Harvest Time/"Fill us at daybreak with your kindness" - She gathering week 2 - Satan hates women and children - +JMJ+

Yes, sweet Tommy has dimples like his grandpa Pat!  We went out to check out the combine and grain cart that were sitting in front of his house waiting for the beans to dry down - less tough to combine in the sun and the wind after overnight drips.

The huge tire on the combine and cute 2 1/2 year old Tom... he will be 3 in Mid November that is quickly upon us. 

There is a big ladder to climb up on the combine, but the door was locked so no sitting inside.

Tom and the grain cart in the bright sunlight.  Perfect weather for taking out the crop with no rain in the forecast.  

They combined the field across from our house next and now one on Hwy 59.

My patron Saint - St Luke glowed in the setting sun.  Why Luke? When I converted to the Catholic Church with my entire family of 13 in 1971... I was in nursing school at St Kates, and St Luke was a physician.  I also love what he shares with us of Our Lady, and much about the women close to Jesus.  We have Mary's Magnificat, and also the Canticle of Zachariah that we repeat each morning in Morning Prayer of The Church!  We see such a beautiful picture of pregnant Mary and Elizabeth in the Visitation.  Luke is wonderful, plus his symbol is a bull.  And now that I have been a farm wife for 46 years - it seems to be appropriate for me!  

How I love to share the story that continues to this day of how the Lord and Lady have led us into The Catholic Church and feeds us with each new day! Every single day of those 20,440 days (365 days x53 years) has been filled with so much for me!  The Gospel for the day, mass every day, The Saint of the day, Morning and Evening Prayer of The Church...

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

A tire bigger than grandpa!  

I have been given the gift to share my story of how Family and Friends have helped me in my Faith Journey at this next Emmaus retreat!  I will give it for many that have made the retreat in the past on my birthday - Sunday October 6!  

The teeth were surprisingly of hard black plastic.  

Squinty eyes in the sun.  

Tom and Joy visiting "Mother of us all - Mary Most Holy"   They are so at home at church - every Sunday at 8a Mass we share with our Marshall son and daughter and their families!  Our greatest Joy!  

Today was our second gathering for Our She Shall be Called Woman gathering.  It is a very early morning on Thursdays at 6a, and there are so many women young and old that are coming to listen to a sharing video, and then we meet at tables with other women to answer questions, and share from our hearts!

The speaker today spoke about how we can deal with those anxieties that Satan puts upon us at times like when we lay down to bed at night, or when we are taking some leisure time.  She made the comment "Satan hates women and children, because we are the closest to Jesus."  Wow!  I do see that family is under attack as that is the Domestic Church where we share our Faith.  And as my husband listened to the Holy Spirit in our marriage and we now live the family motto - "The World needs LIGHTS!"  Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS for the world of sin and darkness!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Our marriage stories - "The world needs LIGHTS!"  Another part of my story that I love to share!  

The Psalm from mass today speaks of how we were gathered to share our Faith with one another as the sun was rising... Psalm 90 

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.  Psalm 90

So excited to show me his tractor and wagon!  

"Fill us at daybreak with your Kindness."

Mass on Monday evening - Fill us in the Evening with your Body and Blood, O Lord!  

Helped Pat move the cows in our back pasture - the bright green grass is where the creeks overflowed early this summer.  Now much of the creeks are dry with pools here and there for the cows to drink yet. 

A statue of Blessed Carlos Acutis 

In my dad's prayer of The Church today - LOVE!  He had memorized this prayer and we said it each evening after sharing Evening prayer .  "Your love reaches to the heavens and your Truth to the skies."  

Blessed Carlo Acutis protector of the Internet.  He has a site with Eucharistic Miracles!  

Thank you Lord and Lady for blessing us with a way to share and grow in our Faith.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah  

Bless-bless, Barb and the 33

 

Check it out!  

Danielle Rose - Small things with great love

Hillbilly Thomists - Good Tree

Harvest to begin today - what a difference a week makes!/St Pio today- praying with John overnight - those who enter may see the light. +JMJ+

Pat out checking the bean field for hail damage after we had a freaky 10 minute hail storm on Saturday morning.  Bean harvest started today!  

