The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
8 year old Rose showing her little sister, Joy, who is 3 now... how to wash a calf. Even though the fair is not happening this summer... the kids still want to keep their showing skills up and work on their future animals... these calves could be bred heifers next year, who knows?
A memory of baby Rose 8 years ago in the orange slice outfit that we have passed on to her new baby cousin, Birdie.
Sweet Birdie at bedtime last night is a chip off the block and a lot like the Verly girls before her and some of her girl cousins including Rose Again.
We are on the big push towards her special day tomorrow - her Baptism day on the Feast of Pentecost and what is also the Feast of the Visitation. Her family will surround her with our LOVE!
Simon, Mary, David, Rose and Joy... Luke is missing somewhere.
My dad out of the shower and dressed in his dress shirt for the funeral mass of a friend/family member's mother.
Wonderful Ann Inveen, the mother of our sweet Angela, my brother, Dan's wife, died a week ago and we were able to watch it on the computer. Dad has been looking forward to this for days and wanted to honor her with dressing up. Why not?
We are so grateful that this pandemic has allowed us to share from a distance with the ways we find ourselves tied down now.... dad on hospice and finally we are seeing the end of the stay at home order.
My brother did the first two readings - Proverbs 31 was a beautiful tribute to this sweet lady of great Faith! I hooted when the priest quoted her; "When the cross gets too heavy, drag it." Ann Inveen
I have used this many times and it describes me to a "T"... I am the weakest of all people on the face of the earth. I know that I am dragging my cross hopefully down the narrow path to heaven forever with my Lord and Lady!
Birdie's Godmother, Ruth, has been a Godsend to me in getting my outdoor space ready for the big party and celebration tomorrow with Birdie coming into The Church! May she love and cherish it always along with all of our family of 30 strong now!
All the elm seeds flew back to where they came from... They have been raining down for days!
Power wash time!
Ruth and Simon were so great - Simon did weed eating and cut down volunteer trees!
Welcome Birdie Barbara
Thanks, Simon for helping me get ready!
Another for good measure...
Moved to make a place for the tables on the porch!
Having a lot of fun making my place special for the party! Thank you, Ruth!
My life is kind of crazy today, so I will call this good enough for now! How we love to share Faith/family/Farm! Jesus thank you for sharing our Faith as a family! Jesus, we love you and your Church! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Excitement is building for us to gather around Birdie Barbara for her Baptism on Pentecost Sunday! Dad with John's family on Sunday with "Welcome Birdie Barbara" on our barn!
Dad and I had a full plate of prayer needs this morning after hearing from family in the Cities about the fear and disbelief they are seeing the destruction going on there after the death of a man by police. Also a dear friend, whose brother was found dead... another Robert is on our hearts. A dark heavy feeling fill us as we lift up the needs of our family, state, country and world. The St Michael the Archangel prayer seemed especially powerful and important today!
Yes, Lord, with your Spiritual at your side we know you are surrounding us with your protection and LOVE!
Purple Phlox from the grove - Lift a lovely aroma of our prayers to Jesus with Mary and the Saints around them!
Much surrounding us with deep peace and JOY knowing that our prayers are lifted up to heaven and we find the fruits of the Spirit giving us hope and peace.
Talk about peace - dad taking a nap in the warm air after we had shared the rosary and chaplet of Divine Mercy on the porch with a kitty to make the peaceful scene complete. I was on the mower preparing for our big gathering on Sunday for Birdie!
Dad had just asked me what the name of these purple wild flowers was... Paul answered the question when he stopped to visit on the porch after we prayed - Phlox! Yes!
From purple lilacs, which are done now to purple Phlox that are blooming all around us!
Dad and I have some cute things that are giving us reason to smile these last few days... Yesterday dad said that he went to bed having a vision of mother cutting branches and leaving them on the grass, where she would have dad clean them up. As it turned out I had just asked Pat to bring me a snipper to cut volunteer trees around the house, so I showed dad these and we both laughed to think that mother was speaking to both of us at the same time!
