"I thirst..." Jesus/Jesus, to the woman at the well, forgave her and offered her life-giving water

 Jude and grandpa at the huge picture window at the front of their new home as we gathered after mass for caramel rolls in their new home.

Jude loved the caramel rolls with all of us and would smack his lips for grandpa to give him some bites in his high chair.  Grandpa won points with him for feeding him such a yummy breakfast.

 Jude now has a baby doll to practice being a big brother which is coming up quickly in about 6 more weeks.  It will be a happy and busy new house for them to grow as a family.  Exciting times!

 Both feet were in grandpa Pat's shoes for a quick moment!  I guess we have to wait for him to be walking and climb into them on his own... some of my favorite pictures over the years are little kids in big shoes!

 Helping (?) dad do the dishes after breakfast.  Lots of giggles at his cuteness...

 John reading the first and second readings at mass today.  He shows how much he has fallen in love with Jesus, Mary and The Church by his willingness to serve in any way possible.  On Ash Wednesday he read the readings, distributed ashes and Communion.  If help is needed John says "yes!"

 The first reading was from Exodus where the people are thirsty in the desert and God tells Moses to strike the rock with his staff and water comes forth!
The LORD answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
Exodus 17

John asked for Faith and found it through the Cross over his head called Brain Cancer!

John's video about his answer to prayer and so it continues to this day with a wife, new home and the second child soon to make them a growing family sharing Faith and Family!

 Jude sitting on grandpa's lap watching his dad up on the altar reading the Word! How powerful for Jude to witness his dad's willingness to love and serve Jesus in Word and Body and Blood as Eucharistic Minister.  Jude impresses me with his attentiveness to seeing his dad up there, and also how he loves and interacts with the music.  We sit close to the front and he looks and listens to the music and even lifts his hands and sings a bit in his own way.  It makes our friends the musicians smile, and us too!

 It is heart wrenching to watch John climb the steps to the podium with some awkwardness due to his ataxia on his left side which is the result of his biopsy to discover his type of brain cancer 11 years ago.  His reading also is kind of difficult with some corrections along the way.  It can be hard as a parent sitting there and wondering what people think, but then I realize that most are aware of John's struggles and battle fought, and it must be quite a witness to see him up there regardless giving his all for Jesus and His Bride, The Church!

In their front entry way just as it was in their first home.  Love to see them settling in and happy with everything.  Thank you, Lord!

 Jude has a window that he can stand by and look out on their new world just half a block from the Catholic School!

The amazing Gospel today made us excited and happy last night before we went to bed!  The woman at the well!  So much about is just so unexpected and special!  Speaking to a sinful woman of a culture that the Jews did not approach or mix with... as Deacon Ken preached about how Jesus was thirsting for her soul and for ours!  "He could see her sinful life, he did not condemn her but he offered her life-giving water as he thirsted for her soul." 

How special is the final part of the Gospel where people, who normally would not be included in Jesus' ministry ask him to stay with them and they see The Truth!
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.

Such a positive beautiful ending to this ongoing story of conversion!  Imagine the excitement in the woman and all the others that found The True Savior of the world and their lives!

 Jude can view the world in his special new home.

Baby shower in the Cities yesterday for one of John's cousins, whom he grew up with!  Steve and Hannah are expecting their first a few weeks before John's new baby is due.  Another cousin, Brad, who John grew up on the farm with is also expecting a baby at the same time!  Exciting times indeed!  LIFE is a gift and how we love to celebrate each new life!

 Rose had to show me her beautiful hand-me-down First Communion dress that was Mary's from a wedding she was in about 5 years ago.  She is very excited for her big day along with her 2 cousins, Patrick and Augustine.  Grandma is excited to help the boys get a suit for their special days!

 "Mom can I show grandma how it looks on me?"  "No, she has to wait.  You tried it on once and you don't need to try it on every day." 

You will look beautiful Rose and grandma prays that you always love Jesus and come to his table to be fed by him often in your life!

 I stopped in to see Nancy and family with company from KC!  George had to show me his special book for his first birthday.  Nancy makes a book for the kids for each new year of their lives.  A special keepsake that will be easier to take with them than the scapbook for each year of their lives that my kids had to lug away with a trailer!

 Love this page of Hallel meeting baby George as they lived just half an hour away a year ago.  Now we have to travel about 7 hours to see the Little Sisters and Hallel.  That is a huge loss to Nancy and Bill. 

When we go to KC now we stay with them and that is very powerful as we are involved in all that they are doing with each day we are with them... Lots of prayers and dishes!  2 glorious hours of Adoration - each after morning and evening prayer!

 Nancy has a housefull for the weekend... 4 adults and 10 kids!  "Never a dull moment" takes on a whole new meaning I am sure!

 Nephew Steven by the beautiful spread that his aunt and cousin put out for our celebration of new life!

A work of art meal... and smiling Hannah.

Deacon Ken reminded us of how The Missionaries of Charity/St Theresa of Calcutta's order has by the Crucifix in their monasteries the words "I thirst" and it is Jesus thirsting for our souls.  We need to not hold back no matter how sinful and weak we are... die to self so that Jesus may dwell in us!

Jesus, how I long to give myself to you and am so humbled that you accept me in my weak, sinful and sorrowful state.  May I die to self so that your Spirit may dwell within me.  May I give without counting the cost, and follow you down the narrow path carrying/dragging the Most Cherished Cross and finding LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

I am thankful for the Scars - I am they
I listened to this on the way home from the Cities yesterday, and it was very powerful in light of the Gospel today!   I love my chapel on wheels!  10 decades of the rosary and the chaplet with Christian music to make me lift up my hands in praise - well one at least as I have one on the wheel at all times!

Matthew West - Going through the motions
Another goody!