"Because Christ is in us, any suffering of ours is his Passion..." Caryll Houselander

Maria finally updated her blog and I will be using her pictures today here.  Here is a family picture that is too funny to pass up!  Even Evangeline seems to have gotten the serious look going...

They must have gotten the John and Bobbi memo from their save the date cards!  We play serious around here! 

I guess that is just under the surface... really we are a wild and crazy bunch!

The nice one saves the day!

Jesus is sharing with his disciples today that he will be suffering and dying as "Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Matthew 20

How do we share in that and do the work of Salvation He is longing for in this world of sin and death?  By uniting our suffering with His Passion as Caryll Houselander reminds us today;

"Because Christ is in us, any suffering of ours is his Passion... Christ's passion redeems, not because it is our pain, but because it is his love infused in our pain." 

Pat with Josephine and Evangeline at my family Christmas - Maria and her 5 flew in for the long weekend with family.  It was the only gift I wanted, for all our grandkids to be together!

Yes, I am trying to get my mind around this idea that our suffering is part of the Passion of our Lord for the Salvation of the world.  My most profound suffering was the loss of my 7 children in the womb, most especially the two I lost a 20 weeks/still births!  My plans for a big family were obviously not the Lord's plan for us.  Now that I am over 25 years away from those losses... I see the work they did in me and my family for the positive. 

I see that sharing the pain of loss made us so close and that we appreciate each other tremendously.  I also see that it instilled in each one of us a profound respect for ALL LIFE!  When Father Craig called us a "Prolife Family" when he officiated over the burial of our 20 week old grandson, Maximilian, in November... he was proclaiming the absolute Truth for each and every member of our family!

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Maria with a sleeping 16 month old Evangeline Mary in her carrier...

Contentment as her mommy works out... weight lifting must be part of it!

Maria also has experienced loss with 2 miscarriages after David, and both times I was with her!  How I prayed that my girls would not have to have the pain of loss in their childbearing years, but it seems to be a hereditary thing that I passed on to them as now both Nancy and Maria have had two and Nancy's on Thanksgiving day was a 20 week loss/stillbirth. 

Nancy has shared that in the midst of her pain and suffering that Mary, the Mother of God, profoundly came to her and she is now on a mission to bring others to her through the wonderful Rosary prayer!  A prime example of how our suffering becomes part of His Passion for the salvation of the world!  His Mother is definitely one of his main ways of bringing us to find our True faith in The Church.  If you love his mother there is no place to be but in The Catholic Church!

Pat misses this baby girl so much!  He spent 5 months with her in our home a year ago, and longs to see her and spend time with her.  We were just sharing fake plans of them staying with us for a week or so after John's wedding and then we would drive them out there.  LOVE this idea!!!

It does definitely help to know that Christ transforms our suffering into His Passion!  If we are open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS as Jesus and The Church asks of us... the loss and suffering as a result will be to His honor and glory and for our good.  And knowing that we will be united with them in heaven keeps our eyes and hearts on heaven and us striving to carry/drag our Most Cherished Cross and follow Jesus. 

The 3 boys with their haircuts!

Jesus, suffering is difficult to bear and our plans are not your plans.  May we die to self so that you may live in us.  May we give our pain and suffering to you to transform it into your passion for the salvation of the world.  May we..."But it shall not be so among you.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Jesus to us in the Gospel today - Mt 20

May we serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

Therese loves to have a baby sister after 3 brothers to dress up cute! 

I miss my girls!!!  And boys, too!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

Evangeline hiking off by herself!

"We have decided that this year it is Cha-Cha's Crown. 

Every toothpick removed is a child's prayer said for our dear Auntie.

We hope to empty it in record time this year!"  Maria sending prayers her way!

“...the Church is called to proclaim with renewed vigour what the Gospel teaches about marriage and the family.”

"Many cultural, social and political factors are in fact conspiring to create an increasingly evident crisis of the family. In varying ways they jeopardize the truth and dignity of the human person, and call into question, often misrepresenting it, the notion of the family itself. The ...value of marital indissolubility is increasingly denied; demands are made for the legal recognition of de facto relationships as if they were comparable to legitimate marriages; and attempts are made to accept a definition of the couple in which difference of sex is not considered essential.

In this context the Church is called to proclaim with renewed vigour what the Gospel teaches about marriage and the family, in order to grasp their meaning and value in God's saving plan. In particular it is necessary to reaffirm that these institutions are realities grounded in the will of God. There is a need to rediscover the truth about the family as an intimate communion of life and love open to the procreation of new persons, as well as its dignity as a “domestic Church” and its share in the mission of the Church and in the life of society."

