Rejoice - Gaudete!!!!

Luke is walking and he got to take up his own offering envelope on his own two feet today when Father Paul asks the little ones to bring up their envelopes!  He was so happy and proud to be a big boy!

 It was a landmark day for little Luke to take up his own envelope!  Mary and Simon helped him find his way back into the pew afterwards.

 The only problem is that once they escape from the pew they think that church is done and getting them back into the pew is not an easy task. 

 He was ready to go, so mom had to take him out for a while.  Hopefully this will not become a habit.  Father stressed today that this midpoint or even 2/3rds of the way through Advent marks great rejoicing called upon us by the readings for today!  "I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice..."  Isaiah 61 - such a marvelous reading this day! 

It was such a gift to find this picture from Rome today on FB - a sweet young TEC friend is studying there for the semester with St Thomas and told me that they would be seeing Hallel and her Community of the Lamb on a regular basis.  Here is the first picture and the story behind - they are making pumpkin pies!  Thank you, Ellen, for this gift, and the reminder that this is a small world we live in!  How appropriate to see Little Sister Hallel on this 3rd Sunday of Advent - Gaudete or rejoice Sunday as Hallel is the fist part of Hallelujah and every time you say her name you are giving God the highest of Praise/ Rejoice from the highest heavens!  Gaudete is the Latin word for Rejoice!  Little Sister Hallel Gaudete is ringing in my heart this day!

 They both wore purple so it called for a photo with the beautiful altar adorned with Our Lady of Guadalupe and her roses.  The church was filled with drums and dancing late into the night last night in her celebration this last week!  The Church is alive with many cultures and JOY abounds with the ways the Jesus and His Mother, Mary Most Holy, touches our lives and shows us the path to follow to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!

So wonderful to share mass together !  The second reading from I Thessalonians 5:16 continues with the theme of: "Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."  In the good times and the hard times we are to give thanks for all!  We find that when we face the hardships in life is when we turn to Jesus.  "I am weak and lowly, Lord, I need you."  When all is going along fine... we can feel like we are self-sufficient and forget that without him we are nothing and the accomplishments that the world values are truly nothing unless we are putting others ahead of ourselves!

The altar was so beautiful today in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who brought Mexico to believe in the Truth as well as much of Central and South America!

The Gospel speaks of John the Baptist, who came to testify to the LIGHT!   May we also testify to the LIGHT in our lives and when necessary use words! 

Jesus, we pray without ceasing that as we go deeper and deeper into this Advent season of The Church that our hearts may welcome you in more and more by giving without counting the cost!  May the true gift we share be that of Christ and his Bride, The Church, and the Truth that is shared with us as The Church is there to help us get to heaven!  We need not pick and choose, but Trust and follow the dogmas and teachings of The Church totally and without hesitation!  May we go forth rejoicing down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross and finding the Tree of LIFE filled with all the fruits of the Holy Spirit alive and well in our lives/domestic Church/families!  "Wounded, I will not cease to LOVE."  The motto of the Community of the Lamb and the example of The Lamb of God.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

 A few more cookie baking pictures from yesterday...  I think we will be gathering for Sunday Gaudete/Rejoicing Sunday dinner and they will be a treat with Christmas sundaes for dessert. 

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke


So wise and such a challenge to us!

Stacks and stacks of lucken!

Barlow Girl - O Come, O Come Emanuel

As Simon and family were helping with serving and cleaning up breakfast rolls after Church - Simon was sweetly singing - "O Come, O Come Emmanuel!" so sweet is his voice and his sharing his LIGHT!