"We must obey God ..."/Mary with baby brother-Godson and of course, kittens - +JMJ+

Tom on his big sister's lap while we sing "Happy Birthday" to Mary on her 17th birthday.  Quite a memorable one with a thunder storm and heaven rain outside.  Mary was 15 1/2 when Tom was born - #7 of the farm family. 

I had to smile with the entrance antiphon this morning before mass - "O God, when you went forth before your people, marching with them and living among them, the earth trembled, heavens poured down rain, alleluia."

18 year old Simon loves his pasta - "I should be doing my homework, but I am stirring the pasta instead."  

Last year Simon was confirmed and an hour later he and Mary were the Godparents for their new baby brother, Tom!  So special that they will always have this connection through their lifetime Faith journey in our glorious Catholic Church.

Visiting with her grandma Phyllis.

Watching the cow TV and the cows in the rain.

17 candles seem like a lot, but to this old grandma she is still so young with her whole life ahead of her.  

"Happy Birthday, Godmother of mine."  sweet Tom in his heart for his big sister.  

Your big sister is such a wonderful example to you, Tom.  She is a goat farmer and willing farm worker, she is FFA president for Region VI, she serves at mass, leads singing and also reads at mass.  She is well rounded and hard working.  She is asking the Lord to show her the path that is just for Mary Angela Joan of Arc. 

The first reading today from Acts 5 where the apostles are reminded that they are not to speak in the name of The Lord - the high priest questioned them,

"We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,

as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."  Acts 5

Yes, Father Tony reminded us that we are to take Jesus out to the world when we leave mass.  I see that in Mary, and pray that it will continue!   

"God is blessing you now, Mary!"  

"Is it my birthday too?  They are all singing and smiling at me.  Mary loves me and is sharing all this cake with me!"  

Oh!  Blow out the candles?  

Now time for cake!!  

So lucky to have each other!  Never too many siblings to share your LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT with!  So much more wonderful than things to have a large family to share Faith/Family/Farm!  

The baby kittens had to come in after our birthday supper.  6 year old Joy with the calico female with long hair.  She is the favorite.  

There are 3 white with Siamese markings, and they will easily find homes, so the kids are not getting too close to them.

Simon and Joy both are kitten lovers.  They have them at least spring and fall, and a few more here and there.

This makes me smile to see grandpa with a kitten on his lap thanks to Tom.  Our oldest, Ruth Ida, who happens to be their mom was a lover of kittens and broke her dad in so that we always had cats and kittens in our home. Outside the storm was raging with thunder and heavy rain!  

Kittens bring smiles all around, and 

Chasing them under the table, under the couch, and...

chasing the kittens on hands and knees...

Sweet alert!  

The Gospel today from John 3 is powerful message - Fr reminded us that we are to go out and spread The Good News!

Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,  John 3

Speaking the words of God - I pray that this is the Truth that I share here daily!  I do believe, O Lord, help my unbelief.

He is starting to learn how to hold them nicely and then he pats them with his other hand.  

Rose with Mrs Fuzzy.  

A grandma's eye view of a house full of happiness and love.  Rose and David are preparing for trips today.  Grandpa Larry making Tom squeal with delight when he lifts him up to the ceiling.  Joy is chasing kittens.  

Saying it like it is!  

A memory from 3 years ago when my dad lived with me in our farm monastery.  David had served at mass with a broken arm - "He even rang the bells at the consecration with his broken arm."  LOVE this and special memories of my dad sharing the last 6 months of his life on hospice with us on the farm for an entire growing season from April to October.  

Bobbi officially receiving the 40 tie blankets that the Newman Club made for Birthright during Lent - "In the past we have made 15 or so, but this Lent they wanted to make 40 for the 40 days of Lent."  Wow!  Thank you, so much!  

LIFE is good all the time!  

Jesus healing a child.  

I had to send this to Hallel as they sing all day to the Lord and Lady!  How often do I feel like these are angels voices all around me in the Monastery during morning prayer, evening prayer, mass and even before meals and after meals.  Their life is filled with singing - and Alleluia is the supreme song of JOY!  

