Not too many pictures of just Pat and I these days, but this is truly a picture of us - our family shows us to the world, and really reveals what makes us tic! To see the girls each holding their newest baby from the last year - all 3 were expecting together! And Hallel and John both looking to discern the Lord's call and direction in their lives. This discovery of Christ's plan for them, is what we know will lead to true happiness and hence what we pray our kids will - listen to what Christ wants for them, and not what they selfishly want as dictated by the world. Hallel shared on her home visit a month ago, that she knew the first day she joined her community of the Lamb that she had found where her spouse, Jesus, wanted her! No, we don't live in a big communal home so that this is a day to day picture of Pat and I - our family. It took a trip to Texas to pick up Maria and the kids and Hallel to come to the U.S. from France, and Nancy and John to come from the Cities... but there truly is someone in our home with us very often as we just had two grandkids for 1 1/2 weeks and now we have John in transition as he discerned that he is taking a year off from the seminary and finding a job. We also farm with Ruth and Paul, and live just 3 miles apart, so they are here often and almost daily... especially at this time of year with the crop going in and all that happens in the spring on the farm. And sharing our Faith is what brings us together although seperated by miles and even the ocean - as Hallel is back in France as of a week ago now!
To me this is a picture of Pat and I and our marriage much more than if it were an actual picture of the two of us together. This speaks of the LIFE that we have always been open to, and the LIGHTS that we know we are to bring into the world - lighting the way for those that live in darkness! "The way of God leads to wisdom, joy, light and life; the way of evil leads to foolishness, suffering, darkness, and death. Let us live by God's law." see www.magnificat.com
I have gone over this story in great detail in the page I devoted to our marriage... http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
It is nice to now have it on a page that can be found and read, as I share this main message of our LIFE with Christ in our sacrament of marriage often. It is truly the Holy Spirit speaking to us in the Church that are asked to be open to LIFE/family! The lies of the darkness are telling us that we are selfish to want to have a lot of children in this messed up world and probably not that fair to our children for them to have to share with so many... Wrong!!! The world needs LIGHTS! There are so many LIGHTS that are extinguished through the horror of taking the lives of innocent babies in abortion! We need to bring the beauty of the Truth into the world and LIGHT in the darkness by being open to LIFE/family and raising them in the Faith of Jesus and His Bride, The Church! The Church in her wisdom knows that this LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT that comes to us with our domestic Church/family is a small slice of heaven here on earth and is going to help us get to Heaven! We are united in Faithful prayer and worship in the Sacraments, Saints, Angels, Sacramentals, Mary, and the Word of God, Jesus Christ! There is so much in our Church to help us on our journey to Eternal LIFE/Heaven! There is more than we can ever take in and we are always helped with one grace or another as we face all that comes to us on the journey carrying our Most Cherished Cross and following after HIM down the narrow path. Our Cross becomes the Tree of LIFE and provides us with all the wonderful fruit to feed us and blossoms to bring glorious sanctity to our sorrows and pains that come with LIFE.
Just back from feeding my two calves a bottle - John was out watching for heat in the heifers in the pasture by the house. He has the morning office on his smart phone, so we sat together on the 4 wheeler in the chilly breeze - watching the heifers and saying morning prayer together. Super amazing to have this added dimension of Faith infusing into the bright green world of the pasture and the LIFE of those animals we are put in charge of on the farm - to take the steps needed to raise beef to feed the world!
We started our prayer with singing from memory the Canticle of St Francis to song - Make me a Channel of your Peace... just the phrases that we knew by memory were so powerful to share as we sat together in the sun - the animals looked up at us, yet went about their own business of eating, laying in the sun, and nosing each other.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen" Lord, there is no better prayer than this one... hear our heartfelt prayer this day as we embrace our Most Cherished Cross in the Sacrament of marriage. May we find Eternal LIFE through the Cross just as you showed us this Truth in your LIFE/Death/Resurrection- Paschal Mystery! Jesus, we are yours as weak and sinful as we are - that is when we need you and turn to YOU and your reach for us with your unconditional LOVE and forgiveness. Help us Lord to overcome our sin this day and choose the graces you give us to go forward and be LIGHTS to our world/domestic Church. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
"But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being should separate." Mark 10: 1-12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOEAaySj6Ps Danielle Rose singing Your Bride
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