The faith to walk on water with the storm all around us/St Edith Stein/Family time sharing mass and breakfast starts our week well!

Sweet Birdie was a delight to share mass with this morning.  Sitting next to John and Bobbi and Ruth and family social distanced ahead of us by 2 rows.  Pat held Birdie through most of mass as she went from looking at him and then her eyes got heavy and she fell peacefully to sleep.  God mother, Ruth, held her some and then Rose again .  It is such a gift to have a sweet healthy baby girl - the youngest in The Cross Clan here to grow each week under the watchful eyes of her great-grandfather, who is the King and oldest of our family of 140+!

A memory from 2 years ago at the county fair!  No fair this year makes for a very different summer for this farm family.  Less hectic but also less exciting with all the projects and shows and trips to the State Fair.  It will make next year hopefully that much more wonderful after having a year with nothing.

Joy is trying out her first mask.  What has this world come to?  Masks make it so hard to share with others minus your facial expressions, and harder to understand what people are saying.  It just takes away a lot of the closeness we have with others.  It makes it seem as though we are afraid of them and what we might get from them.  I often ponder how we are healthy and so are they so what is this all about?  Especially at mass where we are sitting apart from others.  It all seems to be a bit of a conspiracy at damaging our church and our faith shared.

Grandpa put Birdie to sleep in his big arms, then Ruth held her and then Rose.  She just peacefully slept.I heard John make a sound of recognition when the Gospel was read... it speaks loudly of the Gospel on the day he first discovered his brain cancer - Father's Day 2009 - the calming of the storm from Luke!  Today Matthew portrays the story of so much... Jesus feeding the hungry, going to a deserted place on the mountain to pray, and then walking on the stormy seas to the boat miles off shore with the disciples aboard.  Imagine walking miles across stormy seas to get to the boat and getting there to find them all terrified and thinking he is a ghost.  He must reassure them and then bold brash Peter asks to allow him to walk on water to him only to become afraid in short order and begin to sink so he calls out to Jesus, who in turn takes his hand and lifts him up!  This Gospel has so very much!  

Sweetness in her arms!John has asked the Lord to help him walk out to him on the stormy seas... longing to share his story of finding his faith through brain cancer!  Also frightened and confused and humbled by his work history, which has become a continual stormy sea.  Don't we all get that fear that makes us sink?  The Gospel shows us that we need not go under or hesitate in reaching out to our Savior..At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 
He said, “Come.” 
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 
After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”  Matthew 14

Noise after breakfast with a house full while dad and I pray - do our daily work!  We discovered that today is a most special feast for my mother and for my nun daughter and her Community of the Lamb!  St Edith Stein or St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross!Happy Feast Day
Saint Edith Stein
St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
1891 - 1942
Feast Day: August 9
Patronage: Europeans, students, professors, philosophers, against death of parents, for conversion to the fullness of the faith, for courage in living out the faith.
Edith Stein was a German Roman Catholic philosopher and nun. Born into a devout German Jewish family, Edith Stein was baptized a Roman Catholic on January 1, 1922. In 1934 she entered the Carmelite Convent, where she took the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. In 1942 she was caught by the Gestapo, arrested wearing her habit and killed within weeks in the gas chambers at Auschwitz.https://www.portraitsofsaints.com/collections/all/all-images-st-edith-stein

Praying morning prayer with dad with the grandkids playing and listening in.  

Luke ready to go and get rolls for our shared breakfast with his grandpa farmer Pat!  

Outside masks come off and we are family pod - farm family Verlys!Jesus, walked miles on the water... may we manage a few steps with the storms all around us.  Faith to trust in Him!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, BarbaraFrom Jew to Atheist to Catholic, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as St. Edith Stein, is revered for her work in philosophy and women's issues, as well as her martyrdom. During WWII, she was killed in Auschwitz.
Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone. #DailyReading

 

Mamastery - danielle Rose

Danielle Rose - walk on water