It has been a while since we have had a baby growing up so close at hand. There are almost 4 years between Rose and her brother, David, above her. Now there is a new sibling to arrive just 17 months after Rose! It is a delight to watch that baby girl become more happy, and grown up, and excited about all that she is learning. I have noticed lately a developing relationship and appreciation between the two sisters, and that is super special.
This afternoon under the clothesline was so wonderful! It revealed that the girls although seperated by 6 years will have lots of fun times together. It makes me recall the great closeness that I shared with my sister, Mary, who was 7 years younger than me. She felt to me to be a extention of myself when we would walk down the beach in Michigan and she would fit right under my arm as we walked along enjoying the beauty of the day, looking for fossils, and just sharing a closeness of sisters which carried through our lives until her early death at 28 to lymphoma cancer. I still feel a daily closeness to her, I take praying for her to make it to heaven very seriously and use the chaplet of divine mercy to intercede for her, and I take reaching out to her daughter, Audrey, and including her whenever possible very seriously too! Mary is a Godmother to two of my girls - Nancy and Hallel - and they pray for her also, and know of her love for them from heaven! In writing this I am reminded of another time that there was that closeness and oneness of one fitting under the arm of the other to help and give strength - after John had his brain biopsy almost 4 years ago and had ataxia on his left side and couldn't walk - his dad, Pat, shorter and very strong was under that weak and uncoordinated side to allow him to walk to the bathroom or whereever he needed to go.
One thing that came from John's prayer for Faith is an extreme case of humility! But isn't that what the Lord asks of us? To leave our selfish ways behind and accept our Most Cherished Cross - the Tree of LIFE? That is one thing that really struck me in this first month that John had to regain his ability to walk on his own - it truly looked like and was like we were carrying that Cross when we helped John to walk! "He's not heavy - he's my brother." Also came to reality!
My sister Mary and I in the barn in 1982 after she had been here to help me with my second pregnancy and fell in love with the farm! How I love to look at this and remember the way that Mary touched my life... not only that but she fell in love with the life I had been blessed with on the farm! How amazing is that to have your life reflected back at you by someone you love as being the life she longed to find for herself and that she did. She married a dairy farmer and had her wished for life for a couple years before her death. Today in reading morning prayer with Pat and the Gospel for today in which Jesus speaks to us about Heaven - so hard to really know what it will be like except that we all long to be there with Christ and all those we love and miss here on earth! I knew that the meditation addressing "Hope for our Resurrection" by St Catherine of Siena... would have some powerful words for us. These caught me and wouldn't let go..."So as soon as we have so sweetly acquired the light of faith and seen how unspeakably much God loves us, we fall in love with this great light, this wonderful love God has for us."
Lord, we are filled with the knowledge that we are dependent on each other to walk the narrow path of humility and weakness - carrying our Most Cherished Cross into the LIGHT of your unconditional LOVE and LIFE! We are weak and fall without that loving support of those that are with us on this journey in our domestic Church/family. That family grows to be filled with those in your Body - The Church. We are in need of those that are the ears or those that are the big toe - our Body works together as a whole to come to YOU more and more with each day filled with all that helps us - Your Word, Your Sacraments, Your Saints, Your Mother Mary Most Holy, and all the constant prayers we have through the sacarmentals of The Church! With every beat of my heart and with every breath that I take - may it be a constant prayer to YOU - "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." "Hail Mary, full of Grace" Luke 1 Through your Mother we are brought to YOU and with her we bear YOU to the world we face. Lord, I lift up my mother this day, who is very sick. Give me safe travels, as I go to be with her and my dad for a day. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
"Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me", says the Lord. Matthew 16:24
St Boniface, pray for us on this your feastday.
Just got word that they have found Cookie, David's cat he got for his birthday last July, with 6 new kittens in the closet at Ruth's! Pictures will be following in short order!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiypaURysz4 Peter Mayer singing Holy Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlh6_5znn7U Francesca Batistelli - Lead me to the Cross
Sisters always loving and caring!
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