Preaching is important in sharing the Truth!

The truth is that these calves were taken off their mother cows yesterday, and they are calling loudly for them to come so they can nurse some of their wonderful milk!  It is very loud out there and this will continue for about a week.  They might have had a few more weeks with their mothers if we had gotten some rain these last couple months and the grass had grown, but the pastures are brown and the creeks are drying up, so Pat says the cows decrease the energy they need by about half now that they aren't producing milk for their calves.  The cows are as upset about it as the calves at this point, but it does seem that they settle down and get busy eating grass and soon forget about their calf, and they are already pregnant with the one that will be born this winter.  This is how they pay for themselves on the farm, and you cannot allow your own feelings to enter in.  After all they are not human and are animals put in our care to feed the world! 

Pat says that this is the best looking bunch he has weaned ever, and he is very excited about that! 
There was much I wanted to share about this morning - it is now nearing 5p and I was swept away by the huge job of canning 80+ quarts of tomato soup!  I am sure that there will be a sigh of relief to get the shortened version...  I loved the Gospel today - Jesus started with healing Simon's Mother-in-law and then he goes outside and heals people left and right!  Of course when he tries to leave they want to keep him there, but he tells them that he needs to help other places too.  We must share the work He does in our lives - the Truth we have found through his many blessings and graces.  We can't just keep him to ourselves!   I am criticized by some for writing in here so long and so hard - daily or twice a day... yet I feel that here I can preach the Truth I have found.  Sometimes it seems that I use those in my family to share their stories, but they are part of me and through them I am learning and growing in Jesus, and His Bride, The Church!  I am not out on the street corner preaching, but I am without hesitation and openly sharing the Truth!  "Preaching is truly necessary, for without it the glory of heaven would never be realized...For this reason St Paul said:  'For you were once darkness, and now you are the light in the Lord' (Eph 5:8); in fact, in former times deprived of the light while preaching diffuses , people lived in the darkness of ignorance... people have received by preaching the light which illuminates them.  To illuminate the world is then the duty or preachers."  Blessed Humbert of Romans (1277)

We filled this large container up twice - 80+ quarts!  Very tired, yet such a good feeling of accomplishment!
Jesus, we have heard it said that we need to show our faith by example and that we should evangelize and only when necessary use words!  Yet, there is so much falsehood that is shared and believed that we need to also speak the Truth without hesitation or fear!  May we never tire of sharing loudly your Truth and all the healings we have received at your hand.  We long to share all your miracles constantly with anyone who will listen to us - we see and praise you for the miracles of John and Patrick with each new day we are given and watch them stride into their lives - They have your fingerprint/hand upon them and they are born anew!  How we long to have the Truth be known and the LIGHT to fill this world and keep away the darkness of sin and death.  Jesus, we trust in YOU, and praise you.  Amen and Hallelujah! 

Bless-bless, Barb
Who says men don't work in the kitchen?  At one point it was me with my two men, while Ruth rested with little Rose. 
"I trust in the mercy of God for ever."  Psalm 52
"we have heard of your faith in Jesus Christ and that love that you have for all the Holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven.  Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the Gospel, that has come to you.  Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing also among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of Truth..."  Colossians 1- the first reading from mass today and read throughout the world! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCfyZHSQbE&list=TLm6T598Xa5aU  Francesca Battistelli  Beautiful Beautiful

Bright flower of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!

