Reading last night about St Kateri's feast today, and the wonderful readings for today... I could feel the excitement building within me! Many prayers for family and country led to this True statement from my dad..."Rather than 'Make America Great Again' it should be 'Make America Good Again' and that takes God!" In a nutshell this is what is wrong with our country cast in darkness by the culture of death! Be Gone in the name of Jesus Christ and His Bride, The Church, and may the culture of LIFE reign over the earth!
As someone, who has been through numerous joint issues with my legs and hips but mostly ankles... I can speak from very personal experience about the slow path to recovery! Pat has shared lately that he should have seen when I sprained my ankle at his sister's wedding dance that I was far from perfection. I guess he was blinded by my rosary/bikini combination. LOVE is blind and fickle at the same time.
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
As for me... the brothers pounding on his door morning after morning to get him up to milk cows has come full circle in his coming to bed late/night owl, and then not wanting to get up in the morning. Yes, we do have hints early on, and later realize that it all takes sacrifice, and work, and forgiveness, and giving without counting the cost... all hard things to do day in and day out and what embracing our Most Cherished Cross involves!
Pat and I will be celebrating our 40th year in just a few weeks now... many ups and downs have paved that road!!!
I was able to share this about St Kateri while dad and I prayed this morning;
"I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus.
He must be my only love. The state of helpless poverty that may befall me if I do not
marry does not frighten me. All I need is a little food and a few pieces of clothing.
With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is necessary
and what is left over I'll give to my relatives and to the poor. If I should become
sick and unable to work, then I shall be like the Lord on the cross.
He will have mercy on me and help me, I am sure."- St Kateri Tekakwitha
I shared with dad that "all I need is a little food and a few pieces of clothing "speaks to me of Hallel's vow of poverty and how she looks to Divine Providence/her Spouse, Jesus Christ, to be all that she truly needs!
Mom's beautiful lilies are so vibrant in the bright hot summer sun!
I also shared with dad this about her recognizing Her Jesus in The Eucharist!
She attended three Masses daily and always managed
two hours in preparation for Holy Communion
and two hours in thanksgiving; and she
made frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Her motto: 'Who can teach me
what is most agreeable to God so that I may do it?'"
A riot of color!!!
We are just days away from my mother's 89th birthday, so celebrations are popping up here and there allowing me to have some sibling time!
It was also exciting to see the first reading was a very rich Isaiah 6! His vision of heaven and his call - Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
How can we Make America Good Again? By never hiding the Truth and always proclaiming it far and wide! Pat and I have lived out our following the Call of The Church to be open to Life and raising lights, but it did not turn out according to our plan, but according to HIS! How I prayed that we could have just one more after John to physically show he world that we didn't stop because we finally had our boy, but... not to be! Instead we lost our 2 still birth sons at 5 months each, and seeing them buried at the cemetery does in a very real and powerful way show the world that we are open to ALL LIFE and our eyes are hearts are focused on heaven and getting there to be united with our 7 children and 4 grandchildren!
Joy and grandma enjoying the porch a few weeks back... with grandma's rosary... united in prayer.
"Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father."
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father."
Jesus speaking to us in Matthew 10 in the Gospel today gives us hope and encouragement that we will be cared for lovingly if only we embrace The Truth that will set us free from all that distracts us from a more complete sacrifice for Him! Dying to self so that Jesus can live in us! That we may become his hands and feet and share how He has left his fingerprint on our lives as we carry/drag our most Cherished Cross and follow after him down the narrow path to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!
I love this place so much, and this is my sister there yesterday. The glorious inland sea/Lake Michigan on beautiful beach! It is as cool and refreshing as it looks on this hot humid 90+ degree day. The sand is sugar sand! LOVE!
Our last year there - 2 years ago at sunset... SAND appeared the last few years!
Rose in the waves! She misses Michigan terribly! It is in her heart like it was in mine after going there in the summers with my family year after year! I think Rose will get grandma back there someday!
Simon watercoloring on the beach!
Lord, I am yours and as St Kateri says...I long to do what is most agreeable to God... I am his and want to be more and more totally his...."Here I am, send me!" Jesus, I trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Sugar sand boys! Miss our wonderful close family time at the Big Lake! The memories are strong and good! Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke
Luke painting with grandma when he was 2 1/2
This is why we build our churches to be Beautiful. St. Henry, pray for us!
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