I still gaze upon this girl, Bobbi, who I have known always and with whom I have admired for her strength in supporting LIFE and living according to the wisdom of The Church!
In many ways she reminds me of myself in her putting her feelings for LIFE into action by joining Birthright and being a volunteer! She did it years ago, and I waited until I was a newly wed and discovered my first pregnancy when I was learning to do a pregnancy test on myself!
Yes, we have shared Birthright, and love of photography and she and John were classmates all through school here in Marshall! To see the plan now after the years of asking and waiting is a blessing and gift!
To see John's peace and joy and how they approach their dating, engagement and future marriage centered in sharing their faith through worship, prayer and Trust in The Plan that is opening ahead of them! A beautiful story of His Plan!!!
I have a special fondness for the 10th station/Jesus is stripped of his garments as it was under that station that Susan would kneel for her hour of prayer and mass each morning after she returned from the Discernment house and asked the Lord to show her His Path for her.
"Do you kneel there to recall the humility we are called to, as it is the humility station?" "No, mom, I kneel there because it was the last pew with a kneeler and I didn't want others to see me cry." Shot down? Well, yes, but not really. It then happened that The Community of the Lamb came to KC and with their arrival in the U.S. she could than say "yes" to the call she was hearing in her heart!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/susan-angela-agneslittle-sister-hallel.html
This quote today from my man, Venerable Thomas A'Kempis, who was so important to me in my early Catholic days...
"If you can not soar up as high as Christ sitting on His throne,
behold Him hanging on His cross. Rest in Christ's Passion and live
willingly in His holy wounds." ~ Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ
Mary at the foot of the Cross!!! How I love to be there with her, and yes," live willingly in his holy wounds."
After some sharing with those close to me that have real struggles and pain and hardship, and in my own life as well... it just seems to be right to find solace in all that The Lamb without blemish did for me and to live willingly in His wounds.
"Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter." verse before the Gospel today
By his wounds we are healed, but can it also be that by our own wounds we are healed as well? By realizing that we need Jesus in our every moment of our lives and our wounds leave scars that remind us of our need for Jesus and dying to self so that he may live in us!
Hallel placing Jesus, her spouse, on the altar for me to have time with him in Lumen Christi/Light of Christ Monastery in KC! She will vow to live always according to the rule of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience! That requires that she willingly sacrifice and live in his holy wounds!
We now know that she will be taking her final vows on The Feast of the Assumption on August 15th in France! I have huge anxiety due to my knee! Lord, help me and show me... I give my pain and suffering over to you and Trust. Guide the doctors to show me how I may go forward! To be a part of this huge occasion for our domestic church/family!
She was singing with the voice of an angel to her LOVE!!! It was a most intimate moment and her loved was there for me to witness deep in my heart, mind and soul!
How did I get to lucky to have a Little Sister Hallel? In considering a call myself, which led me into The Church with my entire family of 13... I then encouraged each of my children to discern this amazing option, and now my grandchildren! I pray every day on Hallel's decade/#4 of the rosary that each of my grandchildren will consider this amazing call when they ask Jesus to show them his personal plan for them in prayer!
Just thinking about this the other day... the week that I lived at the Little Monastery while The Community was in France! I have been so lucky to have some contemplative nun time thanks to my daughter, who is a nun! I was called to marriage, but still the Lord spoils me!
Yes, how I need you, Lord!
Jesus, I am wounded and weak and so I cling to you on the Cross! You show us that LOVE is the answer no matter what we face, and if we give in to anger and hatred we are only hurting ourselves. May we live willingly in your wounds and there find the call to LOVE and forgive and return the LOVE and Mercy we have been given. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
St. William left his life as a soldier and duke to become a simple monk.
Happy Feast Day, St. William!
Happy Feast Day, St. William!
The Tenth Station:
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
It seems that every step to Calvary brought You fresh humiliation, my Jesus. How Your sensitive nature recoiled at being stripped before a crowd of people. You desired to leave this life as You entered it - completely detached from all the comforts of this world. You want me to know without a doubt that you loved me with an unselfish love. Your... love for me caused You nothing but pain and sorrow. You gave everything and received nothing in return. Why do I find it so hard to be detached?
In your loving mind, dear Jesus, did You look up to the Father as You stood there on that windy hill, shivering from cold and shame and trembling from fear, and ask Him to have mercy on those who would violate their purity and make love a mockery? Did you ask forgiveness for those whose greed would make them lie, cheat and steal for a few pieces of cold silver?
Forgive us all, dear Jesus. Look upon the world with pity, for mankind has lost its way and the principles of this world make lust a fun game and luxury a necessity. Detachment has become merely another hardship of the poor and obedience the fault of the weak. Have mercy on us and grant the people of this day the courage to see and know themselves and the light to change. Amen
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
It seems that every step to Calvary brought You fresh humiliation, my Jesus. How Your sensitive nature recoiled at being stripped before a crowd of people. You desired to leave this life as You entered it - completely detached from all the comforts of this world. You want me to know without a doubt that you loved me with an unselfish love. Your... love for me caused You nothing but pain and sorrow. You gave everything and received nothing in return. Why do I find it so hard to be detached?
In your loving mind, dear Jesus, did You look up to the Father as You stood there on that windy hill, shivering from cold and shame and trembling from fear, and ask Him to have mercy on those who would violate their purity and make love a mockery? Did you ask forgiveness for those whose greed would make them lie, cheat and steal for a few pieces of cold silver?
Forgive us all, dear Jesus. Look upon the world with pity, for mankind has lost its way and the principles of this world make lust a fun game and luxury a necessity. Detachment has become merely another hardship of the poor and obedience the fault of the weak. Have mercy on us and grant the people of this day the courage to see and know themselves and the light to change. Amen
Mother Angelica's Stations of the Cross
Lord, help me to be of good spirits no matter what comes my way... all the Big important things are truly going my way!!! Jesus always being with me and #1 for me, my wonderful Church in all its wisdom giving me all I need to follow to get to heaven forever with Jesus, Mary and all the Saints, and sharing that Faith with my family/ finding a small slice of heaven here on earth in that domestic church/family. Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke
So rich and life-giving, life-changing, glorious!!!
Honor thy mother!!!
"Oh, my God, through the precious Blood of Jesus
and His five wounds,
grant me today five graces:
the conversion of a sinner,
the conversion of an unbeliever,
the salvation of someone
dying in peril of everlasting death;
a vocation to the priesthood
or to the religious life;
and, for some new soul,
the grace of entering into and
savoring the mystery of the Eucharist."
Prayer of Elisabeth Leseur (+1914)
A good way to pray through our suffering united with His!!! Wow!!!
Catholic Church in the United States Will Welcome Thousands of New Catholics at Easter Vigil Masses.
"As the culmination of the Easter Triduum, the vigil celebrates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. While people can become Catholic at any time of the year, the Easter Vigil is a particularly appropriate moment for adult catechumens to be baptized and for already-baptized Christians to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church."
For more, including a breakdown of the numbers by diocese, visit: http://www.usccb.org/news/
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