Love your neighbor as yourself... What would that look like?

Yes, I got some grandma time over with Ruth and Paul's kids while they were working cattle on Valentines Day.  No, don't feel sorry for them....

They were doing what they love sharing - farming - for their special day!  Paul sweetly wrote this; "Took my sweetheart out for beef today! Nothing says romance like working on the farm together! Love you Ruth!"  I can see how this love of farming is such a deep and wonderful bond for Ruth and Paul!  It is so wonderful to know that they will bring their family here into this wonderful home and live the farm life together!

 Mary and David went out to bring in the two sister bunnies for some time in the house.  Mary also did her science fair project on her chickens - when she was judged the person said that they had never seen a project about chickens and if eating peanuts can make their eggs weigh more.  These kids are getting a lot of knowledge about the farm, and they are thriving on it!  It is so wonderful that they are learning about the farm and loving it!

Bunny goes from sitting in a cold cage next to her sister to this... lots of love and attention.  Maybe a happy medium would be nice?  So cute and soft that it is hard to resist...

The first reading from mass today is from Leviticus 19 and it sets out for us the commandments and rules to live by from God to us...  the final line is one we have heard repeated in the Gospel - Matthew 22:36-40 - Love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18
We have all read this numerous times and have that fleeting thought of how hard that would be - knowing how we cater to ourselves and whine and get defensive when attacked our questioned or when things are pointed out to us that we have done wrong in the eyes of others, on and on. 

The bunnies come in.  Mary has gifted the black one to David now...

David and his bunny taking a Sunday afternoon nap... at least one of them is.  I would say that his bunny hasn't been this warm and snuggly for a very long time - maybe since last August!

Mary and her animals... For a girl to be sharing time with a soft bunny is kind of fun and not the normal really.  Mary was sharing how she came over to say goodbye to her pet cow, Snowball, a couple days ago.  They were loading up 7 cows for slaughter who were not pregnant this year when they preg checked them.  We were all sad to know that Snowball was one of them.  The day they were loading them on the truck Mary and David came over to watch and say goodbye.  "David cried more tears than I did.  Dad warned us that we couldn't come over and be crying a lot... we just had to be strong."  Yes, she is learning about life and death on the farm.

David and Luke took naps, while the others attempted to have some quiet time on a snowy Sunday afternoon.

Rather than dwelling on how hard it would be to love my neighbor as myself ... I would like to try to picture what it would be like to do that for others, but most especially for those closest to me in my domestic Church/family.  I have always been baffled by the fact that those we are supposed to love the most we treat the worst! 

That darn I pad just can go from one thing to another - "STOP!  Grandma wants quiet rosary time!"  I think the bunnies agree.

If in my world I loved my neighbor as myself, what would that look like?
I would care for their every need - if they had a hurt, I would get some Aleve or Tylenol and have them lay down and rest and put their feet up.  If they had a desire for something to snack on, I would be getting that for them sooner than later.  I would cook all their favorite foods, and be sure to have the fridge stocked with all they like.  I would watch what they want to watch on TV and would certainly not complain or find fault if I loved them as myself.  I would never judge them or criticize them.  The world would become a peaceful place indeed.

A soft moment to capture - way too many pictures when there are cute soft bunnies around the house!

Such a powerful Gospel today - Pat and I got very quiet as we read Matthew 25:35-46 - the sheep and the goats and much of the Corporal works of Mercy laid out as necessary for us to do to our neighbor - what does loving our neighbor as ourselves look like?
Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

The Corporal works of Mercy; which are designed to relieve bodily needs of others....

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To harbor the harborless (Presently interpreted as Shelter the Homeless).^[7]
5. To visit the sick.
6. To ransom the captive (Presently interpreted as Visit the Imprisoned).^[8]
7. To bury the dead.

and then the Spiritual works of Mercy

1. To instruct the ignorant.
2. To counsel the doubtful.
3. To admonish sinners.
4. To bear wrongs patiently.
5. To forgive offences willingly.
6. To comfort the afflicted.
7. To pray for the living and the dead

These are designed to relieve Spiritual suffering

Works of mercy?  The bunny doesn't look too sure about that.

Reading a meditation on this Gospel - who better than Blessed Teresa of Calcutta?  Listening to her sharing of a young novice spending hours with a dying man in the gutter half eaten by worms!  "Mother, I have been touching the Body of Christ for 3 hours!"  What really was so powerful of her sharing was how she described this to the novices before then went out into the streets - "During Mass you have seen with what care and tenderness the priest touched the Body of Christ changed into the Bread of LIFE.  Do the same in the home of the dying destitutes."

A wonderful Valentine's meal as a fund raiser for Catholic work camp this summer in Tracy.  Thank you, John!

Jesus, I have so far to go in treating those "neighbors" in my life as I treat and love myself.  Yet, I long to die to self so that I can love, forgive and show mercy as you have to me!  I am so far from reaching this goal!  May I never grow discouraged or give up.  I am yours and am nothing without you.  I trust in you and place myself into your hands.  Amen

The youth going this summer shared this with us from Catholic Work camp 3 years ago.... very powerful indeed! 
Lots of good feedback and gratitude that John said "yes" to this position as DRE in Tracy/Milroy/Walnut Grove.  Thank you, Lord!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Snowy and cold heart of stone... may mine melt and warm to be a loving and forgiving heart of Mercy filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit!

We are called to take up our Cross and follow you, Jesus!
Let's admit it - loving our neighbor as ourselves would look like The Cross!

May I become You, my Jesus!

We are all called to be saints - may we never weary and take all the help our amazing Church is there to help us get to heaven forever with Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all the Saints and Angels!

Come Holy Spirit!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Unspoken - Start a fire

Toby Mac - Me without you