Still Christmas till the 9th!/"...this is the promise that he made us: eternal life."/Grandma does her part with the new project- +JMJ+

Jude and Birdie go up to visit the stable after New Year's Mass - the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God yesterday morning.  We shared mass with the 15 that live here in Marshall - soon to be 16 when our new grandchild arrives soon.

The 100 year old Nativity that has been adored by our kids and now grandkids over the 44 years of our marriage and the formation of our Domestic Church/family.

Tom's second Christmas - last year he was only a month old and this year he is now 13 months and such a loving and happy gift to our family!  

Birdie is now 2 1/2 and soon to be a big sister.  The poinsettias are so beautiful this year - it looks like a heavenly vision of Christmas which lasts until January 9th as Father Tony said - "Don't throw your Christmas tree out the front door yet."   How we are blessed by The Christmas Season and not just the day come and gone with too much food and too much stuff to add to all that we are already overwhelmed!  

Walking up the aisle on Friday to pray for Fr Denny alone in The Church - I was stunned by the great beauty of it all!  How we adore our Lord and Lady!  Each day gives us more than we can ever appreciate or understand other than that we are so loved and blessed by our glorious amazing Catholic Church!

Our Savior on the Cross above the infant in the manger which speaks so clearly that All life is to be protected and cherished from conception to natural death!  

Too much beauty and Truth!  

The kids noticed the cow!  

New Year's Eve with youngest, John Patrick, and his family - soon to grow by one!  

8a Mass on New Year's Day - the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God!  Paul reading, Simon cantoring, and Mary and Rose serving.  

On this day in 20004 we took Maria to join The Poor Clares in Sauk Rapids!  She discerned for 5 months and then the Holy Spirit told her "no".  She is now a military wife to Major Joseph and they have 7 children!  His plans are mysterious, but I wanted all my children to consider a call to religious life as it is amazing to be His Spouse alone!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Now the stories of John's 4 sisters...Ruth, Nancy, Maria, and Susan/Little Sister Hallel! 

Our 3 men Eucharistic Ministers - Pat, Paul and John. 

Mary showing Rose the ropes as this was only her 2nd time serving.

"Follow me."

Good Job Rose Again!  

Family brunch after sharing mass.  Since it was New Years Day kids wine was appropriate and Tom couldn't wait!  

It is a special day, Tom!  May 2023 be filled with good health and happiness and a good year on the farm and also with the huge project on "the apartments in town across from our beloved Church."

Grandpa pouring the "kid's wine" around the table to toast in the New Year with doughnuts, eggs and fruit parfait.  How we love our celebratory brunch after sharing mass as a family!  

Ruth and Paul spent New Year's Eve - "out with the old and in with the new."  working on the apartment.  

Fr Tony shared that he was alone in the Church adoring The Christ child from 10:30p till midnight.  Paul apologized for the noise they made putting plaster and all in the dumpster till midnight.  "Keep it going, keep it going." he responded as we are all happy to have this slummy building made nice an livable again.  Thanks, Ruth and Paul for your vision and your hard work to back it up!  

The 3rd floor will be a huge spacious one bedroom apartment and will be so much better than it was.  I guess the guys living there had all kinds of bad words on the walls and went straight to jail as they were dealing drugs!  So wonderful will this change be!  

LOVE this baby and Holy Mother of God!  Precious!  

Tom thought that this was a picture of him, but it is of his brother David, who is now 14!  

Tom looks so much like his big brothers, Simon and David!  But he is his own boy and so sweet and happy!  

Tom and grandma with his first water color lesson - he took the entire cup and water and tried to drink it and dumped it all down his front and in his lap.  Grandma got to change him soon after, but he was still a happy boy!  

My part of this huge undertaking is to watch the little kids - today I have the 3 younger ones, Luke age 9, Joy age 5, and Tom age 1.  Tomorrow the two older ones are supposed to be in school, but a lot of snow is coming starting soon, and it might be another snow day.  I am sure that the family will still be working on the house, so somehow they will get here.

Joy's art work is special - a combined effort of Joy with Tom and fuzzy kitten and their dog, Teddy, along with a cow and a special tree the Joy drew and painted.  The sun and the clouds were also Joy's hand.  LOVE it!  

A drawing with markers by Joy alone!  So good!  

Such wonderful readings today for the Feast of St Basil and Gregory from I John 2, and John 1.  I especially loved to read St John's words to us - Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. 

If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.  I John 2

A present for mom - a picture with John by their pretty tree with his kitty Christmas shirt!

Grandma's shoes on my sweet namesake, Birdie Barbara!  One of my favorite things is littles in big shoe pictures!  

Making grandma smile!  

The BEST!  

