All about embracing suffering today - How we can see him in new life, marriage, and death. - +JMJ+/progress at Crosswinds Apt

 My parents on their 70th wedding anniversary - August 30, 2019.  In less than a year mom would pass in a day after a fall in their assisted living at the start of the day.  She broke her hip and suffered for hours until she peacefully passed away at 5pm on March 16 just as Covid was closing down the world.

Dad came to live with me a month later for the last 6 months of his life on hospice here in my home.  We shared prayer daily as he was a Permanant Deacon in The Catholic Church for 44 years.  On this day 3 years ago I shared this from our Morning prayer together...

As dad and I were sharing the meditation from the Magnificat today about the suffering of Job only making sense in sharing that of Christ's for us!   Dad pointed out that the day of mother's passing when she fell in front of him in their assisted living and called out to him; "Robert help me! I am in terrible pain."  She then said the same thing to my sister, Paula, who met her at the hospital and was with her through the day.  And to me; "Barbie, help me I can't breath and I am in such pain!"  Dad pointed out that her day of suffering was definitely placing her in the presence of Jesus on the Cross and sharing with Him in that sanctifying grace in her final day on her way to join Jesus and Mary and the Saints in heaven forever.  Truly Jesus in crucifixion was unable to breath and in excruciating pain! 

Such a beautiful sharing by my dad.  Sharing hospice with him for the 6 months he lived here was such a great JOY and wish come true as I had been a hospice nurse for 15 years and loved how it allowed the patient and family to get rid of all the superficial and focus on what really matters when you are facing death - Faith and Family.  Meeting all his needs along the way and walking peacefully into the sunset of his life.  The suffering that comes with death unites us to Jesus and Mary!  

Praying in their home together until they moved into Assisted Living in New Hope.  As a Deacon's wife - mom was called upon to join dad in morning and evening prayer each day.  I was blessed with sharing in that when I would visit and when dad came to live with me.  We would do morning prayer after breakfast, evening prayer after supper, and at 3p we would pray on my porch the Rosary and the Chaplet while dad would watch the white trucks going by on Hwy 59.  

Today in the Magnficat addressing the Gospel where Herod was trying to see who Jesus was or just see him...This was written by a German Priest, Father Herbert Simoleit, who was soon killed by the Nazis.  I especially was moved by how he speaks of Mary at the foot of the Cross of her Son, and now standing at his side.  How often do we pray that exact prayer?  Thousands upon thousands of times - "Holy Mary, Mother of God.  Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death."

Oldest Daughter, Ruth, called to my mom in those last hours to assure her that Our Lord and Lady were with her.  "Grandma, how many times have you prayed to Mary to be with you at the hour of your death.  And she is answering those prayers now."  An amazing blessing and peace found at that hour.  

Yes, rejoice as se go into the house of the Lord!  

Our church steeple and the harvest moon.  

I am daily blessed by my dad's well marked Prayer of The Church!  He adored Jesus, Mary and The Church - the Name, Glory marked wherever he found them.  This prayer he had memorized and we prayed it every night at the end of Evening Prayer.  Dad was a True Companion/Friend to Jesus!  He even wore a friendship ring to remind him of his friend, Christ Jesus!  

St Mother Teresa today reminding us that we need to take that time in prayer... "Everything starts with prayer."  Yes!  

This was so powerful today from Pope Benedict XVI!  My mother prayed this for 10 years daily meditations.  Today was so powerful and so good and so True!  "The closer you are the easier it is to get into each other's hair."  The way I put it - Why do we treat the ones closest to us - those we love the most - worse?  

"We must think of love as suffering..."  Hard to do - another way I say this since a letter from Hallel - Our Most Cherished Cross must be embraced to find LOVE/LIGHT/LIFE in our marriage!

