St Ignatius - A big day in our Catholic journey - praying with John into Monday/Parables to reveal what is hidden - +JMJ+

My dad 3 years ago with Baby Birdie - Hallel came for a home visit - she got to see my dad for the first time in 12 years and meet her new niece, Birdie Barbara.  John with his 2nd child three years ago and in January they had #3 child, Lucy Marie!  

Simon and Mary after mass yesterday - the 17th Sunday of Ordinary time with the Gospel of the pearl of great price parable along with the treasure in the field - selling our all to buy that field.  

Yes!  I have felt in my heart of hearts that each day since our family came into The Catholic Church 52 years ago has been that "pearl of great price" for me!  That moment of our call to come as a family of 13 into The Church together started with my dad reading Isaiah 55:1-2 at an Ignatian Retreat at the Cenacle Convent!  Today being the Memorial of St Ignatius is a huge special day for us.

A lot of people have praised Simon's wonderful singing!  "His voice is a gift, and I pray that he will continue to use it in Sioux Falls, SD while he is away at Tech School the next couple years.  

Cement is poured behind the brick apartments and now the decks can go up adding wonderful outside space to the 6 apartments on the first, second and third floors.  

Things are moving along with the hopes that some college students will be able to move in in about a month.  

Knowing that I would be praying the first hour of Monday July 31st the Memorial of our special St Ignatius of Loyola... I took dad's icon off the wall over our bed where it was while dad lived with me for the last 6 months of his life here in my "Farm Monastery."   

John and I dive deep together in our prayer as he has the last hour of Sunday and I have the first hour of Monday.  Time to pray for the needs in our shared family and friends.  Last night with a lot to share and pray about he went half way into my hour.  

Dad's special icon and a picture from 3 years ago when Hallel came home for some days to visit while my dad was here.  They had not seen each other for 12 years since Hallel left for France in 2008.  It was such a powerful few days of sharing in both dad's Religious life as a Permanent Deacon for 44 years and Little Sister Hallel's Religious life as a fully professed nun in The Community of the Lamb after taking her final vows in 2018 in Saint Pierre, France.  

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

Such a great half an hour after John left for home and bed - praying my litany of our families by name - over 250+ and a new life in the womb that we just were told about yesterday.  

How I love to pray for new little ones as soon as we know they are in the womb.  From my perspective that could be from conception as that is a LIFE! 

"We are created to share in God's LOVE and LIFE for eternity."  St Ignatius of Loyola  A picture taken on this day 2020 - Hallel was happy to share with my dad - her grandfather, that it was the feast of St Ignatius! She knows very well our story as it is also her story.  I LOVE love love The Church with no reservations as a convert at 20 years old.  I have my parents to thank  - mostly the Holy Spirit to thank for bringing us into The True Church!  

My husband had told his sisters that he would only marry a Catholic and knowing what a determined person he is when he sets his mind to things.  I am convinced that his prayers for me brought the 13 into The Church along with my parents' in their wisdom.  Thanks, honey!

When I took it down off the wall - I found this taped on the back by my dad.  A little hard to read, but amazing to discover.  In the Gospel for today - Jesus is sharing more parables including the mustard seed, and yeast in the flour... The thing about pondering parables - it seems that there is so much there to continually give us Truth and wisdom.  

Gospel Mt 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches."

He spoke to them another parable.
"The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

The farm family back from their Directory pictures - realized that they could recreate them at home for much less money.  It was my JOY to take some special ones!  

A family wedding in mid May - now one more in the womb to pray for.  My JOY!  

Only missing one sister, who lives in Seattle.  8 of the 10 with one brother, Don, who has been gone for many years.  Family is such a gift and Pat and I are both very blessed - I with now 9 siblings living and Pat with 8.  

Tom and Lucy after mass on Sunday in the light.

Tom is surprised to see grandpa with his lap full.  Usually it is Tom in his arms.

Lucy is our youngest grandchild at 6 months.

Our greatest Joy is sharing our Faith as a family!  

7 years ago we had just switched places and this is 4 year old Rose with a new farm sink full of golden corn.  We just got a call from the neighbors that we can come and get corn...

