Discipleship requires our ALL - a flood of nuns and priests!/Our new Bishop! Prayers answered bountifully!!!!

Handmaids of Jesus!

As we pulled into Sleepy Eye for the Instillation of our new Bishop - this most beautiful sight greeted us!  So many emotions flooded me to see this sight in the place where I would send my daughters to spend time with nuns in habits in the only place in our diocese they were - Schoenstatt Sisters of the Lake!  

Such a beautiful sight for me!  In the bright fall sunshine on a gloriously beautiful day for our Church and our diocese!  Especially for me!  I was determined that my girls would consider this call, and Susan/Hallel shared with me as we were coming home for her week with the sisters at Schoenstatt camp - "Mom, I think that I want to be a nun."  

We arrived early and were right next to the middle section reserved for "religious."  First to arrive were 3 Schoenstatt sisters!  I had to smile with such JOY knowing that because of them I now have my nun! 

Live Stream — Diocese of New Ulm (dnu.org)   - the livestream of this glorious occasion!   

I could not resist as it was such a personally powerful sight to behold in such glory!  I myself was considering becoming a nun, when I answered my father that "yes" I wanted to come into The Catholic Church as a 20 year old convert.  "I want to be a nun, so yes, I want to be Catholic!"    Dad and mom brought all 13 of us into The Church against the tide leaving with Vatican 2!  I know that they were rejoicing with me yesterday at this glorious occasion of Bishop Chad becoming our Bishop!

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The amazing story of the 13 becoming Catholic! 

A Postulant with a 2 sisters.  The story continues with the Handmaids and our own nun!  Susan was going to St Thomas and lived in a Discernment house with 3 of the original women that were listening to a call to begin a new order.  The Bishop was not very quickly acting, and Hallel answered her own personal call to enter The Community of the Lamb in 2008.  She had returned home and wept in the Church in the wee hours of the morning before mass every day asking the Lord to show her his plan for her!  

Here is her story as she shared on Nancy's daily podcast - Catholic Sprouts!

The Catholic Sprouts Podcast - Catholic Sprouts

Hallel's own words about becoming a nun!  She mentions Schoenstatt camp!  

She shared all 5 days that week!  LOVE!

Wenesday sharing

So stunningly beautiful all around us!  

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John overhead!  Today St Luke speaks just exactly in strong words the life of these men and women that say "yes" to his personal call to them - to be His Disciples!!!

And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."  Luke 9

Fr Denny at mass this morning reminded us that although Jesus sounds harsh - he is pointing out to us that if we want to be his disciples it must be our top priority - he is emphasizing how we are to leave all behind.  We certainly have witnessed this with our nun - she was not able to attend her brother's wedding and other occasions like holidays.  It is hard,but they do not turn back but do the work of proclaiming the Gospel through a life of prayer!  

So much beauty!  

St Luke - my personal Saint that I took on the day of my confirmation at a huge adult confirmation at the Cathedral in St Paul with my parents and siblings!  Barbara Lynn Luke!  So appropriate with my being called rather than to being a nun to being a farm wife to a farmer with many cattle over these 44 years

So amazed to be in the midst of all these women religious in their varying habits!  My heart lept for JOY to see with my eyes and heart the huge change over the last 15 years in our diocese!  To have The Handmaids and Mary Morning Star Sisters filling convents that have been empty and using a Catholic school in Ghent that has closed years ago for their cells!  

The tears lept to my eyes as I read this meditation from the Gospel by Father Simeon!  It speaks of the amazing LIFE our nun has embraced and really all of us in our marriages and daily following Jesus down the narrow path with heaven forever as our goal!  

The Lamb shows us that we need to die to ourselves so as to live as new creatures in Christ!  

So wonderful to see him yesterday and get a hug!  He asked about John and Hallel - he has been so supportive to us for Hallel's call to religious life and John's battle with cancer!  When I found him to talk to he was speaking with a couple of the Handmaids - thanks to Bishop LeVoir the Handmaids came to New Ulm to begin their order of Sisters!  Thank You!  

A picture taken from the computer screen to show the amazing sight of nuns in habits that are now in our diocese in 2022!  I would say 80+!  I even had to move over to have a sister sit by me as their section was full!  I was on cloud 9!!!

So many priests and Bishops from across the world!  How I LOVE The True Church!  