Stopped at Ruth's for a short time - grandpa went in the house and came out with colorful Rose.  Sitting on her blanket on the steps by the colorful flowers her mom grows - it is just a masterpiece of a beautiful Rose.  It is good to have time spent with grandkids so close by.  Tomorrow will be another huge canning day, and once again I am so grateful that Ruth lives just 3 miles away and we can work together to put up our pails of tomatoes.  This year the apples aren't there for us, and that is a big loss!  Time to rest up for our big day tomorrow... putting up food for 6 families- my parents, us, my 3 married daughters and their families, and the Community of the Lamb in KC!   Pat loves to be able to share our good food/hard work with those that we love and care for in our Family/Faith/Farm!  It is a very good thing to be able to share!  Jesus, we thank you for all the bounty of harvest we receive from our gardens - we can water those!  Please end this drought, Lord, and send rain!  It is very good to share food with our loved ones.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Bless-bless, Barb

Canning last week at Ruth's - tomorrow might happen here.  On the menu for tomorrow - tomato soup with butter and brown sugar along with carrots, onions and celery and pails and pails of tomatoes!  So gOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Calming the storm within - "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Luke 4

It was a beautiful peaceful evening to watch the cows and calves out grazing at sunset.  John and I just were sharing morning prayer/office as he struggled with head allergies - we joked that with his recent ear infections, sinus infections and now allergies preceded , of course, by his battle with brain cancer - that he suffers from his neck up!  It seems that this is his area of illness and healing.  It was quite  crazy when we went though similar journey with Patrick when he was without oxygen for 20 minutes at birth - his MRI at just days old and prayers for his brain were too similar and the healing he received was also so amazing and we rejoiced to the highest  heavens!  We also talked with great JOY and excitement about all the offers that are coming to John to share his message of finding Faith/healing!  Just as we were praying together another call came to him for him to speak to young people.  We were reminded of Pope Francis telling the Youth at World Youth Day - "Be LOUD!  Be joyful witnesses of his love, courageous witnesses of his Gospel, carrying to this world a ray of his LIGHT."  This was magnified by sharing the 30th Psalm - "So I will not be silent; I will sing praise to YOU.  Lord, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever."  Ps 30:12  What just blew us away, as we read this sharing evening prayer on our way together to a speaking engagement - the verses preceding this share about how he was spared from death so that he can share the message of healing and the power of God!  "I called to you, Lord; I begged for your help: 'What will you gain from my death?  What profit from my going to the grave?  Are dead people able to praise you?  Can they proclaim your unfailing goodness?  Hear me, Lord, and be merciful!  Help me, Lord."  Psalm 30: 8-10  I think that you can see how powerful this was to hear - as words that truly passed between God and John in his spiritual battle to find LIFE/Faith/Truth!  The bigger battle for John - the spiritual one-  and what brought all of this about was his half-heartedly asking for Faith!  Today in the Gospel we are also shown a picture of Jesus calming the storm within - driving a demon out of a man!  Jesus is in control of all in our lives inside and out, above the neck and below!

On this feast of St Gregory the Great we are reminded in the first reading that we are "children of the LIGHT and children of the day!"  Plans are underway in our family with great planning and anticipation for our gathering in Kansas City in a week and a half for the dedication of the Little Monastery of the Community of the Lamb on the weekend of The Exultation of the Cross and the Sorrowful Heart of Mary - Sept 14-15th.  The Little Sisters and Brothers there share some beautiful stories from their poor neighborhood finding a safe haven in the midst of the darkness that dwelt there before their arrival about 5 years ago now.  One man shared that he always carried a knife with him as he walked there, but now he has found a sense of safety by the LIGHTHOUSE on the hill - first they lived in a large Belgian rectory still standing after the Church had burnt down.  After years of fund raising they have now built their little monastery on the site, and the neighborhood has rejoiced and taken great pride and a sense of HOPE in their putting down roots in their midst!  The name of their home - Lumen Christi - LIGHT of Christ!  Truly a light in the midst of not only a poor neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, but also in the heart of our country!  Our country with the battle we have with the darkness/sin to our very soul!  "As we just arrived in our new country where everything was a discovery, we received in our hearts this somehow crazy call: to build again a monastery, there, in the heart of this neighborhood!  You know what followed!  You, in so many different ways, have shared this adventure: the construction, on this once consecrated land, a new monastery, Lumen Christi, the Light of Christ... It will be inaugurated on the 14th of Sept.  This day, the Lord's Cross of Light will be exalted on all the earth.  We invite you with great JOY to this HISTORICAL event which won't make newspaper headlines!"
http://www.communityofthelambusa.org/monastery_progress.html  If you wish to see this LIGHTHOUSE on the hill - Kansas City, we have discovered through our visits there, is very hilly!