– Pope St. John Paul II

Hard facts.

Hawk Nelson - Drops in the Ocean

Francesca Batistelli - Lead me to the Cross

the handmade rosaries given to us by Therese 5 years ago in Michigan!  LOVE!!!

"There is no more sweetness than an hour of prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament..." St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Grandpa loves to share lunch with the little ones!!!  He used to come in to eat when he had a chance and usually that wasn't at meal time, so he would have his lap full of the kids helping him eat.  He loved it!  Joy thought grandpa's sandwich looked yummy and her two little bottom teeth helped her bite some.

Such a joyfilled and mobile little girl she is!  Her name is a description of her peaceful smiling self at 11 months!  "You were supposed to be here Joy!"  Each new life in the womb is precious and to be protected and cherished no matter the cost!  Hear our prayers to end the horror of taking the life of the most innocent and helpless those in the womb!

The Cross overhead and I love that the tabernacle is in their midst - Jesus must always be put first in our lives, our marriages, our families... only than can we find the love necessary to live the motto of The Community of the Lamb - "Wounded, I will not cease to love."  Only with Jesus first in our lives can we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT! 

The Saint for today... St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows brought my heart to an exciting and happy place of longing for my hour of Adoration/prayer in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament today!

“There is more sweetness

in one hour of prayer before Jesus

in the Blessed Sacrament

than in all the world's crowded theaters,

and brilliant drawing rooms,

and giddy diversions, and social gatherings.”

St Gabriel Possenti

Passionist clerical student

Italy ~1838-1862

Exemplary devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows

Feast Day: February 27

Now the tabernacle in Bobbi's church in Ghent and where they will be married in 3 short months!


It is no secret that my time in Adoration each week is the best hours I spend all week, and longed for and loved above anything else!  I have no desire for social gatherings, concerts, really nothing can hold a candle to my time with Jesus and yes... I am filled with so much peace, joy, love and hope for all those that I lift up!  With the litany of both of our families numbering over 200 combined... I place each one in the monstrance with Jesus by name, and when a new little one is in the womb or a new member has joined us as fiancés... it makes me jump for joy in my heart as they are given to Jesus in payer!!!

The Alpha and Omega and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Both John and Bobbi share a deep faith in The Church and we are given so much with each new day to help us on our journey!  Such a place of great beauty in leading us through our senses to feel his LOVE for us!

St Gabriel took to heart the sorrow of Mary at the foot of the Cross...

“Love Mary! She is lovable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to you, embraces you and consoles and serves you. She will even be at hand to accompany you on the trip to eternity." - St Gabriel Possenti

She is always with us on our journey and the best mother's love and care for us!  What strength she gives us to persevere no matter the cost!

Our Lady was huge in John finding his faith through brain cancer!  "Mom, you are a good mother, but there is a better one."  "I agree with you John!"

His video allowing him to share his story far and wide!

She was given to us at the foot of the Cross by Jesus and we are to bring her into our homes!  Mary in our homes brings us peace and joy and love and hope for overcoming all the ups and downs of carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross down the narrow path after Jesus!


Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;  Isaiah 1 - the first reading from mass today read all around the world in every Catholic Church... how powerful is that?


Looking to the example of Mary in our homes - her "yes" which allowed the Holy Spirit to bring LIFE into the world of death... may we also be life-giving in all that we say and do with her help.  Ruth and Paul learned this and do this in their marriage!  How I need to learn at their feet!

Joy and cow TV!  I heard her mommy talking to her about the cows and calves that we are constantly watching day and night these days!  She has yet to go out and meet her first calf, and grandma wants to be there with her camera for that!  "It's been too cold." said her mom


"...you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  Matthew 23
The Gospel today reminds us of how we must be humble and not try to control our lives or the lives of those around us!  We take control over and over, and it doesn't work so well for us.  There is so much peace to be found when we give it over to him and TRUST!

I offered them a baby calf picture, but they preferred a baby Goddaughter, Joy, picture and it is a delight!