Saturday was St Martha along with Mary and Lazarus - the friends of Jesus!  

How she is praying and working from heaven to protect the lives of the unborn!  

Such a precious gift is Tom to our family!  New LIFE!  

One of the many!  So much fun to capture our wonderful farm family!  

So cute even with Tom not having it!  

8 years ago - it was still my kitchen, and then we had the big change along with a total remodel and switching of the kitchen from the North side of the house to the South side with a view of what is going on in the yard.  Ruth has a vision and does a lot of the work to make it happen, too!  

Some words to live by when dealing with dementia.  My mother was diagnosed for the last few years.  

One thing we are discovering about things like dementia and cancer and life and death is that you never know what is just around the corner.  The words "Jesus, I trust in you."  come to mean a lot to us as we go forward into our life each day.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 plus many Little Brothers and Little Sisters!  

Hallel on my porch 3 years ago as she was returning to Kansas City after her visit.  This cat is now gone... I am starting to think that I fatten up Ruth's farm cats for the coyotes to feast on.

I bothered my dad with many pictures 3 years ago - as I knew this would never happen again, and so it was.  Dad died on October 23,2020 only 3 months later.  He put on his Sunday shirt that morning knowing that we would be taking many pictures.  

Such a blessing to have this gift for 6 months - my father's religious life now reflected in our nun, Little Sister Hallel!  
Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Susan Angela Agnes/Little Sister Hallel - the story of a Call .  

Danielle Rose 

 

Family time sharing continues - Time with Tom and Joy after a week.../"Make love a priority" St Mother Teresa - +JMJ+

After spending the day with our nun and Little Sister Dorotea, the other 5 arrived for School of the Word and supper shared on the Army base in Fort Leavenworth - just 40 miles from their Lumen Christi Monastery in KCK.  They were all smiles to see the tiny Little Sister, Evangaline, who is now 6 1/2 years old.

All smiles!!  Evie is such a ham, and continually says - "I want to be a nun!"  

Checking out Maria's library.  She has moved it at least 10 times and they already know that they will be leaving after a year.

Bouquet for the hostess, Maria, from the Community, along with Maggie, and a sketch made by Dorotea.  We had to do some water coloring together as that is what this grandma does with the grandkids.

Tiny little Sister with the big ones!  

Gathered around the sides of the library to have "The School of the Word."  We played a type of telephone with the Gospel from Sunday - the pearl of great price and the treasure in the field.  After repeating it around the circle line by line - we played "popcorn" with words that jumped out at us in a special way - "Joy"  "Sold all that he had"  "Pearl"  "treasure in the field"  

15 year old Therese is the God daughter of our nun.

Susan/Hallel is famous for closing her eyes in pictures - some things never change!  

Major Joseph is full of wisdom and stories like when they went back packing with a priest a month ago in Virginia.

Evangeline wore her habit all day and was always with the nuns.  

Supper for 18 - chicken, rice and salad with our zucchini, and cukes.

Sharing stories, smiles and a wonderful meal.  The Little Sisters shared how they touched lives begging for their food and sharing the Gospel.  How they would love to "go on mission" on the Army base, but not to be. 

 Major Joseph and son, David, shared about their adventures hiking in the mountains out West and also this year in the East.  They had a priest along to have prayer throughout the day as well as mass.  "The first time we went camping we were going to be gone on Sunday, and Maria said 'You will have a priest along for mass on Sunday."  

Maria is #3 daughter, and Hallel is #4 daughter.  

So much JOY to have my two youngest daughters so close for the next year!  The flowers were a gift when the Sisters came for Supper and for School of the Word shared in two groups, and finally we gathered together and shared such beautiful things thanks to the Holy Spirit.  

The final blessing song before we parted.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul."  How I pray that they will have many times of sharing over this next year.  That Maria with kids will have a weekly hour of Adoration at Lumen Christi Monastery, and their family will share in many of their masses and prayer.  

Hugs till next time.  Little Sister Evangeline Mary sure made grandma smile a lot!  

I am sure the neighborhood was aware of the Blue Sisters .

