A day for Rita baking with Lila/Maggie is 3/Mother's Day on the farm waiting and praying/I am with you always, until the end of the world._+JMJ+

Magdalene Rose was 3 on Mother's Day!  Her sweet smile and pink glasses - how can she be any sweeter?

With big sister, Evangline, who is 7.

Birthday cake and presents let her know that she is one special girl!  I am almost surprised that her beloved Bumpa did not try to go there to be with her except that we are planting beans now after a big rain delay.  

A Happy Mother's Day wish from my sweet Angela...  Mother's Day was filled with much prayer and sadness as we knew our sweet Rita was slowly leaving this world.  

A precious picture of Shannon with her beautiful mom and grandma Ann some years back.  Rita peacefully left this world on Mother's Day night.

I am sure a work of love and beauty not to mention so yummy by Therese for her youngest sister, Maggie on her 3rd birthday on Mother's Day.

On Saturday praying for Rita... I was invited to speak at a Mother's Day luncheon at St Boniface Catholic Church in Stewart, MN.  I arrived just as they took the respirator off and the tubes out of Rita.  A sweet friend came up in the church to pray for me with Jesus and Mary.  Many tears, yet so much comfort was gained.  

The topic of my talk was LIFE is a GIFT!  From growing up with 10 younger siblings, all 13 coming into The Church 53 years ago, my own family - the World needs LIGHTS, and finally my years of work with Hospice and ending with a prayer for Rita.  It was a great JOY for me to share my journey!

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

Nancy and Josephine came!  The day before had been Josephine's 8th birthday!  

A beautiful bouquet of 12 roses was so special to me as I shared about my 12 children and had the 5 here with me and the 7 in heaven praying for their mom and family!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Our marriage stories - "The world needs LIGHTS!"  

We were each given a special necklace - LIFE is a gift!   

Mother's Day roses with my Spiritual Mother.  "Mom there is a better mother than you."  "I agree John!"

Brunch on Ruth's beautiful porch for Mother's Day...it was flavored with sadness as Rita was living her last day on earth.  This is my gift and is all that I want for Mother's Day... this and Ruth coming to till my garden!  

Tom and one of the 10 spring kittens - this one is super friendly and always underfoot.

Pat uses the water truck to bring rural water from our place for Ruth's pool on the farm.

Mother's Day brunch with John and Bobbi with her parents and the 3 littles - how they love their baby sister!  

Time with Joy and Tom on Mother's Day afternoon while the family takes the cows and calves out on the green green pastures around us.

A slide on the ground corn pile - up and down many times!  

Joy and the lilacs which are so beautiful this year after the wonderful rains we have gotten!  

A ray of sunshine ready for her first swim!  

Rock pickers - David and Luke are one of 3 out picking 

Heavenly apple blossoms!  

Beautiful spring with our red head Joy Jean.

So appropriate - out last calf born on Mother's Day!  Off went Cow TV - a good season of calving with 9 sets of twins and no illness or losses!  

Welcome 177th calf!  

Putting 14 pairs out on the back pasture with help  from the kids!  

Tom along with grandma to help.

14 pairs in Wyffles pasture across the road.

4 wheeler helpers Rowe and David, while the cows and calves frolic in the green grass -hubby was saying that they will be out there for 6 months!  

getting them to go into the gate.

Tears today on and off for Rita.  She died peacefully in the arms of her loving daughter, Shannon.  "I missed her so I got into her bed and took her in my arms and laid my head on her shoulder.  She took a big breath and it was her last.  Brad was holding her hand, so we were together for her peaceful passing."  

Father Tony's flowers continue to be beautiful even now 3 weeks later.  

Mass this morning had a sad note to it to know that our wonderful Rita had gone ahead of us.  "I am with you always, until the end of the world."

It is so hard to allow it to sink in that Rita is no longer making this world more beautiful.  She is now with her mom, Harriet, who had died when Rita was 8.  

Roses for our Mother.  

Ruth tilling today...

Feast of Fatima today!  Mary came to us to help us at a difficult time in our world.WW1 going on.

The 6th graders including our Rose Again heading to Camp Foley.  Rose's mom went as well as her Aunts and Uncle.  I went along with Susan/Hallel.

Maggie 3 years ago was a day old and met her big brother, Hector for the first time.  LOVE this sweet picture!  

Now 3 years later.

How can this be?  It is too hard to believe it to be true.

Tom with his stick and chasing the chickens on Mother's Day while the cows and calves were going out on pasture.

Tom with his stick to chase birds off the feed pile and the chickens on the other side.

Time with these cuties on Mother's day.  LOVE my farm family so much! 

In honor of my mother in law, Ann, who taught me all I know about being a farm wife and wonderful forever farm wife, Rita, I went to the garden with my knife and my pail!  

