"Even the hairs of your head have been counted. Do not be afraid." Jesus speaking to us in Luke 12

The words of the Gospel for today becomes the Way, the Truth and the LIFE today - Christ alive and well in our lives!  "Even the hairs of your head have been counted.  Do not be afraid."  We are well aware of the prayers that have surrounded and claimed healing for little Patrick Joseph - Patty Joe!  Here are the words of Maria on her post this morning -

Dear All,

"Just writing a quick note to let you know the wonderful and unexpected (and unexplainable if it were not for your prayers) news that Joe and I received from Patrick's neurologist this evening. His MRI came back completely clean, showing no sign of damage, despite the horrible condition in which he entered the outside world just over a week ago. There is still a long road ahead of us, filled with watching for milestones and many therapy sessions to try and catch any delays or disabilities that may show up along the way, but as of now there are no signs of damage to our precious Patrick's brain!

THANK YOU for your prayers. We have no doubt that the news we received today would not have been if it were not for them.

God bless,
Maria

PS - Patrick does remain in critical condition in the NICU. Before he will be released he needs to be weaned off of oxygen, prove that he can maintain all normal body functioning on his own, and learn to take in all necessary nourishment via his mouth. The next big milestone that we are looking forward to remains getting to pick the big guy up - hopefully in the next couple days!"

Our overnight visit found a sleeping Patrick, who woke up to his mom's cleaning his face and eyes.  he then was moving all of his arms and legs quite well and strong.  He is trying to get that tube out of his nose all by himself!  It has been weaned down some as well as the amount of momma's milk increased. We yearn for a few more tubes to be removed so that Maria and Joe and grandmas can hold him for the first time!  That will make the time away from us in the hospital so much more bearable!  Maria said that she will be there a long time when she can hold her son!  How we long for that to happen!  Knowing that he is of healthy body as well as brain... we are continuing to pray that he will soon be home with his family to heal and adjust to a true sense of being a son/little brother/grandson/nephew/cousin/great grandson/little innocent Lamb of God!  His life lies ahead rich and full of LIFE and LOVE!  He has taught us the meaning of Faith in this year of Faith, and Trust in the healing LOVE of Christ and that prayer can move mountains!  Living here in El Paso for close to a month surrounded by mountains - and the experiences we have had learning faith and patience through Gift from God, Patrick, the faith of a mustard seed - and we have been surrounded by so much more than that - seems so real and right!  

Gathered around a lit candle of St Michael the two grandmas and Patty Joes' brother and sister prayed the 3rd and 4th joyful mysteries for a healing of Patrick's brain as mom and dad were meeting with the neurologist!  (Joe flew here from Ireland and was mentioning to some Irish freedom fighters that he named his son Patrick Joseph - "Patty Joe, now that's a great name!"  Hence his nick name most often with "buddy" from mom.  He is a Lamb that is teaching us how to be a calm/peaceful fighter.  Now we just want some loud cry sessions!)  Brother David, dressed as Robin Hood, talked about his rosary being "handcuffs" a lot like the chains around Satan as St Michael defeats him.  The story that Joe shared when I showed him the pictures of his son at prayer..."There was a priest going through the airport and he was asked if he had any weapons on him - guns, knives, bombs, etc... 'Yes!' he said and pulled his rosary out of his pocket!"  Praise God!  This has been my lifeline of continual prayer through John's journey with brain cancer and now Patrick!  I should qualify by saying that the rosary is for me PRAYER, and that is with each beat of my heart and every breath that I take... my LIFE and my LOVE with every day I face!  Watching little Patrick breath and his heart rate on the monitor... truly an undoubtable answer to so many prayers - the army of prayer warriors continues and they have put Satan and all his lies in handcuffs!  

Lord, we are so transformed by your LOVE for us - truly we sense the Truth that every hair of our heads are counted and beloved by YOU!  Such LOVE is beyond our limited comprehension, yet we know and believe.  Yes, we are learning to Trust and to not be afraid of anything that comes to us!  The inexplainable groanings that came to me in prayer the night that they took Maria and her Patrick... I have never felt prayer that was so hopeless, helpless and filled with fear!  All I could do was fall on my knees, lift my hands to heaven, and tearfully repeat the Hail Mary pleading for your mercy... and look!  Our precious little Lamb, Patty Joe, has taught us how to take our Most Cherished Cross upon our shoulders and carry it down the narrow path to LIFE and LOVE!  He was handed his Cross 20 minutes before he entered this world - barely alive!  Now he shows us how to truly find life eternal - by leaving ourselves behind and become yours' alone!  Jesus, along with your Spiritual Army in heaven and on earth... along with the martyrs, who truly gave their lives for YOU...especially St John de Breberf and Isaac Jogues and the North American martyrs, whose feast day is today, along with all the Angels - especially St Michael, who led us in battle last night at 5p, and Saints, Our Lady Mother of Heaven and Earth... How can be possibly be afraid when we are surrounded by such Power and Might?  May we find the humility we need to give up of ourselves and rely on YOU!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halelluia

Bless-bless, Barb

St Patrick we thank you too, for interceding for your namesake!  How many blessings we have received!  

"May we never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For the word of the Cross is the power of God to us who have been saved."  Entrance Antiphon for mass today of the Memorial to Saints John de Brefeuf and Isaac Jogues and companions.  Martyred by the North American Indians in the 1600s.

Galations 6:14; I Corinthians 1:18