"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!" St Jerome/hobbled on the road

A special memory from 8 years ago with granddaughter, Mary, when she was 5 in the willows of the pasture on a stunning light filled evening.  Mary and her pet cow, Snowball.

Mary had noticed this cow with her white face, and reached out to her over and over from her early times as a calf, heifer and cow.  Mary would climb into the feed bunk and pet Snowball and the cow was of a kind and gentle disposition and so they bonded.  So much so that she would come up to Mary when she was free to go in the other direction in the pasture.  Yes, it took a special animal, but it also took the love of animals and patience displayed by Mary at a young age!

 Mary showing beef at the County Fair in August this year.

Her love of animals has gotten her jobs in the neighborhood!  She does the chores for a family with goats while they are away at shows.  She is being groomed to work at a dog kennel down the road when she is 15, too!  She is conscientious and a hard and reliable worker, but mostly she loves animals and it shows.  I could see it in her when she was a little girl, and it is noticeable to others she encounters.

 With her pig at the fair, whom she trained to sit for a marshmallow treat.  That takes a lot of time and patience I would say.

 Another look at the fair rewards of all her hard work!

It is quite wonderful how Mary has recognized this ability she has to work with animals and responsible for their care.  She also has started since our time in Europe... France and then Rome.. to discern her call by Jesus to serve him either as a nun or as a wife/mother/job holder.  How I pray for each of my 18 grandchildren.. for them to know what a beautiful option that religious life or priesthood for the boys is... and that they each ask the Lord to show them the path that he has in store for each of them personally and specially!

 Yesterday at Mass, I had to sit far back due to an injured foot, and the screen showed this special image of Father as he was consecrating the Body and Blood of Jesus!  I thought of how Joy studied the image in her mass book while she joined me for my hour of prayer a couple weeks ago.  A sight she has witnessed every Sunday of her life!

We love Jesus in His Body and Blood and The Word and love to share our Faith as a family each week at mass together!  St Jerome today is a Doctor of the Church, who died in the 400s, but was a hermit who painstakingly translated the entire Bible and wrote commentaries, too!  Taking it that deeply into himself certainly gave him the place to say these words from his heart..."Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."  So true!

 Joy recognizing the familiar special time when the bells ring and all eyes are on the altar and the priest as he lifts up the Body and Blood of Jesus!

"Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.  But only say the word and I shall be healed."

A funny special story of how the little ones find Truth in their childlike eyes at mass each week.  Rose heard her name in mass when she was 3 on the Easter Vigil night when our family takes all the little ones and shares in this most glorious night of when Easter begins!  "I heard my name!  Rose Again!"  For a long time after that she would make you call her "Rose again."  And so we still do!

A few years later she asked her mom, Ruth, where was her name in the mass?  "I know mom... 'I am not worth that you should enter under my Ruth!"  LOVE so much when they find themselves in the midst of this time when Heaven comes down to earth!

A memory from 5 years ago, when the farmhouse was still where Pat and I lived and we had just done 200 quarts of applesauce.  Here is Luke, who was to be 2 in a month, and Dominic, who was just over 1 year.  How they all love their applesauce and it gives so much Joy to us and why we do all the work!

The woodstove was gone when they remodeled, the patio door was there until a month ago when it was switched out for a window and door with the new remodel they are in the midst of.  The carpenters will be back when the snow flies to finish the inside work.  They have made the place their farm house!

 Paul, Simon and Mary assisting the priest.  Showing our love for Jesus and His Church by serving without counting the cost!

It is hard and humbling to be up there and fumbling with mistakes that probably only the family notices.  John has started lecturing as he loves to share his newfound faith through brain cancer in every way possible.  It is hard and humbling to be sure.

Jesus speaks to us about being humble/the least/childlike today in Luke 9
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."

