So appropriate and we are overjoyed to have reassurance that all is well! Appropriate to rejoice on this new life in the womb of Maria... on this Feast of The Presentation of Mary at the temple by her parents! "She who is carried into the temple, will in time become God's living temple, carrying God's Son, the Savoir, within her womb." Brother Victor-Antione today
My two youngest grandchildren will have a new baby to love this spring with the gift of a new baby cousin! LIFE is so sacred to our domestic Church/family that as soon as we know of it growing in the womb we surround it with our prayers and our love! We all cherish and protect all life from conception to natural death!
Almost a year before dad had a brush with death in St Croix Falls on our anniversary - so around the first of August. He was hospitalized with bleeding and we were told that he should look into hospice. We had a family meeting, and discovered that he would have to be offered dialysis and refuse in order to be appropriate for hospice. My sister and I, both nurses felt that this would mean that he only had days to live and hence not of much consequence for helping him at the end of his life.
No hospice at that time and I brought him home and he quickly got back on his feet, but our 24/7 being with mom and dad began and continued until they entered Assisted Living 2 months later.
Precious keepsakes now of Hallel here for her first home visit in 3 years and the first time she had seen her grandfather in 12 years! Dad had been here for over 3 months at this time, and on hospice since the day her arrived here on the farm on April 16th!
Some asked me what this meant... would he die quickly as we had thought he would... it had happened with his last hospitalization at Vets in April! He was offered dialysis and refused to go that route! I could see that he seemed to be doing quite well, but I assured them that after all my years as a hospice nurse that I could give them notice ahead of his passing, and so I did!
Birdie arrived about a month after dad came here to live, and he enjoyed watching her grow and develop! Smiling at her great-grandfather! It is wonderful to know that dad died the day after we told him that our #20 grandchild was in the womb and are assured of his prayers for what could be his namesake!
Today marks 4 weeks since dad passed, and so many good feelings and thoughts about how hospice was a gift to us! Dad was at peace and endeared to his nurses, aides, and social workers! He gave them nicknames and ended their visits with: "The Good Lord willing." when they would say that they would see him next time. There was hardly ever a time of stress or anxiety related to what we had to face, and my deep love for the work of hospice was shared with my wonderful father for over 6 months!
Dad and I teamed up to write out the thank you notes for mom's funeral shortly after he arrived here. He wrote out all the thank yous personally! We were uncertain what our time together would be like, but taking one day at a time with hospice made for peaceful and hopefilled time of doing our work of prayer for the farm and the family - 130+!
Early on we set our daily prayer times! Out on the porch to pray at 3p each day and watched the entire growing season on the farm! The grass greened up, the leaves came forth on the trees, and this day the fields around us were being tilled.
Dad knew how much I loved to "sit at his feet" as he prayed morning prayer and then we added evening prayer after supper! Early on he would have me sit and share with me some of his deep thoughts and together we prayed the litany of the family each Monday - first and middle names!
Recently I dropped off some donations in my father's name to hospice, and his nurse came out of her office and shared with me how much he enjoyed my father's deep faith and found it to be inspiring! We wept and hugged, and shared how we miss her visits on Monday! I am eternally grateful that father could have a good long wonderful journey with the help of hospice to keep him comfortable and peacefilled and meeting all his needs!
Looking back I now see the decline, but he did remain sharp to the end! I struggled with letting him go for that very reason. I wondered how you let such a powerful mind and heart go, but my nurse helped me to see that other than my mother, who was declining with dementia that isn't it a blessing to have my father sharp up to the end?!? Yes!
How I appreciate the wonderful time spent with my father by the priests from our parish, who happen also to be friends of ours from TEC! Fr Todd and Fr Denny came and Anointed my Deacon Father! How we depended upon our shared Faith and our LOVE of The Church in it's entirety! Yes, we had our struggles but with hospice and our LOVE of Jesus, Mary and The Church and all we are given with each new day... Prayer of The Church, Saint of the day of feast day, Jesus in The Word and Sacrament of the Altar, Mary coming to us in the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy prayer... more than we can ever truly take in and our cup overflows!
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 144:1, 2, 9-10
R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust...
Yes, He is our Lord, our Rock! He gives us all we need for the battle as dad walked into the sunset of his life... natural death!
I guess that when dad would meet with the social worker alone every month - he would ask her why he was on hospice as he seemed to be so stable. I, too, thought that it could be years of living with me, as he seemed to go on and on. Yet, I do now see the very gradual gentle decline now. Such a gift to have that slow and steady journey with him and hospice and The Church! Such a beautiful end of life to look at and model after! I can only hope and pray for such a passing from this world! At the time it seemed long and without end... now much to fast and I am deeply missing our time.
Dad with St Therese and a smile... it was so special to share in the Communion of Saints!
A familiar scene each morning... still in his nightshirt with his prayer shawl, reading the mass readings for the day from The Magnificat, and his prayer book ready for morning prayers, his little pill cup empty as he took his pills after breakfast... he would notice if any were missing and call me out on it by name, a deck of cards handy in case a grandchild or great-grandchild would appear to play Casino with him, a kleenex box always within reach - we went through many boxes while he was here!
Flowers from the grove for Mary and Jesus and !
Jesus, it is good to recall the wonders of a natural death as we rejoice in the healthy new life in the womb of Maria! LIFE every step of the way is a blessing and a gift! Jesus, we ask that we also may be a temple of yours and that your LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE may shine forth from our lives and our families. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Barbara with Birdie Barbara on her Baptism day - dad got dressed up and came to her baptism and mass beforehand! I was overjoyed to have dad a very prayerfully involved member of my family here on the farm! I cherish our time! Bless-bless, Barbara
Dad was so cute! After years of reading on my blog about our Sunday rolls on Ruth's porch... the first Sunday here he asked if we were going to have our "rolls?" Then in May after the birth of Birdie - he came to mass and then made it to Ruth's for breakfast on her porch! LOVE to see him love my life! Thanks, dad for giving me life, for bringing me into The Church 49 years ago and sharing that total love very day since, and for loving my life and sharing it with me along with prayers without ceasing for those 6 months of a growing season on the farm! I am the LUCKY one!
The celebration of the Feast is first documented in the 11th century within the Byzantine Catholic Church. It was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century by Pope Gregory XI.
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Feast Day - November 21*
*The Feast celebrates Mary as a temple,
where God dwelt in a special way through her role as Mother of Jesus.
"Go then, go, O Queen of the world, O Mother of God, go joyfully to
the house of God and there await the coming of the divine Spirit
who will make you the Mother of the divine Word." - St Germanus (+ 730)
From the Byzantine liturgy:
"The most pure temple of the Savior, His most precious bridal chamber, the Virgin, sacred treasury of God's glory, enters today into the house of the Lord, bringing with her the grace of the divine Spirit. Wherefore the angels of God are singing: "Behold the heavenly tabernacle!" ... Wherefore let us cry out to her with all our strength: "Joy to you, fulfillment of the Creator's plan!" At the moment when the young girl Mary was presented in the glorious Temple, "everything that humans build was already diminished by the praise in her heart." (Rilke)
"God Himself, with the whole heavenly court,
was greatly pleased and glorified the day when He beheld His spouse being led
to the Temple. Never had He seen a holier creature,
nor one whom He loved so tenderly, come to offer herself to Him."
- Bernardine de Bustis (+1515)
was greatly pleased and glorified the day when He beheld His spouse being led
to the Temple. Never had He seen a holier creature,
nor one whom He loved so tenderly, come to offer herself to Him."
- Bernardine de Bustis (+1515)
Danielle Rose - loves The Church!
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