"How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith." Pope Francis

Pat just had to go over and experience, for the first time, walking pigs with the Lanoue Grandkids and their dad on Sunday!  Pigs were never a part of the Verly farm, and he was struck at how easy they are to walk compared to cattle. 
This day is the feast day of Mary's parents - that is Mary the Mother of God- Joachim and Anne!  Pope Francis wrote a most beautiful thought on how since Mary's "yes" brought our LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT into the world through bearing her Son, and hence the first Family!

For me family is huge in my life - it is a very second to Faith and with Farm being a LIFE and not just a demanding job... Faith/Family/Farm are all tied in a package which is not to be separated.

"Saints Joachim and Anne were part of a long chain of people who had transmitted their faith and love for God, expressed in the warmth and love of family life, down to Mary, who received the Son of God in her womb and gave him to the world, to us. How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith."  Pope Francis

 Jesus, please go with me this day as I serve those in the nursing home.  Thank you for the strength and Truth I gain through the Faith shared in our domestic Church/family.  Please give us the rain we need for the crops.  Bless all families and may they share YOU as we are called to take up our Most Cherished Cross and follow down the narrow Path as you showed us The Way, The Truth and The LIFE!  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"Blessed are they who dwell in your house!
Continually they praise you.
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God."
Psalm 84 from mass today

God of Wonders - third Day

 

I am so excited for Kristen Berg and Bruce Maeyaert's wedding today!  Thank you, Lord!

So true, and how we need to take this to heart!

"Did you talk about your cancer?" "Yes, I spoke about humility."

Mary and Rose watercoloring together.  I am sending a letter with pictures of Dominic and the latest news from the family to Hallel.  Mary made a painting for her.  She divided it in half and told me that the one side is the parable of the seed on rocks, thistles, and good soil.  I shared with her that it had just been the reading the day before, and recently we heard it at mass on Sunday too.  She worked long and hard on it, and it was most wonderful.  The other side is her aunt, Little Sister Hallel, with Mary sharing the sacraments, and the Lamb, and the JOY represented by lots of flowers.  She worked on this for a very long time and it represents lots of thought in her young spiritual LIFE! 

I was intrigued to read the drops of rain coming down on the good soil with the healthy green and the beautiful flower... God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit!  The rocks have a dead plant on top of them and the thorns have choked out the plants and there is nothing growing there!  This is a true work of art for an 8 year old girl to send to her Aunt Susan/Little Sister Hallel, who is a bride of Christ in France! 

John is back from his week at the boys camp for our Diocese that took place at Schoenstatt camp on the Lake in Sleepy Eye.  We are in the midst of picking up hundreds of bales and so things are busy and hectic around here.  John and I squeezed in morning prayer and small window of visiting before we rushed out of here.  He gave his talk yesterday morning at camp, and I asked him how that went.  It was supposed to focus on chastity... "Did you share about your brain cancer?"  "Yes, I spoke about humility so that is largely all tied into that."  "I thought you were talking about chastity."  "It was pretty well covered by the other talks, but I noticed that some were pretty full of themselves so I thought this was needed."  "What do you share about when you talk about your finding humility through brain cancer... How dad used to have to help you walk, and go to the bathroom?"  "Yes, but also how before I was so cocky and self-absorbed.  I told them that when someone gives you a complement that you should simply say 'thankyou' and not go into a big explanation of why you don't deserve it."  "False humility?"  "Kind of.  I have learned that it is really hard to just say "thankyou.' "

It is the feast of St James today - happy feast day dear brother, James - the Gospel is the story of the mother of James and John coming to Jesus and asking for one to sit on his right and one on his left in Heaven.  Talk about pride and selfishness in the face of our Faith...  She is told that it is quite the opposite in the walk of our Christian life - "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.  Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Jesus to the mother of two of his apostles in the inner circle and to all those gathered around including the other 10 apostles, who were indignant to the two apostles and their mother for asking for special treatment.  What kind of special treatment did they get? Reminded that they will suffer for Christ and give of their lives for him and be looked down upon... yes, the first time I heard the litany of humility, I thought - How can anyone pray for this... it is too hard?  Here is Danielle Rose singing it... From her "I Thirst" Album an she shared that the Missionaries of Charities - Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's order - prays this prayer weekly!

Danielle Rose - Litany of Humility

The inside of Mary's card - This is Dominic!

Jesus, We are so often reminded in life as we are served a piece of humble pie to eat that we are nothing without you.  May we die to self so that you may live in us and may your Spirit dwell in us!  We are reminded often as we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and are surprised by those hard times that this is where LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT is to be found.  All we need do is look to You and how we have been given LIFE through your Cross... and the remember that you have told us that we are called to do likewise. May we ask for and embrace the most important virtue of them all... humility!  A saint when asked what are the 3 most important virtues - "Humility, humility, and humility."  May we welcome this Truth and follow You.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

"Although they go forth weeping,

carrying the seed to be sown,

They shall come back rejoicing,

carrying their sheaves.

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing."

Psalm 126 - the Psalm from mass today

Lord, driving amid the towering corn and beautiful bean fields as we pick up bales - send us rain, please O Lord, we can really use it after weeks without rain. 

A beautiful green ocean with waves!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Sainthood is impossible without Christ being our all!

Throw back Thursday is fun and pulls at the heartstrings!

Bread baking day

 Canning applesauce which will be happening here soon- lots of apples this year!

Mom's shoes on the 4 girls!

"How precious is your mercy, O God!" Psalm 36 from mass today

Rose and David just showed me their tree house that mom is building for them... I was nervous to watch them up there.

Here is my perspective and why I was nervous, but as Ruth told me - when you are up there you feel safe and soon there will be walls up.  I know that I worry more now with the grandkids than I ever did with my own.  You feel more worried when you are caring for someone else's kids and grandkids are certainly in that category.  The lines from the psalm for today certainly were beautiful today - Psalm 36

"How precious is your mercy, O God!

The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;

from your delightful stream you give them a drink.

With you is the fountain of life, O Lord."

The 3 coming to the house after pig chores this morning... so cute to see David and Mary holding hands as they walk to the house.  "WE were talking about the chickens, and we want to pick all the eggs when they start laying them."  said Mary

There is much to pray about and to share our faith about in our domestic Church/family on our journeys of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  I do ask the guardian angels of each of my family members to watch over them each day.  It helps to find that place of peace and trust.  Well, I am off in a tractor pulling the baler about 10 miles to where Pat wants to bale soon.  I feel some nervousness at the idea, and need to get my rosary in hand for the trip.  There also I find my life-line in the midst of the storms of LIFE!  When the Lord asks us and tells us and warns us to pray without ceasing - this is truly my mantra of prayer and hope and trust and peace.  I feel it wash over me as soon as I begin my meditation and beseech our wonderful Mother of God and heaven and earth to take my needs to the Lord and be with me in all that I say and do and pray and work and minister to those in my domestic Church without counting the cost! 

Mary pushing her little sister, Rose, in the huge heavy tire swing. 

Jesus, there are many things that come to us in each day that fill us with those feelings of dread, worry and fear.  You tell us 365 times in your Word that we need to "Be not afraid."  That is for every day of our years and our lives.  Yes, we need to care for those we are given to care for in this life, but a lot of it comes to leaving it in your hands and trusting through Prayer!  We are yours and we long to give our all for you this day and give without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

"Grandma does this bother you."  asks David standing on the tire swing as mom pushes him.  "No, you don't, but watching Rose pick and eat mulberries from up there does make me worried for her." 

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Casting Crowns - Praise You in the Storm