Unfortunately there was some loss from the hail just days before we harvested.  You are at the mercy of Mother Nature when you farm.  Prayers for safety and peaceful harvest.  It will be very different and harder this year without my sister-in-law, Rita, who died a few months back.  She will definitely be missed!  

Praying with John overnight as Sunday passes into Monday... John has the last hour of Sunday and I follow him with the first hour of Monday.  We share, pray and end with Hail Holy Queen and Jesus, I trust in you.  Such a blessing to share our Faith!  

The new John after being healed from brain cancer 15 years ago.  Now with wife, Bobbi, and 3 wonderful children! 

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

John's story continues now with wife and children!

The Gospel for today is from Luke 8 - the lamp that must be put on the lampstand "so that all who enter may see the light."  How we experience that together with Jesus - the LIGHT in the monstrance before us as we share and pray.  May we carry that light forth with us as we go forth into our lives.  Last week it was to visit 2 of our daughters and their families in Kansas!  This week it is into Harvest with all that we have to work together to do now without the help of our wonderful Rita!  

After mass with Joy and Tom and the Parsonage and the Apartments that keep Ruth and Paul very busy.  But what a gift to the neighborhood to have them new and beautiful!  

Tommy calls the church - HOME.  He is very comfortable there after coming with his family every Sunday followed by our super wonderful family brunch on the farm with doughnuts, fruit, pop and even ice cream treats for dessert!  No wonder we love to share our Faith as a family on the farm!  Add to that the Mother of heaven and earth - Mary most Holy - Mom!  

Sisters of Mary Morning Star at a special gathering for Brian Timmerman, who died in a farm accident on June 11.  We sang and prayed the rosary together followed by a wonderful meal together.  

Wonderful Rita with Pat's mom, Anne, and Shannon's twins on this day in 2012 - 12 years ago.  How we miss them both - mom and Rita!  Two great ladies and farm wives that taught me all I know!  

The next 2 weeks look like great dry weather for harvest.  The heat we had been having helped the crop to dry down a lot!  

It is crazy to think that a week ago today we were arriving on base in Fort Riley, Kansas.  We brought all our canning there and made tomato soup and stewed tomatoes with the family.  We then joined them in one of their last days in the pool, and then spoiled the kids at Burger King!  From there we spent 2 days with our nun and celebrated her birthday and Pat's too!  It is crazy that we could feel free to do that and now the big push begins!  

Sunday brunch yesterday on the farm after sharing mass.  Now harvest!  

Rare happening - lilacs in September!  Something about the weather this year... I must say that the aroma was so powerfully wonderful!  It seemed like this small sprig made the entire house smell heavenly!  

A beautiful night for supper on the porch! 

A golden leaf from our 100+ year old Cottonwood tree!  

Shadows in the dust.

My buddy Tommy is starting to talk now!  We were out to help cover the gluten pile.

The tarp and lilac...

Tom doing his job of holding down the tarp.  

"My mom!"  Ruth has 2 in college, 4 in school and just her and Tom at home.  I hope and pray that they can have some time to enjoy each other in her busy life.  Grandma sure loves to have Tom here when she is busy or has to sleep tomorrow after working overnight.  

Posing with the September lilac...

These two share a room now that Mary is gone to college!  Rose moved into her room and Tom moved in with Joy. 

I need to end this for today - on to mass and working at Birthright tonight.  Lord and Lady, be with us this harvest missing Rita.  Keep the men safe and healthy and calm in the face of the frustrations that come with taking out the crop.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb and the 33

 

 "Prayer is the oxygen of the soul." - St Padre Pio

 

 

 "Kneel down and render the tribute 
of your presence and devotion

to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 
Confide all your needs to Him, 
along with those of others.
Speak to Him with filial abandonment, 
give free rein to your heart, 
and give Him complete freedom 
to work in you as He thinks best."

