Ruth's beautiful sunflower bouquet on David's 4H coffee table and Rose with her toothless smile after mass and just before we brought the cows across the road to greener pastures as a family.
So special on this 24th Sunday of Ordinary time and what would have been the feast of Our Lady of the 7 Sorrows which always lands on September 15th unless it is Sunday. And it a very much of a landmark day with Pat, my Most Cherished Cross, turning 65 today!
Pat with youngest grandchild, Jude, a bit ago! He is a baby lover and my champion for LIFE and for family! His famous quote - "The world needs lights" when I asked him if we were being selfish to have many children.
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
Jude and grandpa sharing breakfast #2 - Jude had sweet potatoes and grandpa had some wonderful caramel rolls that Bobbi baked for his birthday... his favorite!
Pat the night of his sister's grooms supper. Marge was my best friend and I rode the bus to Marshall from the Cities to attend her wedding. Her brother picked me up on Main St and brought me to The Chalet... I walked in and there was this brother of hers. He turned out to be 3 years younger than me, but that never bothered him, so I quickly got over that hurtle. A year later we were married... He was 23soon to be 24 a month later, and we just celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary which means that he is today 65!!!
With our farmer daughter, oldest Ruth Ida and her baby Joy Jean on Father's Day!
With Hector and George 2 1/2 months ago when we had all the kids and grandkids on the farm for a week. Grandpa Pat loves to have his arms full of LIFE!
Now Hector and Jude...
With the 3 newest babies in the family - together for the first time! Now we have fake plans to try to get them together for Christmas. A grandma can hope and pray!
The group of cousins just older than the boys are the girls...Joy, Josephine and Evangeline, and how they love and adore their grandpa and he them!
2 year old Joy is known to say; "my grandpa, my grandpa." Grandpa admits that his first half hour on the farm in the morning "I don't get much done because I have to go in the house and get some hugs from my Joy!"
With the tomatoes being so late this year and harvest too... Pat has been helping us with our huge days of canning! Domesticated Pat!
There are probably 5 pails of tomatoes for tomorrow out there, and Ruth and I don't have the kids to help as they are in school. Pat to the rescue?
A few days ago after a big rain - cold and foggy.
Sunflowers are perfect for today as the summer heat has returned.
Little Joy was so excited to get into the quiet church to pray for Fr Todd on Friday! She went running in and ran up the steps with a smile. This marks the 3rd time she has joined me.
She grabbed a purple bag for kids and headed towards the front of church!
I was a bit distracted by such sweetness and cuteness, and then we had a Spanish lady sit just a couple rows behind us and pray in Spanish aloud in tears for a time. Joy would look back at her with a smile. My heart broke for her and although I was to be praying for Fr Todd... I had to lift her up, too!
Picture taking when I should be praying...
She looked long and hard at the page with the priest at the altar for The Eucharist. Every Sunday of her life she has been up close to watch the priest give us Jesus in His Body and Blood!
A familiar page in the book that she observes each Sunday of her LIFE! This year we have at least 2 maybe 3 grandchildren receiving their First Holy Communion! So excited for them!
She was singing so sweetly as she read the book!
Rosary bracelet and rosary - always 2 are better than one!
John lectured at mass and Bobbi and Jude with Pat and I sitting with them. Jude was so good and seemed to really like the music. We always sit close to the front and as a tiny baby at Holy Week services he seemed to love the music all around him as the choir was just across the aisle from us. Grandma predicts he will be musical. Such a wonderful gift!
The Gospel for today was the prodigal son from Luke 15... Father Todd preached that the meaning of Prodigal should be more in keeping with the Father than either of his lost 2 sons... Yes! The meaning is giving on a lavish scale, and that certainly applies to the unconditional love and forgiveness that the Father has for his wayward son, and for the good son, who also did not appreciate the unconditional love of his father.
I always thought that the word Prodigal meant lost, but
having or giving something on a lavish scale... is what it means! Jesus' words come to me over and over with all that is going on with my parents and my family right now. We are called to die to self and give and we are called to forgive 70x7 times and we are called to turn the other cheek!
Jude is getting to be an armful for big 7 year old cousin, Rose Again.
11 year old David and Jude at the party they threw for Pat at Church- the KCs put on a pancake breakfast - Pat never misses one, and is very serious about supporting the church... the family all smiled and knew that we would all be there without a doubt. "That is dad's favorite thing!" said Ruth.
Sunflowers at my place after mowing last night. I love my red barn!
Yes, my red barn is special with a sunflower in front of it.
A single vine started growing by my front door and now I have gourdes to decorate with growing almost up the steps into my house.
Jude first time in a high chair at the birthday breakfast for grandpa!
Mom's rosary bracelet...
Jude watching his cousins and Joy in her highchair.
Joy and Jude in high chairs side by side.
Grandma always has to take many pictures...
You have 17 cousins older than you, so they will teach you a lot Jude!
Lord, you lavish your LOVE upon us with Family sharing our Faith with JOY! May we die to self so that you may live in us and we may be your hands and feet. Jesus we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Ruth's sunflowers are so much nicer than mine, as are her tomatoes and garden in general. I am humbled and grateful for her providing for us and her hard work keeping her garden clean and fruitful and all her hard working side by side with me canning it for our 7 families! Bless-bless, Barb
Rose and Luke admiring the sunflowers!
Ruth and Joy and sunflowers framing them.
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to Her Son, as they are recorded in the Gospels or through Tradition. Today we are invited to reflect on Mary's deep suffering:
1. At the prophecy of Simeon: "You yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare." (Luke 2:35).
2. At the flight into Egypt; "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt." (Mt 2:13).
3. Having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem; "You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow." (Luke 2:48).
4. Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
5. Standing at the foot of the Cross; "Near the cross of Jesus there stood His mother." (John 19:25).
6. Jesus being taken from the Cross;
7. At the burial of Christ.
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns,
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”
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