Weekend with John's kids/31st Sunday of Ordinary Time and back an hour/First Jesus, then others, and finally me/Amazing Phil 2!! - +JMJ+

8 year old Joy with their fall kitten and Lucy who will be 2 in January.

After sharing mass as a family on the 31st Sunday of Ordinary time we gathered at our farm for our wonderful family Feast Brunch with all the goodies we can imagine to show our JOY!  Here is our granddaughter, Joy, with our youngest granddaughter, John's youngest Lucy.  We had Lucy and her two older siblings for an overnight and Sunday.

Grandpa and grandma work as a team getting the 3 ready for 8a mass - as grandpa Pat said - "We have a lot of practice getting kids ready for church, and usually the early mass was where you would find us."  

The look of prayer time before bed time - I called it "active prayer time" with a hard hat and running on the couch.  

Neumann got lots of attention and seemed to enjoy the pets from the kids.  He looks like he is smiling.  We had an extra hour for sleeping - the hour that keeps on giving!  

Tom here for the day for his mom to sleep after working overnight.  He loved his tower that was as tall as him!  

Engagement pictures of our 4 married children by the grain bins.  Pat and I and our nun... love to see LOVE and prayers for our marriages and families!  

So many prayers today for this election day in our country.  How I long for America to return to Truth and beauty of Christian values! Hear my prayer, Lord and Lady!  

Granddaughter, Therese has another issue of her Letters from a young Catholic

LettersFromAYoungCatholic_NOV_DEC_2024 (4) (1).pdf  

Here is her amazing Editorial!

Letter From the Editor Dear Reader,

 Life seems to fly by sometimes. It is now over a year since this newsletter was established. The reality of growing up is becoming more real. For quite a while I feared this leaving of childhood, but I have now come to embrace the adventure and freedom of growing up. What is an adventure? An adventure is something that is full of unknowns and things that challenge and solidify who you are. Adventure is so important, because it is the way that we can discover if we are actually committed to the faith we hold true. When we leave home we are no longer holding the hand of our parents and we are really starting a great adventure. Without parents, in a sense directing our desires and life, we are able to choose to be free or to become enslaved by our missguided passions. The embrace of true freedom, the choosing of the good, is the only way that we can truly be fulfilled and find happiness in this adventure of adulthood. I believe that many young people today don’t realize what true freedom is. They see freedom as a license to do whatever they want. I have noticed this especially in America, since Americans love their right to liberty. However, they do not know what it means, and in the attempt to become more free they become more addicted to their phones, food, drugs, and all sorts of pleasure. Even though some of us may not misunderstand freedom to that degree, we may still be slaves in some way. I challenge you to really dive into what you are choosing with your freedom. Remember: “Life with Christ is the greatest adventure!” Christus regnat, Thérèse Librande 1 

Thérèse is a junior in high school who is often found babysitting, water coloring, or working on her many projects, one of which is this newsletter. She is the eldest of seven energetic siblings and a military kid who has lived in over ten states. She currently resides in Fort Riley, Kansas  

Tom playing with our wooden hosts - it has been a toy of our kids and now grandkids for probably close to 30 years!  

Lots of time painting with John's 3 kids over the weekend!  

At mass last night Fr Denny spoke about Msgr Richter's funeral mass last week and the prayer card that went to all attending... "On the back of the Saint card were these simple words - Christ First, Others second and myself last."  Wow!  Doesn't that say it all and isn't that hard to do?  

Lucy enjoyed the jacuzzi!  

Tub time is a great way to get clean and have fun at the same time!  

Such an adorable face huh Lucy?  

The first reading today was the most wonderful one ever from Philippians 2

Reading 1 PHIL 2:5-11

Brothers and sisters:
Have among yourselves the same attitude 
that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and, found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.  

Pat poked me in the side when Fr Steve read the part about "the name of Jesus" as we were both remembering my dad, Deacon Robert Cross and his love for "The name!"  He circled it everywhere he found it!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Deacon Robert Cross - my dad on hospice in our Farm Monastery for 6 months - 4/16/20 thru 10/23/20  The page I wrote about my dad living with me for the last 6 months of his life here on hospice!  

LOVE this!!!  

This is the huge issue today in our country!  How did it ever come to taking the life of the innocent babies in the womb?  LIFE is the greatest gift!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb  and the 33 plus 7 children in heaven, 6 grandchildren, mom and dad and sister Mary along with brother Lincoln.  So many keeping our eyes on heaven forever!  

The generations merge as Tom looks at a painting I did of my home with my kids - "Me?" he asks for the little boy playing in the flour while I am making pies.  Actually it is your Uncle John, but it can be you too Tom!  

He is saying Rose for what was Aunt Nancy.  

"He who comes to Communion loses himself in God,

as a drop of water in the ocean.

They can be no more separated." - St John Vianney

 

 

 

 "His union with those whom He loves surpasses

every union of which one might conceive, and

cannot be compared with any model.

 Therefore even Scripture needed many illustrations to be able to express that connection, since one would not suffice.  In one place it employs the figures of an inhabitant and a dwelling, in another those of a vine and branch, here that of a marriage, there that of members and a head.

None of those figures is adequate for that union, for it is impossible from these to attain to the exact truth.  Above all it is necessary that the union should conform to friendship - yet what could be adequate for divine love?

 

 ...So I come to that which is strangest.  To whom else could one be more closely united than to oneself?  Yet this very unity is inferior to that union.  For each of the spirits of the blessed ones is identical with himself, yet it is united to the Saviour more than to him.  It loves the Saviour more than itself."

 

Nicholas Cabasilas (+ 1392)

Greek monk, mystic, bishop

 

 

Traditionally...

During the Octave of All Saints' Day (Nov 1 thru Nov 8)

any of the faithful, by devoutly visiting a cemetery

and praying for the departed, can obtain

a plenary indulgence (each day this is done),

applicable to the holy souls in purgatory,

(under the usual conditions for obtaining indulgences).

 

Make every effort to do this!

Let us empty Purgatory!

 

Lauren Daigle

Danielle Rose 

Danny Gokey