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!
2014 at the birth of #4 child, Romeo. He now has 3 more children!
I must begin this Memorial Day with our son-in-law, Captain Joseph, as he is at this time deployed to Afghanistan. He was there and missed the arrival of his 7th child, Magdalene Rose, and there are so many prayers surrounding him. We are thinking and praying for you, Joe, with every beat of our hearts and every breath that we take. Thank you for dying to self and serving our Lord and our country!
My brother, James Cross, who was a good sport and jumped in with us on our crazy spur of the moment trip to visit dad's grave! As Pat said as we were heading for home; "If you had told me on our way to mass that just mentioning your dad's first memorial day... that the next thing we would be on the road for 8 hours to visit his grave and 2 of your brothers too! We are kind of crazy in a good way!"
I am overjoyed today at the unexpected wonderful family time that Hubby made happen for me yesterday! Thanks, honey! The light rain on the way to mass, and his mentioning my dad's service on this first Memorial weekend without him... we did one of our 8 hours in the car for wonderful few hours with family - how we love to make special family moments happen!
My wonderful brothers, Dan and Jim, are both retired Navy officers, and it was very special to have some great wonderful visiting in their special barn in SCF!
Pat and Jim paying their respects for dad's service as we savored the peaceful wonderful cemetery - the smell of pine needles - "it smells like Michigan!" Michigan was the most special place for my parents. They built a retirement/vacation home there in 1998 and how we loved the 10 years we had with them there! My heart still aches for those wonderful times! Then the 11 years in SCF and then the months in their Assisted living in New Hope, and finally dad coming here a month after mom's death in a short day, and living here for his last 6 months of life. My cup overflows and is so full of wonderful times with my parents...
Pat was so impressed by the hard work my brother has done on his barn! "It is built like a brick!" The time we spent here yesterday certainly made our 8 hours in the car more than worth it to us!
My wonderful brother and his wife in their renovated barn - what JOY we share as we are united in our love of Jesus and His Bride, The Church!
Today's feast day of the Visitation with the help of mom and dad has made me realize that I am in the middle of a JOY-LOVE sandwich! Dad's Prayer of The Church left here for me, and his man, Brother Victor, daily sharing, and mom with Pope Benedict XVI and his daily deep amazing sharing. I am overwhelmed by what I am given on this most amazing feast of two cousins pregnant with St John and Jesus! Speaking about the sacredness of LIFE in the womb!
I was amazed at this first reading from the Office of Readings today - from Song of Songs!
FIRST READING
From the Song of Songs 2:8-14; 8:6-7
The coming of the beloved
Hark! my lover—here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!
“O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, Let me see you, let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.”
Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; For stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire. Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away. Were one to offer all he owns to purchase love, he would be roundly mocked.
So beautiful and followed by this...SECOND READING
From a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest (Lib. 1, 4: CCL 122, 25-26. 30)
Mary proclaims the greatness of the Lord working in her
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior. With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favors, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.
When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his savior and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.
These words are often for all God’s creations, but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her savior, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.
For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him.
She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier: and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near, and our minds are ready for contemplation.
My brother has put the roll of dad's great grandchildren written in dad's handwriting - he added #59 Magdalene Rose last night after dad's, Birdie Barbara, from a year ago! So special!
As Pat and I were reading morning prayer and the readings for today - Pat pondered how our honoring Mary this day is not carried forth into other Christian sects. "Do they just ignore this from Luke 1 where Mary and Elizabeth share this most powerful and amazing moment?" For me to also see the words from the "Hail Mary" here in the Gospel speaks volumes of the Truth we have in the Rosary prayer - in meditating on the life of Jesus and Mary using words from the Gospel to lift up our prayers!
Simon and Mary leading singing at Holy Trinity Sunday mass yesterday morning started our amazingly wonderful day in such a special way! David also was serving. Both of these parts of the mass involve a lot of giving of themselves in the service of The Lord!
Mass was especially wonderful as we had no masks or social distancing! The sacrifice on the altar gleamed and glowed with such LIGHT/LOVE/LIGHT after this difficult year! I just glowed inside my heart, mind and soul with gratitude that mass seemed back to being the blessing that it truly is!
Luke and Joy were sweet in posing for grandma after mass with Jesus overhead! Their life is about to change in a big wonderful way as they will welcome a new baby around Thanksgiving!
Using their God given talents to serve during mass - they received an ovation/hand clap for sharing and leading our worship in song.
No more tape on the pews! Worshiping as a family is the best - David was serving Father on the altar.
Rose and Birdie...
Birdie is starting to take steps!
Luke and Joy after mass...
Our beautiful table for our Sunday feast after sharing mass together! Little did Pat and I know that soon after we would be on the road for a wonderfully unexpected trip to spend time with family on this Memorial weekend 2021! The world is opening up and feeling more like normal!
Joy showing Jude the baby kittens on the porch.
