Not accepted or welcomed? - follow Jesus in showing mercy and go forward to Jerusalem/Tom around the circle - +JMJ+

This was Tom a week ago and I was rejoicing that he was walking and standing to play again.  We are now at 4 weeks yesterday and today he went around the circle for the first time!  

How he loves to come to grandmas and have all the attention, peaceful times with the toys that stay here, and shows on TV and naps.

He was smashing the two of them together - making a lot of noise that made him smile at me.

LOVE my mom's painting of the penitent man kneeling at the feet of Jesus overhead.   

Today Tom did the circle close to 10 times - not really running yet, but never the less walking around the circle for the first time since his accident.

I have to sit in my dad's lift chair and count the revolutions around the circle.

Through the laundry room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and over again... around and around

It was a time of great joy to get back at doing the circle at grandma's house!  

Up and down in my dad's lift chair - Tom is named after my dad, who died a year before Tom was born.  Thomas Robert named after my father, Deacon Robert Cross.  Such an honor for me, and such a sweet wonderful boy named after a very great man.  I am forever grateful for mom and dad to bring all 13 in our family into The Catholic Church 52 years ago!  Each day since has been a priceless gift to me!  

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

Oh Tom!  How I love to see you coming back to 100%!  

A borrowed picture in Sleepy Eye - a rosary procession with Our Lady lifted high.  LOVE to see the Handmaids and Schoenstatt sisters!  

The full moon over Kansas City.  With 2 daughters living there - one in KCK with The Community of the Lamb, and the other on Fort Leavenworth Military base... this town has become a very special place for me.

Fr. David Michael Moses  shared this picture of a young boy in the parish that wears priestly colors to mass.  It reminds me of granddaughter, Evangeline Mary, who wears a Little Sister Habit that Maria made for her big sister 9 years ago.  

Little Sister Evie with Little Sister Dorothea during the 15th Anniversary celebration a week ago.

With mom and Little Sister Stephanie

Too cute, and such special memories she is making this year of living just half an hour away from her Aunt Hallel and her Community of the Lamb.

This needs to be framed and put by the bed in her room!  Receiving a blessing from Archbishop Naumann!  He brought The Community to the United States 15 years ago and then Susan could enter knowing that she would have a foundation here in America!  Thanks from the bottom of my heart, Archbishop!  

http://theleaven.org/downpour-couldnt-dampen-the-lamb-communitys-celebration/?fbclid=IwAR0F3I0F9Bqg6EQpX4uytpJZtl1bnglIv0W

Such a wonderful article written by Archbishop!

Downpour couldn’t dampen the Lamb community’s celebration

September 29, 2023

Add Comment

by Archbishop Joseph Naumann

Joseph F. Naumann is Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

This past Saturday, the Little Sisters and Little Brothers of the Lamb celebrated three significant anniversaries.

Fifteen years ago in May of 2008, the Little Sisters of the Lamb arrived in Kansas City, Kansas, to establish the Community of the Lamb’s first and thus far only foundation in the United States.

On Sept. 14, the Little Sisters observed the 10th anniversary of the dedication of their Lumen Christi Monastery. Later this year, we will observe the fifth anniversary of the dedication of the Little Brothers’ Mary Mother of God Monastery.

The plan for Saturday was to celebrate an 11 a.m. outdoor Mass at the grotto on the campus of the Little Brothers monastery. More than 300 friends of the Community of the Lamb planned to participate in the anniversary Mass and other festivities. Anticipating the possibility of inclement weather, the Sisters and Brothers had checked with All Saints Parish as well as nearby parishes about the possibility of using a large church in case of rain. Unfortunately, all of the parishes had weddings or other liturgical celebrations at that time.

With everything, the Little Sisters and Brothers depend on divine providence. Plan B was appointing me the chairman of the weather committee. By 11 a.m. on Saturday in Kansas City, a heavy rain had been falling for almost an hour with no end in sight. The chair of the weather committee had failed miserably.

The Little Sisters and Brothers are very creative and are used to adapting their plans to God’s will. With the help of their many dedicated volunteers, they set up enough chairs in the Lumen Christi Chapel, as well as in the social hall underneath the chapel, to accommodate the large crowd that was undeterred by the weather committee’s failure.

Through a good use of modern technology, the Sisters and Brothers were able to livestream the Mass from the chapel to the underground church.

Mass began a few minutes later than planned. The attendees were a little bit wet, but their spirits were not dampened. The Little Sisters and Brothers always celebrate the liturgy with great reverence and beauty. Saturday was no exception.

By the time Mass had concluded, the skies had cleared and the sun was shining. We had a delicious meal donated by a generous caterer. The social program included beautiful music and singing by the Little Sisters and Brothers. It concluded with an original drama written and performed by the Little Sisters and Brothers, as well as a few of the young adult lay members of the Community of the Lamb. Saturday’s play was a parable, laced with characteristic Lamb humor, and depicted God’s providence in the construction of the twin monasteries. It also visualized the amazing spiritual fruit that has resulted from what I refer to as the Village of the Lamb.