Being open to LIFE and family jumps out from this also today, and there are times that I ponder how many prayers it takes to bring safely grandchildren and children here over the years!  So much trusting and there are those losses in there that make it that much harder to go forward down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross called being open to LIFE and raising them as LIGHTS!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Jesus, we are given so much for the journey with each new day!  Your word is the lamp unto our feet and help us to go forward down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Cross!  Yes, we stumble and fall and we hurt our foot, but we can lean on you more and limp ahead.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Since I am sharing some memories today.. Here are my wonderful 5 that have been gifted to me with the 7 in heaven!  How they help me be a better person and take me deep in my faith.  I am learning at their feet and still stumbling along doing a poor job of it!  It keeps me humble.  Bless-bless, Barb



t's Michaelmas -- the Feast of the Archangel Michael!

St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, oh Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls.

The above was composed by Pope Leo XIII and prayed after every Catholic Mass in the world until Vatican II, when it was stopped.

It is now said at the conclusion of most Latin Masses, now at more than 500 locations in the USA.
Yesterday, but wanted to pray for protection for all of us today!

Finding faith through brain cancer!

Danielle Rose- Pursue me

Too much canning/foot injury from canning/"Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life..."

 Rose putting our spaghetti sauce on her noodles the tomatoes were growing in the garden just that morning!  That is fresh and wonderful and her kids eat a huge box of spaghetti with each meal.

 Oldest Simon is now 15 and has always loved his spaghetti and pasta!  He has in the last few years started to add sauce... before that he only ate it plain.

No wonder Ruth and I have made spaghetti sauce #1 priority this year.  We made 40 quarts yesterday and that makes our grand total to about 275 quarts this canning season.  She uses at least a quart a week and then we have 6 other families that love their sauce, too!

 Rose putting on the fresh sauce as we took a lunch break on Ruth's beautiful porch!

We have canned on Saturday the last two weeks and went from 8 pails to 2 1/2 pails yesterday.  We start after David's football game and the kids help out.

 Pat picking the tomatoes - they are starting to wind down for the year after some huge days of canning each week for the last month or more.

 Ruth's beautiful zinneas attract some butterflies in the sun.

 Glamor shot!

 Joy back from the football game in a corduroy jacket I found second hand.  Always a smile for grandma!

Filled it up again!  We took a quart out for lunch and still filled our 40 quarts - a much more manageable day of canning for our family crew.  This would have been 3 canners and not the 6 we had the week before.

 Lots of mess and cleanup for the work we do like a well oiled machine!

Why we do the work!  The bulls are in the pasture by the end of the driveway and they are so picturesque on a glorious fall day!

 One of my favorite views from Ruth's stunning deck and those bulls there on the hill make it special indeed!

The cows on one side now as they are in the cover crop that they planted around the farm, and the bulls calling out to them from the other side.  Electric fences keep them apart from each other.

It has been a crazy different Sunday.  I had an injury yesterday as we cleaning up our mess after canning and processing.  I had a large tray and didn't see a box of jars at my feet... I hit the box and in preventing a fall I felt coming on I injured my left foot to the point that it was hard to walk since.  I barely felt I could make it to mass, but with my cane, and being dropped by the door and using the elevator to the back of church... I did it!  At the same time John had called with one of his headaches, and was not able to make it to mass, so lots of thoughts in his direction.  He has recovered to get to mass tonight!

 The panorama of LIFE all around us on the farm!

After mass Pat took me to urgent care for an Xray of my foot, and thankfully it is not broken, now wrapped with orders to stay off of it as much a possible is making the week ahead turn into a question mark as to how it will all turn out.  It makes me smile to think that this record breaking canning year has led to an injury, which I pray will resolve with some ice, time and as much rest as possible!  Canning injury was a new one for the nurse and doctor today, but when you can about 500 quarts it is almost to be expected!

 There is a path around the outside of the field and the cows hesitate to go in crops over their heads so they blazed the trail around the outside for now.