I told Shannon that her mom was a farm wife to the end... waiting for Ed to get into the field after a rain delay.  

Rhubarb to make rhubarb strawberry pie - Rita had her cookbook open to the recipe!  I needed to do this for her and for her family!  

Rhubarb ready!  

Now to get the strawberries and other ingredients...

Lila there to help me with the meringue...  She was a friend of Rita and we enjoyed doing this baking for the family.

Lunch on the porch with wine as our pies were baking.

Our beautiful pies...

Thanks, Lila!  WE love and miss you, Rita!  Jesus, hold Rita close to your heart burning with love for her.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb and all

Toby Mac - Cornerstone

Week of deep emotion/unexpected spiritual journey - St Rita pray for us/ "you will weep and mourn..." - +JMJ+

A bouquet of dandelions from George with cousin, Lucy.  It was a huge day of family yesterday as I had Nancy's youngest 2 so that she could go and visit her Aunt Rita in Sioux Falls.  John came over with his 3 to spend the day with cousins, and I also had Ruth's Tom while she slept after working an overnight in homecare.  Six littles under 6 made for a big day.

Popsicles on the porch for the 6 on a beautiful spring day.  They were all so good for grandma while many thoughts and prayers were constantly in my mind, heart and soul - praying for my sister in law and fellow farmwife, Rita.  

John and I shared prayer of Morning prayer from the Prayer of The Church followed by the Rosary.  We commented that it would be quiet and then there would be a "flashmob" of the 6 little ones all around us.  

It was comforting and important to be praying without ceasing through this past week since we got the shocking call on Sunday morning that Rita was being airlifted to Sioux Falls for emergency surgery.  It has been a week filled with hope and sadness as we struggle to deal with the shock.  

We have been praying to St Rita the Patroness of Impossible cases as well as St Anne as we know that grandma Ann has been joining us on the many rosaries we have prayed this week.  She loved Rita and the Rosary!  Pat's mother was very special to Rita as she lost her mother when she was a young girl to cancer.  

Two 2 year olds, Gina and Tom, with one year old Lucy.

Lucy is 16 months and is our youngest grandchild.  

The grass is almost up to their wastes in front of the barn on their way out to see the baby chicks.

Praying for Rita and Fr Denny today as the news came in that Rita will be going on hospice now.  The tears were flowing and the 8th station really met me where I found myself - Jesus meets the weeping women on his way to the Cross.  

The Gospel today spoke to me also - 

Gospel Jn 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world...

In so many ways this past week - the world is going on normally, yet the family of Rita of which we are a part are weeping and mourning at the loss of this beautiful wonderful person, who lived life so beautifully and to the fullest!  It is hard to imagine that our grief will become joy, yet our faith and knowing that she will be in a better place should bring some peace.  

Lilacs from the farm went with me today to pray ... lit a candle for Rita - knowing that our Spiritual Mother takes our needs to her Son, and he listens to her and attends to her wishes. 

Our prayer now - from Shannon today - This morning, we learned the results of mom's MRI were devastating. We will be transitioning her to comfort care this evening. Please pray with us for a peaceful transition to paradise in heaven for the best mom, wife and grandma.

"The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;

He makes me lie in pastures green.

He leads me by the still, still waters,

His goodness restores my soul.

And I will trust in You alone,

And I will trust in You alone,

For Your endless mercy follows me,

Your goodness will lead me home." 

Yes, prayers for a peaceful transition to heaven forever with her mom, Ed's mom, her dad, and many others that have gone before her.  Those left behind will miss her endlessly and deeply!  

Lord and Lady hold Rita and her family close to your heart burning with love for them.  Jesus, we trust in you.  May Rita pass peacefully into the sunset of her life and enter Heaven forever.  Bless-bless, Barbara and family.

The heavenly smell of lilacs seem appropriate today.  

Sunset last night through the pine trees in front of their home.  I had to give Pat a ride over there to pick up his pickup right at sunset.  Rita kept such a beautiful yard and home!  So hard to understand, but we must trust and give it to Him.  

Birdie Barbara turned 4 yesterday - all things pink of course!  And today Josephine is 8 in Delano.  

Ed and Rita with Brad and Shannon on Rita's birthday in March.

Their beautiful family - Rita's world!  How she will be missed!  

 

LIFE is a gift!!!/Hubby with 2 grandsons walk 21 miles to Mary/Constant prayers without ceasing- Fr Tony farewell - +JMJ+

Grandpa Patrick with grandsons, Augustine and David, at the shrine where Mary appeared to a young Belgian girl in Champion, WI!  They had just walked 21 miles from St Joseph to Mary!

Walk to Mary Pilgrimage - 21 Mile Walk to Shrine of Our Lady of Champion  

At 14 miles they had lunch and changed socks and shoes.  