Dad spending time at his laptop catching up on the family after I had spent some time clipping volunteer trees and leaving them behind in places on the grass. "I would always ask her why she didn't finish the job, but would ask me to pick up the clippings on the grass." I just mow mine!
Today in the Gospel I was excited to read it to dad as it is the Truth of what happens here now, and it was a verse I had mentioned to him last week!
John 21
"...Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Yes! This comes after Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he LOVES him after the betrayal on the day of his death - denying him 3 times. It was a funny place to find this verse - yet, I do see that for my father there is a kind of death he is facing in being more childlike and needing to be dressed and led...
Praying together is my total JOY for these 6 weeks with my father living here! Yes, there are other parts of this journey that are more difficult for both of us, but the prayer shared is a huge blessing and we are given the graces we need to persevere!
Psalm 103 from mass today speaks of how we are protected and loved through all that we face in our lives, family, state, country and world! R. (19a) The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or: R. Alleluia. Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or: R. Alleluia. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven. or: R. Alleluia. The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, all you his angels, you mighty in strength, who do his bidding. R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven. Psalm 103 He is our Ruler of heaven and earth! He unconditional love and forgiveness should then be returned to those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family.
Mary with her in heaven - St Ignatius, St Joseph, Blessed Solanus Casey, and ALL the Angels and Saints!
My prayer warrior keeps me on the task morning, mid afternoon with the rosary and chaplet - today he will lift up Robert on a decade as he is newly among the dead and needs help down the narrow path, and evening with Prayer of the Church prayed as we dance in our hearts in thanksgiving for all the blessings and graces The Church in her wisdom gives to us!
Mary given to us at the foot of the Cross - "Behold your Mother" , and we bring her into our homes to find peace and comfort!
Jesus and Mary we love you and long to love and serve you without counting the cost! We lift up this time of fear in our state and amongst our family members in harms way! May peace reign in this time. St Michael defend us in this battle! Mary thank you for taking all our needs to your Son! WE find peace and comfort in your arms. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Jude and Birdie on Sunday! So excited for her big day on Pentecost/Feast of the Visitation where Jesus was recognized by St John in the womb! LOVE!
A wonderful loving mother, who thanks the Lord every day for answering her prayers! We rejoice with her and marvel how the Lord showed her she would marry John Verly 10 years before, and she trusted and prayed him through brain cancer, seminary and many ups and downs over the last years. Bless-bless, Barbara
So beautiful of Mary's love for God and his Son, Jesus!
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I will begin thisday.
I thank you, Lord, for having preserved me during the night. I will do my best to make all I do today pleasing to You and in accordance with Your will. My dear mother Mary, watch over me this day. My Guardian Angel, take care of me. St. Joseph and all you saints of God, pray for me.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.
I wish to gain all the indulgences attached to the prayers I shall say and the good works I shall perform this day. Amen.
John's story continues with so many answered prayers - wife and 2 children in the last 2 years!
Danielle Rose - Hail Holy Queen
Danielle Rose - Litany of Humility
Danielle Rose - Nothing compares to you
"When I entered the chapel, once again the majesty of God overwhelmed me." St. Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament
"The Heart of Jesus is always living in the Eucharist
Out with Pat to check the pastures and cows and calves in the sun yesterday. I was struck by the psalms that have filled so much of my life now praying with both hubby and father through out the days... coming to life for me here in the life I live in the country on the farm.
Even Psalm 16 today You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
We follow a path through the pasture with green grass aplenty and healthy cows and claves frisking around and nursing, and a creek of cold fresh water for them to drink out of.
Pat marvels at the work of the water making a crooked winding way through the pastures. Surrounded by nature it never grows taken for granted and often we marvel at how nature is in control and we must give in to Mother Nature - we have no control over the weather we are given with each new year.
This year we are thankful for an early spring, and nice gentle rains after the crop was in the ground, and now the sun with the heat we need for the crops to grow and yield a hundred fold!
So beautiful to behold sitting behind my Most Cherished Cross on the 4 wheeler.
The temps were in the 80s with the solar heat, so the shady areas were popular when we went out there after lunch.
