Pondering this picture of dad fondly stroking the Word come to life... from Genesis where the woman will crush the head of the serpent
Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmities between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”
One of my favorite statues is in the chapel at the Catholic School where Pat and all our kids, now grandkids go to school.
During covid pandemic at the height of the isolation and distancing we moved adoration into the larger St Mary's chapel and I would bring flowers from my garden for my beloved statue. This was what they looked like a week later - still presentable in a dried version.
This struck fear into my very core pondering the actuality of stepping bare foot upon a snake! I wonder why never before has it really sunk in as I hate snakes and whenever I have come across them in my yard, garden, etc... I jump and run in the other direction.
I recall one time when I was standing out on some grass in New Hampshire on a visit back to visit where I was born and lived for my early years. Suddenly there was a wet slimy reptile in my pant leg! I thought it was a snake, and I am sure that I screamed bloody murder and jumped around like I was going to die! It turned out to be a frog equally scared and moving up and down to feel like a slithering snake! This is imprinted on my memory as one of the most terrifying times in my young life!
This image has only brought to mind the Truth of how Mary's "Yes" allowed LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT to enter the world and crush Satan. But adding this new element of just what this means to me with my fears of snakes - really shakes me to my core! I am in awe of this amazing woman, my Mother of heaven and earth!
The statue in my bedroom came to me with my father! He was gifted these after his 12 years of serving as a Deacon in the Catholic Church in Manistique, MI where they lived in a home/vacation home for their kids on Lake Michigan.
This lifts Mary to the one who calms all my fears to take on this, which fills me with nothing but horror and fear!
The Psalm today speaks of these fears all around us... evil that comes to harm us and keep us from our Lord!
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness. Psalm 31
"You are my God" - I have nothing to truly fear, and long to come closer to you with each new day with the help of Mary and all your Saints!
Pat and I are going today to finally get our burial plots side by side in the Catholic Cemetery... made possible by my father's inheritance to each of us. I am excited to finally have a proper place to put the monument to our two stillborn sons, William and Robert!
As we are also considering our monument/head stone to place there... it has come to me that I want Jesus on the Cross, but not without Mary standing at the foot of the Cross! For me Mary's sword that pierced her heart as she stood there and watched her Son, the Son of God, die for us sins, and his words to his beloved disciple that this is our Mother, and how we are to bring her into our home... that is truly powerful and Truth of what has brought me closer to Jesus every day!
A stainglass version of what I envision.
This is actually a gravestone!
What would the words be? "This is how one loves." is a family favorite to be placed beside Crucifixes in our home over the years! Starting with Maria going into the Convent of the Poor Clares on Jan 1st, 2004. She put this note beside the Crucifix in her brother, John's room. John was 16 and struggling with the possibility of not being able to have Maria in our day to day life as she would be behind the enclosure. The Lord had other plans - she is now expecting her 7th child and married to Joseph for 14 years!
I am also considering a verse from Scripture including "Behold your Mother!"
Meeting daughter #4 Susan for the first time in 1985. After Susan I lost 2 by miscarriage, and then we had our only surviving son, John. After John we lost 2 at 20 weeks in the womb, William and Robert, considered stillbirths and are buried at the cemetery. Then a 14 week miscarriage to end my family - a total of 12 with 7 in heaven and 5 with us for this earthly journey!
Our grandson, Maximilian, will be very close to our final resting place in the Catholic Cemetery. He died on Thanksgiving in 2017. Pat and I got our side by side plots today and being close to our grandson just seemed right!
Mother and child - Mary and Jesus were comforting at this difficult loss for Nancy and Bill to lose their 20 week old son in the womb. We will be right across from him.
Soon our two boys that we lost at 20 weeks in the womb will be at the foot of our plots. We lost William in 1989 just about a year after John was born, and Robert in 1992. John's brothers were not to be here with us, but in heaven praying for their family. Nancy and I share this difficult sudden loss when you think that all is well, and no heartbeat on the 5 month check up.
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.htmlThe boys were at the foot of my in-laws grave, but soon we will move them to be with us.
Much to ponder as we will now get our headstone figured out... the crucifix in our kitchen is well worn as it was on the maple tree by the garden and was where we started and ended our out door stations of the Cross! The Old Rugged Cross! This is how one loves! Picture of John with Fr Craig coming out of the healing bathes of Lourdes with Fr Craig in France in August 2009. Two months after John started his battle against brain cancer. Truly this is how one loves - by embracing their Most Cherished Cross and finding LOVE/LIGHT/LIFE! Bless-bless, Barbara
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