Here is Hallel's letter to  Nancy, Look I am writing you a letter... aren't you impressed? Well, you better be because both you and I know how often this happens. I am writing to tell you now extremely excited I am about your engagement to Bill. I have to admit, when I got the news I wasn't really shocked but that night as it sunk in during adoration and the next day during mass I was so happy. My heart overflowed with joy for you. How beautiful to know that you have found your... most cherished cross. While I have never had the experience of being married, from what I hear is that he will truly be your cross. But not your cross as human eyes look at it, as a thing to run away from, as a thing of torture but rather as that which is truly the tree of life. It is only when clinging to the cross that one can truly live, it is the source of all life and of all love. Your marriage to Bill will be this, not something to run away from when it gets hard and when it hurts, but something to hold tight to, especially when it hurts because it is in this that you will find life and love. Know that it is through your marriage that Jesus wants to show you his great love for you and also that the best example that you can give to the world of Christ's love is a marriage lived in truth. So, in other words, know that I am so happy for you and that I love you a whole lot. Know that you are in my prayers during this crazy time of wedding planning; that you may not go crazy but rather learn to love each other better and that you may both have great joy and great peace. Remember to pray for me too! God Bless, Your little Sister Hallel

Little Brother David - he is blind, yet he shares such JOY and light with all around him!  He is musically talented and shares that with his voice.  He does not allow his suffering to cast darkness only light, which is quite miraculous to consider that he is living in darkness due to his loss of eyesight.  So powerful!  

3 wonderful nephews at the wedding of Phil.  My maiden name is Cross, so I just thought  that it was appropriate to add to this post today.  Their dad, my brother Dan Cross, shared a birthday with my dad, Deacon Robert Cross.  My dad shared that in the army he was called "The old Wooden Cross" even though he was barely 20 years old.  

I would say that this is so true for me.  I share that when Jesus gave his Mother to his beloved disciple at the foot of the Cross - that is me!  I then bring her into my home, and how she blesses me!  

Paul shared these of a 2 bedroom apartment that is ready for occupancy when they get the OK!  

Ruth removed the plaster off the brick for this open look in the kitchen!  So much work to details 

Nice new appliances including a dishwasher!  

Washer and dryer.

Brand new bathroom along with everything - they took it all down to the outside walls!  

Can't get over the view of the Church across the street. The kids say that I need to live here someday... 

The second bedroom - there's the Church! Wow! 

Such a nice big outside space!  So much fun!  

Family room off the kitchen.  

View to the bedrooms.  

Island with dishwasher.  Nice work - a total turn around from what you started with last winter.  So much work!  

Ruth with Tom blowing grandma a kiss after sharing mass and brunch on the farm on Sunday.  One other way we are called upon to suffer or die to self, which is hard to do right... That is being open to life and welcoming New LIFE into our homes and families.  

Tom is #7 for Ruth and Paul on the farm.  It takes real sacrifice to have children from 19 to 21 months.  Yet, there is such a blessing to be had too.  

9 years ago at Romeo's Baptism with brother, Patrick and big sister, Therese.  Major Joseph and Maria now have 7 children in the military with them on base in Fort Leavenworth, KS.  Maria homeschools them as they move quite often, and sacrifices a lot for her children from 15 to 2.  I have mentioned our experience with Patrick 11 years ago - when he was born dead and brought back to life while Joseph was deployed to Afghanistan.  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The story of little Lamb - grandson Patrick  

A big scare on the farm 3 1/2 weeks ago when Tom had a 4 wheeler accident on Labor Day... he is now walking and soon back to 100%.  So many prayers for each and everyone of our family of 34!  Jesus how we embrace our Most Cherished Cross to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

A Hallel Psalm in mass today - Hallel is the first part of Hallelujah and means giving God total praise!  Psalm 145-150 are Hallel Psalms - today we have 149!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

This reminds me of Little Brother David - he shared when he took his habit and took the name David.  That he loved our Lady so much that he also wanted to dance with abandon in front of the Arc of the Covenant just as King David did- Mary, who bore God in her womb!  As he plays guitar and other instruments he truly sings praises!!!  

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is considered by the early church and some Christian traditions to be the new Ark of the Covenant12345. This means that she is the living shrine of the Word of God, the place where God becomes present and meets with mankind245. The New Testament scriptures about Mary reflect the Old Testament scriptures about the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the manna, the tablets of the law, and the rod of Aaron.

