4th Sunday of Lent - Rejoice as Easter is at last in sight! - "I do believe Lord!" - I was blind, Jesus touched me, and I can see! - +JMJ+

John lectored today at the 8a mass where 17 of us gathered together to share heaven coming down to earth as Jesus in Word and Eucharist fed us!  The first reading from I Samuel about the anointing of David  was very sweet and powerful as the final line spoke of how chosen David was by God - The LORD said,
"There—anoint him, for this is the one!"
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.   Sameul 16

The second reading from Ephesians was also a beautiful one relating to the Gospel today of Jesus healing the man blind from birth in John 9:1-41.  All about the LIGHT making all things visible             Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;  Ephesians 5

Pink vestments today for Laetare Sunday... Rejoice 

Fourth Sunday of Lent

The fourth Sunday of Lent is called " Lætare Sunday", taking its name from the opening words of the Mass, the Introit's "Lætare, Jerusalem" — "Rejoice, O Jerusalem".  In celebration, the priests wear rose-colored vestments.  The point is to provide us encouragement as we progress toward the end of the penitential season.  The day is a day of relaxation from normal Lenten rigors; a day of hope with Easter being at last within sight. Instrumental music is permitted, and the altar may be decorated with flowers.

Fr Tony read the wonderful Gospel today from John 9 about the man born blind and how Jesus made clay and placed it on his eyes and told him to go bath in the pool and he was healed!  Over and over again the Pharisees try to get him to admit that Jesus is evil and he stays true to how Jesus he can now see and that it nothing but good!  Finally they threw him out of the temple.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
He answered and said,
"Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jesus said to him,
"You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he."
He said,
"I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
"I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind."

We can all hopefully say in our lives - "I was blind, Jesus touched me, and I can see."  Yes!  Lord may I see with eyes of the heart loving and adoring and serving you with my all!  

Paul spoke about their choice for Catholic School for their family.  Helping them to raise their children in The Faith of The Catholic Church.  Me mentioned that we are 4th generation attending there on Ruth's side.  He also mentioned that they will have kids attending the Catholic School for 22 years!  

John and Bobbi will have their children attending there, too!  John and Bobbi were classmates at HRS for all 9 years and then attended the high school. Bobbi was told in their senior years that she would marry John Verly!  She quiely prayed for him for 10 years before he asked her out for pie and the rest is history!  

The story I could share after their wedding day!

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!

Jude will be 4 in a week and Birdie will be 3 in May, and they are so happy and loving towards their new baby sister, Lucy Marie, who is 9 weeks old now.  

Grandpa said that Joy was naming all her baby cousins and brother - "Regina, Maggie, Birdie, Jude and Lucy.  Lucy doesn't have any baby cousins yet."  It can happen = "open to life and raising lights!" is the motto our family lives by.  We take seriously the Church's truths given to us that we should be open to new life and never use contraception other than natural family planning or sterilization as it takes God out of the picture in the children we are given.

Pat and I were both very sad to have a young couple behind us at mass say with no hesitation or shame that they knew they are done having children now with the 3 that they have.  "Our son is 2 today, and we are so happy to know that we will no longer have a one year old in our home."  To proclaim that fact in the Catholic Church where we are given the Truth that LIFE is a great gift and we need to look to the Lord to be part of our decision as we use natural ways to prevent children when necessary.  We just were disappointed and sad since.  Satan has lied to so many that they can take matters in their own hands and plan their family using birth control and sterilization - wrong and sad!   

Grandpa can't stop saying what a sweet and happy and good girl Lucy is!  

Joy is such a baby lover much like her sister, Rose and her cousins, Therese and Evangline, and Nancy's bunch with new sister, Regina.  So many blessings of new life all around us!  

Pat and Lucy watching cow TV while we are getting breakfast together.  "Feeding them at night is helping with them waiting till the daytime to have their calves.  No calves overnight again!"

How we love our wonderful cow TV!

Grandpa put Lucy to sleep after she watched the cows with him.

I wonder if your first word will be "moo" like your cousin, Tom?

Learning from her farmer grandpa Patick Gerard Joseph - normally this would be the feast of St Joseph today - many Josephs in our family - happy Feast day!  

Tom feeding everyone Golden honeydew and saying "moo".

9 days old kittens - should start opening their eyes in the next few days - the whites are starting to show more siamese markings.

Rose again with her rainbow and pot of gold she and Joy made for St Patrick's Day.

A couple hours of work!  All these snow days gets kids being creative.

Roommates and wrestle buddies - 14 year old David and 9 year old Luke.  There is talk of Tom joining them in their room.  

Gathered together for our post sharing at the Table of the Lord - celebrating the Eucharist together and then a splendid brunch at the farm!  Today we had a guest to share in our crazy time, and he said it was great to experience.  

Grandpa and I sat at the kid table - grandpa held sleeping Lucy.

Grandpa with Tom, Joy and sleeping peacefully Lucy.

White kitten blends in with the blanket.  

Starting to get the grey markings of a Siamese on ears and nose.

Sleeping in the midst of the house full for our family rejoicing on this 4th Sunday of Lent - where the priest and Lucy wear pink to proclaim our JOY at Easter being in sight - over half way there!  

Birdie also in pink and dancing to Crab Rave their favorite since CCC a few years ago!

be ready to dance! - Crab Rave!

Watching the kids dance...

Luke loves his baby kittens - Peanut is soft and makes Luke smile soft and sweet!  We love our Family sharing our Faith on the Farm Sundays!  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34

Lætare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae. (Psalm) Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus. Gloria Patri.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. (Psalm) I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father.

 

  Prayer over the Offerings (Today's Liturgy)

 

 We place before You with joy these offerings,

which bring eternal remedy, O Lord,

praying that we may both faithfully revere them

and present them to You, as is fitting,

for the salvation of all the world.

Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

   

 

A bit more on Lætare Sunday:

Lætare Sunday is also called Mothering Sunday in Europe, which is similar to the celebration of Mother's Day in the United States. The name Mothering Sunday came about after the Epistle of the day from Galatians 4:26, which states, "But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all." The Epistle calls Jerusalem the mother of us all and this Sunday all mothers, the Blessed Virgin Mary and especially “mother church” are honored. People frequently try to attend Mass at the nearest cathedral, their mother church.

 

Tradition also holds that on Lætare Sunday, English children who lived away from home returned to visit the church in which they were baptized or raised. Children also visited their mothers, bringing flowers or a type of fruit cake. The occasion led to the old saying, "He who goes a-mothering finds violets in the lane."

 

Danielle Rose

Will Morrison