God the Father Day - Celebrating God's love for me and you with many pictures and words of gratitude!/I desire Mercy - St Matthew - +JMJ+

Maybe 12 years ago - Simon with his Aunt Hallel in Kansas City, Kansas.  Yesterday was Simon's 19th birthday just 2 days after his Aunt Little Sister Hallel's 38th birthday.  They are 19 years and 2 days apart, and Simon being the first grandchild - he has a very special place in our nun's heart.  

Simon was diagnosed as Autistic during pre-school screening, and made him that much more special to us in prayer and wonder at the unique way he approaches life.  He is sweet and kind and has a beautiful gift - his voice - that he uses to give God all the praise during mass.  

Thank you, God the Father, for how we are each special and loved by you!  

Our quad meeting met in the Parsonage on Tuesday - how I love to see our wonderful Holy Redeemer out the picture windows as we share Jesus in Word together and our own journeys shared.  This past week was devoted to A Good and Loving Father.  We are asked to celebrated a God the Father Day as we would our own fathers on Father's Day.  I was overjoyed to have one of my quad members encourage me to use this blog to use my pictures and words of gratitude to share God the Father Day!  How I love to do that, and so...

Thank you, God the Father, for this special group we can grow and share with!  

The 21 plus 3 in the womb in France 5 years ago for Hallel's final vows - "I promise unto death."

I am so blessed to have my nun!  I also discerned a call to religious life right when my father was asking us to Join him in coming into The Catholic Church - all 13 of us!  My answer - "I want to be a nun, so yes I want to become Catholic!"  

I was enlightened on an Emmaus Retreat by a Benedictine Sister that I have my nun, because of my own call.  So True!  I made sure that my children were exposed to nuns in habits at Schoenstatt camp, and it was coming back from Camp that Susan told me that she thought she would be a nun when she grew up!  I wept!  Thank you , God the Father, for those you call to be your Brides and the priests to bring Jesus to us!  

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

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Susan Angela Agnes/Little Sister Hallel - the story of a Call .  

Hallel on a home visit a year and a half ago with all the 22 nieces and nephews.

We have since added Lucy Marie - #23!  We are blessed with our children all sharing the motto we live by since our Engagement Encounter 45 years ago.  Pat and I wanted to have a large family as we both loved that growing up - I the oldest of 11 and Pat the middle of 10!  We shared this at our Engagement weekend in St Paul, MN. All the other couples disagreed and only wanted at most 2 kids due to the mess the world was in.  It made me question if we were being selfish. Pat did not hesitate one minute - "The world needs lights!"  Yes!!!  Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  Thank you, God the Father for all these LIFE/LIGHT/LOVE that we are blessed with!  

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

Our 4 girls celebrating the birth of baby Susan Angela with crowns made by Nancy Anna!  

How I loved my nest years with my family.  I was allowed to be home with them for 14 years!  Our large family did not happen as we had hoped.  There are now 7 losses in heaven - keeping our eyes on heaven to be united with them.  How I prayed that my girls would not have to experience the same hurt and pain, yet we now have 6 grandkids in heaven also.  

I see that sharing that pain of loss as a family has led us to be totally Pro- LIFE!  We are very close and cherish each other.  We see that being here together is a gift!  We also see that LIFE is to protected and cherished from conception to natural death!  Thank you, God, for teaching us so deeply about the value of LIFE!  

Hallel came home to see my dad after 15 years!  Sharing in both of their religious lives!  Dad was a Permanent Deacon in The Catholic Church for 44 years!  

Speaking of natural death... I recently had the great JOY of having my father, Deacon Robert Cross, here with me for the last 6 months of his life on my "farm monastery."  He was admitted to the same hospice I worked for with for 15 years!  Such a gift!  I have always loved working with hospice and allowing patients and families to walk peacefully into the sunset of their lives.  

Dad was filled with such gratitude for how he had every need met in such a special way from having his hair cut once a month, fingers and toes cared for, a shower twice a week, pain meds increased as he needed them by a doctor coming here to visit.  Yes, and the priests came to our home for anointing and Eucharist and confession just days before he passed away peacefully in our home.  He loved to see an entire growing season on the farm, too!  Thank you, God for this most precious gift to me and my family!  

Thomas Robert with the Cross my parents left for me along with the statues of Mary and Joseph with child Jesus.  Tom recently had a 4 wheeler accident and is recovering.  Many prayers protected him and is helping him to heal!  The Cross embraced for sure.

