The Visitation - a great day to be a woman - Everyday!/"Most blessed are you among women..." - +JMJ+

Ruth says that this reminds her of the 6 siblings older than Tom - "by the silo with a kitty."  The neighbor Cat, Riley, came over to get some snuggles from Tom on our way out to see the chickens. Eventually the bugs and humidity chased us back in the house.

There is a thunder storm overhead as I write this, so prayers always for more rain for our crops and gardens.

Mud puddles from our wonderful inch of rain call for some mud puddle pictures on the way to the mailbox. 

Just like all his brothers and sisters before him - Tom loves to swing!  

Not so buggy when he is flying back and forth.  

Can't stop my habit of trying to get that best one.

I find that I am very excited today at the amazing Feast of The Visitation.  Sharing with my sister-in-law, Angela, the daily meditation by Pope Benedict XVI - I wrote -"A great day to be a woman."  Her response made me giggle - "Every day!"

Pope Benedict today was very special as Angela said 'Beautiful, clear refection message from Pope Benedict."  

Such a powerful sharing today in the Magnificat - Sr Faustina, a member of the Sisters of LIFE.  How Mary selflessly went to help Elizabeth rather than get herself ready for the coming of Christ.  

  Oh my!!!

The Gospel today gives us the words of the Hail Mary - did you know that it comes straight from the Gospel?

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb..."  Luke 1

Why is it a great day to be a woman? The Visitation is two pregnant woman sharing their JOY as one is now the tabernacle of God come to earth!  

Grass up as high as Tom's head... by my little red barn.

Stunning roses in the gathering space after a friend's mom's funeral yesterday.

I know that this is Jesus' true words to his wonderful mom today!  

2 years ago I visited my father's grave with my brother, Jim, who is retired Navy.  We took flowers from my home and a flag along to honor my father, who served in the Army during WW2.  

My brothers, Dan and Jim Cross, who are both retired Navy.  

Major Joseph some years back - they have added 3 more kids and are soon to be living in Leavenworth, KS... just 7 hours away from the farm!  So many fake plans to visit them and our nun, who lives just 40 minutes from there.  Two daughters to visit on the same trip!!  Let them tell you how it is true that every day is a great day to be a woman!  

The Phlox are blooming everywhere.

Visit Mary the Mother of God after mass to thank her knowing that she will be with me today - I love my chapel on wheels as I deliver my Meals on Wheels to Balaton.  I LOVE the great ability I have been given to be open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  Such JOY to be a woman with Mary ever with me each day of my journey!  So special to be a woman!  

Pat and Paul rock picking this morning. 

We just got a big thunder shower that brought rock picking to a stop for today!  Thank you, Lord!  

Birdie Barbara a year ago - summer comes after Memorial day in a picture.

Thinking of others rather than herself even though she is the new tabernacle containing God come to dwell on earth!  

Now Pentecost

I must stop for today... this has been distracted and disturbed along the way, as I prayed for rain and listened to thunder than RAIN!

It is a wonderful great day to be a woman - every day!!!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 plus many little Brothers and little Sisters.

I just talked to the Community of the Lamb in KCK - Yes, they have been to visit the incorrupt remains of Sr Wilhelmina.  It is only an hour from the Community.  I think a trip is coming soon!  

Nun's exhumed body shows no decay nearly four years after her death | CNN  

Salve Regina - Dominican - Every night at night prayer this is how Hallel's Little sisters and Brothers sing it - I feel transported to heaven with the voices of Angels!  

 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 way a ‘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 …

that unparalleled model of love which 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 also the 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 joy of the Christian!

Let us follow and imitate Mary’s profoundly Eucharistic

soul, and our whole life will become a Magnificat.”

 

Pope Benedict XVI

31 May 2005

_________________________________

 

"Let Mary's soul be in each of you

to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. 
Let her spirit be in each to rejoice in the Lord. 
Christ has only one mother in the flesh,
 but we all bring forth Christ in faith." - St Ambrose

 

Blessed Mother Mary

and St Elizabeth, pray for us!

 

Yearning for paradise - yet finding it where I am planted/Even Tom helping get ready for Simon's Big day - +JMJ+

Daddy Paul sent me this picture of the littlest helping get the shop ready for the big party for Simon's graduation from high school - we are down to days away on Saturday.

Thanks Tom!  

A late but heartfelt thank you to a wonderful couple that have become family through the marriage of our daughter, Maria Theresa , to their son, now Major Joseph Librande.  They were both in the airforce, met and married.  Thank you for your service and sharing with us the military life.  

God bless America land of the free!  

My sister, Marty, sharing with me how much sand beach there is on Beautiful Beach this year.  We grew up spending the summers on Lake Michigan - mom was determined to get our large family out of the inner city of Flint, MI in the summers.  We all fell in love with the Big Lake!  

