Getting Hay

It felt good to bask in the sun and say my rosary as I hauled a load of hay from the other farm today.  I find that the job that used to make me nervous has become familiar to me and I know how to swing out wide so that the wagon behind me will not go over the edge or into the ditch.  I know the speed to travel so that the wagon doesn't sway back and forth, and find that it is a pleasant outing to go over to the other farm and back with a load of hay.  It certainly makes it nice to have the beautiful weather, and the nice roads.  That could all change tomorrow, but we have learned that time will tell this winter.  It seems that there is a big bubble over us preventing the snows from coming with any kind of accumulation.  I have some plans this week with John's trip to Rochester and maybe up to see my dad for his 87th birthday... we get pretty relaxed with plans this winter... just taking for granted the nice weather.

We are just enjoying it each and every day that we have the nice sun and no snow.  It is great calving weather, so prayers please for them to come into a nice world and not one with lots of blowing snow and below zero temperatures!

Now to bed and sweet dreams thanks to COW TV!  How we love to sit on the couch and watch the cows in the calving barn... and they like it better too, because no one goes in there and disturbs then by walking in and turning on the light... they all stand up and you don't know what is going on!  This is such a wonderful gift to Pat and his calving!  How he loves to be able to walk out a few times at night and see better than he ever has before.  "They aren't disturbed and I can see what is going on... they are relaxed!"  I have actually seen a calf born for the first time in 33 years!  It is great!  Thank you, Lord, for cow TV!  Bless-bless

For LOVE of HIM

John, with the precious feet pin of a 8 week old baby on his stocking hat, was heading out the door after spending the weekend here with the family... I had to grab a few minutes to discuss how we might work out traveling together to Rochester together this week... On Thursday he has his 3 month check up, and we enjoy sharing the trip to visit and just be together... we find so much enjoyment and comfort there.  I missed most of his time home due to work and sleep turned around with working overnight, but we did get to share the stations/mass on Friday night.  That was very special as we are newly into Lent!  Today's Gospel builds on upon the homily that Fr Paul S. gave last night at the college - "MORE!"  is what we are asked to do during Lent..."If you are giving up something that is making you angry and lashing out at those around you.  Give it up,now!"  He encouraged us to give more during Lent, and that this is what Lent is all about.  The Gospel today is so beautiful and recently was read at the funeral of a dear friend, who lived and practiced this as his life! - Mt 25: 31-46

New International Version (NIV)

The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

This Gospel truly convicts me to do better with my coporal works of mercy!  As Fr Paul reminded us last night to do MORE!  Who better to think of than Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and also I am thinking about Hallel's order - the Community of the Lamb, and how they are living in the midst of the poor and knocking on their doors representing Christ!  They are bringing the Word to them, and offering them the opportunity to give to them of the little that they have!  There is a wonderful story of two of the Little Sisters knocking on the door of a young woman with gang symbols and a tatoo, which also indicated that she had been in prison.  She was angry that they had come to ask her for food, when she did not even have enough for her children and herself.  So they talked with her and prayed with her, and she told them that she could give them a glass of water.  Little Sister Alma was greatly touched by her giving, and said that this was a great thing to happen in her abiltity to give. 

Lord, help us to get out of our comfort zone not only with giving up this Lent, but going out to love and to serve those that have needs.  May we truly give to them more and more.  Allow us to see you in all that we meet, and to give to them without counting the cost.  Just as Therese made pictures, and wrapped them around a few dollars, which she passed out her window to the poor mute man on the corner, and with her small 3 year old voice said, with genuine care and concern and love; "God, Bless you."  Wow!  ( too read about this on Maria's blog.... I wept for the shere beauty of it!)  It was a true coporal work of Mercy, for her to have a heart to do that... it took time spent in prayer and work to make the gift, and to reach out with her little trusting and loving hand and to place it in his!  May I hold that image in my heart, and carry it forth into my own life!  May I never turn my back nor walk past those in need, but see them as truly being You, Christ!  Jesus, I want to do better!  Jesus, I want to see your face in all!  Jesus, may I do a better job of seeing you in those closest to me in my domestic church - my family.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia

Christ feeding...

Bless-bless, Barb

Quotes of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet especially your family. Be holy – let us pray."

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

"Like Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength."

I never thought of the love and the care of a mother for her child as a corporal work of mercy... but, yes, it is the most beautiful form of loving without counting the cost! 
"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her.