Today from Office of Readings - dad pointing the way for me!  LOVE how he left so much behind for me every day.  This is From a sermon by Saint Gaudentius of Brescia, bishop.

Now Dad's man, Brother Victor, is a week behind, but we are still in Easter, so it all continues, although the spring part is not so much as we are in the midst of a snow storm at this time.  

Tom is currently here with his grandpa, so this has been highly distracted and off the rails.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 plus hundreds of Little Sisters and Little Brothers.

"Jesus transforms a white particle into Himself every day

in order to communicate His life to you. What's more,

with a love that is greater still, He wants to

transform you into Himself." - St. Thérèse of Lisieux

 

“Souls that eat My flesh possess God,

the Author of life and of life eternal. 

That is how they become My heaven.

 

Nothing can compare with their beauty. 

The angels are in admiration and, as God

is with them, they fall down in adoration.

 

O souls, if you only knew your dignity!

… Your soul is My heaven; every time you

receive Me in Holy Communion, My grace

augments both your dignity and your beauty.”

 

Our Lord to Sr Josefa Menendez

 

Ben Fuller

Danielle Rose 

 

Mary Angela Joan of Arc is 17 today!/Luminaries of LIGHT in our world - +JMJ+

On her Confirmation day I was gifted with some special pictures of Mary.  I love this cute one with Cow TV over her shoulder.  Mary is a true farm girl or rather a farmer.  She has been raising meat goats for a few years now, and fearlessly takes them to be sold in Pipestone.   She faces the fact that her sweet special goats that get to be pets in many ways must be sold for meat as the bottom line.

FFA Region VI President for this next year.  She might have to put swimming on the back burner with all she has on her plate next year.  

Newly Confirmed with her Godmother/Sponsor, Aunt Maria.  So many prayers for Mary as she continues on her spiritual journey asking for the plan that is for her alone for her very bright fuure that lies ahead for her.  

My Cottonwood tree with buds in the rising sun yesterday.  A late but hopeful spring!  

A robin in the ditch is a true sign of spring.  There was frost on the grass however.

Mary and the older altar servers learning their roles in the Easter Vigil.

Practicing the fire that lights the Easter Candle and then the whole church as our candles are lit.  

The Gospel today is the famous John 3:16!  So beautiful and powerful!  

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life...  John 3:16

Continuing...

 the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.  John 3 

In my reading today I came across the idea that we are "luminaries" if the Lord is dwelling in us.  That His LIGHT shines forth from us in what we share and do.  

My little buddy - Tom, who is Mary's youngest brother and her Godson.  Mary is #2 of the 7 farm kids and Tom is #7.  How we love our wonderful farm family that do so much each day to feed the world.

He closes the door and thinks it is cool to have the glass between us.  

My Easter Tree is now 2 1/2 weeks in the house.  The leaves are spreading and there are lilacs ready to bud.  Those hot 3 days of summer made me think that the outside ones might catch up and pass my inside tree, but then it snowed and is cool again.  

Tom finds his family on my tree.  This year it was from our 44th wedding anniversary!  

Our 44th wedding anniversary at Holy Redeemer Catholic School on August 3, 2022.  We have since added grandchild #23, Lucy Marie.  I added Hallel behind John with Mary the Mother of God behind her!  

Tom brought grandma her shoes and then decided to wear them himself.  

Truly walking in my shoes!  

So beautiful inside and out!  

From Psalm 17 for Mary on her birthday today - "I will see you, and when I awake, your presence will fill me with JOY."  Psalm 17:15

With her old grandma and grandpa on her Confirmation Day!  

With her wonderful parents - Ruth and Paul!  

Mary is going to State with her humorous speech.

Like her Aunt Nancy before her - Mary chose St Joan of Arc for her patron saint - "She was a rebel yet faithful."  

My JOY to get the 4 babies together on the occasion of Mary's Confirmation in February.  A picture of LIFE with juice on his pants (not the other liquid), touching and peacefully sleeping.

Yes, Lord, you are truly merciful to me a sinner!  

May I love without counting the cost.

