This was the day before Nancy had Bernadette - we had the profound experience of sharing mass with the Seminarians at St Paul Seminary! And the most glorious and amazing thing about the experience is that John is now a seminarian - discerning his call to be a priest, after the Lord healed him and gave him the gift of Faith through the Church and Prayer! John is so happy and peaceful as he is surrounded by other men that Love their Lord so much that they hear that still small voice within that it beckoning them to come to Jesus, and be a priest in His Church - bringing LIFE to all of us that need to be fed at His Table where Heaven comes down to earth! It was a beautiful sound in this huge church to hear all the male voices singing and responding with great JOY to all the mass! My heart takes wings and soars as an eagle to the highest height with such HOPE... knowing that no matter what... John's faith and understanding of our Lord and his Bride, The Church, is growing larger and more deeply a part of his inner sacred temple where the Spirit dwells and rules!
Today Pat, I and Paul had the honor of blessing throats as we prayed for the intercession of St Blaise on this our son's birthday! I asked St Blaise to intercede for our granddaughter, Mary, who has a very bad cold/flu right now. We went over after mass to minister to her and were relieved that her head infection involving throat and neck glands has now turned into a cold - as if St Blaise is already at work in how much we were encouraged by her smiles and just looking better! It was also wonderful to hear the second reading I Cor 13! It is certainly a measure of how far we fall from truly loving as we should to have the measuring stick of St Paul's words here:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.... So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE."
Wow! This truly shows me how short I fall from truly loving. I guage myself within my domestic Church with my husband and children and grandchildre... especially with my spouse... my weaknesses and faults come out everywhere and always! Rarely can I say that I come anywhere near to the measure of True LOVE that this shows me! How I would have loved to watch Jesus living these out in all that he said and did! We do have his example in the Word, and also in the Spirit alive and well in the Saints that have walked this world in his footsteps following after HIM carrying their Most Cherished Cross! May we ask them to continually intercede for us to become more and more perfect in the ways that we love - especially with those that are the closest to us!
John and our family are so blessed to have wonderful young men that have embraced the priesthood, and show us a beautiful example of LOVE as they bring the LIFE of Christ into our world through the Sacraments of the Church - most especially the Eucharist!
Jesus, we are filled with so much gratitude as we continue in this journey called cancer/healing/seminary with our son, John Patrick Augustine! Each day is a gift to us as we embrace the new faith-filled John, who is asking you to reveal to him your Way for him and asking the question - "Why was I spared?" What JOY he has found surrounded by other men that have their own personal stories of YOU tapping them on their shoulders and lovingly asking them to consider your call to the priesthood! His brothers in the seminary has grown his circle of faith-filled brothers to include so many more! Men that will support John and join him in a deeper knowledge and LOVE of YOU, O Lord! John's plea and prayers for brothers over the years as the only boy here with us on earth with only sisters... has been answered to include so many wonderful "brothers!" Starting with the hugely wonderful gift of 3 amazing brother-in-laws! Three men that have built and are continuing to build beautiful homes of Faith built on the Rock! Such a blessing to John and such an answer to prayer for his sisters! Then to have the little brothers and priests in Hallel's Community of the Lamb and how they also pray for and support John as brothers in Faith. Now after the experience of a faith-based Fraternity at the U of M - Farmhouse...to have the brothers of Catholic Faith in the Seminary! John sure had his prayer for brothers answered in a most powerful and generous way! Lord, we are so grateful that John is with us on this his 24th birthday - healthy and ever growing more and more in LOVE with YOU and Your Bride, The Church! Bless him with many more years to proclaim for all to hear the TRUTH! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
"Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." Mk 5:34
Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth and the LIFE!
Third Day - Sound of your Voice
So Blessed by the whole Journey called Faith/family/farm, O wonderful LORD!
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