We have no little baby small still enough to fit into this tiny suit... our 3 new boys in the family are closer to 1 year old than to newborn. Each day they change and grow, and that is wonderful to behold!
Unfortunately, baby Hector will not make it along with his family. This makes me sad, but we have fake plans to get on the road after Christmas and come to them!
I think you can tell that the excitement is building as we are just a bit over a week away from our huge family gathering at Camp Wapogasset in Amery, WI! How I love to have our days in this beautiful place to share the best of family times!
Small Things With Love
My CCC shirt from 3 years ago already! Filling me with the deep excitement of time with my family!
When you reach 140 with now up to 59 great-grands with the arrival of 3 in the womb... there are so many varied jewels making up the crowns of my parents - the matriarch and patriarch of our amazing family!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
Many boxes were merely transferred to my home where I need to still go through them. Coming across my mom's art supplies, and dad's tools for the yard, mom's well used and loved gardening tools, mom's journals, and on and on... Deep emotions and some sadness to see how they have left behind a lot of their interests and abilities.
I even have both of their yearbooks from high school and college and plan to take them to their new place... they are important to them alone!
I have fake plans to get up there in a few days and spend at least one overnight with them, and even bring along their Advent wreath that I came across.. for the Third Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday - Come Jesus!
Pat and I sat at sunrise sharing morning prayer and the amazing readings today with the Advent wreath holding the two lit candles! On awaking I discovered some hard words attacking me... so taking that with me to prayer brought me to a deep place of really hearing the Word loud and clear from the place of the Cross!
"Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care."
Isaiah 40 - the amazing first reading today!
I must continue to love and I find that I am able to do this as I see the hurt and anger seething below the surface, and how unhappy those that attack me are. My sharing here is sneered at and I am called out as tooting my own horn here and wanting all to bow down to me as some kind of great Christian. NO! I am here day after day to share the great treasure I have found in Jesus, Mary, and The Church!
I LOVE, love, LOVE the Church in it's entirety and how I long to share that Truth with all! I care not how I am perceived and I certainly point out how weak, sinful, and poor I am as I drag my Most Cherished Cross and attempt to follow my Lord! Today He reminds me that I must cry out!!!.... "Here is our God!"
Also love how my parents listened to the Holy Spirit in our lives and brought us into The Church!
Once again Jesus gave us Mary as our Mother at the foot of His Cross, and when we bring her into our homes - they are transformed and we can truly take to heart giving that unconditional love to those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family.
The Alleluia before The glorious Gospel today...
The day of the Lord is near;
Behold, he comes to save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Such words that fills me with so much JOY and Hope!
The Gospel today - Matthew 18
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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."
So much hope fills me... I know that I stray from where I should be in following Jesus, but I see that He comes to show me how to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT when I embrace that Cross in my life as he has asked me to! When he comes to find me when I am lost... he sets that cross on my shoulders to learn from him how to give my all and allow Jesus to dwell in me - that I may become His hands and feet and mouth to share His Truth and not my own!
Jesus, I am a poor and lowly sinner and fail to truly follow you as I should. May I die a bit more today so that you may truly be my all in all!!! I am eternally grateful for your glorious gift of The Church, Mary your Mother of God, The Saints and you in your Word, Body and Blood each new day! I am filled to the brim and overflowing with your tremendous love and unconditional forgiveness! May I serve better without counting the cost! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Their light up nativity will be lit up soon in front of our barn - waiting for a bit warmer weather!
Breath of Heaven,
carry us on the impulse of Christ's love,
as easily as thistledown is carried on the wind;
that in the Advent season of our souls,
that in the Advent season of our souls,
while He is formed in us, in secret and in silence -
the Creator in the hands of His creatures,
as the Host in the hands of the priest -
we may carry Him forth
to wherever He wishes to be,
as Mary carried Him over the hills
on an errand of love, to the house of Elizabeth.
on an errand of love, to the house of Elizabeth.
Caryll Houselander
From the Splendor of the Rosary by Maisie Ward
with prayers by Caryll Houselander
That None May go Astray
Soul of Christ, sanctify them
Body of Christ, save them
Passion of Christ, strengthen them
Within Thy Wounds, hide them
Never let them be separated from Thee.
Precious Blood of Jesus save souls.
In union with all the Masses being offered throughout the world, I offer Thee Jesus, for those in danger of dying without contrition.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and with Him I offer Thee my heart - in Him, with Him, through Him - the greater glory of Your Name and so to satiate the thirst of Jesus for love of souls.
St Teresa of Calcutta (1997)
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