The sand is literally called "sugar sand" and is super soft and silky under your feet!  After we moved to Minneapolis leaving the Lake behind... mom and dad built a retirement home/vacation home on the Upper Peninsula - Manistique, MI.  This was about 30 years later... they lived in Mpls, Taylors Falls, Colman, SD, and then they moved to Michigan.  I would have a week at the cabin with my kids and grandkids, who have now known the Big Lake LIFE!  We are hooked!  

Yes, the water is crystal clear and sand bottom all the way out.  You can body surf in the waves on huge windy days.  

The cabin was sold some years ago now since my parents moved to St Croix Falls and could no longer go there.  I am a farm wife planted here now, and although I yearn for my wonderful time on the Big Lake that 11 hour trip with no longer a cabin in the family reminds me that this is where I am happy with Faith/Family/Farm time!  Like we have a window this summer when all but Hallel will be together here on the farm - June 18- June 27 when Maria and Major Joseph and their 7 will be here.  Fake plans are flying!  

After spending time at the cemetery over the weekend - thank you for sacrificing for our country.

LOVE this - Mary in the middle!  

I cry happy or sad, so this would be possible for me and hopeful for me! 

Beautiful clouds last evening - led to an inch of wonderful rain overnight!  How we are grateful!  

Thunder heads and yes, there was thunder with the overnight rain.  

Home from the cemetery by our 2 still born boys - now by our Spiritual Mother of heaven and earth.

My 7 losses keep my eyes on heaven forever and being united with all our children no matter how small and short their lives were - they were loved and wanted.  Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS! 

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

The verse that the Holy Spirit used to tell dad to come into The Catholic Church with his family of 13!  

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

St Basil and sharing the Holy Spirit - love this so much!  

Like the sunshine that filters through the whole atmosphere, spreading over the land and sea, and yet is enjoyed by each person as though it were for him alone, so the Holy Spirit pours forth his grace in full measure , sufficient of all, and yet is present as though exclusively willing to everyone who is willing to welcome him...

Come Holy Spirit.  Bless-bless, Barb  

 

Mary Mother of The Church- Memorial day/Tom says; "moo, kitty, and brum brum"/Praying with Mary, our Mother -+JMJ+

Tom with grandpa Pat's hat - as soon as I would put in on his head, he would grab it off.

My fingers as I just put in on and his hand is coming up to get it off.  A kind of game, but grandma does not give up very easily!  

Always 3 tries at least.  Tom has been spending time with grandma and grandpa, and how we adore him and he us!  There are very few words he has yet - "moo" when he sees a cow, "kitty" for all the kitties in his world, and "brumm Brumm" for all the tractors and trucks."

Sharing Pentecost Mass with John's family and Ruth's family the pew behind us.  Lucy was such a perfect baby.  Not one peep out of her as dad held her awake half of mass and then peacefully sleeping on dad's lap.

Birdie is very much at home at the farm.  We go there for our wonderful celebratory brunch after sharing mass as a family.  Faith/Family/Farm 

Grandpa holding Lucy whose name means LIGHT!  She is also carrying on the name of her great-great grandmother, Lucy Verly.  

Sharing Pentecost lunch on a windy warm Memorial weekend.  Come Holy Spirit and be our guest.

Pat with a baby in his lap while he eats meals - he has always done this through our married life - with our kids and now our grandkids!  

The pool is now full and ready for the summer!  

We hauled rural water from our place over in the water truck to fill the pool.  

Happy to get a picture of my dad's grave complete with American flags to honor his years in the Amry during WW2.  Pat says that we might get up there in a week after we have Simon's graduation party on Saturday.  I would sure love that, and  see some of my siblings that live close by to mom and dad's grave.

Ruth going through a box of memorabilia for Simon's graduation party found this watercolor I did for Simon's birthday in 2012.  Ruth and Paul lived here, but we switched places about 7 years ago- so this is now where Pat and I live - 3 miles from the farm and Pat leaves for work every day- "Goodbye Honey, have a nice day."

Memoires connected to this bird planter - Birdie Barbara's Baptism 3 years ago when my dad was living here with me for the last 6 months of his life in my "Farm Monastery."

I came across this picture of The Basilica of St Mary in Minneapolis shared by someone on Facebook.  I was married here as it was my home parish after we all came into The Catholic Church.  She wrote about how she found the peace and beauty there to be wonderful.  Truth!  

A surprise visit from Tom - coming with grandpa with the water truck - "Brumm brumm"

Going back home with grandpa.  "he is so comfortable here at our house."  Yes!

Another surprise - Tom came for breakfast with grandpa after he put the last load of water in the pool - "It's full!"

The difference between Pat and I - he loves to share a meal with grandkids in his lap while I like to put them in the booster seat and allow them to feed themselves.  

Tom sure loved to share grandpa's food!  