The Gospel is the amazing story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar man covered with sores!  So powerful in how we are called to be aware of those around us that have needs!  The reading from I Tim 6 really tumbled around in my mind
"But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,
devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called..."
I Tim 6 - the second reading for today speaks of how we are to act and be inside and outside in our dealings with other most especially those the closest to us, whom we treat the worst!  How can it be that the ones we love the most we so quickly treat with anger and impatience and hold against them all those grudges and angers?  Lord, help us to die so self so that you may live in us!  May we love and serve as you have done to us - with unconditional LOVE and Forgiveness!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

13 year old Granddaughter, Mary, used to be my go to for posing in my pictures.  She gave me a lot of joy yesterday by posing by our wonderful spaghetti sauce.  She helped some, too!

Now with the corn they picked to check the fields - we still have a long way to go til harvest.  Prayers for the farmers and the crops!  Jesus, we trust in you to feed the world!

A ship into the night.../"Pay attention to what I am telling you..."

 Pat coming across the field to pick me up last night...

I have been so impressed by how living on the farmland in the prairie is like living on a large body of water and this certainly looks like s ship on the ocean or huge lake looks!  Coming down towards Marshall early in my marriage in the dark... I was struck by something very familiar about the lights ahead of me.  It was reminiscent of the lights I would see of Traverse City across the Big Lake Michigan as a girl in the summers.  The prairie is like living on a Big Body of Water in how you are able to see all around you!  So familiar and beautiful to me, and a special gift over these 41 years of being a city girl come to the farm!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Such darkness with only the lights of the tractor!

Pat and I traveled back and forth about an hour and in that time we prayed mightily for a friend, who got shocking news about her health yesterday out of the blue.  Reminding us that there is surprises around the corner and we need to be prepared at all times. Also that prayer is our oxygen as St Pio reminded us a few days ago and it sticks with me!

 A big canning day lies ahead... this is going to be very short

Jesus reminds us today in the Gospel to..."Pay attention to what I am telling you...."  Yes, Lord, we are on our knees in our inner chapel calling out to you for our friend and her family.  

 Pat driving down the field with no hands on the wheel!  GPS takes over and you are not to touch the wheel but trust!

 The ripper behind!

 His hands relaxed on his lap and the wheel with no hands!  Modern Technology is mind boggling indeed!

He left a path to get me out to the road and the tractor got us there on it's own.

Jesus, how we long to serve you and to listen to what you are telling us this day.  We learn from your words that we need to follow you down the narrow path and carry/drag our cross after you.  By embracing that cross we find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT! Hold our friend and her family close to your heart burning with love for them. Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb and the canning crew!

Jesus praying in solitude with the disciples/Home again early prayer and mass with hubby!

About 4 years ago when dad turned 90 as we celebrated him in my sister's home.

He is now 94 and looks just about this good right now after a big scare about 2 months ago.  He bounced back wonderfully and we are so grateful with each good day we have with him.  My mother turned 90 in July and that seemed to be a huge milestone and set back for her.  She has become very childlike and hence we have been staying with them around the clock since my dad's hospitalization.  In a week they will be moving close to my sister in an assisted living.  Huge changes for our family, but most of all for the two of them!

 My parents on their 70th Anniversary almost a month ago in their home.  They have lived there for the last 9 years, and are sad to leave.  Family have moved away from them, and it is better for them medically to live in the Cities closer to family and Veterans Health Care.

It was an emotional few days with them with my wonderful trips (toots) with my mom two wonderful fall days through the countryside.  Very cherished memories for me!  She said over and over how much she enjoyed them, too, and for her to remember them fondly past the next day is huge.  I am hopeful that the medication we have been administering to her for her dementia and her depression and her head pressure are finally helping her.  Time will tell.

As someone said when they visited my parents a few days ago.."You come from good genes."  Yes!