From my first encounter with the Little Sisters many years ago in Rome, I was drawn to their charism of being mendicants (beggars), depending on God’s providence for everything. Whenever I visit the Little Monastery, I always ask the Little Brothers and Sisters about their most recent missions.

For the Community of the Lamb, mission begins with praying for the Lord to lead them where their presence is most needed. Guided not by GPS, they set off for the neighborhood where the Holy Spirit leads them. They embark on their mission with nothing ostensibly to share with those they will encounter. They do not bring food or money or medicine. Instead, they bring to those who welcome them the opportunity to give them food for physical nourishment. They offer to those whom God inspires them to visit, the dignity and joy of giving.

They thank those who have welcomed them for their kindness and ask their hosts if there is something  for which they can pray for them and their family. They actually bring to those they visit the most precious gift of all — Jesus. They allow the Lord to use them to be a sign of his love and presence to those to whom God has led them. During their missions, they encounter many who are looking for a sign that God is with them: a young woman who has been sober for many years but is being tempted to drink again that day; parents who have recently experienced the death of a child; an elderly person who is lonely and feels forgotten. They always invite those who have welcomed them to come, visit and pray at the monasteries. They conclude with singing a blessing for those who have opened their homes and hearts to them.

The Little Sisters and Brothers of the Lamb were founded in France. They have monasteries in Austria, Poland, Italy, Spain, Chile and Argentina. Through the Little Sisters’ monastery in Rome, they met many American seminarians and other young adults studying for a semester in Rome. Father Anthony Ouellette, while studying at the Pontifical North American College, became friends with the Little Sisters. Father Anthony introduced them to me.

When the Little Sisters accepted my invitation to come to the Archdiocese of Kansas City, they shared with their many American friends that they were coming to the United States. When they told them their destination, the response of many was: Why Kansas?

The real reason the Community of the Lamb came to Kansas is because they prayed for the Lord to send them where they were most needed. The Holy Spirit did not guide them to Washington, D.C. — our nation’s capital — nor to New York City — our country’s economic center —  nor to Los Angeles — a cultural hub — but rather to the heart of our nation. The Holy Spirit led them to a place as humble as Bethlehem and as obscure as Nazareth with the poorest bishop to be a sign in our midst of God’s love, kindness and mercy.

If you have never been to the Little Monasteries, I encourage you to visit. On Monday night, they celebrate Mass with young adults followed by a meal and a spiritual  sharing of how God is working in their lives. On most Saturdays, the Little Brothers host an open table — a lunch — for friends from both the neighborhood and other parts of the archdiocese. Check their website for their Mass times. The liturgy is always celebrated with great beauty, care and devotion.

The Little Monasteries are special oases of grace. The Little Sisters and Brothers are spiritually renewing their neighborhood from the inside out! The monasteries are among some of the great jewels of the archdiocese, places of miracles of God’s mercy. I give thanks that God chose to bring the Community of the Lamb to Kansas, the heart of America. What a blessing and treasure!

Beautiful Therese is now 15, and Hallel is her Godmother.  Such a wonderful gift to have a year so close to the Community and able to share in their life of contemplative prayer and living in Poverty, chastity and obedience.  

Tom is so happy to come and play peacefully with his toys.

Up to the table for snacks and lunch.

The Gospel today - Jesus is not welcomed in a small village on his way to Jerusalem, where he makes his final sacrifice for the world.  He does not resent or take revenge, but rather keeps his eyes on the road ahead and goes to another village on the way.   Fr Denny reminds us that we are called to follow Christ Jesus - showing mercy and continuing on ahead.  

It breaks my heart to see how babies are not welcomed or appreciated.  Many years go by for couples and pets are welcomed with no desire for children.  Why?  Yes, we need to sacrifice ourselves to be open to LIFE, yet our love grows more with each new life and our family is enriched with more siblings rather than more things or vacations or boats and this or that...  Siblings are much more wonderful - there is no comparison to stuff!  

Die to self so that Jesus may dwell in me!  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers.

A year ago apple pie filling - this year no apples

Simon with the corer peeler making our life much easier!

Family jobs are our JOY! 

Tom a year ago!  

Transformation, O Lord and Lady!  Pope Benny today.

Dad's man, Brother Victor - October is a time of transition... yes, dad! 

amazing St Francis tomorrow!!!  

My beads are calling out to me!  

Nancy's blog before Catholic Sprouts -  The Catholic Sprouts Podcast - Catholic Sprouts  

6 years ago there were apples and #6 Joy was a baby.  Now we have #7, Tom!  

Hallelujah!  Hallel comes from this word and her name is giving all the Praise to God! "Evertime someone says my name they are giving Praise to God!"  

Danielle Rose