He prayed with me the following morning and then slept away in a very peaceful walking into the sunset of his life/passing from this world with the help of his deep abiding Faith and Hospice and yours truly to help him in all ways including the "work of Prayer!" I was the blessed and lucky one, and so it continues with each new day as dad continues to share with me his wisdom and love of Jesus and His Bride, The Church!
His Ignation retreat was where dad heard the Holy Spirit tell him to come into The Catholic Church 49 years ago while reading Isaiah 55:1-2! The first reading for his funeral mass was Isaiah 55: 1-13! So much there!
How I recall dad pouring over these books, and burning to have me sit so that he could share with me what the Holy Spirit was showing him! "Sit down a minute, I want to share something with you."
St Therese was sent to him by his bishop from the Sioux Falls Diocese... dad was very moved by her little way and humble approach to her life. St Henry Neumann also made huge impressions on him. All these and more have been left here and I am very touched by his writing in them and underlining and in many ways speaking to me - teaching me and allowing me to go so deep with him!
For years dad has quoted to me this good friend of his - Brother Victor Antoine! I would say that for maybe 10 years he has reread it daily over and over! I approached this with great expectations of sharing in this wisdom and beauty with my father now with his foot over into heaven and probably did he go up to Brother Victor and hug him as a brother in Christ!
The I thirst book of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta came from Nancy's church for Lent... dad read that and St Therese together and found them to share much of the same spirituality - humbly loving Jesus in ALL! Dying to self so that Jesus could use them to love and to serve!
So with a deep excitement and hope for some powerful LIGHT - I went to the date of dad's passing and what Brother Victor- Antoine had to share ... He speaks of what a Monastery is!!!!
He shares that some children had come to rake leaves with their parents on the Monastery grounds and that one of the children asked what a monastery is...
How true!!! Our farm monastery was truly "a home of peace" where we did the work of prayer!
Then I went read for that day - yesterday, election day! How dad and I spoke of doing our work of prayer as what we filled our days with and gave us peace and JOY!
A few days back about the sunset that so often reminds me of that last part of our lives here on earth. I do see that the beauty of hospice for people that have a terminal diagnosis and are aged.. is that it allows them to work through all their different problems and issues that come along, and have help in all areas of their lives to walk into the sunset of their lives with peace and contentment for them and their families!
A new picture of St JPII for my birthday from my sister... it was taken in Chicago in 1979 just a year after our marriage! He was the pope of LIFE and family and was there for me through the first 27 years of my marriage! He is my hero in heaven and I know that he is hard at work in this election as we fight to protect life and end the horror of abortion!
The readings for today are so uplifting and give me hope in the midst of this crazy mixed up election..
"Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life..." Phil 2
A beautiful day brought me out to the porch at 3p to pray with dad the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy... The tears leapt to my eyes as I started and watched the white trucks on Hwy 59 a couple miles away in the sun! How dad loved to watch them and exclaim - "Look there goes and big one and another one and one coming the other way!"
A mum plant from Hospice, one of dad's rosaries, a program from his funeral mass, a leaf from the tree by his grave in Franconia, Blessed Solanus Casey relic, prayers for our country and for the election...
The gnats also were present and reminded me of some of the days we would suffer with them or give up and go inside to finish our prayers. Regardless they were reminding me of our many special days sharing prayer - our work! This time I placed dad - "For Robert and for the whole world" on an entire decade of the chaplet! Two other recent deaths also were joining him - William and Gary!
The election is heavy on our minds and hearts! It is hard to watch the slow moving (as if feet are dragging just to be jerks)and trust that righteousness and justice will win in the end. Lord, hear our prayer!
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life..." Phil 2
Hear my prayer!
Now add the flag and my red barn! It felt so powerful and good to speak our prayers out loud as dad and I did daily. I have not carried it forth unless I am in my chapel on wheels coming and going lately. I hope to continue to carve out this special time of prayer! The beginning and the ending of the chaplet we made into a song... I got pretty choked up singing alone yesterday - not really alone, but his off key (since his cochlear implant he cannot hear his key) singing was in my heart and not in my ears!
My entire reason to vote red! LIFE is the issue upon which all the others rest! How did it ever become accepted and promoted to take human life into our hands? Innocent human life in the womb must be protected and cherished from conception to natural death! Hear our heartfelt fervent prayer, O Lord!
Ruth works with LIFE and is a Creighton Model instructor! When she was told no more children after rupturing with Mary... she was told in a second opinion that she needed to wait a year to allow her uterus to totally heal, and so she learned and used Creighton model and then became an instructor. Many prayers that her ministry can be used to help many follow the Truth and teaching of The Church! She had 4 more children after that! Thank you, Lord!
Jesus, how we long to love and serve you without counting the cost! May you help our broken and hurting nation to embrace The Truth and the LIGHT of LIFE! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
My farm monastery continues now as I am blessed by all that dad left behind for me! Hubby Pat has started to share the Prayer of The Church on our phones. Before we would use morning and evening prayer from The Magnificat... that came from my father, too! I rejoice that each day since he led us into The Church 49 years ago has been such a gift and a total blessing with so very much to help me drag My Most Cherished Cross down the narrow path after Jesus! Bless-bless, Barbara
Danielle Rose
Danielle Rose
Zach Williams
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