Archbishop Hebda from the Archdiocese in Minneapolis St Paul!  

Mother Mary Clare was one that was with Susan 15 years ago in St Paul, and Bishop LeVoir invited them to come and begin their order - now over 50 sisters!  I got a hug from her!  So much a part of Susan/Hallel's journey to becoming a nun!  

A few years ago I was at a retreat with a sister, who reminded me this Truth - "You have your nun because of your call!"  Yes!!! And what JOY and blessings I have and continue to get from being allowed to share in her LIFE as a Contemplative Little Sister of The Lamb!

Pope Francis announcing that he is our Bishop!  

Such a sight!  

Out to take supper to hubby as they combine beans.  

Sunset is around 7p and sunrise 7a - 12 hours of daylight as the days get shorter every day - fall has arrived!  

Corn stalk bales to be unloaded!  

The weaned calves are doing well.

Loved mom's daily meditations by Pope Benedict XVI today on marriage and commitment - "a man and a woman being turned toward each other in the reality of love."

Going back to time with hubby and Tom on Monday!  Tom was so excited to ride in the water truck with grandpa and they posed for grandma this special picture with the golden fields as a backdrop!  

Then we helped pick up corn stalk bales!

The rack we need to fill many times.

A kitten and an apple off the tree helped us on our journeys.

Many kittens over our 44 years on the farm and lots of them had adventures with our kids and now grandkids.  This one cried all the way home, so returned to his mother when we got back to the yard.

Getting tired 

Yes, I was hot and nervous driving the tractor and pulling 11 bales on the bale rack! 

Stopped by to see the Mother of God this morning - I was told the ongoing story I shared a few weeks ago of a young woman, who met her husband after waiting many years - both married for the first time!  He was a fallen away Catholic and she helped him return, and they had their marriage blessed by Pope Francis last week in Rome!  

Another miracle from their special marriage - he has only one brother, who has been distant to his mother and brother.  He came to the wedding and sat by his mother, and his mother was overjoyed!  I wept for Joy for another special blessing and answer to prayer!  

After mass and swim aerobics stopped by the house to pick up Tom and see the progress...

The white clean ceiling in the Dining Room!  Now maybe a light grey paint on the walls to finish the updating.  Exciting times seeing it come together so nicely!  

The carpenter knows this sweetie by name, and he is adorable if I do say so myself!  

Tile going up in the kitchen and then... that can start to come together!  Yes, white subway tile on the wall and under the sink.  

He wanted to jump out of mom's arms and come to grandma!  That ice cream sandwich he has as soon as he gets to my house is a hit!  

Ruth with her 7th child is so natural and beautiful to behold!  Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  

Ice cream sandwich bitesize - he eats the whole thing!  

Bill back with his family after 12 days overseas with work!  Happy to see them together!

Bishop shared how our prayer for a new Bishop over the last 2 years "pierced him to the core" when he found it on our New Ulm Diocese website.  Our prayers have been answered and we are filled with great JOY!  Thank you, Lord and Lady!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah!

The amazing altar lit up with tiny lights for this most beautiful occasion!  

From his homily - 3 things we need to do

1. Hear God

2. Give him your heart

3. Have HOPE!

Bishop mentioned that we need Eucharistic revival!  

St Vincent de Paul feast yesterday and he was part of our gathering!  I am amazed over and over by how much we are given each day from our glorious amazing Catholic Church!  I thought that as I describe my marriage as "never a dull moment"  - this is true for our Church also!  I noticed that tomorrow is the Feast of The Arch Angels!  Wow!!!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 54 - 34 with us and 20 in heaven!  

"Who we love shapes what we become."

 St Clare of Assisi

 

 

When St Margaret Mary Alacoque left the world

and consecrated herself to God in the cloister,

she made a private vow and wrote in her blood,

 

"All for the Eucharist,

nothing for me."

 

It is useless to attempt to describe

the Saint's burning love for the Eucharist.

When she was not able to receive Holy Communion,

she broke out in ardent expressions of love like these:

 

"I have such a desire for Holy Communion that if

I had to walk barefoot along a path of fire to obtain It,

I would do so with unspeakable joy."

 

Excerpt from Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love

Fr Stefano Manelli

O God beyond all praising - the final hymn says it all!!!  

Danielle Rose