Mutual responsibility of parents and children and their children to lead one another to holiness/St Joachim and Anne

This man of mine loves his grandchildren so much!  This one of him with the 3 youngest granddaughters, who are each about 5 months apart within the same year, speaks volumes of how much they know they are loved by farmer grandpa Pat!

Little red head Joy Jean is speaking slowly, but now has mastered "Pappa" for him since she is his sweet little pet and each day on the farm starts with spending some time with his Joy and getting her hugs and kisses!

On Father's Day with his oldest Ruth and her youngest, Joy.

Today is a special day for all grandparents as it is the feast day of Mary's parents and Jesus' grandparents -  Joachim and Anne!  After having the amazing experience as a mother of learning at the feet of my 5 children... now into the years of grandparenthood with now 18 making our love grow so much and being amazed by what they are doing in our family to bring our faith deeper and stronger.

The Magnificat this morning put it this say; The parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary gives reason to rejoice in the gift of family life and to reflect on the mutual responsibility parents and children have to love one another and lead one another to holiness...  Painters favored the triad of Anne embracing her daughter Mary and grandson Jesus... "Children's children are the crown of the elderly..." (Prv 17:6)

Grandpa with his wonderful healthy and happy 3 new grandsons!  Even his big arms could not hold them...

Happy 4 month birthday today to Jude. Grandma has fake plans to spend the afternoon over there with him and his dad today as we study for a big test.

Hector and Jude did fit in grandpa's big arms - Hector is 2 1/2 weeks older than Jude.

It goes without saying that St Anne learned at the feet of her child, Mary and her grandchild, Jesus!  It seems that when you have a home and family that shares your Faith with JOY... that there are a bounty of blessings including the young ones leading you deeper into your Faith!  So many times I have experienced a ah-ha moment with the little ones.  There is a good reason that we are told many times over to be "childlike" in our journeys of following Jesus down the narrow path.

 Sweet 11 year old Therese meeting Jude for the first time about a month ago now.  She loves little ones so much and is a second mother to her siblings at home.  They just welcomed Hector Joseph on March 8th, too!

When I ponder my grandchildren and their pure love for our Lord and His Bride, the Church... Therese has taught me so much from a young age.  She has always had a heart for the poor and from about 3 would pass out homemade pictures around a few dollars to those begging in El Paso with her small voice saying; "God bless you."  How that touched hearts including my own!

 Pat adores her love and her hugs show how much she loves her grandpa Pat!

Joy is pure sweetness and light to her old grandparents.  Yes, we realize that with those the closest to her in her own family she can have "ginger snaps"/tantrums to get her way, but we feel that she is the embodiment of her name...Joy!

A kiss too!!!

Reading the first reading today from Exodus - the 10 Commandments really convicted me, and made me realize that I have allowed some of them to become gray and not black and white in my life.  It reminded me that I need to get to confession soon and really get some of those sins off of my heart and strive to do better with the help of His unconditional forgiveness and love.  Go forth as a better example to those in my domestic church/family and spread the Good News more fully and sincerely!

"I, the LORD, am your God,
...You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves...
"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
him who takes his name in vain.

"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

"Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

"You shall not kill.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife,

nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,

nor anything else that belongs to him."

Yes, Lord, I need to do better and forgive me my weakness and sins.  You died for me, yet I still must lay my burdens at your feet and die to self so that you may live in me and I may serve without counting the cost.  Keeping these commandments solid and true in my heart, mind and soul... loving and serving YOU alone in my life!

 Sweet baby Hector adoring Our Lady with her Son, Jesus Christ!  How much happiness does this grandma find by sharing our Faith with all our children and grandchildren?  I cannot begin to express how much joy I am filled with, and so many prayers that they may all  make the True Faith their own!

 Always love Jesus and his wonderful Mother of heaven and earth, Jude!  You cannot love her more than Jesus did.

 Special grandma time with Joy as we pick up bales morning after morning.  We share time with rosaries and she loves to say; "Hello Pappa" or "Hello daddy" or sing songs about momma and dadda into the hand held radios.

Jesus, how we love to honor your wonderful grandparents today and how they put their trust in God and we given the gift of Mary!  How we love her and bring all our petitions to her through the beautiful rosary.  Such a gift with each new day!  May we always find comfort in the storms of life in her arms of motherly love and care.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Hold all our children and grandchildren close to your heart burning with love for them.  Amen and Hallelujah

 Jude is our first of the 18 that sucks his thumb!  After all 4 of the girls were the best babies thanks to being thumb suckers... this is a delight to me!  Bless-bless, Barb

 Mary is such a blessing in each day of my life journey!  I am now heading into pray for my hour with 7 Sisters for Fr Todd!  How I love this hour of deep peaceful prayer in front of the taberacle in our beautiful church.

So true - may we die to self so that you may live in us, O Lord!

Happy "Grandparents' Day." Sts. Joachim and Anne, grandparents of our Lord Jesus Christ, Pray for us!!

 

Happy Feast Day
Saint Joachim and Saint Anne with the Child Mary
Feast Day: July 26
Patronage: Grandparents, Holy Families, and Marriages
Saint Joachim and Saint Anne are the parents of the Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus Christ. Saint Joachim, whose name means “Yahweh prepares”, was from Nazareth and probably rich. He married St. Anne from Bethlehem and Mary was promised to them by an Angel. They are honored as role models for parents. 

 

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should be born from 

among humanity so that by a wonderful mystery humanity 

 might be born again from you, we pray that, in your kindness,

you may sanctify by the spirit of adoption those you have fed

with the Bread you give your children.  Through Christ our Lord. 

(Prayer after Communion, Today's Liturgy)

St Joachim and St Anne, pray for us!

Tauren wells - Hills and Valleys