On the horizon - a big family gathering and school - "Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come." +JMJ+

A year ago we made a big 2 day trip to see our military family in Charlottesville, VA.  The welcoming committee in their big blue house on the wrong side of the tracks.  "Hallel can live in the poor neighborhood in KCK and so can we here."  Maria's motto for the year, and they did just fine staying safe and respecting their neighbors.  

We came bearing gifts - freshly canned applesauce - no apples this year though.  Maria's bunch loves our homemade applesauce - it is dessert for them.

Grandpa breaking the ice with Maggie last year - now she adores her grandpa!  

2 year old Magdalene with her grandpa Pat on base at Fort Leavenworth, KS where they are stationed for the year.  He has charmed his way into her heart!  We made a quick trip down to pick up the 3 older kids for canning and the county Fair.  No distance is too far or effort too much to share family time!  

Kisses for Grandpa!  We will see her on Sunday as Maria and the 7 kids are driving up for a big pool party with Nancy and Bill in Delano in their new in ground pool!  Getting excited especially knowing that it will be close to 100 degrees that day!  Shoulder to shoulder in the pool!  

Grandpa with his Maggie watching the beef show at the County Fair a couple weeks ago.  Yes, Maria came up to go to the fair for the first time in 20 years with her kids, and then take them home to Kansas. 

Always a little one on his lap - this time it is 20 month old Regina.  

Paul and David after running the 5K race during the Sounds of summer.

15 year old David is now heading off to the high school!  He graduated from Holy Redeemer, and now will be a Freshman at the high school with his older sister, Mary, who is a senior.  He got a awakening that without Faith formation as part of his Catholic School - he will now have to go every Wednesday night to keep up on his Faith journey.  Mom and dad usually are teaching as their part of helping out.  My part has been to watch the younger ones, help with homework and supper... 

Before the race... The Cross country coach was there, and noticed that David ran well and with no practice he completed the race!  I guess running around the farm and across the pastures chasing cows and calves pays off.  He recruited Dave to run on the Cross country team, and so he is now.  Way to do, Dave!  

David also got his cell phone for the first time in preparation for after school practices, grandpa and dad getting in touch with him about the farm, and keeping in touch with his ride to school and activities and back home from big sister, Mary.  Lots to keep track of and it helps to be able to be in touch with him. 

It just seems like the Lord is helping Big Dave with his transition to high school.  He is now a part of a sport, and has his wonderful older sister to look up to.  I was sharing with Mary that her Aunt Susan/Hallel was a senior when John graduated Holy Redeemer and went to the High School as a Freshman. He so looked up to the wonderful example of living her Faith he witnessed with Susan walking down the hall being nice to everyone.  "We would drive to school in our blue minivan, Mama Bluey, head bucking to Christian music!"  

The Gospel today is a reminder that we need to be ready always as we do not know when the Lord will come...

Gospel Mt 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come..."  Matthew 24 

David with his cow-calf pair at the State Fair last week in the heat.  Mary helped him show.   They are back in the pasture and now they are concentrating of hay they could cut due to the drought on CRP land.  Getting it done before our fun day on Sunday!  

David is famous for falling asleep anywhere!  Taking some rest at the State Fair!  I guess they had a wonderful experience with a great group that all pitched in to help each other.  

One last time the cows and calves are up around our barn - "They will be there until we wean the calves probably on Monday." There will be a lot of loud "bawling calves" at the farm next week.  

They will take the calves over to the farm, and put the cows back out in the pasture till the grass is gone.  

John sharing today that 7 month old Lucy is scooting crawling backwards until she gets cutely stuck.  Needing to be rescued by dad with lots of kisses.  The sweetest baby ever!  

What a mess is our country now!  HELP!

s

St Mother Teresa shows us how to LOVE!  

Salsa 4 years ago with 2 year old Joy! Sweet youngest farm girl with 5 older siblings and her little brother, 21 month old Tom!  How we love our young willing hard working farm family!  Thank you!!

Yes!!!  

Dragging my Most Cherished Cross following Jesus down the narrow path with Heaven forever as my goal.  

Mary our star guiding us to her Son! 

10 years ago - grandpa with Rose while the rest are at the State Fair.  Her dad's new then tractor - the McCormick!  Granpa just called me - "I am cutting hay with Tom and he is buckled in beside me in the spare seat in the McCormick."  

An important tractor on our farm 10 years later.  Rose is now 11 years old and does a lot on the farm, too.  

Oh dad!  I love this today in Morning Prayer!  Dad memorized this prayer and each night after supper we shared Evening Prayer of The Church and then ended it with this prayer.  Dad continues to be close to me through his books and markings he left behind after 44 years of being a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church after bringing the 13 - our family into The Church 52 years ago!  Each and every day since has been the greatest gift to me!  I have my dad to thank for my Catholic Faith and my marriage and family on the farm!  Pat had told his sisters years before we met that he would only marry a Catholic!  

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

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

Dad's man, Brother Victor, today speaking about the garden.  Ruth and I have fake plans to can tomatoes tomorrow.  I find her garden to be a place where we can experience the "Glory of our Creator God."  

"A monastic garden's primary purpose is to manifest the glory of God... A garden's bounty is not only a thing of joy, but also a sign of God's loving providence over all of us, his children."

