John out powerwashing last evening - he is home looking for work in the real world, and while he waits -trusting that there is a plan - he is helping out around the farm.
Today is a very special feastday in the scheme of things - the birth of John the Baptist. This was the day 4 years ago that we heard the word tumor for the first time in a most shocking proposal made by an arrogant neuro surgeon. He told us that he wanted to do horrific brain surgery on our 20 year old son, and we were shocked to our cores. We then found the best neuro surgeon in the world in St Paul, and asked for a second opinion - he told us that it was not even a consideration to do such a thing! Even if he had told us that he would do it - I don't think that we ever could have said yes! Now after 4 years and most miraculous healing the words that John and I just read together from the Gospel for today ring so powerfully true...'What then will this child be?' For surely the hand of the Lord was with him." Luke 1:66 John laid his head on my shoulder as we fought back tears - knowing that we know this to be true in his life - the burning question - "Why was I spared,Lord?" is leading him onward down the narrow path carrying his most Cherished Cross. A year in seminary and now work where, O Lord?
This is what greeted us at St Joseph's Hospital in St Paul - the vision of St Peregrine, who was cured of cancer when the Crucified Christ reached down from the Cross to heal him! Daily I would attend mass in this chapel and then spend time with my rope holding me as I dangled on the side of the bottomless cliff - brain cancer in my 20 year old son- my rosary with the constant prayers for strength and the ability to Trust in her Son to Our Spiritual Mother! Today celebrating this amazing feast day of our son, John, we are reminded that he truly has caused many to ask - "What will he be, for surely the hand of the Lord was with him?" John, finds in his life that each day he is asking the Lord this exact question. He feels that he Lord told him to not go back to the seminary next year, but to take some time to get out and "live" in the real world with a job and all the responsibilities that comes with it. Yet, it is not coming very easily. He is determined to find something in the area of home, and he is facing some raised eyebrows and opposition to this. So on this feastday as he prayed for the Lord to help him find work that will use his God-given gifts and talents to serve others and to share with the world around him his amazing story of Faith received after a half-hearted prayer. His story from his perspective was shared so powerfully in this article in our Diocesan Newspaper - the Prairie Catholic - http://dnu.org/news/documents/JAN.2013MASTERISSUE.pdf It was such a blessing to his family to hear the story from his perspective! To know that he feels cancer was an anwer to his prayer to find Faith in Jesus and His Bride, The Church! Now what burns most deeply and powerfully inside of him is to share this story with all around him... by presenting himself and writing a book. Recently we heard of another young man, who has gone through the battle for his life against cancer, and although he is on the point of entering internship to be a doctor - he merely wants to write articles to share the wonder of his experience also!
June 24th - 4 years ago we stopped in at Ruth's on our ways from Sioux Falls to St Paul as we changed hospitals. John was in shock after 4 days of entering "The Storm." Ruth is expecting her 2nd child since this all happened, and we are called to pray each one here from the minute we know they are in the womb! What we find to be most interesting is that there are 9 years and one month between my oldest, Ruth, and my youngest, John. And there will be 9 years and two months between Ruth's oldest, Simon, and this new little one! There are patterns in our lives that make us pause and feel the hand of God upon us so strongly! Ruth was the best oldest sister to her siblings!
Lord, we are filled with such feelings of YOU this day! We have a wonderful feastday going on here with this day of great power in our lives. I was telling John today that for the first 3 girls - my boy's name was Luke, but it got to be overused at the time with many in the media. So we changed it to John by time he came around. We all kind of joke that it was another Sesame Street influence with an adorable black boy named, John-John. But I truly believe now that it is our love for Blessed John Paul II, who was our Pope for our entire marriage until he died in 2005. How we loved him, so now I see that this was truly the reason for John and why I loved the name so much by that time! He is John Patrick, yet he is the reflection of our LOVE and devotion to Blessed John Paul II. I have prayed to him for years, so for the day he will be Sainted will be a big crazy amazing day around here! Lord, you spoke us through the Spirit and told us that our only son to walk this earth with us would be JOHN! "John is his name." said his mute father when they asked him! Jesus, John and I just shared his burning desire to share his story... and he is looking making that his "Job" of sharing and working for Christ! Jesus, we look to YOU and Your Truth and sharing Your LIGHT with all those that are longing to find a way out of the darkness as YOU are there with your arms wide to welcome them. We are weak and we need you, Lord! Jesus, we Trust in YOU. Amen and Halleluia
John wearing the silly glasses that he was prescribed in his early journey of double vision.
Bless-bless, Barb
"The nativity of St John the Baptist is a sacred reminder of the fact that I need to be born in my life every day:
-Someone who leaps for joy before the presence of the Lord, making me want to live my own relationship with Jesus with greater ardor and fervor;
-Someone to prepare the way of the Lord and to give me knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of my sins;
-Someone who turns my attention away from my distractions and perconceptions so that I will behold the Lamb of God as the true desire of my heart;
-Someone who models for me that there is no greater love in my life than for Jesus to increase and for me to decrease, especially in regards to my self-reliance, my self-assertion, my self-importance;
-Someone who is a burning and shining lamp whose radiance gives LIGHT to my path and courage to my heart, making me want to live for others;
-Someone so committed to the Truth that he is willing to lay down his LIFE for the Truth-become-flesh - witnessing to me that all true happiness comes through self- sacrifice;"
Fr Peter Cameron Wow! St John the Baptist, pray for us and for all those named Johh this great day of celebration!
4th of July 2009 - the day of celebration at Ruth and Paul's for all of our supporters in prayer. Caringbridge site was started on June 24th, 2009 - the day we arrived in St Paul!
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnverly So many prayers came to us through this site and led to me writing this blog when it ended with John's healing.
Danielle Rose - Psalm 139 - the Psalm read in every Catholic Church around the world at mass today!!! The best!!! And so true of each one of us - Our God loves us this much! Protect LIFE, Lord, and end the taking of innocent LIFE in the atrocity of abortion!
John helping his dad with a humble acceptance of serving without counting the cost.
One more Danielle Rose singing Hail Holy Queen!!! Our Spiritual Mother protect us from harm! May we find warmth held close to your mother's heart!
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