This was a long time coming as Maria and family lived in Tacoma, WA for 4 years and this last year on the other coast in Charlottesville, VA.  Now they are just 40 minutes apart!  Also Hallel has lived in Europe many of her 15 years in the Community of the Lamb.  She will be returning to France in September for a couple weeks, but does have a return ticket to return to KCK!  

Pat hugging his Hallel and Maria... he says that we will be back there soon, and more often now that we have 2 daughters to visit, and a guest room with Maria.  We also are able to stay with Hallel at times as they have a guest room also, and it allows us to take part in their life of "Contemplative Prayer and dishes." 

Nancy shared their beans from a community garden that their church has this year.  

Gardening class - picking and cleaning beans and then yummy to eat for the family!  

I had so much fun with Evie and her JOY!  

I guess if you are 6 1/2 years old you can swing your Rosary as you say it!  

Maria displayed a couple special books in her library.  How she loves her books!  

The lunch line for the nuns and family.

T and her God mother, Hallel in the library

Reading to Evie.  

Even the big boys gather around.

This is the time we have been with Our family of The Lamb over the years - 3 years ago we went down and brought Hallel back to spend some time on the farm with my dad, who was here for the last 6 months of his life.  He had not seen Hallel since she had left for France in 2008 - 13 years!  It was such a gift for them to share their religious life - dad was a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church for 44 years!  He brought our family of 13 into The Church 51 years ago now!  Each day since has been a pearl of great price to me!  

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

3 years ago - Big Dave building a bench in the shop.  

Rose with a blue apron helping in the kitchen.  We took a couple farm kids down with us to have some time with their Aunt, who is a nun and her Contemplative life of prayer and dishes.  

We were so surprised to bring Hallel home for a visit 3 years ago!  She was able to meet John's new daughter, sweet Birdie Barbara for the first time.  She is now 3!  

Hallel and Birdie 3 years ago on our porch.  Dad and I would say our chaplet and Rosary here each day at 3p and for those 5 days Hallel would join us.  

Family gathering with Hallel 3 years ago.  

Time with Jude - he is now 4, and notice my dad in the dining room!  

Such amazing words from St Mother Teresa of Calcutta this day!  LOVE of family with openness to life and family where LOVE is shared - Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  

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

Here was my sweet little Tom - #7 farm kid to Ruth and Paul and a true sign of New LIFE for us!  

Our Nun 3 years ago - pictures around the farm.  Mary's first goats 

Joy by a bale in a St Gianna shirt from Nancy's Catholic Sprouts - The Catholic Sprouts Podcast - Catholic Sprouts  

Out in the bean field- outstanding in her field as a Bride of Christ!  

Farm life in the bale shed.  

A safe place is found close to her heart.  The color of the sky and the shape of the Cross - their habits.  

Trinity Cathedral in Saint Pierre, France some years ago 

I found this in the gathering space today after praying for Fr Denny with 7 Sisters - so beautiful and True!  

"The creator of the world and the universe is there in the tabernacle waiting for me! "

Joy running around the circle with Tom.  "It seems so long since we were hear a week ago!"  

Exercise inside out of the heat.  

Tom sure loves to be here and loves his grandma, too!  

Such sweet kids to make grandma smile a lot, but now writing so late after they have left for the day.  

How I loved to watch Hallel helping her niece fix her hair and her veil!  LOVE!  

Sharing with Evangeline the ins and outs of her veil.  

A sign that she is relaxed and comfortable in Maria's home - barefoot.  " I love to be barefoot!"  Hallel

The two Patricks!  

Can't get enough that this happened, and will happen again I hope and pray!  

T and her Godmother, Hallel!  

Can't get enough of this either!  My JOY!  Sharing their lives with each other!  Both will make LOVE a Priority!  

Such an amazing sharing - take the time!  

Isaiah 66 - a vision of The Church my dad points out to me!  LOVE still sitting at the feet of my father in his well worn prayer books after 44 years as a Permanent Deacon!  

Another way of making LOVE and priority! 

A cool picture 

He lost his life in Guatemala - Blessed Stanley pray for us.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers.  

Danielle Rose