Lord, what peace floods us knowing that you are alive and well and at work in this world!  Your beautiful LIGHT greets us with each new day, and we are lulled into our peaceful sleep at night after watching the beauty of the sunset.  We are filled with wonder and awe at the beauty of your Truth revealed to us through each day that we journey in your Church!  Endless blessings and graces surround us as we are healed inside and out knowing that you are in control and calming the storm with great "authority and power!"   There is such a powerful and amazing picture imagining the man you healed of a demon today in the Gospel... how healed of mind and spirit that he went forth to share LOUD and wide what you have done for him.  No longer is the darkness of sin and death lying to him, and he can see clearly with the LIGHT that has taken the place of the darkness!  He can say with great conviction - that he is not of the night or of the darkness... we are reminded that we are to stay awake and to not to sleep, but to stay alert and sober.  "For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether awake or asleep we may live together with him."  I Thessalonians 5:9-11 The powerful first reading from mass today - read and shared Truth throughout the Catholic world today!  We find peace in trusting in the great leaders of our Church - Pope St Gregory the Great,  pray for us this day, and we are blessed by the wisdom of your writings still with us the guide us.   May we always look to you from our weakness - knowing that you are in control always calming the storms inside and out!  Jesus, we are yours and we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barb
"We beg you: pray, pray, pray for us!  We truly entrust to your prayer our desire to see the Little Monastery become a fire of fraternal love, consuming itself in prayer and offering and our desire renewed  in our mission vocation to 'go!', to leave the little monastery, poor, begging the bread of the day, going from door to door announcing the Kingdom is at hand, of Christ our King meek and humble of heart."  ending from the invitation to the dedication of the Little Monastery in Kansas City, Kansas - Sept 14, 2013!

Psalm 27 from mass today
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom shall I be afraid?  I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living."

Lord, we put Ruth and her baby in the palm of your hand for the next two months. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDftVG6AHWo  Danielle Rose singing Give and Take
This was the first song we heard her sing at NCYC about 10 years ago!  We fell in love with her Catholic spirituality that comes to us from her music and journey!

It will soon be very loud and not peaceful around here as John, Pat and Paul are out taking the calves off the cows... weaning day!

A wonderful labor day sunset... cows, campfire, family sharing food outside on a glorious evening

The cows and calves get a final evening together to graze down the grass in the pasture in the between the house and the barn.  Tomorrow they will be weaned off the cows and the loud mooing will fill the air.  Tonight the air was cool and fresh as we gathered around the campfire as the sun was setting. 

Rose is safe in the empty water tank with the cows close by.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Bless-bless, Barb

Ruth made some fresh applesauce tonight - we don't have apples this year, so this is sure a treat.  She had to use apples that we would have thrown out to the cows most years.  It was a wonderful treat for us to have with our farm dinner tonight. 

 

Blind trust in Jesus... 5th day of Novena of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Rose ponders her Jesus with the little lamb - the Good Shepherd!

"Love Him trustfully without looking back, without fear. Give yourself fully to Jesus. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your weakness. Believe in Him, trust in Him with blind and absolute confidence because He is Jesus."...
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Able to share morning prayer with John on this Labor day 2013...  So exciting and uplifting to share with him how the Lord is at work in his LIFE- opening doors for him to share his story of healing and finding the Faith that he had asked for.  He will speak at the Senior High Youth Rally here in our diocese to hundreds of youth!  He is signing up to work TEC retreats and to share his burning desire to help others find the Faith for the Truth!  How we struggled with the fear of the storm around us as we battled his brain cancer 4 years ago!  Yet, we learned from the first day on that Jesus is in control in the midst of the storm -Mark 4:39^" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm."  And once again when the cancer had grown back through two types of chemo and we were terrified of the new storm all around us - Bishop LeVoir wrote us on caringbridge - Do not give in to fear but at all times repeat these words - "Jesus, I trust in YOU."  St Faustina   Once again the calm was around us as we "blindly trusted in Jesus."  As Blessed Teresa reminds us today - "trust in Him with blind and absolute confidence because he is Jesus."

