12 year old Mary charms many when she swing dances with her wonderful dad. At John and Bobbi's wedding dance many commented on how much they enjoyed Paul dancing with his daughter.
The Gospel today as well as the first reading from Revelations speak of heaven and remind us of the mystery it all is. What I do know is that all I long for with every beat of my heart and every breath that I take is to be in heaven forever with my Jesus, Mary, all the Saints, and my beloved family! That is all that I strive for with all that I have!
https://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2018/02/mary-is-real-and-she-loves-you-2.html
Nancy's sharing;
The sudden trauma of a stillborn baby is hard to describe. While there is the shock of what has happened and the complete reordering of the future, there is also the physical reality of loss. A reality that requires induction, labor and delivery.
Simply, it’s awful.
I was ushered up to Labor and Delivery, given a robe and a room, just as I would have if I was there to deliver a full-term, healthy baby. The doctors and nurses were kind, but they generally just let me be. No need for monitors, there’s not heartbeat anyway. No need for checks or game plans. It’s just a matter of waiting and enduring.
And in that silent, dark room, the drugs started to drip in and my body started to slowly, painfully respond. The hours ticked by and we waited, not really knowing what to expect, except that the baby inside of me was dead and that the future we had fallen in love with was never going to be.
The hours we spent waiting for Maximilian to be delivered were some of the darkest I have experienced. I wept until I was completely dehydrated and numb, and yet, in those moments I also received one of the most profound gifts of my life.
I was allowed to experience Mary.
Thanks to all I had been taught growing up Catholic, I knew to call on Mary in my pain. I began to pray the ‘Hail Mary’, aloud and silently, and when that seemed too much, I fell into simply saying her name. “Mary, Mary, Mary,” and as I did, I could feel her presence in that room. She did not come gradually, but suddenly and all at once, as if she had been just waiting for me to call.
Thinking back on those moments I can visualize exactly where she was standing in the room, just to the right of my bed, looking directly at me. I never doubted that she was really there, right there. But more than anything I remember feeling a deep stillness emanating from where she stood. I knew she was there gazing on me with love.
My experience of Mary was really quite simple. There were no bright lights or premonitions or words from heaven. Just a feeling of peace and love, and the comfort of knowing that she was there and she loved me.
A week after they came and we had a service with Father Craig in the cemetery here in Marshall!
Entering the empty church after about 4:30 as the sun was setting and dark surrounded me... praying for Fr Denny through Seven Sisters was a difficult gift last evening. Darkness has become my challenge with this knee replacement as with the two previous... the nights are the worst part of it all!
The glowing tabernacle light and tabernacle reminds me of the presence of my Lord and Savior, the Lamb of God!
While reading the office/evening prayer as I know Fr Denny and all priests are joining their prayers morning and evening... Psalm 41 spoke consoling words to me...The "LORD sustains him on his sickbed,you turn down his bedding whenever he is ill.* My sickbed has become very real to me these last few weeks... how I cling to Him!
Longing to come out of the darkness into the LIGHT of healing and peace. Another hard night fills me with fatigue and anxiety. Longing to get through this rough patch with each new day!
Jesus, I am yours. Jesus, I trust in you. Bless-bless, Barb
Joy!!!
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