3rd week of Ordinary time - Lucy's 2nd mass with 15 family!/Farm family - Tom and Lucy/"he withdrew "-"Take a retreat" +JMJ+

Sweet 14 month old Tom gazes lovingly at his new baby cousin, Lucy, who is 11 days old today.  Tom is usually in grandma's lap, but was very kind and loving with this new life there instead.  As #7 for the farm family - he knows how to share and is the sweetest!  

Major Joseph sent this picture with the title "Exodus Cards" which we consider meaning that Exodus 90 is to begin which means that we are 90 days from Lent this week.  Fun to see Maria with her youngest Maggie on her lap playing a family card game!

I just wept through a most amazing letter from Sr Ellizabeth Marie where she shared her beautiful journey to discover her Catholic faith 20 years ago and then her call to become a Dominican Sister!  Maria was deeply involved in her own faith journey at St Thomas that very much resembles Sr Elizabeth's conversion as she was a fellow Catholic Studies student, who studied in Rome for their entire Sophomore year!  As Pat said " this letter is a keeper!"  

Praying for Fr Denny on Friday in the silent peaceful Church - this stunning funeral arrangement was eye catching and With Jesus in the Tabernacle and on the Cross overhead beckoned me as I do the 4th Decade of the Rosary as my father and I did 10 stations as Jesus Carries his Cross!  

My father, a permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church for 44 years lived his last 6 months of his life with me on hospice!  WE shared the rosary and chaplet on my porch each day from April 16 - October 23rd - an entire growing season from planting to harvest! 

A sketch of a Little Brother from their Christmas news letter in Saint Pierre, France!  We plan to be there a week from now as we are going to visit our nun, Little Sister Hallel with the other Little Sisters and Little Brothers.  Pat mentioned after we read Sr Elizabeth's amazing letter - "Both Maria and Susan studied in Rome for their entire Sophomore years and it was huge in their discerning a call to be a nun!"  Yes!

This is as though our 3rd daughter Maria wrote it and she very well could have!  She went to St Thomas only after we said that if we were paying for a private education it had to be Catholic!  She went with the intention of becoming E free and the first person she asked where that would be happened to be a Seminarian - "We have to talk..."  He told her.  In this discussion where the Holy Spirit spoke through him... Maria not only did not leave The Church, she never missed a mass and started going to daily mass!  The entire Beauty of The Church was revealed to her!

Sr Elizabeth shared that her Catholic Studies professor suggested that she study her entire Sophomore year in Rome, and convinced Maria to join her.  "Through my year in Rome, I made more amazing friends, surrendered my life to Christ and His Church, met my first Dominicans, discovered Thomas Aquinas and Therese of Lisieux, went to Adoration and Confession regularly for the first time in my life, started spiritual direction, and began to discern my vocation.  Through Maria and many precious friends, I encountered Jesus is the Truth and that the Truth would set me free."

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Now the stories of John's 4 sisters...Ruth, Nancy, Maria, and Susan/Little Sister Hallel! 

A cascade of sunshine on a winter's day in the now bare chapel as we have entered into Ordinary time - no longer the Christmas Season.  Jesus in the tabernacle as I pray for my hour with 7 Sisters for Fr Denny!  

I know that on the way to Rome Maria read Story of a Soul, by St Therese and this strongly influenced her decision to discern a call to the Poor Clare Sisters - a cloistered order.  She lived with them for 5 months and discerned out.  It was hard to see that she was not called to be Christ's Bride, yet, the Lord had for her to marry and her first child a daughter - Therese Marie!

St Elizabeth continues - When I first read Story of a Soul in the Bernardi chapel, I remember spending a long time on this one from Therese: "Oh, Jesus, my Beloved!  Who will be able to say with what tenderness, what sweetness, You are leading my little soul?"  Looking back on all the contingencies that led me to Christ and His Church and then to discover my vocation as a Dominican Sister, these words have an even deeper meaning.  Only a few of you know that before I came to St Thomas, I was a lonely, fairly unhappy person.  After bullying in middle school, I was pretty lonely in high school, constantly feeling that I didn't belong and also struggling to accept that the Church's teachings were true and good.  My experiences during my 3 years at St Thomas enveloped me in the love of friends and mentors, and hungry to run towards Christ, my Bridegroom.  How can I thank you enough for the role you played in this journey.  Only God knows how to reward you, so I prayed a rosary novena (Sept 30-Nov 22) for each of you and your families, that Jesus and Mary will embrace you, reminding you of the mercies of the Lord, which I hope to sing forever with you in an eternal song of LOVE!