Ruth 10 years ago with 1 year old Rose Again and our canning for that day- she is pregnant with Luke.  This was my home and it is now Ruth's home!  

John helping run the colander.  He met Bobbi 5 years later and they now have 3 beautiful cihldren!  

Baby Tom a year ago with our garden's bounty of pails of tomatoes - so it will be tomorrow too!  

Sweet boy, Thomas Robert!  

Now the words of Pope Benedict XVI today - so super smart and deep!  Mom left this behind for me to join with her at the feet of this great future Saint.  

Mom has this tucked inside her book left for me.  How we were united in our LOVE for The Church and even when we were told "get out of the pew - Jesus isn't there" we knew that The Church will always survive and withstand the storms against it!  Along with the Gospel today saying that we know not when He will come again!  

Well worn and loved book - mom read it 10 years and I am on my 3rd!  

One of our heroes of The Church along with St JPII and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and so many other amazing Saints!  

LOVE to continue from their example of undying Faith!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers.

"Our present time and the future of the world

are illuminated by Christ's Eucharistic presence and

are desperate for His action." - Bl James Alberione (+1971)

"Jesus is present and 
lives in our midst in the Eucharist.

Let us listen to Him for He is truth.

Let us look at Him, for He is the face of the Father.

Let us love Him,

for He is love giving Himself to His creatures.

 

He comes to our soul 
so that it may disappear in Him 
and become divine.

What union, however great, can compare to this?

St Teresa de Los Andes

(+1920)

Danielle Rose 

Peter Mayer - Holy Now

Wedding day for my parents 74 years ago! "If I go up to the heavens, you are there..." - +JMJ+

4 years ago my parents were together in their own home in St Croix Falls, WI.  They celebrated their 70th Anniversary there.  They were facing leaving their home for Assisted living as mom was no longer able to make meals or care for their home.  It was a hard time for them, but they were together!  

On their 71st Anniversary a year later - mom had died in a day after falling before breakfast.  Dad had come to live with me on the farm a month later.   He lived here for 6 months on hospice and then her joined mom in heaven forever.

The 139th Psalm today speaks to us of how we are loved and looked after and known truly and deeply by our loving and forgiving Lord!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 139:7-8, 9-10, 11-12ab

R. (1) You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light"–
For you darkness itself is not dark,
and night shines as the day.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Dad wanted a single rose for his lost love, Nancy!  On October 23rd he peacefully joined her and the words from Psalm 139 ring like a bell of Truth...  "If I go to the heavens, you are there..."  We have no doubt that mom and dad along with my sister, Mary, and brother, Lincoln, are together in heaven and interceding for their very large family - reaching 150+!

On this happy day 74 years ago!  They are truly having "Angel food cake" today in heaven surrounded by all the angels and saints!  

Mom wore a suit and not a wedding dress in the chapel at the First Presbyterian Church in Flint, MI.  52 years ago they brought our family of 13 into The Catholic Church!  Such an amazing journey we have been on and so it continues!  

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

Mom and Dad in my home with Our Lady of Perpetual Help assisting them in prayers for our family.  Dad prayed each Monday for our entire family - first and middle names!  How we found comfort and answered prayers knowing of his constant lifting us up!  No doubt that he continues now from heaven.

My dad was a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church for 44 years, and he left behind for me all his Prayer books - well marked and filled with LOVE and wisdom shared with me now!  Mother also left behind her daily meditations by Pope Benedict XVI - they walk with me daily!  

A heart shaped paver that John gifted me with - all the names of my children here and in heaven... 5 living children and 7 in heaven along with 6 grandchildren keeping our eyes on heaven as we stagger down the narrow path dragging our Most Cherished Cross!  

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

On this day 3 years ago - Nancy and Bill also won a huge contest put out by Our Sunday Visitor!  Their ministry is important!  

Deacon Robert Cross congratulating Nancy and Bill on their win of Innovators OSV competition!  

Beautiful roses at the foot of the Cross at mass last week.  

Happy 74th in heaven mom and dad!  I miss you every day - yet I sense that you continue to be with me and our family.  

Monday night - the first hour of Monday was Nancy and Bill's 13th Anniversary on the Feast of St Augustine.  Each Monday I do the litany of our 2 families - over 250+!  I only do the first names for the most part.  I have some that tell me those prayers have helped their families at times of distress.  John and I always end our overlapping prayer times with 3 - "Jesus, I trust in you."  The words St Faustina told us to repeat in times of distress!  

My Joy and Tom yesterday with the neighbor cat, Riley.  

Tom is so happy to come to grandma's house.  

Riley loves to get some snuggles here.  

Rent a cat - he lives between our 2 places.  The little ones here are a big attraction for him to get some belly rubs.

I got a bit carried away...

Tom is starting to join Joy at water coloring with grandma.  He never met my dad as he was born a year later.  But... He bears my dad's name as a tribute to the wonderful man my dad was - Thomas Robert!  Such a precious gift to us - a sure sign of New LIFE for the farm family!  Thank you, Lord and Lady!  May we die to self so that we may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little sisters and little Brothers!  

Danielle Rose 

Zach Williams