Prayers to begin the day not with Pat but for Pat

Normally Pat and I begin our day sharing morning prayer, and it gives us a special grace to get through the day carrying each other down the narrow path... not only is Pat my Most Cherished Cross but I am his!  Pat and John are away working a Together Encounter Christ retreat this weekend while I worked wheat by serving those that live in the Nursing Home!  What is wheat you may ask?  It is all the little sacrifices we make in prayer and serving to lift up those there for the weekend.  I received a call this morning from Pat as he was changing his clothes to give his talk on Discipleship.  He shared with me that his example of a disciple would be our daughter, little Sister Hallel, and mentioned the times we have called her in times of family crisis - her words are as though Christ were speaking to us and reminding us of His unconditional LOVE and concern for us!  This only makes sense knowing how she is His Bride and spends her days not only with Him in the Eucharistic Lord in His Body and Blood and time spent in Adoration, but they take the Gospel starting the night before and chew/mendicate His Word- Christ!  It is no wonder that the day we called to tell her that John had a tumor in his brain on Father's Day 2009 - "Mom, did you read the Gospel for today?"  "Yes, it was Jesus calming the storm."  "Well, this is the storm and Jesus is in control."  The storm within me was calmed immediately and I found inner peace!

Pat with two adoring grandsons!  It is so different with our grandchildren - the boys are outnumbering the girls!  But the girls also love their grandpa!  He is my champion for LIFE!  After Pat's special call I immediately set up a prayer station and lit the special lemon sugar cookie candle that he has been admiring, and sat down with prayer book in hand as well as my phone that has the app for the office of readings on it.  One more story of Hallel he remembered was when he and John called her with the terrifying news of grandson, Patrick's traumatic birth... She said "rejoice because a new life has come into the world."  Once again our Trust soared to new heights, and we could place this new precious LIFE in the hands of the Lord!  We are blessed to have Hallel and her Community with us on this journey as we have faced some very large Crosses and found LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT through them.  I will always remember a sister of the Lamb telling me early in John's battle - "You need to pass through the Cross to find the Resurrection."  So True! 

Grandkid magnet - lover of LIFE and devoted to raising LIGHTS!  I know that he has a crazy pair of those paper black sunglasses you are given after your eyes are dilated and you walk into the bright sunlight.  He plans to come into his talk wearing them and exclaiming that those there are shining so brightly that he needs this protection for his eyes.  If anyone should share his story of calming the storm of doubt forming in me at our marriage encounter... after all the other couples said that they were only having one or two children or none due to the mess the world was in.  I asked Pat if we were being selfish to be open to life and want a large family - Without hesitation his answer - "The world needs LIGHTS!"  He has never wavered from this, and is now the father of 12 children - 7 in heaven and 5 with us and each of them is a shining LIGHT in this world!  He was very serious and determined, and when Pat Verly has a goal - he accomplishes it!  I know that Christopher, Thomas, Joseph, Paul, William, Robert and Mary(our 7 that I have named and pray for and to daily) are looking down from heaven and praying for their dad right now, as he is speaking to all those attending about Discipleship - taking forth Christ into our worlds!

There is nothing more beautiful or natural than those big strong arms cradleing the babies!  We always attended mass together as a family - even when the babies were just days old - and Pat would always hold them firmly in his big arms and they would love to be there!  The LOVE I feel for my Most Cherished Cross, when I look at this is so powerful and real!  This is the heart of my LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT journey in our marriage!

Reading the office this morning there was Psalm 42

"Like the deer that yearns

for running streams,

so my soul is yearning

for you, my God."

I am sure that this was the psalm that we read together a few years back and it was a powerful moment of realization that Pat's prayers had been answered!  He had prayed that the Bible would come alive for him, and shortly after he had experienced a personal blow to his pride that crushed him!  We all know how hard it is on us, yet it is exactly what the Lord asks of us to be humble and die to self, so that He may live!  Pat struggled for days without sleep and truly suffering!  We shared morning prayer and there were two psalms about not being able to sleep and sitting in the ashes... exactly what Pat had been going through!  Suddenly the prayer that Pat had said asking for the Bible to come alive was revealed!  His prayer had been answered, and immediately he was healed and in awe of the Lord stooping down to answer his prayer!  He was healed and touched very personally by God!  Praying for my dear husband/Most Cherished Cross this morning as he shares his LIGHT with all those attending this TEC retreat!  I too am united with them in prayer.

Baby Rose Ida smiling at her grandpa - she loves him so much and still wants to be held and spend time with him!

The Gospel today is about the new wine in the new wineskins.  I have always kind of been less that excited about this one, but Psuedo-Marcarius (390) really helped me today!

He tells us that we need to be remade by Christ - turning away from sin and death- and that into this new man will be poured the new wine of the Holy Spirit!

"For just as the enemy  took man under his hand and made him new for himself covering him with evil passions and anointing him with the spirit of sin, and pouring into him the wine of all iniquity and evil teachings, so also the Lord,having redeemed him from the enemy, made him new.  He anointed him with his Spirit and poured into him the wine of LIFE, the new teaching of the Spirit.  For He has changed the nature of the loaves into the nature of the multitude, ... and converted the prostitute to purity, and prepared the nature of burning fire to become dew upon the furnace, and turned the nature of wild lions for Daniel, is able also to change the soul that was barren and savage from sin to his own goodness and kindness and peace by the holy and good 'Spirit of promise' (Eph 1:13)."

Grandpa with his arms full of girls! 
Jesus, we fall on our knees and humbly ask that we may allow your new wine of LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT to enter into our newly transformed selves!  We are made new as YOU Love and forgive us unconditionally. We are not deserving of your Mercy, yet you lavish it upon us if we only acknowledge that we are weak and sinful and lost in the darkness without YOU.  May we turn away from our sinfulness and fall on our knees, dying to self, and allow YOU to come and dwell within our temple within.  Pour your Holy Spirit/new wine into our hearts, minds and souls so that we with the help of the Holy Spirit may love and serve all those in our lives - most especially those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family!  Those that are the closest to us we treat the worst!  Those we love the most we struggle to love without counting the cost.  "Wounded, I will not cease to LOVE."  May we look to the Lamb and find the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE!  Jesus, we are yours and long to find that small slice of heaven here on earth within our homes.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and happiness in my heart, Because I bore your name, O Lord, God of Hosts."  Jeremiah 15:16 - the reading from the lauds prayers this morning!

More granddaughters!

Peter Mayer- Holy Now

This is the song that Pat is using after his talk - enjoy and be transformed as we are all truly Holy now - our new selves filled with the new wine of His Spirit!