"Don't be afraid to be Saints" Blessed John Paul II

Carry our own Cross... Jesus to us today in Luke 14

Luke pondering his first snow at 4 days old!   Grandma got to go over and see him after helping grandpa outside with the cows -

Sunrise on white snow is so beautiful and the black cows add to the prettiness.  It has been a busy and good morning so far with time outside enjoying a stunningly beautiful sight for these old eyes.  Then some cuddle time over at Ruth's with my new precious grandson, Luke!  He is being so good for Ruth.  She is getting some good night's sleep with his 4 hours of sleep and eating and back for another 4 hours! 

He was peacefully awake when grandma was there, and got some pictures of him in front of the snowy view by the windows...  It truly is a white beautiful winter wonderland out there today. 

The Magnificat speaks to the command Jesus has for us today that we carry our own Cross and come after him - the way to Discipleship!  "Our Cross is the way we live out our deepest union with the Father's will.  It guarantees our ability to carry out his will without making idols of other relationships in our life.  Through the love that we manifest through the embrace of the Cross, love becomes 'the fulfillment of the law.' "see www.magnificat.com

There must be a very fine line as a mom between loving as we are called to or making idols of other relationships.  I think that the piece that makes it proper and good is that selflessness that we are called to as we love and serve those in our family/domestic Church.  I call my husband - my Most Cherished Cross as loving and serving him is truly dying to self.  He is my head, and I am to be submissive to him and see him as the head of our family.  He is very wise and the Spirit has truly worked and spoken through him.  The wisdom of his "The world needs LIGHTS" is now carrying forth into the next generation as our 3 married daughters are open to LIFE and raising their children in The Church as LIGHTS for the world!  Ruth was just commenting lovingly last evening as her dad sat and held her new son - "Dad sure loves babies!"  So true!

Luke in an arrangement in their window looking out on the snowy red barn - on it reads Welcome Luke Paul!.  The fall leaves are still on the railing as it was fall yesterday morning and by afternoon winter hit!  We have close to a foot of snow - Pat is saying 10 inches this morning! 

Ruth is aglow this morning with her wonderful son, and a good nights' sleep.  She was bustling in the kitchen this morning making some apple cake with kids helping out and all grandma had to do was hold her precious little new grandson - so peaceful and cuddly! 

Jesus, a child takes so much of our time and energy and could be considered by some a cross, yet it is so wonderful to share the wonder and JOY of this new little LIGHT.  The entry of a new member to the family makes our LOVE grow larger and larger - it doesn't stretch our LOVE more thin!  There is so much activity and noise and excitement that is happening around little Luke and he just sleeps and peacefully opens his eyes to take in his world.  Inside his mommy's safe and strong womb he listened to the now familiar noises and sounds of his wonderful family!  Pat has been saying that he feels that the 5th child is always calm and good - the parents are relaxed and the baby picks up on that  - always room for one more! 

Jesus, we are aglow in the warmth of a new LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE that has come to join us, and now we await the arrival of our new little one in Nancy's womb!  How we LOVE LIFE and rejoice and lift in prayer each new one!  Jesus, may we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE - Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

"Christ intends no man ever to carry the cross alone.  We cannot remind ourselves too often that our life in the Risen Christ is an interchange between us of his love.  In the power of his love in ourselves, we give to him in our neighbor... But we cannot make an end of Christ's suffering, for as long as the world goes on, the Passion of Christ  will go on in his members; and he will ask, not for his suffering to be mitigated, but for sympathy.  In Gethsemane Christ tried to awaken his Apostles, not because they could take away his agony, but because they could give him their compassion."  Caryll Houselander (1954)

Snow is work but so pretty!

Third Day - Cry out to Jesus

An inch or two????!!!!

The men have been farming frantically around the clock since Sunday with the thought that we would get a few inches of snow today.  Well, around 2p the sky opened up and the snow poured down in huge clumps and piled and piled and piled up!  So pretty and a lot!  We have gotten all done too!  The bales are all picked up and stacked in the yard - 400 corn stalk bales in a mountain!   All the tillage is done just minutes before the snow started and with the tractor running all night!  There is close to a foot of snow out there, and Rose and I had to go out and check it out.  She thought that it was pretty fun, and fell just once.

Sparkly Rose with the snowflakes shimmering all around him with the dazzling smile going with it!  A really glittering picture of sweetness! 