With the dying corn in the background - Rose waters the birds/flowers in my Mary garden.

Just back from helping Pat feed creep feed out in the pasture with the new tractor.  There is a "small" seat in there for someone to ride along - I felt very big in it, yet it was nice to go along and have a chance to share how great it was to share the morning Lauds office with John and share in his excitement in starting working towards a job and also the opportunities to share his story!  It is becoming quite clear why John has so much wanted to stay here in our area- he has many that know him and his miraculous story, and want him to come and share it far and wide.  From those ripples will spread out further and truly touch young and old!  John is finding the effects of trusting with blind Faith in Jesus... following HIM to the seminary last year and now into the world to work and share the Truth!  He says that going back to seminary would have been easier this year, but that he did discern out for now and the he knows that work is part of it - yet the burning in his heart is to share loudly his story!  Today - Labor Day 2013 - the Gospel is where Jesus shares what He came to accomplish in his hometown...  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."  Luke 4

 "Jesus never changes... Trust Him lovingly, trust Him with a big smile, always believing He is the way to the Father. He is the light in this world of darkness."  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

In the Gospel today Jesus finds a wall to prevent Him from being revealed that He is truly the Son of God...  I hope and pray that it works for John's benefit and not against it - that he is recognized well in this area as one that looked death in the eye and was healed in order to be LOUD in the Lord!  Lord, hear our prayer!

Jesus, we know that YOU are in control of our lives.  We see you at work and we totally attempt every day in every minute to give you the Blind Trust YOU deserve and need to allow the Spirit to work within us!  In this way You are able to work within first of all our inner circle - domestic Church/family.  It is there that we find ourselves most tested and most difficult to LOVE without counting the cost.  The interruptions of the day constantly call us to die to self and give lovingly and mercifully as YOU have shown us in our lives.  You remind us in the first reading today that we need not fear death, if we follow YOU down our narrow path carrying our Most Cherished Cross - although it is painful and through it we find death to self - that it how we come to LIFE eternal!  "we shall always be with the Lord."  I Thessalonians 4:13-18  Yes, Lord, we see with eyes of Faith all that you have done in our lives although we are unworthy... Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barb

"In all sincerity we must be able to look up and say 'I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.' Because of this assertion of St Paul, you must have a certain confidence in doing your work--or rather God's work--well, efficiently, even perfectly, with Jesus and for Jesus. Be also convinced that you by yourself can do nothing, have nothing but sin, weakness, and misery; that all the gifts of nature and grace which you have, you have them from God."  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta - she certainly knew all about work and doing good work - She can intercede for us on this Labor Day!

Out watching the gate for a short time - got a good look at how much the calves have grown on momma's milk over the last 6 months - tomorrow they will be crying for their mommas as they are being weaned due to the dryness and lack of grass in the pastures.  There will be a lot of bawling calves crying tomorrow and for the next week to come.  They start to lose their voice they cry so much!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw  Casting Crowns - Praise YOU in the Storm

 

 

 

 

 

The cow goes mooooooooo - Faith shared with JOY from one generation to the next!