It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed. "  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Lent's graces and gifts

John walked into the house just as I walked out of the bedroom on Friday... sleeping through the day as I was in the midst of working 3 overnights at the nursing home.  How delightful to be greeted by my loving son!  We have grown so close after the last almost 3 years of journey called Cancer/healing!  Then Pat reminded us of the blessing that we are offered on Fridays during lent - stations/mass!  We love to share it with Pat's mom, so the 4 of us shared this wonderful time in our newly rennovated Church!  I was super excited to experience this at our newly beautified church, so I had my camera within easy reach and wanted to share a few of the time.  John got on me a bit about taking them, and not praying to the fullest, but it was so wonderful to be there with him.  Two years ago we had come home from Rochester following John's stem cell transplant... for John to recover from the bomb being dropped on him.  The chemo that wiped out his bone marrow, and then the new seeds were planted - his own stem cells that had been harvested before!  He was known as the "Rock Star" on the transplant floor - as he was young and healthy in every way, and showed how that can be a huge help in his battle and recovery!  We returned home more quickly than many, and he climbed the mountain to his new health and new normal.  He was ready to start college in the fall - only losing a year to fight the good fight!  We shared Lent here, and got used to the idea that John was cancer free and getting back to his new normal! 

John signaling that I should quit with the pictures - this was the 10th station - Jesus is stripped of his garments... the humility station, and where Susan/Hallel sat every morning for her holy hour and mass.  When I asked her why she had chosen that place in the church to sit - "It is the last pew with a kneeler and that way people couldn't see me cry."  She told me.  Coming out of the discernment house and realizing that God wasn't calling her to join the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus was very hard for her.  She felt that He was calling her to join the Community of the Lamb, whom she had met while studying in Rome, but they did not even have a house in the U.S. yet!  Within a month they had come to Kansas City, and she traveled there to help them settle in - for the Euopean sisters, it was their first time here!  She helped them build their chapel, and told her dad and I that she was going to join them in front of Our Lady of Guadelupe!  She needed to know that they would be in the U.S. and just a nice 6 hour trip from home!  How we love to go there and see our family, even though Hallel is now in France, we feel close to her there and are so greatly gifted and given such powerful graces by their lives of prayer and ministry! 

Jesus, I bask in your light remembering all the gifts and graces that you pour upon us.  This special time of Lent, where we are led to a closer and more recollected time spent with you.  We ponder more deeply the things that come between us and find great HOPE in remembering all the ways that you have touched us.  We ponder the fingerprint that shows how you have touched us personally and lovingly!  We are so unworthy of your LOVE and unconditional FORGIVENESS!  We are forever grateful for all the ways that we are filled with your Spirit and bear the fruit to the world around us!  I must go to say goodbye to my son... we will be traveling to Rochester on Thursday for his 3 month checkup - Prayers please!  Jesus, we know that you are in control, and we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

The second reading from mass today - I Peter 3: 18-22

¹⁸ "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ¹⁹ After being made alive,^[a] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— ²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.^[b] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. "

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of these 40 days of Lent - show us how to resist Temptation and turn to YOU!  The Gospel today gives us HOPE - "The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.  He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him."  Mark 1: 12-15

I love you, John! Safe travels to school.

Just a quick reminder that there is another blog that is sharing ideas for lent with your family - http://dosmallthingswithlove.blogspot.com/... Bless-bless

Watching Cow TV

This crazy fun picture was taken last year at this time... the new calf with the bunch of grandkids, Maria and Grandpa in his glory.  We just turned to our camera in the barn and saw on our TV that one of our all time pets - Baby - just had her calf since Pat came in the house about an hour ago.  John is super excited, because Baby has been a special show animal for him over the last almost 10 years probably.  We are excited to hear if it is a heifer or bull - already thinking that Mary might want to show it this summer at the fair.  How fun to have the next generation getting excited about showing those new set of pets that are coming from our herd.  This is what puts a smile on grandpa's face!  He loves his beef animals, and having the babies is what he just couldn't leave behind when he stopped milking cows.  Lord, we put calving in your hands, and aks that all will go well!  Thank you for the nice weather!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless

Smiles at Small Things

This is my 2 year old grandson, David Joseph.  He lives in El Paso, Texas with his parents and older sister, Therese.   I borrowed this cool picture of David - as you can read... Maria left the two a few minutes peacefully brushing their teeth and returned to this - thank goodness he had his rubber boots on!  Of course, grandma had to smile and share!  These little (small) things, that could be an annoyance, should be looked at as funny.  Really small potatoes, to have to dry them off, and maybe find them some dry clothes, or in El Paso maybe just send them out into the warm/hot weather to air dry!  I have had kids and grandkids wet from marching through every mud puddle they can find in the spring...even had them end up in their bare skins in the water tank... life is an adventure and very special - cherish it, and enjoy it, and smile at it!

