Maria with David, Therese and David( yes, we have 2 grandsons David within a year and a half!) on the bus in Rome! I hear that they walked a lot lot lot for the most part!
It is such a wonderful time for me to be reliving the wonderful family time of a lifetime we were given when we went to Europe for Hallel's final vows! Maria, who homeschools and procrastinates is now updating months on her blog and step by step with each new post and her short precise personal insights... I am being blessed!
Pat and I had been to Rome in 2003 while Maria studied there with Catholic Studies from St Thomas, so we opted to spend all our time in Europe in France with Hallel and her Community of the Lamb. Maria's family and Ruth's went on to Rome and had amazing times there. To be brutally honest.. .my bad knee really held me back and now 2 weeks after my replacement... I can see how much we missed out on, and how this truly could be a life-changing improvement for me. Of course, that is going to require me getting in shape now too. One step at a time!
Little Dave serving at a French mass while in Rome!
Mary, Joseph and :Little Dave! Wow!
St Peters!
Being immersed in our trip to Europe/France and Italy for different groups of us... took me majorly back to the dream like time we shared there with Hallel and her Community at this huge occasion in her life! Nothing better than to be lifted to the heavens today with the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the temple and the amazing Hallel Psalm 150!!!
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Sitting on the hillside was reminscent of our other two trips to Saint Pierre for Hallel taking her habit in 2009, and her first vows with Pat and his 92 year old mother in 2011! But it struck me that this was now being experienced by most of our family for the first time! Nancy, Pat, John and I had been there before... but for the rest/the other 14 members that were part of the mountain we moved there to celebrate with Hallel... they were seeing it with joyfilled eyes for the first time!
Maria's words from her blog;
The Community put quite the spread together for family and friends after the vows.
We all gathered in a spot set aside for Hallel.
It was a wonderful time of celebration.
Hallel with her lucky Goddaughter, Therese!
All happily married! 3 new little ones coming in March!
We even "did" the Trevi fountain, like real tourists.
The kids told me later that they wished for a little brother or sister.
Imagine that!
Maria's words and it is now shared that Therese and David will have a new baby brother in March! We LOVE family and ALL LIFE!
This last year in homeschool they had studied ancient Rome and read about the martyrs... a powerful moment for them indeed!
I have been into the doctor and had a glowing report. Stitches are thankfully out and I continue to mend. Let me just get my nights straightened out and life would be awhole lot better. This shot in the arm from Maria and the beautiful feast day reminding us of all that Mary has done in bringing LIFE into the world and how she can help us to be more and more life her...her life of self-sacrifice offered in love!
The green Cathedral where the stain glass and roof is the green branches of the forest on the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains!
Allowing us to share in their deep prayer life and daily mass and Adoration!
'You can't love Mary too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did!" St Maximilian Kolbe
Mary is my constant companion in prayer without ceasing with each new day of the journey! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I love you very much. Save souls. Bless-bless, Barb
I would look up and see my girls together in this holy place and have to pinch myself!
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