I am sharing this from Danielle Rose music this morning - she is sharing her singing at the Focus conference in Dallas, and it looks to be a most glorious holy time indeed! I have heard and seen good things with FOCUS over the years. One of the American postulants in Kansas City worked years as a focus missionary on campuses. As we are told by St John today - "This is how you can know the Spirit of God; every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God." I John3- the first reading from mass today! Truly this is Jesus come in the flesh, and we bow before HIM in adoration!
Another she shared with the words of -" The little star of Bethlehem led us to the maker of all light, Jesus, the light of the world." I think it is pretty obvious from the sharing of her music most every day that I am a huge follower of this young woman, Danielle Rose! She is my daughter's age and her journey has very much mirrored my girl's in their listening to Christ and discerning their call! We met Danielle from a distance 10 years ago at NCYC in Indianapolis. She sang her song - give and take for a room full from Minnesota, as she grew up in Duluth. We have followed her journey and music ever since. http://daniellerose.com/ Here is her music missionary site. She discerned a call to the convent from 2007-2009 just about when Susan/Hallel left for France and the Community of the Lamb, and felt that she was not to remain - much like our daughter, Maria with the Poor Clare Community. Last week I discovered to my JOY that she married in Duluth on the same snowy weekend that we shared gathered here on the farm as a family for Hallel's home visit. Susan has heard Christ calling her to be His Bride, and is now little Sister Hallel in the Community of the Lamb building a little monastery in Marseille, France! Danielle writes all her music in front of the Blessed Sacrament, so this display is deep within her heart and her music!!!!
Hallel each day has an hour of Adoration in front of Jesus in the flesh in the monstrance! She has mass and receives Jesus Body and Blood! She lives a quiet contemplative life of prayer and silence during most meals. She lives a life of poverty - sleeping on a board, and taking a sister shower out of a pail of water. She begs for her food from the poor! She represents Christ knocking on the door of the poor! She recognizes Christ in the flesh!
Going out the feed the bottle calves when she was home... mom following along after with the camera! My delight then and now!
Picture perfect in my mind, heart, and soul. Knowing of her prayers for her family each day of her contemplating Jesus!
Another young girl, who recognizes Jesus in the flesh... my 5 year old Granddaughter, Therese Marie. She has gone with her parents to daily mass most days since her conception in the womb! She knows that Jesus in the flesh is who is there and who they receive Body and Blood each day! She gifted me and the other grandparents with this book for Christmas - "If I Had a Day With Jesus." I see the Cross on most every page of her book, and I know that she is familiar with sacrifice and doing without as a young girl! She has a big heart for the Poor, and used to put money in home made pictures and pass them through the window of their car when they passed the homeless on the street. Now they have been told by the police not to give money, so they give out holy cards!
How I wept when I found this page in her book - knowing of her love for the Poor and giving is what she yearns to do. Jesus is truly with her when she gives and embraces the poor!
This is truly a natural and very real part of her day, and she knows and recognizes Jesus here! When we went to the Catholic School for Mary's mass while they were visiting. The kids were looking around the chapel afterwards and finding Jesus - he was in the arms of the statue of St Joseph, on the Cross, and Therese looks up at the tabernacle and says with her sweet little girl's voice - "Jesus is in the tabernacle for real!" Yes!!! You have eyes for your LORD in the flesh dear sweet girl, Therese!
What JOY - she prayed a rosary with Jesus, and sat on the couch and she read to Him "about Mary when she had Jesus." I love that Mary is such a big part of her book and Maria has told me that she has sat and said a rosary alone to herself in the past! Those beads are a life-line for me! How I cling to them in times of need! When other words cannot come due to fear or anger or whatever I am facing those can and are the rhythm of my prayer- love communication with my Jesus through His loving Mother! Therese has found that too!
Little Sister Hallel is Therese's Godmother, and through that strong attachment great adventures of Faith lie ahead for her... I am sure!!!
Two girls that recognize Jesus in all flesh!!!
Jesus, today in the Gospel we listen to YOU as you tell us to - "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." You don't just say the words - You then teach, proclaim the Gospel, and cure every disease and illness... We are given ALL we need to find your real presence in our lives - no matter what we face! It seems that when we are sick with "various diseases and racked with pain" is when we know that we cannot do it alone - we need YOU! This is the first time that I have ever seen that phrase - "racked with pain!" Matthew 4 Wow! So often that is the human condition whether it be in our bodies, minds or souls! After watching Pat's brother struggle with schizophrenia in his 20s and eventually get murdered in Montana on his ranch... we have commented that the mental pain and illness is very hard - almost worse than the physical pain! We have all seen so much of this pain and even experienced it ourselves! That wail from John at the back of the chapel in Mayo after his biopsy left him unable to walk and in a wheelchair at 20 years old... That was pain from the deepest places within him and recognition that his lack of Faith and asking for this faith had brought him to this place! For more about this - http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html. And the article written from his perspective - http://dnu.org/news/documents/JAN.2013MASTERISSUE.pdf ... So powerful!!! How he longs to share this far and wide, O Lord, continue to open the doors as he will not be silent! Lord, we long to be weak and turn to YOU with every breath that we take and every beat of our hearts! May we give up our selfish desires and give our all to YOU - recognizing YOU in the flesh in those in our domestic Church/family. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
What JOY this gives me!
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"Human beings have an innate restlessness for God, but this restlessness is a participation in God's own restlessness for us... Faith is nothing less than being interiorly seized by God, something which guides us along the pathways of LIFE. Faith draws us into a state of being seized by restlessness of God and it makes us pilgrims who are on an inner journey towards the true King of the world and his promise of Justice, Truth and LOVE..." Pope Benedict XVI
I can sure relate to this journey within! Looking out at the frigid world and knowing that it is hard to survive out there in this... we look to HIM to get us through those places of deep cold within us!
The 5 with their grandma Ann!!!
Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me
Danielle rose - give and take
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