My two middle daughters have started a blog - http://dosmallthingswithlove.blogspot.com/ , and they made me promise that I wouldn't take from their sharing there... other than to promote it here on mine.  They have both shared now, and they have some wonderful and simple and cheap ideas for Catholic parents.  Maria shared today about a crown of thorns that teaches the kids how to sacrifice, and that the Lord is pleased with this... such a hard lesson to understand ourselves - much less to teach our kids!  We always had a fast meal on Friday nights during lent... the Tomato soup we canned in the fall was our supper or baked potatoes.  That is why this all you can eat fish fry thing leaves me puzzled.  I personally cannot get excited about them, even though I know that it is a fundraiser for a good cause...  I thought that doing without as a family was a very powerful thing, and one that we continue to this day... part of the cement that holds our family firmly together into the domestic Church!  The Church that we formed, and nurtured within our family!

"The Lord vanquished the devil after he fasted for forty days, not that he would have been unable to conquer him before fasting, but that he might show us that we can be victorious over the devil when, by fasting for forty days, we have been victorious over fleshly desires."  St Maximus of Turin

The Gospel for today is the calling of St Matthew - Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners."  Lord, I admit that I am far from having it all figured out!  I need you and desire you to show me the ways that I am sick and need to heal!  I know I am weak, and do a poor job of following after you carrying my cross - the Tree of Life!  I whine, and complain, and do not smile at the small things that come my way... Help me to get past myself, and look at all the beauty of your world with resurrection eyes.

Help me to see you in all that I meet, and live with, and work with.  Allow we to willingly share in your suffering, and know that it is showing me how to LOVE!  "This is how one loves." That means the death on the cross!  Show me your Way, your Truth and your Life!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

"Incline your ear, O Lord, answer me,

for I am afflicted and poor.

Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;

save your servant who trust in you. 

You are my God.

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Have mercy on me, O Lord,

for to you I call all the day.

Gladden the soul of your servant,

for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,

abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.

Hearken,O Lord,to my prayer

and attend to the sound of my pleading.

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." 

Psalm 86 from mass today... I want to know your Truth in my life, and smile at your face in all I see! 

Kneeling in your presence...

I borrowed this picture from Nancy's blog today of Augustine taking in the wonder of te world outside his window - they live on a very quiet street, but the world outside is a thing of delight for him - the light, the trees, the rare car, the squirrel, the dog, just the whitness of the new day... it is such a lesson on us taking the time to appreciate what comes to us with each new day!  To look past the annoyances of life and focus on the goodness we can discover, if we look hard enough!  To approach life with a smile on our faces and not a frown - would make those that encounter us - smile back, and thus it begins as we soften their hearts and in turn our hearts.  Lord, help us to follow afer you with LOVE and appreciation of the LIFE we are given to cherish and protect! 

Nancy and, at some point, Maria are starting a wonderful blog called Small things - here is the link - http://dosmallthingswithlove.blogspot.com/search/label/Faith   I would highly suggest that you check it out... they will be sharing from a young Catholic wife and mother perspective and have already shared from the heart - I am loving it!  How wonderful to glimpse into their heart for their husband and children, but most of all for their Savior, Jesus Christ and his Bride, The Church!  I am so filled with gratitude and JOY!

Thank you Jesus, for the wonder of putting you in the center of our lives.  If Christ is first all the rest will fall into place - not only that but we will form a little slice of heaven within our domestic church - our families!  We are greatly touched by your endless LOVE for us and the LIFE of following you fills us with wonder and awe!  We love that quiet and peaceful holy place in our souls where we can come to kneel in your presence - Come Holy Spirit continually reveal to us the Truth, the Way and the Life!  May we gain strength and courage to face all that is hard and face it with a smile - seeing the good! Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

"A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn."  Psalm 51: 19b