beat of our hearts and every breath that we take! Jesus, we trust in you! Protect Joe and all in danger now!
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