Just as there are so many precious pictures for me of the recent journey called truamatic birth/born dead/reborn/healing/thriving-healthy of our 3 month old grandson, Patrick Joseph... there are precious photos that are of our journey called cancer/healing/seminary of our son, John Patrick 3 1/2 years ago! Such a powerful gift to discover that the Mayo Clinic was founded with deep roots in the Catholic Church. Our first stop in St Mary's - we soon discovered the glorious chapel, where we fell on our knees as they had to do a biopsy of our son's brain to discover just what the tumors were in his brain. We were terrified, and truly the storm was raging at this time... "Mom, this is the storm and Jesus is in control." Hearing this from our daughter, Hallel, in France on the Father's Day we had taken him in to have a CT scan and hear the news that there was something in his brain. As we were clinging to our Faith - the boat - we saw Jesus rise and rebuke the winds and the sea became calm! Then our Bishop wrote us and reminded us that at difficult and impossible times to repeat the words - "Jesus, I trust in you." Yes! This has been my constant source of HOPE and TRUST and FAITH since! The journey just has no end!!!! Now this summer John told us that he was going to enter the seminary to discern and the doors just flew open!!!! I still just marvel at the thought!
Just before the biopsy with the points on his head that would guide the surgeon! Why am I revisiting this today? Today is the 3 year anniversary of when John and I moved to Rochester to begin the process towards his stem cell transplant! We had finished up the radiation, and had a few weeks to recover enough to have the strength and health he needed to face the total killing of his immune system and then the replanting of his own seeds - stem cells that were harvested in one day! As usual his young age and health in every other way made him a young David in the face of Goliath or as they called him on the transplant floor - "a rock star."
Here is a very precious picture of John being annointed by Fr Craig! We had the total shocking JOY of finding this picture in the midst of a powerful Utube video! There is no wonder why we find our Church to be so crazy amazing when you look at this view of the Sacraments and the ability we have to be in the presence of our Lord and to receive HIM into ourselves through the Sacraments!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGmK8rIX8H0 Adoramus Te!!!! We Adore you, Lord!
After his biopsy John couldn't balance or sit upright without falling to his left or back... Here his dad and sister hold him up so that he can eat!
His shorter wider dad had to help him walk under his left arm - he had ataxia due to the passing of the needle through the back of his brain. He continues to this day to have a slight ataxia on that side in his hand and his foot! He is the new humble and better John in that he found his faith - such a beautiful story in this year of FAITH!
If you haven't had a chance to read this... John's perspective on the whole experience is quite wonderful to read! For the article they thought to use a picture taken just recently outside the chapel at St John Vianey Seminary with his sister and Fr Paul Timmerman, but John really want to have the picture of his family taken just in the first week of his journey as we were all brought together - even Susan came to be with him from France!
I love these pictures of the two sibs together for support and a few laughs in the midst of the unbelievable happening - our 20 year old son with brain cancer. How can there be any hope, O Lord? Well, with all the sacraments, the Word, the angels and the Saints, and Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and earth - along with a virtual army of prayer warriors and FAMILY... the cancer had no chance of winning. Jesus looked at "the man full of leprosy- he fell prostate and pleaded with him, and said, 'Lord, if you wish you can make me clean.' " From the Gospel today in Luke 5! If you have read John's story - you know that he had lack of faith and his life was unclean - sin separated him from the knowledge and LOVE of God - Faith! But when he half-heartedly asked for Faith and in a week the cancer struck! Suddenly... weak, terrified and the control of his life taken away - he realized - "this is what I asked for, and Lord, I do believe in YOU! Now Lord, save me and make me clean! " It took a long month after month journey with twists and turns in terrifying directions as we climbed the mountain pass with a sheer drop off the side at any moment to finally reach the summit of Complete Responce - Christ Rules! Then we dropped the bomb with the stem cell transplant and John was killed and raised to newness of LIFE with a second birthday - the day his seeds were planted in his now clean soil! The weeds/cancer had been obliterated once and for all! "I do will it! Be made clean." Thank you, Lord! No wonder that John now has the burning question in his heart, mind and soul - "Why did you spare me Lord? Am I to be your priest?"
Jesus, we are filled with so much wonder and gratitude when we look at the way you answered the prayers of so many... they "fell prostrate, and pleaded" with You, O my loving and forgiving Jesus! John continues to have so much support on this journey! So many tell him of their prayers for him as he walks down this new and beautiful path called seminary/discernment of the call! He asked for Faith and found it in the Cross! We all find LIFE through the Cross in our lives and in dying to self we are able to then find the True Happiness as a Disciple of YOU, Jesus!
Jesus, I trust in you. Amen and Halelluia
Bless-bless, Barb
"Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes the Jesus in the Son of God?... God gave us eternal LIFE, and this LIFE is in the Son. Whoever possesses the Son has LIFE!" I John 5 - the first reading at mass today! Jesus, we are yours and want to be totally cleansed and then use that new LIFE and health to serve you and follow after YOU carrying our Most Cherished Cross!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaCR24-tkWI - If I touch HIM by Danielle Rose! May we touch the hem of your garment, Lord and be healed! We touch YOU, O Lord, in your Eucharist!!!
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