Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Rosary in one hand and fly swatter in the other/forgiving all our transgressions - nailed them to the Cross= LOVE!/Catholic Schooling for 13 grands!

From Nancy and Bill in Delano today... their 4 oldest off to St Maximilian Kolbe Catholic School today!  LOVE the uniforms and the smiles of excitement! 

Of our 20 grandchildren - 13 are starting their Catholic education!  Ruth's middle 4 with 2 at the high school and soon a new baby brother.  Nancy with 2 1/2 year old George at home and soon a baby sister.  Maria homeschooling her older 5 Catholic lessons with 2 1/2 year old Hector and 4 month old Maggie.

My prayer buddies on the porch yesterday both were occupied with my rosary in one hand and fly swatter in the other!  I will always smile as I recall one of my wonderful farm wife Birthright friends saying - "My husband says that he will bury me with a rosary in one hand and a fly swatter in the other."  Such is the case for most all Catholic farm wives and certainly of me!

I am eternally grateful for the Catholic education that our kids got here in Marshall, in the footsteps of their father and his siblings and even of their grandmother and her siblings - we are now into our 4th generation with Ruth's children all attending there, and before we know it John and Bobbi's kids, too!!! 

Prayers rising to heaven to Jesus through Mary!

John and Bobbi were classmates in Holy Redeemer and all through their schooling!  Their story is miraculous, and worth sharing again!  Bobbi was told as a senior in HS that she would marry John Verly! For 10 years she waited, prayed until John asked her out for pie... here is this story of Trust!

After being classmates for all 13 years for them to come together 10 years after graduating is kind of special.  She shared to the 300 family and friends gathered at the reception in her sweet humble way about how John Verly popped into her head and heart when they were seniors in HS as her future husband.  Time and time again the same answer came to her through prayer and roses from St Therese and opening her eyes to see him right in front of her at WYD in Australia... When we consider what John experienced over those 10 years... brain cancer, seminary, girl friends, ups and downs and how disheartening it probably was and how powerful her prayers were for him!!!!  Amazing!!!   And how patient and trusting and prayerful and waiting and praying for John, this sweet girl was!

Truly a shining LIGHT for all those around her!

How I love my time in prayer!  Today in the Gospel Jesus spent the night on the Mountain in prayer before he chose his 12 Apostles!  Then so much of His LOVE poured forth onto the many!  

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people 
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.  Luke 6
Sharing our prayer...

Yes, LOVE!  Jesus forgives us all our sins - nailing them to the Cross!  WE are sinful and are ashamed, yet we need to recall that he chose to do this for us out of LOVE!  Unconditional LOVE and forgiveness!  All He asks of us is to then return that unconditional love and forgiveness to those around us - most especially those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family.  

My new kitten, Felix.  I name my kittens after the a Saint the day they come to live with me.  
Felix and Ignatius - Iggy with rosary and fly swatter and toes...
My domestic Church/family from a year ago.  Dad died on October 23rd, Captain Joseph was missing at Fort Lewis - unable to get leave,  Maria added daughter, Magdalene 4 months ago, Hallel was in France, and we will soon add 2 more babies - Ruth's in November, Nancy's in December.  Our love grows bigger with each new life!  Yes, there are struggles, too!  Prayer is so important with each moment of each day!

LOVE this from Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan (2002), who was imprisoned by the Vietnamese for 13 years...

Prayer is the breath of the soul.  Without prayer, the soul suffocates.  Through prayer, I live in you, Lord.  I live in you as a baby in its mother's womb, with its breath united to hers and its heart beating in rhythm with hers.

Spending time with my wonderful farmer hubby, who is very vigilant in caring for his cows and calves and feeding the world!

More from this wise Cardinal Thuan!

Lord Jesus, you are my model.  The Gospel portrays you as praying an entire night on the mountain.  You prayed before working your miracles, before choosing your Apostles, and during the Last Supper.  You prayed as you sweat blood in the garden of Gethsemane; You prayed during your agony on the Cross.  You the Incarnate Word, prayed also with Scripture.  Your existence is one continuous prayer.

Newly weaned off their mother cows less than a week ago - we are keeping them healthy by giving them antibiotics in their drinking water.  "They all get some this way."
My Most Cherished Cross - by embracing him I have received LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  43 years of sharing The Sacrament of Matrimony with all the ups and downs!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Our marriage stories - "The world needs LIGHTS!"


Some things never change - taking covert pictures from behind...
LIFE is a gift from conception to natural death!  Our LOVE grows more with each new LIFE!  My prayers are for them from the moment I am aware of them growing in the womb of their mothers!  So many prayers from the beginning!  The losses keep our eyes on heaven!  7 of mine and 6 of my girls!  

Joy 2 years ago on tomato soup day.  In a week she starts her Preschool!  Today just Ruth and Joy at home as the others are now at school.  
Yes, we have this many canners, and we need them!  Tomato soup will be our next project, and with the kids in school - Pat could be helping!
 There is nothing so great as the Eucharist.
If God had something more precious,
He would have given it to us." - St John Vianney
"The more I delved into Scripture (...)
the more I became convinced that
the Catholic Faith is Biblical Christianity
come into its own. 
And nowhere do you find that more truly,
more fully,
more powerfully,
and yet more mysteriously than in the
holy sacrifice of the Mass."
 
Dr Scott Hahn
from How to Get the Most Out of Mass



Jesus gave her to us as our Mother at the foot of the Cross, and we bring her into our homes to help peace, love and joy to dwell in and around us!  Hail Mary full of Grace!
Hear our prayers, O Lord!
Chris Tomlin - Good good Father

It makes receiving Jesus on our hands from the priest very powerful indeed!
Brother Victor helps us to see that the present moment is where we are encountering Christ now!  "Jesus and Mary, I love you.  Save souls!"  Bless-bless, Barbara


















 

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