I am home from a special time in church as my husband attended This Man is You in the social hall starting at 5:45a... praying my hour for Fr Todd, and sharing mass after with my husband.  I experienced the Gospel today when Jesus prayed in solitude...
Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  Luke 9

Sitting there in the silent empty church this morning many feelings and thoughts flooded over me.  How blessed and lucky I am to have The Church in my day to day life, and my answer to His question to me as I was there with Jesus in the Tabernacle, and recognized Him in His Word and Body and Blood...Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."  Yes! Lord you are Christ the Son of God!  You dwell in your Church and feed me each new day!

 Going through scrapbooks at mom's scrapbook of dad's ordination day to the Permanent Deaconate in The Catholic Church about 43 1/2 years ago!  All 11 kids and son-in-law, Steve!

I owe my parents so much for bringing us into The Church 48 years ago... all 13 of us and now so many more with our families benefitting from their listening to The Holy Spirit!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

New Catholics about half a year later!  So wonderful to see my smiling sister, Mary, again as she has been gone for 33 years now.  Mom and I spoke of her and missed her all over again while we traveled down the back roads of Milltown, WI together the last couple days.  "She was a precious girl." said mom and I tearfully.

Our family - the Cross Clan has now reached 140 with 4 new ones on the way!  How I love that our family of 29 share our Faith as a family.  There is nothing that makes me happier than sharing our Faith with JOY, and wonder and awe!  It hurts a lot to have that attacked and trampled, but Jesus tells us that we will face persecution for loving and sharing The Truth.  What JOY I have with  my time spent with my parents as we have the same beliefs and rejoice in what we have been given when we were brought into The Church!

 I found these pictures of The Farm... all the hard work we did and the peaceful times we spent here as we got out of the Cities in the summer.  It looks like someone in the window...

 A blue door on the front

 A view of the inside by the bay windows, which are still there minus the cotton curtains now.   Sad to see the place has not been loved over all the years since we fixed it up almost 47 years ago now!

By the farm before it was painted gold and white... the new Catholics.  I loved my time at the farm reading Thomas Merton and Thomas A'Kempis.. my early Romantic years of falling head over heels in love with Jesus, Mary and The Church, and the Saints, too!!!

Today is an amazing Saint Vincent de Paul!  He witnessed Jesus in the Poor!

St Vincent de Paul was praying before the Eucharist one time and,

after a man told him about a poor person on the street needing help,

Vincent said:

"I am going to Jesus from Jesus."

The best hour of our weeks!  Time praying in solitude with Jesus and recognizing Him in the consecrated host - Jesus in the monstrance!

The ripe bean field in Wisconsin looks like ours here.

 In mom's scrapbook of Pat and I 41 years ago starting off on our adventure we call Faith/Family/Farm!  My most Cherished Cross!  Many crosses have filled our 41 years and it has become The Tree of LIFE - embracing our Cross we find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

The motto of our family - The World Needs LIGHTS!

 A dear friend from Michigan came to help us celebrate!

Jesus, there is much close family time that has come with our spending days each week with my parents.  How I cherish having both of my parents together and sharing their faith and wisdom and Truth with me and me with them!  Yes, there is friction and misunderstandings that are the result of these close situations.  Forgive my sins and help me to love and serve without counting the cost.  Thank you for keeping me humble and needing you always with me.  I am so grateful for your unconditional love and forgiveness and all the graces given us if only we turn to you and find YOU in your Sacraments and Word!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Mom reading to me beautiful words by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI about marriage and family needing to have Jesus with us otherwise we do not find the Love we need to serve Him by being a servant to one another! He is LOVE! Bless-bless, Barb

Prayer is each beat of my heart and every breath that I take!  My oxygen as St Pio stated a few days ago!

I can't share this too much!  John finding his faith through brain cancer.  We are shoulder to shoulder sharing studies towards his future path.  Special time asking the Lord to reveal his plan.

Ryan Stevenson - Eye of the Storm

Christian music in my chapel on wheels last night driving home 4 hours with my rosary beads!

Jeremy Camp - Dead man walking

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Danielle Rose - Wonderfully made

Danielle Rose - Nothing compares to you