Ashes - a sign of our nothingness without God

Last year we watched the kids so that Ruth and Paul could go to mass and get their ashes on Ash Wednesday, so I got to grab a few pics of them just back with their ashes - they shared some or their ashes with then 9 month old Rose. Today we had plans to go to the 8:30a mass at the school - after almost a foot of snow and school 2 hours late - that mass will not happen, so we need to try to get to mass later in the day.  Waking to a pet cow having her calf in the snow, and after working on it realizing that it was not alive... it has been a hard first few hours of Lent!
 What are ashes - the residue that is left after palm branches are burned - residue that blows with the wind, and might return to the soil.  With the help of other nutrients from other dying matter it could nourish a seed to take root and grow into some new life/plant.  When we are spent and burnt up by life we see with eyes of Faith that we are nothing without our God!  I have noticed that at those most hard times when I see how weak and pathetic I am - I turn to God! 

We got a surprise call from France yesterday from our daughter, Little Sister Hallel, as Lent is a time when we are not to communicate with her, so she very lovingly and kindly gave us a call to tide us over.  I told her I would only call her if there is something very important or an emergency, and she said that she always wonders what is up now -when she gets one of those calls.  "Who died now?" 
It was a light-hearted and relaxed conversation in which we got her up to date on her family immediate and extended.  She discovered that her great Aunt Bertha had died a couple days before, and she remembered that her husband had been Emil!  We filled her in on John's move in with Fr Craig in Canby to discern, pray, and help out at the parish.  She very much felt that this was a good move, and agreed that Fr has been very instrumental in John's cancer journey from being with him in Lourdes and taking him into the baths for the first time.  To being the priest at his bedside to anoint him the day before his brain biopsy which changed John for ever and made him the new John with Ataxia and finally a diagnosis!  John is continuing to ask the Lord for healing and direction! 

The prayers continue for John's brain to be protected from any harm from the chemo, radiation, and stem cell transplant he had to endure to be cured of cancer! 

Yes, Lord, we belong to your Church and admit that without you we are nothing but ashes.  

Here was Pat a short time ago.. .clearing out the yard.  I looked at the Cow TV and saw that a cow had just calved.  I called Pat and he went out to find that an old cow, who will not be going out to pasture this year, had her calf.  So by Divine Providence we now have a calf to put on the young one that lost her calf this morning.  Lord, may all this work out.  Farm life and death makes it hard around here sometimes!  This has put us very much in touch with how we need YOU this Lent, O Lord!
Jesus instructs us in the Gospel today - "When you give alms..."  "When you pray,..."  "When you fast,..."  we should do it all interiorly and in our inner room!  Yes, Lord!  May we fall on our knees without ceasing as we are dust without your living waters and Body and Blood which feed us and give us Your Spirit to dwell within and give us LIFE everlasting.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"Through all your days,... Keep the Lord in mind, and suppress every desire to sin or break his commandments.  Perform good works all the days of your life, and do not tread the paths of wrongdoing.
Do not turn your face away from the poor, and God's face will not be turned away from you.
Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing.  Whatever you have left over, give away as alms; and do not begrudge the alms you give.
At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans."  Tobit 4

"A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."  Psalm 51 - the psalm from mass today

Lead me to the Cross - Francesca Batistelli

Once again John is in the careful loving care of this amazing priest!  I am filled with such peace and hope when I look upon this picture which is on the mirror in my bedroom every day!  John has just come out of the baths at Lourdes where he asked them to pour water over his head - "That is where I need my healing."  That continues to be true, and we need to know that the Lord continues to answer the prayers we are asking Him on our knees!  The fact that John was welcomed with open arms by Fr Craig for him to come to Canby and live with him... sharing prayer, meals, and learning at the feet of this great priest how to love and serve without counting the cost!  I know that John is always asking the Lord to guide and direct him, according to the path Jesus has for him, and I know that those prayers will be answered without a doubt!

Lord, we know that Fr Craig is your instrument, and You are using him to help John grow in the knowledge and love of YOU!  Jesus, we thank you for giving John this wonderful priest of Yours to walk with him on this journey of cancer/healing/now where do you want me Lord?  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Adoraus te Domine - a Utube video that Fr Kucera was watching and was amazed at the 7 minute mark what he found!  We are so blessed by all the amazing sacraments of The Church!  They each bless us on our journey to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!