Jesus, with your Mother Mary at your side, we long for the peace of giving our all to you and not holding back.  May we give our all without counting the cost.  Dying to self so that the Holy Spirit can work in our lives and we may experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit most especially with those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family!  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."  Galatians  Yes, we can find a small slice of heaven in our homes if we put our Jesus, His loving Mother and The Church first!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

Soon dad will take Joy out to meet her first calf... this was Luke 4years ago!  I wonder if she will like them like her big sisters Mary and Rose do?  The cuteness factor is always special!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

Bobbi chose an outstanding patron Saint - St Therese!  I am loving the book Bobbi gave me for Christmas about her littleness allowing LOVE and Trust to work in our lives.  HUMBLE is what we are called to, and giving away all of our pride allows us to find PEACE!

From my blogpost of 3 years ago... mom on hospice with her precious daughters!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/2015/02/thank-you-lord-for-all-you-give-to-me.html

Reflecting on her wonderful life!!  Surrounded by Faith and Family which is all that matters as we approach the end of our days on earth!

MOTHER TERESA’S PRAYER FOR THE FAMILY

Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth....
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family
another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign.
May they be deeply contemplative,
intensively Eucharistic and vibrant with joy.

Help them to stay together
in joy and in sorrow through family prayer.
Teach them to see Jesus
in the members of their family,
especially in sickness.

Make their hearts meek and humble like Jesus’
and help them to carry out
their family duties in a holy way.
May they love one another
as You love us, Father God,
and forgive each other’s faults
as You forgive us.

Help them to take whatever You give
and to give whatever You take
with a big SMILE.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
cause of our joy, pray for us.

 St. Joseph, pray for us.

Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us, guide and protect us.
Amen.







http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2015/08/10-reasons-every-kid-should-spend-time-on-the-farm.html

Danielle Rose - Memorare

Danielle Rose - Hail Holy Queen

Hillary Scott - Thy will be done

Ginny Owens - If you want me to

Hawk Nelson - Drops in the ocean

Maria's words about their stations around their library.. some of the most powerful times during our Lent shared with Maria and her children a year ago was sharing The Stations on Fridays!


"About a week into Easter, T and I finally took a few minutes to put up our Stations.

They fit perfectly all around our library, with a candle beneath each.

It keep the Littles much more "focused" on the Stations when they 

know they are able to blow out a candle after each one has been prayed and pondered."

The Stations of the cross a year ago...

"Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful." Jesus to us. Mary in our hearts!!!

John and Bobbi have been wanting some engagement pictures taken in their beautiful churches and yesterday it happened!!! 


How I love to be able to do this for them... my obsession in life is pictures since having my hunky husband and babies along with baby animals... I was hooked!!!  They kept thanking me and I felt like I should be thanking them!!!  Ruth's nice camera helps a lot, too!


Our Lady of Guadalupe over their shoulder... the Patroness of LIFE as she is pregnant with Jesus as the black ribbon around her waist symbolizes in the Mayan culture... she appeared to Juan Diego and led to millions coming into the Catholic Church and leaving a culture of death and embracing LIFE!!!

Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a special place in our family history.  She is the patroness of the Americas and she has an altar in Lumen Christi in Kansas City - the one American foundation for Hallel's Community in the U.S.  It was there that Susan/Hallel told us that she would be joining her Community of the Lamb in June of 2008! 


At morning prayer this morning John and I prayed for families and for the Lord and Our Lady to guide and direct their paths according to the plan he has for them!  John always prays for his brother-in-laws and how they are open to life and raising lights and having Christ and His Bride, The Church in the heart of their domestic Church/family!  He lifted up his future family and trusts in HIM!

Beautiful St Joseph altar in St Eloi where they will be married in 3 short months.  Talk about the man to look up to as a husband and father!!!   St Joseph, thank you for the wonderful men and husbands our daughters have found to head their families.  Now a faith filled woman for John!!!  It is so sweet to see their love and devotion and JOY at finding each other!


Bobbi shared that this is the anniversary of their first date, and she came to mass in Marshall due to the confirmation going on in Ghent.  John and Pat saw her there, and John was led to get together to catch up as they had been classmates through all of their 13 years of school!  John came home from that first time together saying that it was "good" and they decided to get together again, and again and again and again and... 9 months later he asked her if she would marry him! 

Love the sweetness of their love for each other!!!  John seems cherish her touch!!!


John has prayed for his dad and I most every time we pray together.  Living here with us for the last couple years has given him a front row seat to our ups and downs. "That mom and dad can love each other even when they don't want to." is the common prayer and it really is truth.  It is a reminder that living this motto of The Community of the Lamb - "Wounded, I will not cease to love."  So hard to live out but we are helped by these words from Jesus to us in the Gospel today;
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."  Luke 6:36

Always give the love that you have been given, and return Mercy that we have experienced from our Jesus!  If we attempt to keep our love inside or the mercy we have been blessed with... it will die and not live and grow and make a difference in our lives!


"Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;"
It is so important to forgive in our lives, but mostly with those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family!  That is the best gift we can give is our unconditional love and forgiveness!  We are all weak and are sinners, and living with us is hard, but we must me meek and humble of heart and forgive as we have been forgiven and give the Gift of LOVE!

This!!!! John's need to share the LOVE and Faith that he found through the Cross of brain cancer!

Two beautiful amazing Church families!!!  Holy Redeemer has been our Church family for close to 40 years now and for Pat for his entire life of 63 years! 


It is special to have the Lenten somber décor for this pictures.  The Cross has been such a big part of the years apart and finding each other.  For John they have included college with no faith, cancer, finishing college with new found faith, job, seminary for a year, in and out of jobs, living alone in depression, fear of dementia due to whole brain radiation, a new bill of health/no dementia, the new John who burns to share his story, finding a job working with youth and speech coach, finding Bobbi when the time was according to His plan and right!


That's St Luke up there looking over John's shoulder... my patron Saint from my confirmation as a 20 year old entering the Church with my family of 13!  Why St Luke?  I was a nursing student and he is a physician and in his Gospel we have all things Mary, and women, The Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, and Mary Magdeline washing his feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair...  Also amazing Acts of the Apostles and St Paul's conversion there as well as The Holy Spirit at work in the New Church!!!  Come Holy Spirit!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

My dad became a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church in 1976 with the first ordination of Deacons in the ArchDiocese!  Baptizing John in 1989.  He married me and baptized all my kids!


I just checked with my parents and will not be going there this week.  My heart is with them and they are in my prayers without ceasing... every beat of my heart and each breath that I take..."Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...!"

And stunningly glorious St Eloi's in Ghent, where John and Bobbi will be married on June 2nd.   It was very special to have Bobbi point out the beauty and deep love she has for this Church family! 


"Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!"  Daniel 9 - the first reading from mass today
Spelling out what we must do to dwell in his mercy... Yes, it is hard to observe His Commandments/Laws/Teachings and to keep all that separates us from sin... most especially those "small sins" that are so interwoven in our lives.  It is so important and a reminder to us that we need to get into the habit of frequent reconciliation and when we are forgiven often we are aware of how we have been shown mercy and in turn want to give that back! 

My father on the altar of the Church in Colman, SD where he was a deacon/administrator for 3 years!  LOVE this, and it was such a gift to have them just 90 miles from my door to theirs!


Jesus, I need you and am happily weak to turn to you always.  I cannot forgive without your help to die to self so that you may live and work through me.  Reading a wonderful book given me by Bobbi at Christmas, The Way of Trust and Love with the inscription inside the cover; "The loveliest masterpiece of the Heart of God is the heart of a mother."  St Therese  Mary, you are in our hearts and where you are the Holy Spirit will rush in and overshadow you and bring us to Christ!!!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

"More kisses please!"  One thing John is... humble and has no pride when he begs for more loving gestures... bottomless pit!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

It helps to remember this when we are tempted to judge someone!

 this is good as I am a crier!!! Happy or sad...

February is devoted to the Holy Family.

Families are under attack and LIFE... St John Paul II was my champion for both, as well as Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  Let us pray to them at the feet of Jesus and Mary!!!

"Sufferings gladly borne for others
convert more people than sermons."
– St. Thérèse de Lisieux

THE CHRISTOPHER PRAYER

Father, grant that I may be a bearer of Christ Jesus, Your Son.
Allow me to warm the often cold,
impersonal scene of modern life with Your burning love. ...

Strengthen me by Your Holy Spirit
to carry out my mission of changing the world
or some definite part of it for the better.

Despite my lamentable failures,
bring home to me that my advantages
are Your blessings to be shared with others.

Make me more energetic in setting right
what I find wrong with the world instead of complaining about it.

Nourish in me a practical desire to build up
rather than tear down,
to reconcile instead of polarize,
to go out on a limb rather than crave security.

Never let me forget that it is far better to light one candle
than to curse the darkness,
and to join my light, one day, with Yours. Amen.

Danielle Rose - If I touch him

Lauren Daigle - come alive

Lauren Daigle - Trust in you

A few more from Maria's blog... I miss them and love to see them.  How about you?