 

St Padre Pio of Pietrelcino

Franciscan Priest, Stigmatist, Mystic

Italy ~ 1887-1968

Patron of Eucharistic Adorers

Feast Day - Sept 23

 

 

"When I am close to Jesus

in the Blessed Sacrament,

I feel as if my heart is bursting

out of my chest." - St Padre Pio

___________________________

 

O Blessed Rosary of Mary,

sweet Chain which binds us to God,

Bond of love which unites us to the Angels,

Tower of salvation against the assaults of hell,

safe Haven in the universal shipwreck,

we shall never abandon you.

 

 Petition to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii,

often recited by Padre Pio

__________________________________________________

 

"In the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist,

in this sacrament of love, we have true life,

a blessed life, and true happiness." - St Padre Pio

___________________________ 

Danielle Rose 

Small things with great love

Hillybilly Thomists - Good Tree

 

Whirlwind days in Kansas with farmer hubby and 2 daughters/her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. +JMJ+

Our final time with our nun, little sister Hallel, and her Community of the Lamb in Kansas City, KS

.  After 17 years we were able to share her birthday with her and her wonderful brothers and sisters.  With her vow of celibacy we are blessed with hundreds of family!  Plus our faith journey has been very enriched by being able to share in her life of "prayer and dishes."

Our lunch before we left for home was from the local Mexican restaurant - tacos, rice and all the wonderful special food she loves so much.  

A wonderful card from her Goddaughter, Therese.  

We met a member of the lay community at the taco place, and had to record it!  I love how they have allowed many to join in their life and embracing the motto they live by - "Wounded, I will never cease to love."  The Lamb shows us how.

We arrived on the afternoon of the 17th after canning tomato soup with our military family that is now 2 hours away at Fort Riley, KS.  Hallel's birthday was on the 18th, and Pat's 70th birthday was on the 15th.  We celebrated both of them all the time we were with them!  

Tomorrow is our oldest grandchild, Simon's golden birthday!  He will be 20 on the 20th!  We sure have a pile of birthdays at this time of September.  Pat shared his birthday on the 15th with grandson, Romeo, too!  

Figuring out our food for the birthday lunch at a local taco place in the neighborhood.  

6 chickens made the trip with us and spent the night in a dog kennel on base before we took 2 to the brothers and 4 to the sisters.  

This reminds me of the morning of Hallel's birthday - we headed out at 6:45a to join many at the soup kitchen in KC Missouri. 

Pope Francis in the entry way to the Lumen Christi Monastery chapel - They are The Community of the Lamb and so it brings him close to them.

A beautiful space in the lower level of the chancery where the Bishop lives.  The columns adds to the majesty and the beauty of this space now used for a soup kitchen.

The Bishop was praying about where they should locate the soup kitchen for the poor and the homeless.  He was reading about Martha and Mary and how they invited Jesus into their home.  Then he knew that he needed to invite them there - into the chancery!    This beautiful building in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri is where the Bishop lives on the top floor.  I guess the neighbors are not happy and taking him to court.

Hallel helping a blind homeless man out of the soup kitchen on her birthday.  

What a way to share breakfast with our daughter on her birthday and watch how she reaches out to they poor and lost.  It was such a powerful time to share our meal with numerous homeless from women that loved to read books and Hallel suggested that she takes out Joan of Arc.  A man that had served 12 years in prison and could not find work as he was a felon.  A man that was so hungry that those that walked by with food on their plates to throw away - he would take and eat.  A man from a French speaking country in Africa, who spoke to her in French. A man, who we had passed on our way in laying on the sidewalk and saying that he had a bad headache.  Ed joined us and I did not realize that it was the same man now smiling and sharing with us.  

Those there working asked the little sisters to move to the head of the long line of homeless - "The sisters are here!"  

April, August and now September - 3 little sisters that said yes to Jesus' call!  They are all 39 within 7 months of each other - Hallel from a farm in Minnesota, Marie John from a Paris, France, and Dorota from Poland!  The Lord has such a beautiful plan for those that love and follow him!  The sunrise on our daughter's birthday yesterday morning before we headed out for our breakfast at the soup kitchen.  They are the poor and sit and eat with the poor rather than serve them.