Agustine will be 13 at the end of May and David will be 16 in July.  Pat describes how they would say they were tired then run here and run there - probably putting on more miles with their back and forth.  Oh, youth!  

They heard many languages praying the rosary as they walked. A world class apparition that ranks with Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe!  I predict the Verly family will be going there from now on!  

Josephine got to wear her First  Communion dress again for the May crowning on Sunday at St Maximilian in Delano!  

How we love Our Mother of Heaven and earth!  So blessed to have this special month for her.  It is appropriate that Mother's Day is in May, too!  Next weekend I will be sharing my "story" and the topic of the gathering - LIFE is a gift!  Exactly what is the theme of my growing up with my parents and 10 younger siblings, my marriage to Pat with our 12 children - 5 here and 7 in Heaven, and my years of working as a hospice nurse plus that 6 months shared with my dad on hospice here in my farm monastery! 

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Deacon Robert Cross - my dad on hospice in our Farm Monastery for 6 months - 4/16/20 thru 10/23/20  

Nancy's kids in their pool yesterday!  

It must be heated although they are fish and love the water!  

Packing meals for the hungry...

Mowing the lawn on Saturday - the grass is getting very tall and the cat must jump through in front of the barn.

Apple blossoms coming forth and a field yet to be planted.  We have all our corn in, but not beans.  We are to get another inch of rain tonight.  Prayers for the farmers and the crops!  

We celebrated Birdie Barbara's 4th birthday on Sunday in the midst of prayers for Fr Tony as we said farewell at his wake - the church was full!  

We are also praying constantly for my sister-in-law, who is going through critical surgery and now prayers of recovery.  The Rosary and taking it to Mary filled my time yesterday and today while I was in water aerobics - the Hail Mary's and comfort knowing that Mary was comforting and caring for her - "Be a mother to her now!"  Pat's mother loved the Rosary and her sweet Rita!  There is no doubt that she is joining me in praying in heaven!  

Happy 4th birthday Birdie!!  

Fr Tony had a full church with prayers and tears and a rosary said in Spanish.  The Knights of Columbus watched over him, and Fr Denny broke up in tears as did Fr Shawn that morning at the 8a mass. 

Ruth, Paul and their entire family came to pay their respects, and for the Catholic School kids this was like a family member to them.  Every week at school mass and Sunday mass - Ruth shared that the school kids were crying when he told them that he would be dying in the near future.  In many ways the kids probably have not had someone this close to them die!  Ruth and Rose were able to go to church at 11a to watch his funeral live streamed on the screens.  A beautiful and familiar place to say goodbye for the last time, and pray!  

Jesus, we trust in you.  Hallelujah and Bless-bless, Barbara and all.  Thank you, Lord, for the example of fatherly love we have received from our Fr Tony.  

 

"If angels could be jealous of men, they would

be so for one reason: Holy Communion."

 St Maximilian Kolbe

 

 

In the spring of 1891, when Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity was

almost eleven years old she made her First Communion. Sensitive

by nature, especially to things sacred, she was profoundly affected

by her first reception of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Tears of joy were seen to run down the young girl's face after

her Communion.   Upon leaving the church, she said to a close friend,

 

"I'm no longer hungry.  Jesus has fed me."

On the afternoon of her First Communion, Elizabeth also encountered the prioress of the Carmel of Dijon for the first time.  The prioress, upon learning the name of the child, explained that "Elizabeth" means "house of God."  A few days later, she would send this same message to Elizabeth, writing on the back of a holy card:

"Your blessed name hides a mystery,

accomplished on this great day.

Child, your heart is the House of God

on earth, of the God of love."

This theme of being the "house of God," then, was at first closely associated with the mystery of the Eucharist in the mind of Elizabeth. In a poem that she would later write to commemorate the seventh anniversary of her First Communion,  she meditates upon the day:

 

"When Jesus made in me His dwelling place,

When God took possession of my heart,

So well that since that hour,

Since that mysterious colloquy,

That divine and delicious meeting, I have

aspired to nothing else but to give my life

In order to return a bit of His great love

To the Beloved of the Eucharist

Who reposed in my feeble heart,

Inundating it with all of His favors."

Elizabeth once wrote the following words to a friend who had just made her First Communion:

"If He came this morning into your

little heart, it was not to pass through it

and go away, but to remain there always."

Excerpt from article, The Saint of the Divine Indwelling

by Fr. Gregory Ross, O.C.D., S.T.L.

 

Painting: After the First Holy Communion ~ Carlo F Smith (1892)

Photo: St Elizabeth of the Trinity

__________________________________________________

 

Do you remember/can you figure out

your First Holy Communion date?

 

Do HEARTILY celebrate it!

 

 

Danielle Rose 

Cornerstone - Toby Mac