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!
The family is the key/St Barbara today!/Gaze on the loveliness of the Lord... healing the blind - sight for the first time!
Memory from 6 years ago! Year old Luke Paul with their bunny... too cute not to begin with this today.
My family is very close to my faith in what is important in my life. I always unite these 3 - Faith/Family/Farm as farming also is not just a job, but a way of life!
This from Scott Hahn today rings like a bell for me! I see sadly that family is being attacked in so many ways, and that this truly is our domestic Church and where our faith life needs to begin and be nurtured! Advent was always a close family gathering for prayer, scripture, songs and rosary around the Advent wreath when our kids were growing up. Such a special and important time for the faith seed to be planted and to grow. Huge for our kids were reading the lives of the Saints in a book for children that we had. The Saints teach us so powerfully that although we are weak and sinful and fail often that we can persevere in loving and serving Jesus and dying to self!
I was reminded by a dear friend this morning that today is my feast day! St Barbara on December 4th! 13 years ago I called the Poor Clares to pray for me on this day as I was having my left knee replaced. "Today is the feast day of St Barbara." Sister told me. Such a special blessing to go into surgery with. That knee has been wonderful after 6 months of recovery... it was hurt at age 16 as a result of a downhill ski accident, so to have it now functioning normally and pain free is such a gift with the help of St Barbara looking out for her old gimpy namesake.
Sweet son, John, gifted me with St Barbara chaplet prayer for my birthday this year, and I was blessed to pray it with my father on his last day of life! She embraced dad when he reached eternal life and is assisting him on his journey!
Step by step how to pray with this amazing martyr saint. She stands as a statue with the special saints around the top of St Peter's square! So beautiful is she to gaze upon! That is part of the Psalm today...
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple. R. The Lord is my light and my salvation. I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Psalm 27
Prayer of St Barbara. St Barbara was put in a tower by her father after she longed to be a bride of Christ. She was eventually beheaded by her father after much suffering and he was struck by lightening and killed for his sin.
She is the patron saint of armourers, artillerymen, architects, mathematicians, miners and the Italian Navy. St. Barbara is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, venerated because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective against diseases. Barbara is often invoked against lightning and fire, with associations of explosions. Her feast day is celebrated on December 4. She is also the first Rapunzel
Love this memory from 8 years ago! The calf was just named Bullseye by 4 year old David.
What I shared 8 years ago is so special!
Grandpa Pat and David looking at a nice big red steer. Dave had just named it "Bullseye" - due to the red eyes. "Grandpa, load him up and bring him to my house. I like him." "What would you feed him Dave, and where would he stay?" "You have a lot of hay, grandpa, and I think he would stay outside... not in the house." "Sorry, Dave, you will have to come here to see him." Tears of disappointment for a 4 year old with high hopes for a big red fuzzy pet named Bullseye.
4 year old ine in Delano with a new haircut! Of course, grandma loves the topknot!
JoJo's buddy, 3 year old Joy also with new short hair - bangs from getting too close to the Advent candle. "Holy smokes bangs!" I think she learned a big lesson.
The 27th Psalm is so powerful and reminds me a lot of praying it with my father, and how he is now dwelling in the house of the Lord as he has entered with mother eternal LIFE! How can we gaze on his loveliness here in our day to day life? By prayer, Jesus in The Word, Body and Blood, The Saints including St Barbara today - one of the 7 helpers!
We are led to finding the ability to see in both first and Gospel readings today!
"And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see..." Isaiah 29
Out for a morning walk with my tame and getting tame kitties, as I go and do my ducks for the day.
The Gospel is one of those that fills you with wonder and awe!!! Considering these two blind men seeing for the first time, and opening their eyes to see God dwelling among us! Jesus! The eyes of Faith have given each of us a taste of how beautiful is the sight we see with the LIGHT of Christ shining upon it! The Sonlight/The Holy Spirit brings us the Unconditional LOVE and forgiveness the Lord has for us! What JOY!
These two have become friends, and the wild cat is getting closer and closer to me, but I have yet to pet her. Building trust by spoiling her a bit with food and water, and a soft place to lay. The couch and porch furniture is now put away, but I put out an old pillow and a soft blanket for her. I have seen her snuggled in for the night outside.
I recall a turning point where I was given the eyes of Faith more deeply when my parents prayed over me to receive the Holy Spirit when I was in my teens. My ability to see Christ in my day to day life was sharper and clearer and I fell deeply in love with Jesus... eventually dad led us all into The Church some years later as a direct result of that Holy Spirit experience... we started going to a Charismatic prayer group at a convent - Holy Spirit nuns! Their example and prayers led us into The Church 49 years ago!
A special word from my father today in morning prayer - Psalm 100 which we would do every morning!
"The words of Christ, since they are divine,
are efficacious, and can produce nothing
other than what they command.
For they are eternal.
Heaven and earth shall pass,
but My words shall not pass." - St Paschasius
#3 these are in reverse order from Brother Victor today... go down 2 to start this mediation for today called Fostering the Spirit of Advent.
#2 - the music is something that I am excited to check out!
From Brother Victor-Antione today... start here #1
From my father today and St John Henry Newman! "We are here to struggle and to endure." This is true for families as I began today sharing how we are under attack! New life, which is the source of a man and wife becoming a family is devalued to the point that life is destroyed in the womb! Many are choosing to have pets rather than kids and take that God-given ability to bring life into the world into their own hands using artificial birth control. That is taking the control out of the Lord's hands, which is the beauty of natural family planning! Then even the Truth of marriage being for a man and a woman have been trampled, and sinfulness has been embraced as marriage.
Family life is a light to be set upon the lampstand for all to see! "The world needs lights." was the Holy Spirit speaking through my wonderful Most Cherished Cross, Patrick, when I was confused if we were being selfish to want a large family.
In order for our families to shine brightly takes a lot of work, and we are given so much help with The Church! We are to take all the Church teaches us with no reservations! We must be true to protecting and cherishing life from conception to natural death. This includes allowing God in the bedroom through the use of natural family planning/ abstaining where God has a hand in the gift of life through the marital embrace. And there needs to be one man and one woman united in marriage for life no matter the hardships they face. This is what is meant by dying to self so that we can love and serve one another above ourselves! "Wounded, I will never cease to love." the motto of the Lamb is to be embraced and followed!
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I love you and thank you for your Holy Spirit bringing new vision of The Truth into our lives! May we die to self so that you may live in us, and we may return the unconditional love and forgiveness we have received from you. May we serve without counting the cost. St Barbara, pray for us. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Still incomplete even though I added the two missing from our family gathering, Hallel and ! Maria is expecting our 20th grandchild, and now my father has passed on to LIFE everlasting! I do cherish this beautiful keepsake of 2020 where I shared religious life with my wonderful Deacon Robert Cross! Bless-bless, Barbara
The dark sets in earlier and earlier.. approaching the shortest day of the year. The Advent wreath brings such beauty and LIGHT into the darkness with great excitement for Christ in our world, country, and home!
No comments:
Post a Comment