A borrowed picture from Nancy of two cousins enjoying each other.
I have shared so often that in our family sharing the Cross called "being open to family" resulted in our being very close and seeing the value of each other and ALL LIFE! Who would have ever thought that suffering loss after loss in and around and through our childbearing years would have had this result?!? For sure a person would think that it would cause a hesitancy in our girls facing similar pain and possibly limiting their family size down to the commonly accepted two children these days. But no... even Maria, who has had 2 miscarriages and a ruptured uterus, continues to more cautiously be open to more children! Yes, both Ruth and Maria have to slow down and allow their uterus time to heal, and then be closely watched for the right time to have the baby by C-section. I ask the Lord - "Why?" when they are open to life that they have to face the obstacles and roadblocks - but then I should certainly know there are answers we will never get, and yes... looking back at the suffering and the result of love and a very real closeness - I now see the Life-giving Cross in all its glory!
Sweet young precious faces - a Luke Sandwich of love!
I am continually amazed by how my 5 continue to stay close as the very best of friends! A huge part of this, I see, is that we share all the same Faith in The Church, and all that the Church upholds to us as Truth! We all worship together, and Hallel has reminded us that we are united with her in the Eucharist! We have had to let go of her day to day involvement in our family and our lives, and that is very hard, I will admit. I know she loves little ones, and that it is a sacrifice to not be involved in the lives of her nephews and nieces. I do have some comfort and do know of the connection I have with her at mass. I know of her prayers and love for us, and do know that we are united in the Eucharist! Here is Danielle Rose explaining this just before she went in to discern in the convent...
I have had the experience of seeing cousins grow farther and farther apart as they get older... it will be very interesting to see our family in this case. They are all very young now with Simon the oldest at 9. I have no doubt that sharing our Faith as a family with all that means for us... in addition to that and along with that is our having The Community of the Lamb as part of our family!
Look at how that is influencing and enriching the lives of our young! Here is that beautiful Therese in her special habit mom made for her and her precious dolly, Anna!
Such a powerful Gospel today about the Poor versus the rich! The Community work and live with and as the poor - they have taken a vow of poverty and resist all the ways of indulgence and making life easy! One of the mothers of the postulants wanted to get a microwave for the Community - "It will give you more time to pray!" "We will not have a microwave." said Little Sister Marie very firmly. It takes some doing, but you begin to see that all the ways that we have to make our life more easy cost money and fill our lives with more stuff! The girls in our family find their most JOY, when we are with Hallel's community, standing at the sink in their blue aprons doing the dishes! And they have to heat their water on an old stove in a pot - they do not have hot water! I will not go into the other ways they live out their poverty, but they live a poor and simple life and with all the clutter and this and that in ours - that sounds like a huge relief a lot of times! What is the Gospel today? Luke 16 - The rich man and Lazarus "lying at his door, covered with sores, who would have gladly eaten the scraps that fell from the rich man's table."
Jesus, there is so much pulling at us and attempting to draw our attention away from the basis of our LIFE - YOU and your beautiful glorious wise Bride, The Church. May we leave behind the distractions and things that separate us from YOU and walk ever in your LIGHT down the narrow path carrying and embracing Our Most Cherished Cross - those sufferings that bring us more and more into your presence. When we are weak we need you to take us up into your arms and walk with us... those single set of footprints in the sand! We see the value of being poor and keeping life simple, O Lord. We thank you for the example of Pope Francis in remembering and embracing poverty, and also our dear Community of the Lamb! May their examples allow us to serve without counting the cost all those we encounter on our journey. Thank you for those, including my sister Cheryl, who have a heart for the poor and are ministering to their needs daily. Truly, You remind us over and over that this is YOU, Christ, in our midst! How can we not see you, love you, serve you, praise you, glorify you , embrace you, wash you, feed you, visit you, care for you, hold you, hold you close to our hearts burning with love for you, lean on you, cry to you in our need due to our being lost and broken, cry on your shoulder, bind up your wounds after you have done so to us, prevent the world from speaking wrongly about your Truth, bask in your LIGHT, in your LOVE, in your LIFE? Lord, we long to meet you face to face each day in the poor! Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of the drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. More torturous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart, To reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:5-10 The first reading from mass today - read around the world!
Mary loves the Community!
So much to learn for a young girl of the values of loving and serving her LORD!
Consider a call...
Deep impressions of Peace, Joy, and Love - the fruits of the Spirit!
Danielle Rose singing - See You in the Eucharist
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