Pretty girl and pretty flowers on January one 2023!  

Soon their own baby will be here!  Nothing more wonderful nor is there a greater gift than a New LIFE in this world to make our LOVE grow more and more!  

King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  

Dad today from Colossians in The Office of Readings for Jan 2.

The NAME of the Savior and dad, Deacon Robert Cross, in the prayer books of The Church he left behind for me each day with his teachings in them!  I am blessed with every day!  LOVE and miss you, dad!  Thank you, for bringing us into The Church 51 years ago - all 13 of us!  

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

Mom left for me Benedictus - daily meditations by Pope Benedict XVI!  His sharing about Mary - "the new birth"

Today's - so much comes to us from his wisdom and Understanding of The Truth - how he LOVED Jesus, Mary and The Catholic Church!

Jesus, may we die to self so that you may live!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

“Let us remain in adoration: and to Him, who, in order

to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty

as to receive our body, let us offer not only

incense, gold and myrrh, the first as God, the second

as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake,

but also spiritual gifts more sublime than those

which can be seen with the eyes” (Oratorio).

St Gregory Nazienzen

Doctor of the Church

Father of Eastern Monasticism

Esteemed writer and orator

especially on theme of Trinity

aka "the Theologian"

328 -389 AD

Feast Day - January 2

 

 

 

“God accepts our desires as though they were a great value.

He longs ardently for us to desire and love Him. He accepts

our petitions for benefits as though we were doing Him a favor.

His joy in giving is greater than ours in receiving. So let us not be 
apathetic in our asking, nor set too narrow bounds to our requests; 
nor ask for frivolous things unworthy of God’s greatness.”

 St Gregory of Nazienzen

Click here: "The Theologian":Gregory of Nazianzus - YouTube (9 mins)

 

      A sweet tidbit: St. Gregory marveled at the depth of his

mother Nonna’s faith in God on the altar. While in Our Lord's presence,

she would never turn her back on the Blessed Sacrament.

Sts Basil and Gregory, pray for us!

 

 

Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen are linked in this feast day, as they were in life; they were schoolmates, co-defenders of the orthodox teaching on the Trinity, and dear friends.  Both served as Bishops and suffered hostility from the politically powerful Arians.  In 379 Gregory preached at Basil's funeral:   "Do you, Basil, there also welcome me in your dwelling, when I have departed this life that we may live together and gaze more directly and perfectly at the Holy and Blessed Trinity.  Thus we shall attain the fruition of our desire, and receive the reward of the battles we have fought and the attacks  we have resisted."  ~ Magnificat - Vol 24, No 11, January 2023

______________

 

Ninth Day of Christmas

 

TODAY is the 150th Anniversary of the birth

of St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

 

St Therese, the Little Flower, please pick for me a rose

from the heavenly garden
and send it to me with a message of love;

ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore

and tell Him I love Him each day more and more. Amen.

Light of the world - Lauren Daigle

Go tell it on the mountain - the closing hymn Simon sang yesterday.  

Bach - Christmas Cantatas

 

7th day of Christmas - last day of the year- Pope Benedict XVI dies/Pope Benny with me every day! Overwhelmed by BEAUTY! +JMJ+

Grandma had the JOY of having Ruth's 2 youngest for the morning while they worked on their new project at "the apartments."  It is a very big important day as we are told that Pope Benedict XVI died today in Rome.  

Every day this picture is in my kitchen under his predecessor, St JPII.  Not only is he there for me to see with my eyes as he gives Jesus/the Eucharist to Susan/Hallel about 15 years ago, but my mother left for me her daily prayer book - Benedictus!

Such a blessing to me - mom loved him and read this for 10 years over and over!  Now I will begin my 3rd year tomorrow!  He is so intelligent and loves Jesus, Mary and The Catholic Church - I am right there with him!  

My Pope wall!  LOVE them so much!  They are instantly Saints in heaven to me!  I am sure Benedict will soon be a Saint and Doctor of The Church!  

  · "I don't prepare for an end, but for an encounter." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI - Rest in Peace, no doubt a future Saint and Doctor of the Church

Every day I see him with my eyes and share in his Wisdom and Truth in his daily meditations.  His death makes it all that much more powerful and rich!

Joy was surprised to see that Aunt Hallel has black hair.  She now wears a blue veil and she always has on glasses!  

Hallel with Tom the week before Thanksgiving as they were traveling through after doing "a mission" in the Cities!  

How she loves her Tommy!  With a crucifix on his ship!  Tom is such a delightful little guy and such a True newness of LIFE for his farm family!  

Better of Hallel withe Benedict in 2006 or so in Rome!  Ruth and Paul had their marriage blessed by StJPII in Rome after their wedding November 2003.

