The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
Patron Saint of the Contemplative and repentant sinner...Mary Magdalene!
I found this on FB today... and also discovered that St Mary Magdalene is the patron Saint of repentant sinners and the contemplative life - the first I need daily and the second is what I am in my inner self when I am most content and on fire for my faith - when I am allowed my time of contemplative LIFE - at prayer in my inner temple filled with the incense of prayers lifting to heaven and the beauty of the most glorious stain glass windows depicting Mary Magdalene washing the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiping them with her hair...
and finding Jesus risen from the dead like this one... what JOY, what wonder, what awe!!!
Just had a great conversation with my mom after many weeks, and we both agreed that it was of special interest to us to know that Mary Magdalene is the patron of contemplative life. "Her place at the foot of the cross and the first one at the tomb to see the risen Christ and her washing his feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair." I recalled all these ways she reveals to us the depth and emotion of that contemplative life! Where is there a more powerful place to stand than at the foot of the cross and looking up into the suffering face of our Lord as He takes all our sins upon himself? As we suffer in this life carrying our Most Cherished Cross - we recall what Jesus did for us!
The beautiful statue of Mary in the Church in Manistique with the 6 carnations placed in front of her by 6 daughters of a Mary that had died. I attended her funeral on the anniversary of my sister, Mary's death on July 3rd. I discovered later that all the 6 women that swayed in front of Mary's statue were her daughters. It was a wonderful special witness to love for Our Lady - the namesake of my sister and their mother! The two Marys both stood at the foot of the Cross and on the way of the Cross together - both were heart-sick to watch Jesus suffer so horribly and die... but none more deeply than the mother of Heaven and earth - who said "yes" and brought LIFE eternal into the world for us!
Jesus, this is a day of a great woman saint - she is there to assist us in such important and needed ways - repenting of our sins and going deep in contemplation of all that You have done for us! No matter how distracting and hard our journeys are may we always cling to that contemplative life within. May we find there the strength and hope we need to carry on our mission to love and serve YOU in our domestic Church/family without counting the cost. St Mary Magdalene, pray for us and we are so grateful to the women we are given to assist us and model for us on how we are to be your disciples - "the apostle to the Apostles." May I always remember that "I have seen the Lord" and make haste to tell all those I meet! Jesus, I trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"O my God, one day, like Mary Magdalene,
I wanted to see you and come close to you.
I looked down over the immense plain
Where I sought the Master and the King,
And I cried, seeing the pure wave,
'Bright nature, if I do not see God,
You are nothing to me but a vast tomb.'" ST Therese of Lisieux (1897)
Such a familiar picture of our kids years back - getting ready for the county fair! Lots of excitement and lots of stress!
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