Learning at the feet of my father as he loves this from St Leo the Great in the Office of Readings today.  I am so blessed to have my father's prayer books after 44 years as a Permanent Deacon in The Catholic Church!  He and mother brought our family of 13 into The Church 51 years ago, and each day since is filled to overflowing with graces and rich spiritual food!  

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

I have my husband to thank for getting me now to daily mass!  He encouraged me to start exercising and I found water fitness at 8a, so I realized that 7a Mass would be very doable first.  And so it is.  I have spiritual and physical all in by 9a!  May Jesus truly go forth into all I do!  

Celebrating my parents 71st Anniversary when dad lived with me on hospice for the last 6 months of his life in our "farm monastery."   Dad is much in my thoughts these days as 3 years ago he came to live his last 6 months with me here on my farm!  

We were given the gift of our nun coming home for her home visit while my dad lived here!  They had not seen each other for 12 years when Hallel left for France to join her Community of the Lamb!  We truly lived in our farm monastery as we prayed morning, evening and 3p chaplet and rosary together!  Such a blessed memory!  

This is on my family wall in the kitchen!  Hallel and my father - two that have said "yes" to the Lord's call to religious LIFE!  Both are huge for my journey!  I have dad's prayer books and daily meditations by Brother Victor, whom he loved and called "My man Brother Victor Anroine".  Hallel prayers are felt and important to us in our domestic Church/family!  I also know that our time spent with The Community of the Lamb in KCK is very important in keeping our eyes on The Lord and Lady and The Church!  

John spending time with Hallel and dad - dad got to be here when Birdie Barbara was born and watched her become more and more aware of her world all around her.  It had been a long time since he had such close time spent with a new baby.  He added her to the list of his grands and great-grandchildren that he prays for every Monday first and middle name.  We know that his prayers for us continue now from heaven adding each new arrival as it comes! 

 

The girls with Hallel - we have added 3 since this July 2020 picture.  Mary is our oldest granddaughter, and Maria's girls were missing from this too.  She has 3 daughters and 4 sons! 

The Easter Candle that they made and the flowers that arrive from floral shops as the ones they no longer want including some lilacs from the tree behind the monastery.  Hallel has been in charge of the flowers and that is a big job!  

Night prayer at the Grotto of Mary - They sing Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen so beautifully!  

This is Salve Regina as they sing it only it is women's angelic voices.

Such a blessing to our domestic church/family is this example of LOVE for her spouse, Jesus!  

The icon of Thomas touching Jesus!  

We can for 6 families including our nun and her family of the Lamb!  LOVE the blue aprons which I borrow as do the granddaughters when they visit the Community!  I am getting so excited to think of our military family now spending time and falling in love with our nun and their life of prayer and dishes!  

Pat finishing up the salads for lunch.  We live right with them and share in all of their lives.  I wept for JOY as I watched my daughter's joy and LOVE for her spouse.  "I found him whom my soul loved, and I would not let him go."  Song of Songs

Sharing the news that our military family will be close by for the next year!  The Lord is spoiling us once again.  I am so grateful!  

Always amazed by farmer Pat's huge hands!  A picture of how we are a loving family - our daughter, although celibate has blessed with hundreds of Little Brothers and Little Sisters!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless sweet Mary with a wonderful year as a luminary of yours.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 +hundreds!  

"Christ lay in death's bonds handed over for our sins,

He is risen again and has brought us life;

For this we should be joyful, praise God

and be thankful to Him and sing Alleluia, Alleluia!"

 

- Christ Lag in Todesbanden, from Cantata No. 4, JS Bach

 

 

“If Christ dwells within us,

what do we need? What do we lack?

If we dwell in Christ,

what more could we desire?

 

He is our host and our dwelling-place.

Happy are we to be His home!

 

What joy

to be ourselves the dwelling-place

of such an inhabitant!”

 St Nicolas Cabasilas (+1391)

 

Now Pope Benedict XVI thanks to my mother, who read his daily meditations for 10 years, left it behind for me and I am on my 3rd year.  He is so wise and Faith Filled!  Today Easter Water!

Isaac sprinkling with Easter Water before mass on 2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday!  

"In Baptism the stream flows through the Cross into the entire Church like a mighty stream that "gladdens the City of God."  

Danielle Rose