The Cathedral in KC Missouri - Immaculate Mary - a stunning statue on the corner.

Sunrise walk to the soup kitchen for breakfast on Hallel's 39th birthday!  

The cupola in Lumen Christi/LIGHT of Christ monastery in the heart of the poor in KCK.  "Wounded, I will never cease to  LOVE."  So hard to do, but what we are called to do in our marriage/family/LIFE!  

The night before we left before the sunrise, John and I prayed for safe travels and a blessing on his dad, nephew, Romeo, and Hallel on her birthday.  

Sharing the same birthday on Sunday the 15th - Pat was 70 and Romeo was 10

September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrow.  I got this from Pat's mom years ago.  So special to me to have this tie to his parents and truly celebrated on Pat's birthday.  

The birthday boy had a milestone birthday - he turned 70!  

Compline/night prayer on the corner of the Monastery with cars passing us and the row houses looking on from all sides of the street!  

This is how our nuns sing in night prayer- like angels indeed!  

A sock puppet show of cows chewing their cud... a sign of health indeed! 

A wonderful evening at the little brothers Monastery to celebrate Pat and Hallel's birthdays.

Hallel is the first part of Hallelujah and every time we say her name we are giving God all the praise!  

John Marie with one of the new Minnesota chickens we brought for them.

Grandma brought a loaf of bread to spoil Maria's kids with!  They do not get bread or much in the way of carbs... how they adore bread! 

There is a story in our family history of Therese when she was 4 years old - both Pat's mom and my mother asked her what she would like most of all for them to feed her - "Bread and butter."  Was her answer to both of them.  They were amazed at her humble answer.  Her aunts are known as saying - "Poor Therese only needs her bread and butter."  

Silky jammies - ready for bed!  

5 hours of work = 50 quarts of tomatoes soup and stewed for Maria.

We do the work for 6 families to enjoy, and now we figured a way to share the work with families in Kansas and Delano.  

7 year old Evangeline putting through the vegetables.

3 year old Maggie and beautiful tomatoes from Ruth's garden on the farm.

a bucket of tears cutting onions for the soup.

Tears were part of the Gospel today - Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.  Luke 7

“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”  Luke 7 continues

I know that the Lord has forgiven me much and I am eternally grateful to him!  I pray that I may return the unconditional love and forgiveness he has given to me!  

The 7 sorrows/swords that are piercing her heart.

LOVE when our grandkids are part of serving mass - David and Rose last Sunday on grandpa Pat's 70th birthday!   How we love to share our Faith as a family.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33

 "Always remain close to the Catholic Church.

because it alone can give you true peace,

since it alone possesses Jesus in the

Blessed Sacrament, the true Prince of Peace."

St Padre Pio

"It is not sufficient to say that 
the Eucharist is at the center of the Church, 
because actually, the Eucharist makes the Church! 

It builds it from within 
and weaves it round itself like a robe.

 

It is said that two sacraments in particular 
"make" the Church:  Baptism and the Eucharist. 

But whereas Baptism makes the Church grow

quantitatively, as it were, in size and number, 
the Eucharist makes her grow qualitatively, 
in strength, because it transforms her ever more

deeply into the image of Christ, her Head."

 

Raniero Cantalamessa

The Eucharist, Our Sanctification
Christ at Last Supper - Tapestry - Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ~ Richmond, VA

____________________________

TODAY remembering these Korean martyrs...

11 priests and 92 laypersons

(farmers, merchants, wives, widows,

scholars and court officials)

 

The blood of the holy Martyrs was poured out

for Christ upon the earth:  therefore they have

gained everlasting rewards. (Today's Entrance Antiphon)

 

Sts Andrew Kim Tae-gon, 
Paul Chong Ha-Sang 
and Companions, pray for us!

 

Feast Day - September 20

St. Andrew Kim Taegon - YouTube