"Put on your apron and wait on me..." - prayer and dishes/Part 2 Mexican picnic out side with the 18, trip home and Berna is 11 - +JMJ+

LOVE this so much!  I love how we now have 2 daughters in Kansas that we can share family time with!  A huge part of it is being able to share our Faith with our nun and her Community of the Lamb in the heart of Kansas City, KS!  This was after sharing mass on the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary time - the 16!  

My heart is overflowing with JOY to see the love and smiles shared - 3 farm kids, 7 military kids, 3 of our kids, Major Joseph, and the old folks.  A work of art - masterpiece!  

Always have to share 3 of everything for some reason - the Trinity must be deep inside of me! 

With my girls - #3 Maria and #4 Susan/Hallel!  LOVE so much how they are allowed to share their lives for this year in Kansas!  I think Hallel realizes that she has to go to see Maria too.  She and two other Little Sisters went to beg in Leavenworth and spent an overnight with Maria. 

Only 2 of this one!  

Therese with 2 farm girls before mass in the bright sunlight of KCK.  It was 70 sunny degrees after mass.  

John and St Agnes statue copy from the statue in Hiroshima, Japan.  After the bomb was dropped they found her statue face down and only her hand was missing - she had protected The Lamb!  Agnes means Lamb!  And The Community of the Lamb lives by the motto of the Lamb - "Wounded, I will never cease to LOVE."

In the cupola and the bright sunlight in the Lumen Christi/LIGHT of Christ Monastery.  Help me Lord and Lady to love and forgive in this way.  I will always LOVE no matter the cost.

A row of our granddaughters at mass 

Bringing forth Jesus in The Word of God.  Hallel and The Community start the night before reading the Gospel for the next day - Mendicating/Chewing the Gospel by repeating each line 3 times and then singing it also.  It is like Lectio Divina - the Holy Spirit speaks to us when things come forth in word or thought.  

Jesus is the Word!  

They bow as He comes forward - the Gospel on Sunday was the 10 Virgins with their lamps.  "the 5 foolish would have been allowed to enter even without their lamps lit.  Their mistake was that they left to buy oil and missed the Bridegroom.  He is merciful and would have forgiven their lack of oil."  Little Sister Marie, their foundress.  

Grandpa and Joy Joy...

Maggie and Bumpa after mass - she looked back and spotted grandpa during mass - "Where Bumpa go?"  they found each other!  

The Postulant, Collete, and Hallel in their aprons preparing the Open Table meal that I brought from Minnesota.  Aprons are hugely used by the Sisters when they are doing their chores of making meals, doing the dishes, and all other types of work.

The Gospel today really comes close to me in a sweet way after witnessing the joy with which my daughter and the others serve their master wearing their aprons and the smiles on their faces that shines from their hearts!  

I did wear an apron from time to time myself, but did not capture it with a picture.

The Gospel today from Luke 17 - Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Setting the tables at the Little Brothers' Monastery - the Light of Mary the Mother of God.  They welcome all that come to join them - homeless, down and out, parents, those that are traveling with ministries... a wonderful group.  We are waited on by them in their aprons serving all that have gathered.  

My daughter has not changed!  She still closes her eyes for pictures...  With the 4 brown eggs from the chickens we brought from the farm - 4 for the brothers and 4 for the Sisters!  

The apron and the eggs 

The trash from their garden... Maria and the kids came to help with the clean up, too!  

The workers - did not have aprons on, but very willingly helped out - "we are unprofitable servants..."

The crew!  

From 4 year old up 

#3 for good measure...

John tending the fire 

Quality time spent with her dad, who made many trips up and down the hill with debris.  They both had sore legs that night.

Breakfast with my French bowl of coffee - good and strong the way I like it!  I rejoice to see my bowl knowing that it is for coffee and not cereal!  

With the 8 sisters there are large family meals 3 times and day with the hand washing of the dishes.  They do not have hot water from the faucet - but they have to heat their wash water which is part of their poverty they live by.  There is no drudgery noticed as from the Gospel today we see that this is how they love and serve their master, Jesus! 

"put on your apron and wait on me..."  Yes, Lord!  

Wonderful prayer time spent in the light filled chapel - a place of peace and Joy!

The Grotto of the Incarnation behind the Little Brothers Monastery.  A bench that was recently put there was much appreciated!  

I was able to sit there on the glorious afternoon and say my rosary as the kids came and went with leaves for the bonfire!  LOVE!  

The prayer for the Grotto!  

The Little Brothers Monastery at the bottom of the hill, and the Little Sisters on the top.  

Studying the icon of Christ that is weathered from being outside the Monastery.  

Hallel sure loves to have such wonderful family time with Maria so close by!  2 1/2 year old Magdalene Rose has a lazy eye and needs to wear an eye patch and will soon be wearing glasses.

The 3 military girls with Aunt Hallel.  Therese is 15 and Hallel is her Godmother, Evie just turned 7 and Maggie is 2 1/2.