Joy learned something about her Church today.  She knew that Pope Francis is her Holy Father, and that the Eucharist is Jesus.  She is also aware that in 2nd grade when she is 7 she will receive her Holy Communion.  How we love to share our Faith as a family!  Nothing more wonderful than to share our LOVE for Jesus, Mary and The Church!  

They are such wonderful kids for grandma 

Had to get in the hot tub for a swim!  Tom would squeal with delight!

Walking into our glorious church yesterday to pray my hour for Fr Denny - I walked in the back and found myself gasping with emotion at the stunning beauty that greeted me!  Walking foward all I could do was take picture after picture.  Alone with my Lord and Lady - I had stepped over into a small slice of heaven!

The poinsettias were glorious!  I so appreciated that the lights were allowed to be left on for lone people like me to be blessed by the twinkling lights all around!

The closer I got to the nativity which has been adored and loved for probably close to 100 years or more!  I focused on Jesus in the arms of his mother!  To see the tabernacle with The Lamb underneath just put it all in such a LIGHT of the Truth of our Salvation from a tiny innocent helpless newborn to his death on the Cross for us!  

The Gospel for today is from John 1 and it is amazing!

Gospel Jn 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
    and the Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came to be through him,
    and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
    and this life was the light of the human race;
    the light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:1

 

9 years ago on New Year's Eve with the steers in the monoslope. 

Dad's man Brother Victor today said some memorable things to note!  "All time is sacred and ALL time is God's time."

The entire sharing for the last day of the year in his monastery in New York.  With each passing year - "eternity is much closer."

Bobbi shared this - too cute not to share!

The back of mom's worn daily meditations - Benedictus.  So much to take to heart that this man shared with us!  

I am starting 3rd year tomorrow add to mom's 10!  

Folded in mom's prayer book and it was the wind beneath her wings when their Catholic Church was attacked!  "Jesus will never leave his Church!"  Yes, mom!!! 

He became Pope in 2005 and stepped down due to age in 2013.  He was huge in making The Catechism of The Catholic Church what it is today!  

His words today on the last page of his book, Benedictus, by Magnificat.  On the last day of the year, and tomorrow we begin again!  There is so very much he shares that it takes reading it over and over to get more and more out of his wisdom and Truth! 

More from John 1 - the amazing Gospel today!

But to those who did accept him
    he gave power to become children of God, 
    to those who believe in his name, 
    who were born not by natural generation 
    nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 
    but of God.

And the Word became flesh
    and made his dwelling among us,
    and we saw his glory,
    the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
    full of grace and truth.

Oh mom, I am eternally grateful for your leaving this for me to share with you in heaven!  Such a wonderful tie that binds between us as we both LOVE Jesus, Mary and His Bride, The Church with no reservations what so ever!  Every last bit of what we are given!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The amazing story of the 13 becoming Catholic!'  Mom and Dad brought us into The Catholic Church 51 years ago, and each day since has been total gift to me!  

The Holy Family to whom we lift up our marriages and families and those that are broken and hurting.  

Oh my!!!  Such TRUTH!

So glad you continue to be with us from heaven now!  

Sweet picture of The Holy Family!  Getting excited for a new baby soon in our family too!  There is nothing more wonderful in this world!  

The beauty of winter white snow and my statue of Mary in white with the setting late day sun.  So nice that the days are getting longer with each new day now!  More LIGHT!  

Doing the stations as I pray for Fr Denny with 7 Sisters yesterday. I need to pray in front of Jesus in the tabernacle and there is so much beauty to lift me up!  

St Luke window adorned to add to the beauty!  St Luke is my patron Saint - I took his name when I was confirmed as an adult in St Paul Cathedral.  He was a physician and I was in nursing school.  Since I have been so grateful to him for all he has given me about Mary and the early days and years of Jesus in the Holy Family!  Also Acts of The Apostles, too!  

Jesus, I am sure you are welcoming Pope Benedict into Heaven today.  Thank you for his wisdom and all that he has given The Church now and always.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 54 - 34 here and 20 in heaven.

"Be not afraid...

open wide the door to Christ.

... become the saints

of the new millennium."

 Pope St John Paul II

 

 

"Do not be afraid of Christ!

He takes nothing away and 
He gives you everything.

When we give ourselves to Him,

we receive a hundred-fold in return.

Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ -

and you will find true life."

 

Pope Benedict XVI
Requiescat in pace

today, 12/31/22

9:34 am Roma time

 

________________________________________________________

 

Consider daily Communion in 2023 -
open wide the door to this true life!

________________

 

Seventh Day of Christmas

Lauren Daigle - light of the world

King and Country - O Come

Bach Christmas Cantatas