Yesterday Rose walked in the door with one toy - a cow that you push a spot on its belly and it does quite an elaborate moo-moo and then a few more moos.  Heading out to church this morning Pat asked about her bringing her blanket or bottle - "no."  Then she had her cow and grandpa said that she could bring it along.  We sat in the back of church close to great grandma in the handicapped section, but we didn't need to for having a 16 month old along - Happy 16 month birthday today Rose Ida!  Rose was so good throughout the entire mass.  We joked with Fr Paul that if his homily got too long that he might hear Rose's cow mooing.  She played quietly with it and grandma's rosary and only pushed the moo button at the last hymn!   She is a delight for a couple of old grandparents to have for the weekend.  She seems to be so content here with us and enjoys being the center of attention a whole lot!  We find her presence a great blessing to us!  I just got a call from El Paso - Maria - asking about an explanation of Rose's face - well she has fallen twice and landed on her face - both times steps - at home and on the new tractor yesterday.  She forgets about it right away so it looks worse than it is thank goodness.  Now you know...

Bathed in the LIGHT! 

We are so blessed also to have always worshiped together as a family.  A lot of the reason that Rose is so good in Church is because this is a very happy and familiar place for her.  Every Sunday - usually with grandpa and grandma either in the same pew or one close by - we worship as a extended family of 4 generations together!  Since Pat's mom broke her hip we have picked her up and had the great JOY of sharing mass with her! 

She knows her great grandma and associates her as part of our family of worship!  Such a powerful witness of Faith being passed on from one generation to the next... the values and morals that come with our Catholic Faith are also passed on by parents to children - grandparents and great-grandparents are important sharers of the Faith/Truth too!  I think that the JOYFUL piece of sharing our Faith is what makes it so attractive and desired by our children.  Pat always strived for us to attend Church as a family unit even when we had new babies just a few days old!  People would be amazed that we would be at early mass with 4 girls with ribbons in their hair - "and then they came in with that blue bundle - then they had that boy!"   I think that there was a audible cheer and sigh of relief when we walked into Church those first few weeks with John!  How I prayed that I would have another child after John - I had 3 pregnancies - losing 2 boys after carrying them 5 months each!  So many think that we quit after we had our boy - no we have 3 in heaven, and we were open to LIFE until the end of my fertility/pregnancies!  Our amazing wise Church asks us to be open to LIFE as it is the greatest of gifts!  It is such a special sight to watch both Pat and Rose aglow and enjoying their time together sharing LOVE this weekend!

How grandpa loves to have a little one to share LIFE with, and her cow is a great JOY to him too!

Jesus, we are so blessed with each one of our children/grandchildren - the ones here on this earth with us as well as those that are in Heaven.  They pray for us, allow us to keep our eyes focused on heaven, and keep us on the straight and narrow carrying our Most Cherished Cross - knowing that they are watching our limping through LIFE!  We are humbled knowing how weak and sinful we are in our feeble efforts to be good and follow your example.  We are given strength knowing that when we strive for holiness we begin to live the life of heaven here on earth.  We can say that this morning at your Mass in which YOU fed us your Body and Blood in the Eucharist - we experienced a small slice of Heaven here on earth.  To share it with both Pat's mom - soon to be 94 - our sweet little Rose Ida who is 16 months today... we are reminded of your ongoing work of LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE that fills this world with your Truth!  May we ever strive to follow YOU and your Bride, The Church, knowing that this is the Way, the Truth and the LIFE and is the only path to True Happiness.  This day may we show Mercy to those in our domestic Church/family in accordance with the Mercy/unconditional LOVE that you have shown us.  Every time we fall and sin - you are there to forgive and forget.  May we do likewise with those that are the closest to us and that we are to love the most - yet we hurt the most - Why?  May we see your face in all those around us this day, O Lord!  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barb

"Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race.  He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them."  Rev 21:3

"May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith."  Eph 3:17

Not quite ready to give the big hug that big brother David gives to Father after mass... David will have to give her some lessons in running up to Father and leaping into his arms and giving him a big huge hug!  David loves his priests! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln0T26aTXJE  Casting Crowns - Until the Whole World hears

Moments before the fall - putting rocks from the gravel into the new tractor cab...