The wall of family looking over these two... Today is the wonderful Feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of The Church!  The Gospel is from John 19 - where Jesus gives her to us as our Mother and we bring her into our homes.  

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
            he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
            “Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.  john 19

Pancakes are a hit!  

I was struck by the first reading today, too!  Acts 1 - it names the disciples that came back to Jerusalem and gathered in the upper room after Jesus was taken up to heaven.  They devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus.  Acts 1:14

Praying with her happens for me throughout my days.  The rosary beads are never far from me, and usually in my fingers and my heart, mind and soul.  

Such powerful wonderful words from Venerable Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan!  He was imprisoned by the Vietnamese government for 13 years !  He was not alone - Our Lord and Lady were at his side!  

"Mary, my Mother, my only hope, my first love, my portion, as you participated in the sacrifice at the foot of the cross, stay close to me each day, especially at the hour fo my last sacrifice.  In Paradise, receive me as the good thief, your son, and the brother of Jesus."    Wow!  

Tom snuggles out on our porch with his tractor and wagon with a kitten in it.  My dad and I would sit here every day at 3p to say our Rosary and chaplet and watch the crop from planting to harvest!  

Praying with dad 3 years ago on my wonderful porch.  I just shared with my brother, Dan, today about how blessed I continue to be by his wonderful prayer books left behind after being a permanent Deacon in The Catholic Church for 44 years! 

Dad memorized this prayer and we prayed it each evening after we did evening prayer after supper as the sun would set in the West.  

Dad and mom brought us into The Catholic Church 51 years ago - all 13 of us!  My greatest JOY is that my entire domestic Church/family continues to embrace the True Catholic Church - united in The Eucharist and Jesus is the Word made flesh!  

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

Dad and his devotion to "The Name"  

I put away the Lent - Easter prayer book and now back to Ordinary time - Monday of the 8th week of Odinary Time.  So grateful that dad freely underlined, wrote, circled and shared his LOVE of Jesus, Mary, the Saints and The Church in this way - so that I can continue to sit at his feet and learn from him!  I am not alone!  

Another book dad left me to read each day - Brother Victor!  I am allowed to share in the beauty of his religious life as a monk!  LOVE!

My little buddy is now 1 1/2 years old.  Time in the swing with his tractor and kitten and blanket.

Pat to me - "I thought you missed your nest years."  

My kitty keeps a safe distance - he will let Tom pet him though, and Tom says that cute "kitty" sounding word - one of his few words so far.  

Bringing grandpa his work shoes  - time to go back to his farm and grandpa needs to breed cows.  

There is some new technology with those that they want to AI.  It is a patch that records how many times they are jumped and then it shows up on Pat and Paul's phone including when they should be AIed!  It sure beats all the hours of sitting and watching for heat.  Wow!  

When Tom leaves I do feel some twinges of sadness when I see his toys left behind.  I guess I do miss my nest years some, but I also very much long to write here.  I am too distracted when he is here as well as hubby.  

Tom giggles with glee to see his kitty in the wagon pulled by the brumm brumm.  I am now looking to pray with Mary, Mother of The Church.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Mary was there!!!  She continues to be with us as we go forth to share the Gospel! 

Yes!!!

How did this ever happen and come to be accepted?  End the taking of innocent LIFE by abortion, O Lord!  

So appropriate for this Memorial weekend as we remember those that sacrificed for our freedom.  St Joan of Arc pray for us.

Pope Benedict XVI is wise and shares wonderful Truth!  

Truth!  

"Moo" Tom says!  Every time we see cows - he says his first word - "Moo!"  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 including many Little Sisters and Little Brothers!  

Mom left me behind wonderful daily meditations by Pope Benedict XVI!  He is amazing!  It makes mom close to me!  

 

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

Memorial

Instituted in 2018 for celebration on Pentecost Monday

_____________________

 

"The veneration of the Virgin Mary has accompanied the path of the

Church from the beginning; Marian feast days began to appear

already in the fourth century: in some the role of the Virgin

in the history of salvation is exalted; in others

the principal moments of her earthly life are celebrated."

Pope Benedict XVI

 

Prayer After Communion (Today's Liturgy)

 

Having received the pledge of redemption and of life,

we humbly pray, O Lord,

that, with the  Blessed Virgin's motherly help,

your Church may teach all nations

by proclaiming the Gospel

and, through the grace of the outpouring of the Spirit,

fill the whole earth.

Through Christ our Lord.

___________________________________________

 

"May the mother of Jesus and our mother,

always smile on your spirit,

obtaining for it,

from her most holy son,

every heavenly blessing."

St Padre Pio

_______________________________

 

“In an instant the Holy Spirit overshadows her,

making her a living ciborium privileged

to bear within herself for nine months

the Guest who is the Host of the world.”

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

 

Mary, Mother of the Church, and two popes – Catholic World Report

 

 

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

 

Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen

Mozart