Fluffy white stuff - so beautiful!  Suddenly it is winter!  But next week we all expect for Indian summer to return right?  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Luke I thought you were born in Fall, but just 3 days from winter?   Time will tell, but it sure seems like it at this point. 

Winter wonderland!  Rose looks at a new and white world!

Snow plow - no!  But they were out already so we could get down the road to Ruth and Paul's for supper!

A nice flower arrangement that came to the door just as the snow was starting to come down!  Welcome little Luke from Farm Bureau!

 We had a Thanksgiving supper - Turkey and all the fixings - we are thankful for the harvest and for our new little member Luke Paul!  Thank you, Lord!

God invites us to the Great Dinner!

I shared this picture taken Sunday morning in Church clothes after sharing 8a mass together - minus Ruth and Luke...There were those that commented on how glowing Ruth is, and I love all the peaceful faces and touches of the other kids as they gather around Ruth and new Luke!  One of Paul's friends wrote this - I'd call this pic "Extremely blessed!"  Pondering that as I crawled from my warm bed this morning I recall that we ran into a good friend/Eucharistic minister leaving the hospital just as we were arriving.  He commented that he had just taken Eucharist to Ruth and how little Luke certainly was a beautiful boy with lots of dark hair.  I love to think that it is Christ that is glowing through and in Ruth and Simon and Paul - the 3 that have just received Christ in his Body and Blood!  I truly do believe that our families reflect HIS LIGHT, and the glow in Ruth and the "blessed" appearance of their growing family is due to our receiving HIM each week and our accepting his invitation to the Great Dinner of Heaven and Earth with great JOY and excitement -  knowing that He will come and dwell within us and give us a small slice of Heaven here on earth - The Kingdom of Heaven here on earth!

I just had a wonderful time over with Ruth and her 3 youngest - we shared the special occasion of Luke's first bath at home! 

Luke loved the warm water on his head and hair, and little Rose sure was interested as she stood on a chair to watch.  It reminded me of baptizing little Patrick in NICU just a little over a year ago!  This verse from the first reading in Romans this morning - Roman 12...  "Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold onto what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.  Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in HOPE, endure in affliction, persevere in Prayer."  The final verse covered the journey called Patrick born dead and brought back to LIFE!  It is great fun to read the verses ahead of it because they are great too!  One of the powerful ways that Jesus and His Bride, The Church, helps us persevere in affliction is to invite us daily/weekly to the Great Dinner/Eucharist!  We are invited to come and "taste" the great dinner and be fed with the finest Food of Heaven and Earth!

David and Ruth getting Luke lotioned and dressed by the wings of the Cross!

Jesus, there is so much filling our world with LIGHT this day!  Although the skies are dark and snow is on the way... we are basking in your Sonlight all around us and within us as we are fed by LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT at your table.  We look around at the great banquet and see all those Angels worshiping YOU, the Saints made more perfectly in your image of LIGHT, and all those of us that recognize your Truth in The Church and her gift to us of your Banquet of LIFE!  The LIGHT is great and radiant and a sight of great Beauty and those that See YOU in us say that we are radiant and glowing!  May we reveal all that is Truth - Christ to the world around us and may LIGHT overtake the lies of darkness and sin and death.  We long to love and serve YOU in all that we do this day within our domestic Church/family.  Jesus, may we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE - Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

"Through a virgin, you have brought forth a new birth in our world; through your miracles, a new power; through your suffering , a new patience; through your resurrection, a new hope, and in your ascension, new majesty."  Psalm prayer from Lauds yesterday!

Danielle Rose singing See you in the Eucharist - a song about how we are united with our loved ones that are far away - like a little sister in France.  Explaining that when we are all at the Great Dinner - we are united there with all the Angels, Saints, and those that are partaking no matter where they are in the world.  I always think of my Hallel at mass and know that we are united there!

Yes, I have a sweet angel named Rose here with me today!  She makes grandma smile!

A Mother's Song - The Crucifixion - Danielle Rose writes all her music in front of Jesus in the monstrance in Adoration!

"Love has made you a Christian

and you are a Christian for LOVE.

Nothing else made you a Christian

and you were made a Christian for no other reason...

Love is our becoming eternal LIFE.

One act of LOVE is one immediate resurrection...

You win love by desiring it, asking for it,

receiving it, and passing it on.

We don't learn LOVE, we get to know it little by little

as we get to know Christ.