A letter taped inside my TEC Bible from Maria while I was working the TEC retreat that Susan was making at 16  she is now 38, so 22 years ago!  I cried with JOY and laughed too!  It was quite a mess!  Prayers are answered - they are REAL and powerful!!!  

A cute winter painting - Pat Buckly Moss

Scott Hahn found The Church!  

His own words - Rome Sweet Home!!!  
 

Granddaughter Mary Lanoue got 4th in both her categories - humorous and Creative - both about dinosaurs!  Wow!  

Joy and the farm family meeting Lucy Marie for the first time!  Last Sunday there was a huge South wind that blew lots of snow and it prevented our usual 15 from sharing 8a mass.  Today there were 16 with new 11 day old Lucy!  

Bobbi's good friend and CCW president, Karla, saying "Hi" to Jude and Birdie.  "Here is my teddy!"  

10 year old Rose Again and 5 year old Joy with new granddaughter, Lucy.  "The girls are catching up to the boys - 11 girls and 12 boys!"  

Gathering at the farm after sharing mass as a family - all 16!  Blessing our food and our time together after sharing Jesus in his Word, Body and Blood.  Fr Shawn spoke about how Jesus/he withdrew - "You need to do like Jesus and have a retreat!'

Ruth joining us for brunch and then left to fly to Phoenix for her the funeral of her college friend, Angela's mother's funeral.  She said that leaving her 7 kids and husband on the farm for the week is hard. "I thanked Fr Shawn for his homily as it was speaking to me - Take a retreat away from all the distractions!"  

As Ruth is taking to the air - Nancy and Bill are trying to fly home from Denver about the same time after a big week of recording for FORMED - Catholic Parenting!  

Baby Lucy's first brunch on the farm after mass on Sunday!  More LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT to share!  From the first reading from Isaiah 8 - Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,

Welcome sweet Lucy to share in our family time celebrating Jesus, Mary and The Church we love!  

14 month old Tom sure thought baby Lucy was special - now grandma has a new baby in her arms!  

You have grown up so fast Tom!  That year just flew by and now you are starting to walk!  We need to enjoy every day with our sweet new girl as she too will be making strides so quickly! 

LIFE is the greatest Gift!  

Tom is usually the one in grandma's lap, but he was very sweet and gentle to have this new baby girl there instead!  When you are #7 you learn to be sharing and kind.

Tom is such a wonderful gift that we never thought would be with us!  He is such a sign of the beauty of New LIFE!  It seems that he has only warm feelings and kind thoughts for his new baby cousin, too!  As #7 he just is happy to see a new LIFE!  Not any jealousy at all!  

Keep our eyes on heaven forever!

8 years ago.  Our 2 oldest military kids - Therese is now 14 and David is 12

Missed St Agnes yesterday!  She is huge for me and for my nun, who chose her as her Patron Saint at Confirmation while she was visiting Maria in Rome for that year!  She is huge for this world of those young people put in a house of prostitution with all that filth just a mouse click away!  Pray for St Agnes to help and intercede!  

Agnes also means Lamb and hence Hallel's Dominican order is The Community of the Lamb!  Her statue is in the chapel - Lumen Christi in KCK!  A replica of a statue of St Agnes in a church in Hiroshima, Japan during the nuclear bomb drop!  They found her face down and all she lost was her hand - she still held the Lamb in her other hand!   

Sweet time with our 3rd youngest and youngest grandchildren!  More LOVE!  

Group hugs for mom before she leaves for the week in Phoenix.

4 of the 7 say "Good bye mom!  Have a good retreat!"

Out to see the heifers in their new spot

A big new spot until it snows again...

Bull for sale...

Eating at the feed bunk in the foggy day.

After reading Sr Elizabeth's letter this was a very beautiful read!  Jesus "gazing" at us -" life-giving gaze that produces saints."

Blessed Concepcion!  

Brother Victor!  

3 1/2 year old Jude with his new baby sister!  "She is looking at me!"  

"She loves you, Jude!"  Thank you, Lord and Lady for our sharing our Faith as a family, and for the endless blessings and graces we receive from The Church!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34!  

PERSONAL UPDATE

We Are On Our Way Back From Denver Today!

Bill and I are on our way back from Denver today, where we spent the last week filming a new series for FORMED.  And this series is for PARENTS! 🎉 We are so excited about this project that has been in the works for a while now, although being in front of the camera wasn't super natural for me 😬. Regardless, we had tons of fun, met loads of wonderful people, and are so grateful for grandparents who filled in for us with the six kids at home while we were away! Peter Mayer - Holy Now  I met a musician, who plays with Peter Mayer today at mass!  I am so impressed as he is such a great Catholic Artist!  Nice to meet you Alex!

Danielle Rose