"This is how one loves."  A small sign that Maria left beside the Crucifix in her brother's room when she left to join the Poor Clare nuns.  She discerned for 5 powerful months behind the enclosure.  She discerned out, and is now married to Major Joseph with 7 children.  We call the nuns for prayer needs as they spend their lives in prayer.  Thank you, God the Father, for the Cross we are called to embrace to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT as it becomes the Tree of LIFE!  

Our Lady with all the losses through miscarriage and abortion.  So many lights lost through the horror abortion!  So many prayers answered when Roe v Wade was overturned.  Now so many prayers every day that lives can be spared.  Father God, may more LIGHTS be saved and bring this world to you.  

John and I praying on Monday morning for Hallel on her birthday! John and my hour of adoration overlap and so we can share from the heart and pray.  

14 years ago John faced brain cancer, and is now the new John.  He is disabled due to all they had to do to rid his brain of cancer, yet his half - hearted prayer for faith was answered through his battle.  Hundreds of prayer warriors, 3 trips to Lourdes and France... He fell in love with Our Lady and The Catholic Church.  He is now married and miraculously the father of 3 little ones after being told that he would likely not be able to have children.  Thank you, Father God, for healing John and for his Faith in Jesus, Mary and The Church, and for his growing family!

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

John's Spirit Juice Video - how he loves to share his story!  
  

Rose Again's  Frist Communion 3 years ago with her Godparents, Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill Bandzuch.  I have to say that my greatest JOY is that we share our Catholic Faith as a domestic Church/Family!  All of our children and grandchildren share our Faith!  NO greater JOY and so many prayers by grandma for each and every one of our 34 members.  This year we will have Josephine Francis receiving her First Communion in Delano, as well as Evangeline Mary in Fort Leavenworth, KS.  Joy Jean will be next year for that group of 3 girls.  

A beautiful recent story on Ruth and Paul's family was after Simon was Confirmed in early 2022, he then became the Godfather to his baby brother, Thomas, along with big sister, Mary just an hour later.  United in our Faith is so powerful and true lasting connection of LOVE!  Thank you, God my Father, for the gift of your Son, and His Church!  

Also I want to share here the special ministry that Nancy has - The Catholic Sprouts Podcast - Catholic Sprouts  Her mission is to assist parents to raise LIGHTS - according to the Truths we are given by The True Catholic Church!  

Yes, I am a farmwife now for 45 years.  I was raised a city girl, and still am learning to be a good farmwife.  I am eternally grateful to Pat's mother, who showed me all that she could.  I guess the handwriting was on the wall when for a wedding gift from Pat's siblings I received a canner.  That has been and continues to be big for us!  We now can for 6 families including the Little Sisters in KCK.

Thank you, God my loving Father, for the wonderful life we are blessed with on the farm.  A wonderful way to raise a family learning how to work and joyfully feed the world.  Keep all safe, and please send rain. 

Baby Joy 7 years ago when Ruth and Paul announced that #6 was on the way.  Then there was Tom, too!  LIFE is the greatest gift, and each one adds to our LOVE.  Our LOVE grows more with each one, and not stretched more thin.  

Thank you, God my Father, for giving us so much LOVE to share with each new LIFE!  

Father Denny taking out Jesus to walk through our town on Monday evening.  We are having a Eucharistic Revival now - where we concentrate on the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus in his Body and Blood and Word.  

I thank you, Father God, for giving us Jesus to dwell in us so that we may be your sons and daughters - "Abba, Father!"  

"Follow me."  Jesus to St Matthew today - Yes, we love you and follow you, O Lord!  You reminded us in the Gospel today - "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."  Matthew 9 

Thank you, Father God, for your Mercy and forgiveness which allows me to pick myself up and continue to carry/drag my Most Cherished Cross with the goal of Heaven forever as I stumble down the Narrow Path.

All 5 of our priests at the Consecration... Body and Blood for us to eat and drink. 

Thank you God the Father for coming to dwell with us as Jesus and The Holy Spirit united with us.  St Matthew pray for us on this day.  Your Gospel is Jesus in our midst!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

My Mother, Mary the Mother of God!  She is with me each day and takes all my needs to her Son!  Most recently she showed me that she was protecting Tom's pelvis.  

Thank you heavenly Father for giving me my spiritual Mother and all the angels and Saints to make each day filled with your LIGHT and your TRUTH!  

Here is my Most Cherished Cross - Patrick Gerard Verly.  Why?   From a letter from Hallel to her sister, Nancy, on the occasion of her engagement - I will share...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

 I love and praise you God my Father for The Sacrament of Marriage and that my embracing my Most Cherished Cross I am able to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT.  May I die to self so that I may serve without counting the cost.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers.  

Danielle Rose - an amazing Catholic song writer!  All 20 decades of the rosary, too!