Faith in Christ makes us capable of LOVE;

the life of Christ reveals to us what LOVE is;

the LIFE of Christ shows us how to desire LOVE and how to receive LOVE.

The Spirit of Christ makes us alive with LOVE,

active with LOVE,

fruitful with LOVE. 

Everything can be of service to LOVE

but without it everything is barren -

first and foremost ourselves." 

Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel (1964)

 

400 bales picked up...

The cows and calves will be bedded well this winter - 400 bales spread with a fork one by one by my husband and son in law for their cows as they have their calves, and then for those babies in this cold land with months of winter weather.

It was a long day and now to bed...  Hope to have some time to hold my new grandson tomorrow - that will help Ruth right?  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

The cows were mooing along the fence while I was out there this afternoon.  I think they were saying "feed me" but a bit longer out on stalks girls! 

Doing well - poverty

Took Rose's pictures out and put in Luke's... it is surprising how much they look alike with all the dark hair - secretly I am calling them Verlys and find great delight in little ones that remind me so much of my own!  The feelings of thanksgiving and gratitude just are welling up in me every time I look at Ruth and Paul and their beautiful family - now graced and blessed beyond measure by 3 miracle babies!  These verses are also so wonderful to gaze upon daily!  This has been in Ruth's kitchen for the last 18 months - since the birth of Rose, and now it holds her family with the addition of beautiful precious gift-from-God, Luke Paul!  Truly - "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made him their hope and confidence!"  Jeremiah 17:7  That is a perfect verse for Ruth and Paul in trusting in HIM to have 3 more amazing children since Ruth was told no more!

Such a wonderful special little boy he is!  He was peaceful and wide awake this morning with Rose and David on the floor with them.  Rose seemed very accepting and natural with him, and smiled and watched mommy get him changed and dressed...

How he loves his mommy!  Rose is very calm and watching mom with her new little brother.   Rose is so lucky to have him with her for this journey called LIFE.  Someone else to think about and to love... removing her from a self-centered life and world that revolves around her.  She will learn to love and care for others as he circle of LOVE grows larger and larger!  Ruth said that she walked into the bedroom this morning and looked in the bassinette and sweetly said "baby!"  Today in the Gospel Jesus speaks to us about inviting the poor into our homes and lives and occasions - someone who cannot reciprocate for what we do for them.  Out of LOVE in families there is so much back and forth with caring for one another that no one has a pad in hand and keeps track of who owes whom... we just do it out of LOVE! 

Rose watching mom care with great love for her new little brother - a lesson in giving without counting the cost! 

There was some amazing thoughts shared this morning about poverty!  "Poverty is born from the discovery that I am Another's: I exist because I am loved in an individual way by Another.... I am the work of Another, nothing is mine, because everything is given to me by HIM."  Wow!  That really made the whole picture of embracing our Most Cherished Cross and giving without counting the cost make total sense, and in a way it was good to know that we are all called to poverty and are in fact poor because without HIM we do not truly exist in the LIGHT!  How I sense this this day of working with my husband helping with bales - I am called to serve without counting any personal cost.  When we do this there is peace and harmony in our worlds! 

 Jesus, may we embrace our poverty and find as you promised the poor in spirit in the Beatitudes - inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.  That is all we want to gain from this life carrying/embracing our Most Cherished Cross and following your example of giving without counting the cost!  "Poverty cannot exist unless it is fed by hope, that is to say, by the certainty that we have been given what really counts in life and that no one can take that away from us....  Poverty is freedom from things, and awareness that it is God who fulfills our desires."  Bishop Camisasca, founder of the Priestly Fraternity of St Charles Borromeo... Today on your Feast St Charles, Pray for us and intercede for us on our narrow path as we pass through the narrow gate in the shape of the Cross.  Thank you for the Gift of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT that fills our world with all that is good and is a small piece of heaven here on earth.  Jesus, we love you and trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke with my precious little Luke Paul!

"For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?  Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?"  Romans 11  The first reading from mass today - St Paul, here is a little namesake for you, and you rock my world as you will his! 

Grandpa Pat - listening to the Holy Spirit - "The world needs LIGHTS!" has been a huge blessing to our family now into the second generation!

Jesus of Nazareth - the Beatitudes

God is by Danielle Rose

 

Caring for their new brother!

Circle of Friends by Avalon

A great one from Nancy's camera!