Baby Bernadette 10 years ago - she was 11 yesterday!  Happy birthday sweet girl!  She lives with her family in Delano, MN.

Birthday bash on Sunday night!  

Her youngest sister - #6 Regina Maria - Queen Mary!  

Gina on a beautiful day with the rake and leaves and her topknot!  

The Birthday girl!  Bernadette Anna!  

Nancy and Bill's 3 girls with middle girl Josephine who is 7!  They also have 3 brothers!  

Eggs from the new chickens.

Rose with the eggs...

Postulant Collete handing out the eggs to the tribe of helpers.

Lots of help taking them in to put them away.

Such a beautiful day in Kansas City!  It was 68 degrees so we moved the table and chairs outside for a picnic in November.  It was fun to see this bench that Big Dave made with Hallel some years back.  

Setting up our picnic - Hallel and Maria went a few blocks away to a local Mexican restaurant - 30 tacos, lots of rice and cucumbers to cool our hot mouths! "This food is wonderful!" said Major Joseph and the 18 including two other Little Sisters to join us!  So special and joyful!  

Simple food but so good!  

John and Hallel sharing time in the sun 

The kids playing bus with the folding chairs, and then they played hide and go seek around the Monastery.  Hallel was right that this was a great way to share a meal with all these kids.  Such a beautiful day made is possible.

Now the 3 sharing - John is our youngest, Hallel is #4 and Maria is #3.  Next weekend John will be bringing his wife, Bobbi, and their 3 children down to meet Hallel.  She has yet to meet 10 month old Lucy Marie our youngest grandchild.  

Nothing like some special family time before we head for home on our 7 hour trip.  The farm kids were wonderful to have along!  They traveled so well in our truck filled with people and so much stuff including chickens, chicken feed, canning for the Little Sisters, meat from the farm, bedding and luggage!  A lot less came back with us!  

Such a peaceful beautiful place in the heart of the poor in KCK - "a lighthouse on the hill."  

LOVE to see how Hallel is getting to know our military kids and they her!  What an amazing example of saying "yes" to His call to put on your apron and wait on Him with great JOY and happiness each day with dishes and prayer!  

Gathered around our truck as we are heading out to Minnesota and our lives on the farm.

Rose and baby Luke 10 years ago!  LOVE!  

The sun setting on our trip home - Pat, Joy and John in the front row.  We arrived on the farm at about 9:30p

How we love Mr Rogers around here!  Susan/Hallel wrote a paper when she was accepted at St Thomas about Mr Rogers and how he teaches us to be kind.  She won a scholarship with that paper!  

Back home with a stunning sunset last night behind Our Lady 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

R. (2a) I will bless the Lord at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. I will bless the Lord at all times.  

Psalm 34 from mass today - "Let my soul glory in the Lord..."  This speaks to me of this stunning sunset surrounding Our Spiritual Mother of heaven and earth!

Worked at Birthright last night for our regular office hours.  this is so cute!  Back at the day to day life here.  Still lifted up by the wonderful times with our daughters and their families!  

this reminds me of the verse my dad read, when the Holy Spirit told him to come into The Catholic Church 51 years ago - Isaiah 55:1-2! 

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

A painting I did while sitting on a porch in Kansas City some years back.  

A little distracted by Tom and Pat here today, but they are a joy too.

A prayer for Peace in Israel!  

Powerful Veterans' Day photo.  It was Veterans weekend and also Vocations - we were blessed to have both going on!  The Military family and our Family of the Lamb!  My JOY knows no bounds!  

Pat shared mass with me this morning!  It is nice now that the big push of harvest is behind us, and farmer Pat can join me at mass.  

Come Holy Spirit!  So many blessings come from my daily rosary!  

From Pope Benedict today!  The Church!  

Pat's favorite things is to get the little ones to take a winter nap with him.  The wind is roaring outside today, so nothing better than being snuggly in our bed.

A cozy long winter's nap with the Saints and Our Lady's Rosary, Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart.  We are given so very much with each new day in The Catholic Church!  Each day is a pearl of great price!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers

 Submit yourselves, then, to God.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Come near to God and He will come near to you. 

James 4: 7, 8a

Do you want the Lord to give you many graces?  
Visit Him often.

Do you want Him to give you few graces? 
Visit Him rarely.

Do you want the devil to attack you?  
Visit Jesus rarely in the Blessed Sacrament.

Do you want him to flee from you?  
Visit Jesus often.

Do you want to conquer the devil?  
Take refuge often at the feet of Jesus.

Do you want to be conquered by the devil?  
Forget about visiting Jesus.

My dear ones, the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament

is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil.

Therefore, go often to visit Jesus and

the devil will not come out victorious against you.

 

St John Bosco

__________________

 

Make a visit - often!

A good one from yesterday - the Church is alive as Christ is alive!  

Danielle Rose 

Danny Gokey