Kitten time is special
Cousin time on the landing going upstairs at the remodeled farmhouse now occupied by our farm family - Ruth and Paul and around Thanksgiving - 7 kids! We love to have them living there and loving the farm and making it all that it can be as they feed the world!
Joy is 4, Jude is 2 and Birdie is 1...
It was so appropriate to stop at my brother's home and finally give him the flag given to my grandfather, Merrill Cross for his service in WW1! Jim is retired Navy and spur of the moment jumped in for our adventure to visit dad's grave and on to spend time with my other brother, Dan, who is also retired Navy!
Borrowed a flag from Jim to honor dad on his first Memorial weekend - my sister added the Veteran star. Last year dad was here for Memorial weekend... that was special for me too!
Picked some flowers in my yard to bring along... I love you dad and mom and miss you...
My heart is so full as I am surrounded by the beauty shared with me by both of my parents. Yes, my sadness at their both passing is real, yet I am given such blessings by them with each new day. Today mom and Pope Benedict XVI made me oooh and Aaah! So wonderful is this!
Then my father and "my man, Brother Victor!" Bringing this Mary month of May to an end so sweetly and devoutly! I am truly in the midst of a JOY-LOVE sandwich and that is the wind beneath my wings and keeps my eyes on heaven forever as I stagger down the narrow path carrying/dragging my most Cherished Cross!
LOVE this from St Joan of Arc on her feast day yesterday! Happy Feast day, Nancy Anna!
My dad's list of great-grands! Magdalene is #59! We have 3 more coming over the next months! Moer LIFE brings us more LOVE!
The dance floor in the hay loft of the old barn at my brother's. Future parties are welcome and exciting to look forward to! LOVE our time together - nothing can replace The Family!
A surprise day with Nancy here!
Sharing family meals is our JOY!
George loves his grandpa farmer Pat!
Personality plus 4H pigs
The lime mountain is a way to get really messy and have huge amounts of fun!
Joy and Josephine were both 4 for a few months - now JoJo has gone ahead to 5. Between them is Evangeline in Washington...
Kitten couch is a common sight in the spring on the farm!
Birdie meeting the baby kitties
Grandma took many...
First time Jim had been to visit dad since his funeral on Halloween - October 31,2020. Wonderful to see mom and dad loved and cared for with great plants and grass and Our Lady and angel along with our flag and flowers... added up to some special time shared memorializing our wonderful parents!
LOVE you, Jim! We are 8 years apart, and share so much of our love for Jesus, Mary and The Church! The tie that binds! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
A new arrival on the farm from a neighbor goat farmer.
George and Dominic go zoom!
My namesake will be walking any day!
LOVE to see mass back to normal as we share our Faith/Family/Farm! Bless-bless, Barbara
The visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth Feast day: May 31 (New) July 2 (Trad) And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said:
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever. Luke (1:41-55)
Happy Feast Day Saint Joan of Arc 1412-1431 Feast day: May 30 Patronage: France; martyrs; captives; military personnel; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; soldiers Joan of Arc, a national heroine of France, was born in 1412 during the Hundred Years War. At age 12 she began receiving visions of Saint Michael, as well as other angels and saints, telling her to drive out the English. Possessing remarkable mental and physical courage, Joan led the French army to victory over the British at Orleans when she was 18. Several additional victories led to Charles VII’s coronation. Eventually burned at the stake, she held up a cross calling continually upon the name of Jesus. A retrial declared her innocent in 1456 making her a martyr. Joan of Arc was canonized 500 years later.
Lord Jesus, welcome into your presence those who have defended our nation from its enemies.
Feast of the Visitation
May 31
Blessed is she who believed that what the Lord
has said would be fulfilled. ~ Luke 1:45
"O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness.
For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word?
To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin?
You are greater than them all, O Ark of the Covenant, clothed
with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found
the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is,
the flesh in which Divinity resides." ~ St Athanasius
“Mary also anticipated, in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Church’s Eucharistic faith. When, at the Visitation,
she bore in her womb the Word made flesh,
she became in some waya ‘tabernacle’
– the first ‘tabernacle’ in history– in which the Son of God, still invisible to our human gaze, allowed Himself to be adored by Elizabeth
radiating His light as it were
through the eyes and the voice of Mary.
And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary …
thatunparalleled model of lovewhich should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion?"
Pope St John Paul II
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 55
Painting: The Visitation - Karl von Blaas
Tabernacle at St Peter Catholic Church - St Charles, Missouri - USA
“Is it not this alsothe joy of the Church,which receives Christ
incessantly in the holy Eucharist and takes Him to the world
with the testimony of active charity, full of faith and hope?
Yes, to receive Jesus and to take Him to others
is the true joyof the Christian!
Let us follow and imitate Mary’s profoundly Eucharistic
soul, andour whole lifewill become a Magnificat.”
Pope Benedict XVI
31 May 2005
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"Let Mary'ssoul be in each of you
to proclaimthe greatness of the Lord. Let her spiritbe in each to rejoicein the Lord. Christ has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ in faith." - St Ambrose