Yes, we have to cross over the creek, but not too deep to get our feet wet like some years.
Blueberry pancakes and my dad asking Pat about haying and all the struggles he is facing now with cattle ready to go to market and no where to send them.
It is a special time for my father to now be here for 6 weeks living on the farm! We appreciate his interest, his prayers, and how sharp he continues to be!
Eggs, rhubarb and purple wild flowers by our red barn in need of a paint job this summer!
The pump too!
Morning prayer shared with my dad today was full of references of The Holy Spirit coming upon His Church, and dad spoke about how we are brought together in the unity of the Holy Spirit by looking to the Holy Father as our head - the going forth of Christ as he built His Church upon the rock/St Peter and each Pope carries that forth!
These words really ring this truth! Psalm prayer after Psalm 87 in morning prayer of The Church! "Lord God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church, and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit."
Dad and I rejoiced yesterday when we found dad's Blessed Solanus Casey relic. He found it stuck in his check book for safe keeping after he took it to the hospital to pray over mother on her death bed! He was with us all the time, but is sure is wonderful to see him how safely with St Ignatius!
So very happy to have this man of miracles in healing and with us powerfully in our journey with John of finding Faith through brain cancer! He is a dear friend and very much in our crowd of witnesses and communion of The Saints!
John finding Faith through brain cancer! Now the journey continues with a wife and 2 children with Birdie Barbara getting baptized on Sunday and then they celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary on Tuesday! So amazing is the works of the Lord!
More from Psalm 16 today Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.” O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope. https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html
Our Lady of Guadalupe with us also... dad often looks at her as he prays her prayer - the rosary prayer which we share each day at 3p
Yesterday we returned to our praying together in the porch in the warm spring day! Birds joined us in our rejoicing and heart felt prayers!
Dad deeply praying for our huge family of 140+!
He was cute saying that he hasn't danced in a very long time when we read this in prayer today... “These are her children,” and while they dance they will sing: * “In you all find their home.” Psalm 87 Yes, dad, but we do dance in our hearts, and often while we are praying we sing crazily the "Alleluias" most especially... which are plentiful these days and truly are a dance in our heart, minds and souls!
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus join us in prayer! How we love to have them with us and so beautifully present with us! In truth they truly are, and I appreciate that dad felt that his statues should be "with me." Yes!
Praying the "Lord, keep me upright."
Today Blessed Solanus Casey joined us for the first time! It felt more complete and peaceful to have him there with us!
Jesus, we love your Church with all our hearts, minds and souls and love to share in prayer together dancing in our hearts with so much Joy at the LOVE you pour down upon us. May we return that love to all those around us most especially those in our domestic Church/family, of which my father has become very much a minute by minute part of that Domestic Church for me now. May I always be patient, kind and loving and forgiving as you are with me, O Lord! the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” John 17 from the Gospel today tells us how we can love in this selfless way... by dying to self and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives in every way! "Wounded, I will never cease to love!" Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
It has been 6 weeks and we take each day as it comes. He remains alert and fairly comfortable. Our high points of each day are praying together, and it is the wind beneath my wings! Thank you, Lord, for this special time with my father as we have hospice there with us each step of the way. Bless-bless, Barbara
The Saint that is just me - Danielle Rose
Thy will be done
Rescue story
Kutless - Holy of Holies
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. - John 8:32
"The Blessed Sacrament is God.
Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is simply divine worship.
Turn it which way we will, throw the light of love and knowledge
now on one side of it, now on another, still the result is the same,
theone inexhaustible sweet fact of the Real Presence.
In the hands of thepriest, behind the crystal of the monstrance,
on the tongue of the communicant, now, and for a thousand times,
and almost at our will and pleasure, there are the Hands and Feet,
the Eyes and Mouth, the swift Blood and living Heart of Him
whom Thomas touched and Magdalen was fain to touch,
the Soul that ... set the prisoners free."
Fr Frederick W Faber
__________________
TODAY: Day 7 Novena to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful,
and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts
of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit,
we may be truly wise and ever rejoice
in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
