I am mourning her passing in the last year, and very much cherishing all the wonderful time I was given to spend with her and dad over these last years since they moved from Michigan to only 4 hours from my door to theirs'! I can visit them easily in my chapel on wheels!!! And so I did often for days at a time after Pat's mother died 4 years ago, and Pat realized that I needed to be there for them and make memories that now are carrying me in my grief!
I am amazed at the beautiful ways my parents developed and gifted us with over the years so that our huge growing family starting with mom, dad and the 11 kids adding spouses and children along the way to now reaching 130+! They gave us the cabin in Michigan and we each were given a week to spend with them on the shores of Lake Michigan since 1998, and 35 years ago just as my sister, Mary, was dying of cancer we started gathering the weekend before Christmas for Cross Christmas Camp. Both beloved by myself and my family as things we love and look forward to for months ahead of time. I guess I would safely say that we look forward to CCC the following year the day we leave camp! That has been our family Christmas with all of us coming far and wide to be there together!
Just back from an early morning run with Pat to pick up some meat and deliver it. Pat was recalling with some sadness and longing as this would have been the BIG day at CCC 2020! "The kids would be up early excited for our first day at CCC!" Yes, we would have had a wonderful breakfast made by us or my brothers' families, who are two of the die hard families there for the entire time, so we get up to make breakfast for those that choose to be there for every last minute! With such a large family that is still a nice number of us that love to visit, do crafts, pray the rosary with mom and dad, play games and cards, make crafts and decorating cookies. Many times there are a group playing guitars and singing Christmas carols... yes, a truly festive and relaxed happy scene. How we needed that comfort and sharing this year with both of our parents quickly gone! That really makes this not able to happen due to covid hard!
1 1/2 year old Joy 2 years ago with baby Jesus! My brother and his wife come early with their boys and make our beautiful gathering space so beautiful for us to be surrounded by Christmas as we share pure JOY!
The Psalm for today speaks of how we are longing to share our JOY! Forever grateful for my parents planning and giving us wonderful family time that has grown with the size of the family. These wonderful family times supreme allow us to know each other and support each other and share experience of family sharing Christmas with one another in days of fun, food and sharing our Faith and ourselves. Such a gift that is sorely missed this year like no other! Never before have we had to cancel our beloved CCC! Not in 35 years... May we now yearn all the more to resume in 2021 - now forever different with both of my parents gone!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Psalm 71
The wonderful breakfast crew 2019!
Dad arrives alone! Posing with his card playing partner, Sarah/Sally Ann.
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Psalm 71
He had to travel over an hour with one of the granddaughters, and mom started calling for him to return to her, so our time was short and precious!
Our last CCC with the King of the Cross family!
Late afternoon yesterday sitting with Our Lady at the foot of the Cross as I pray for Fr Denny with 7 Sisters.
Wearing my CCC shirt from 2016... we will be having a T-shirt to mark our first VCC, too.
Praying this year at the time that I would have been loading up the car with sleeping bags, pillows, presents, clothes, food for our meal, Christmas goodies that we baked to share... it used to be very interesting to pack all that for Pat and I and 5 kids! Lots of times with our laps full of presents or sleeping bags.
Now Ruth and Nancy and Maria have the joy of getting all their things to camp for their large families. But that is part of the excitement as we travel our 4 hours to arrive at our beloved Christmas Camp!
Jesus and Mary it was a special prayer time shared with the office Administrator, who was battling with a old huge artificial Christmas tree in the gathering space. It made the two of us chuckle as "the tree won!" It is good to allow the joy of life to filter through my time in deep prayer of Mary to Jesus in the rosary beads. My heart soars to highest heaven with the help of mom and dad there joining me with Jesus in the tabernacle burning with love and unconditional forgiveness for me. May I die to self so that you may do your work and share your LIGHT and your JOY with all those in my domestic Church/family and beyond. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
CCC 9 years ago - 2011! Childlike love for Jesus is our mission.
The O Antiphon for December 19th
This would have been Jude's second CCC, but he will have to wait till next year and show his sister, Birdie Barbara, the wonderful family tradition we call Cross Christmas Camp!
This year we are having our first ever VCC - Verly Christmas Camp here on the farm in January. So many hopes and prayers and longing for it to happen - as for now they are our famous "fake plans".
Love to share my religious life with dad's friend Brother Victor-Antoine! When I read him, knowing of dad's love of him and sharing him with me over the many years he read it through the year. I feel that I am in that monastery chapel in the early morning darkness of Advent. My religious life continues - thank you dad along with "my man Brother Victor!" Bless-bless, Barbara
The monks chanting this O Antiphon for today - O Radix JesseAdvent Gregorian chants
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