Danielle Rose

Zach Williams

Tom is walking!/May we be like Mother Mary - "... those who hear the word of God and act on it." - +JMJ+

Picking up Tom today at the Parsonage - he is walking!  A little wobbly and grandma takes his hand on uneven surfaces or steps.  He can even bring a big fire truck to show me!  It has taken 3 weeks since Labor Day accident, but he has been happy and appearing to have no pain, and making more progress with each new day.  

Such a miracle to go from a crushed pelvis and air lifted 3 weeks ago yesterday - to walking today.  He started really walking in therapy yesterday morning. "He is going to be tired.  He worked really hard walking."  

"I am going to leave my fire truck here to play with.  I have special toys at grandma's too."  

Keeping his eyes on grandma - how he loves to get in my movie van and come to my house for the day!

Ready to go.

Let me help you down the steps, Tom.  We are all a bit careful that he not take a fall after 3 weeks of healing.  

Ready to go over to the farm with grandpa after spending the day with grandma.

It  truly is miraculous how little ones heal.  I am eternally grateful that he has been comfortable and happy.  I hated to think that he would be in pain and suffering, but it never was the case.  He would get tired and need a nap, but would wake up happy and ready to take the next phase towards the goal of getting back on his feet.  Now here he is!  

The Gospel today is from Luke 8 where Mary and his cousins can't get close to him due to the crowds...

Gospel Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

In motion, but still resting now and then.  

I know it sounds like Jesus is putting down his mother, but knowing the Truth of Mary, the Mother of God, and how she from the beginning heard the Word of God and welcomed it to come and dwell within her.  He is speaking more as a lesson to those listening - she is the example you are to follow if you want to be close to Jesus.  

May we all allow the Spirit to guide us as we receive Jesus in Word, Body and Blood every day.  And ACT on it!  Take Jesus forth into our world, Domestic Church/family, and all that we do!  

Ready to go out with grandpa to the farm.

Grandma is very happy that she doesn't have to carry him everywhere now, but I still am careful by holding his hand.  Not quite running around the circle in my house yet.  

Ruth gave her two aunts a tour of the Apartments yesterday - "We were horribly impressed with their vision and all the work they did."  

Paul took these pictures of the 3rd floor studio apartments ready for occupancy.  

View from the ample balcony.

A year ago today - grandpa and Tom in the water truck.

Picking up bales with grandma.

Kitten and apple off the tree a year ago.  

The year had held a lot of mostly good, and recovery of what could have been so much worse.  I am still thanking his guardian angel, St Thomas, St Robert, and Our Lady.  He was protected from horrible harm. He will soon be as good as new!  Jesus and Mary, we are filled with awe and wonder at how little Tom has recovered.  Continue to be with all those working on the farm.  Keep them safe.  Jesus, we trust in you.  May we hear your Word and act on it in all we do each day.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers.  

Tom's first tomato soup a year ago - we had a huge canning day 110 quarts!  This is why we do the work for 6 families.

Beauty outside the Adoration church in Delano.

My classic picture for National Daughter Day- missing John's wife, Bobbi!  

John and Rose in the farmhouse when it was mine - yes, I love pictures all over the place!  

Ed combining beans.

9 years ago - Romeo's Baptism day with Patrick in a white shirt.  I baptized him in NICU after a traumatic birth.  From that moment on "the sickest baby in here" got better!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The story of little Lamb - grandson Patrick  

Praying today for some needs for John - Our Lady Force - Fatima, Lourdes, and Mejugoria!  How we share a love for Mary, the Mother of God!  

Especially Lourdes - we have been there 3 times - "Pour the water over my head, because that is where I need the healing."  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: John's cancer stories  

His Spirit Juice Video - he has now added wife and 3 children!  Talk about miraculous!  

At first I thought that it was Isaiah 55:1-2 - the verse my dad was reading when the Holy Spirit told him to come into The Catholic Church 52 years ago... so much the same!  Very Eucharistic!  

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

Faith begins at home!  

Will Morrison - So will I

Still in awe of my God and all He has done for me!  Bless-bless, Barb