Time with the mother and father, who held me and cared for me and now I them/Humble child of God

Pat holding baby Nancy 37 years ago... her tiny infant hands in his huge farmer hands was always a delightful sight to me.  So big and manly yet so loving of all life!

As a result of The Holy Spirit speaking through him on our engagement weekend our family motto was set - the Truth in the LIGHT of LIFE!  "The worlds needs lights!"... and hence being open to life is very real and true and needed to bring more light into this world in which the culture of death is accepted and defended and proclaimed as a false truth!  How Satan laughs with glee that families are destroyed and life in the womb is killed with no consideration that an innocent life is being taken.
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Pat helping our oldest, Ruth Ida to walk to her delight.  Those huge hands grasping hers!  LOVE!  This  was close to 40 years ago already!

 Holding newborn Ruth in his hands almost 40 years ago!

The Gospel passage today about receiving a little child in the name of Jesus receives Jesus more and more into our lives!  We have experienced this with our growing family and Faith shared together.  With each new LIFE our LOVE grows more and more not stretched thin between the growing family.  Our love becomes more and more and more!  Jesus fills us with His LIGHT and we carry that to the world around us!  Even those we have lost keep our eyes and hearts and souls directed to heaven forever with Jesus, Mary and the Saints and Angels!

Getting a big squeeze from Ruth's youngest, 2 year old Joy.  She loves him so much and he loves her!

My day here with my parents began with prayer with my father - he with his worn and well used prayer book and me with ibreviery on my phone.

 He shared that there was "a lot of good stuff" in morning prayer and soon we came to the 2nd Psalm today from Isaiah 26!  "This was the verse I was led to when mom was having the twins by emergency C-section."
Isaiah 26:3
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
A very scary time for my parents and especially dad not knowing if mom or my brothers would come through this.  One of my brothers, Lincoln, only lived 2 days and is buried in Antrim, NH where we were living then.

Mom was not up to praying with us...  She would join in on parts of the office that she knew by memory.

Mom sitting my St Ignatius and joining us from time to time.

Being here with my parents on this day when the Gospel is about becoming like children... humble and trusting...
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost."
Matthew 18

My parents received me and 11 others after me!  8 of us through birth and 4 by adoption!  We were all loved and cared for by them, and now we are here to return a small portion to them!

After we pray morning prayer... my father earnestly prays for our family.  Leaving the 99 in search for the lost little one.  He prays for those that do not know Jesus, Mary and The Church.  "I might not be the one to evangelize to those lost ones, but I pray that the right person will be there and bring them into the fold."

Worn prayer book, monk at prayer bookends and my dad back to his old self -  once more bouncing back as his nurse just told him.  "Bob, you are a bouncing ball.  And you seem to be so good again."

St John at his shoulder and I was so happy to once again be praying and learning at the feet of my wise and loving father!  He led his flock into The Church 48 years ago!  Each day since has been a small slice of heaven for me!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

This was 6 weeks ago already!  The 3 new grandsons together and have grown our family now to 29!  Our love has grown by their healthy and happy lives which now they will share as cousin/friends for life!

Pat with the 3 youngest granddaughters … This makes me smile inside and out!

I am filled with so many emotions as we face this crossroads - at an intersection and not really sure which path to take with my parents or really what lies around the corner.  One day at a time is how I am taking this for now and the added joy of having my father back with his prayer book in his lap and prayers and wisdom in his heart and mind and soul.  I cherish that kind of time when I am given it.

Patrick sandwich between Rose and Bernadette... 6 months apart 7 years ago!

Jesus, humble us and may we die to self so that you may live in us.  May we serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Cat bomb got some smiles from the 18 with grandma and grandpa - on the barn Heavenly Family Time!  So true!