Little 18 month old Rose leads the way into the Church for her new 2 week old brother, Luke! This is so true as Rose was baptized into the Church a year and a half ago in May! 1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."5 From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Rose with her siblings and two cousins after the baptism... minus the 3 in Texas!
So uplifted today by the wonderful Gospel of the blind man, who called out to the Lord - "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" He is blind and longs to see! How often do we feel that we cannot understand what is happening to us in our lives? We cannot see why we are called to suffer, or why the world contains so much deceit and darkness that confuse us - we are blind and call out to Jesus to give us sight to see The LIGHT and the Truth! But when we see do we then - follow HIM, "giving glory to God." ? Or do we come down on those that are not able to see and judge them and fail to show the loving mercy and forgiveness we have been shown? Because the blind man, who had been healed, followed after Jesus praising God and giving him the glory - the people joined him - "When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God." Let's delve into this revealing Gospel today in the light of what Pope Francis is asking us to love as Jesus showed us. Some of us - when seeing the Truth tend to judge and come down hard on those that are still blind on the side of the road... Yet, we are better in line with Christ's call to healing by giving him the glory for our transformation and sight! This wins others to praise with us and fills them with wonder and desire to know HIM and His Truth. How to do this is the burning question of the day?! I have a long way to go in this new challenge to LOVE and forgive as Jesus did! I keep being called back to the woman taken in adultery, and how Jesus handled her with such an amazing way! The Law called for her to be stoned, and when we look at the result that would have on other women contemplating adultery. It would certainly make them think twice, but in the right way would they turn away from the temptation or would they have already sinned in their heart? But instead Jesus forgave her and told her to sin no more... she left there transformed by his loving forgiveness and her word and example in her LIFE and family/domestic Church is what would make women turn away from the evil of being unfaithful in their marriages. They would "see" with eyes of Faith that we want to embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE everlasting!
Two little girls in red and flowers in their hair!
With Nancy here for the two weeks while her husband is away in Mexico on business - we have started to watch the Catholicism series each night together by Fr Barron. We saw one the other night about God and the mystery that surrounds this force of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT that is responsible for all! One rule to follow when it comes to God is to remind ourselves that once we think we have HIM figured out... we need to know that there is no figuring out God! All of my thoughts this day, and with our new Pope that is making us pause and realize that we don't have God's ways figured out by a long shot! But isn't that super exciting to realize that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg? There is an endless journey of Faith that we are on, and underlying and throughout it all we are called to LOVE unconditionally and without judgment! This is very clear in John's message as a result of his healing - he is following God and giving Him the glory and praise and total credit - shouting from the rooftops! Yesterday after the Baptism John once again had an opportunity to share his journey with a group in Montevideo! I received this from a friend - "Dave and I had the pleasure of hearing John speak today in Montevideo. We have been anticipating hearing John speak about his cancer/ healing for a very long time and we were very moved by what he had to say. It is clear God has a plan for John and it is also clear that he has opened his heart to whatever that is. Hearing him speak about his journey was simply a gift from God to all of us." Wow! So good to know that John is humbly sharing the journey from lack of Faith through finding it through brain cancer, and that with this he is showing others that Jesus is there alive and well and healing just as He did 2,000 years ago!
Flower girls and tractor boy - many people came up to us after the Baptism - "It must be so fun at your house!" Yes!!!!
Happy Feast day little Rose and big mommy Ruth!
Jesus, so much to learn and we need to remember that we can never figure out the mystery of God and that is so wonderful! To know that we are always learning and growing in ways to LOVE and forgive as YOU did, Lord! How dull to be stuck in a rut of disillusionment and judgment of all the darkness in the world. Instead we are called to share the LIGHT and remember that we too were once blind and Jesus answered our plea and had pity on us and healed us! Healed us so that we could jump up to our feet - seeing the Truth and giving God all the glory! That great JOY will spread and bring those that are watching into the knowledge and LOVE of God and His Church! Jesus, may we give without counting the cost - carrying our Most Cherished Cross and following after HIM. Jesus, we thank and praise YOU now and always. Jesus, may we see YOU in all those we meet this day. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Ruth and Paul just a few days after their wedding walking down the rainy street in Rome...on their way to St Peters to have their marriage blessed by Blessed John Paul II - November 25, 2003! Paul and Ruth knelt before him and Paul asked - "Please bless us with a happy healthy family."
Here is the beautiful result - another prayer answered and a sight for all the world to see of giving God all the glory! We are called to embrace LIFE and when we do it is beautiful!!!!!!!!!
"Give me LIFE, O Lord, and I will do your commands." Psalm 119:88 The psalm from mass today read all around the world - so powerful! May it come true for us in our lives in domestic Church/family!
Picture perfect!
St Therese enters Carmel with Danielle Rose singing Small Things with great LOVE
Bernadette is ready to join the walking in her world! Well, it takes one step at a time and this records one step! She is waiting for dad to return home from working in Mexico for two weeks! We miss you Billy!
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