"live willingly in his holy wounds." Vererable Thomas A'Kempis

This sweet girl, Bobbi, is aglow!!!  "I laugh a lot!"  she shared last night, and I think I know why!


I still gaze upon this girl, Bobbi, who I have known always and with whom I have admired for her strength in supporting LIFE and living according to the wisdom of The Church!


 In many ways she reminds me of myself in her putting her feelings for LIFE into action by joining Birthright and being a volunteer!  She did it years ago, and I waited until I was a newly wed and discovered my first pregnancy when I was learning to do a pregnancy test on myself! 


Yes, we have shared Birthright, and love of photography and she and John were classmates all through school here in Marshall!  To see the plan now after the years of asking and waiting is a blessing and gift! 


To see John's peace and joy and how they approach their dating, engagement and future marriage centered in sharing their faith through worship, prayer and Trust in The Plan that is opening ahead of them!  A beautiful story of His Plan!!!

Under the 10th station in Ghent where they will be married on June 2nd... the stunning and powerful Stations of the Cross are so much a part of this Lent, and most especially this Holy Week of which today is called Spy Wednesday as it focuses on the Betrayal of Judas, who spied on Jesus for the timing to turn him over to the authorities.


I have a special fondness for the 10th station/Jesus is stripped of his garments as it was under that station that Susan would kneel for her hour of prayer and mass each morning after she returned from the Discernment house and asked the Lord to show her His Path for her. 


"Do you kneel there to recall the humility we are called to, as it is the humility station?"  "No, mom, I kneel there because it was the last pew with a kneeler and I didn't want others to see me cry."  Shot down?  Well, yes, but not really.  It then happened that The Community of the Lamb came to KC and with their arrival in the U.S. she could than say "yes" to the call she was hearing in her heart!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/susan-angela-agneslittle-sister-hallel.html

The Stations in Marshall and the huge life size crucifix that hangs over the altar of Christ dead on the Cross!!!


This quote today from my man, Venerable Thomas A'Kempis, who was so important to me in my early Catholic days...
"If you can not soar up as high as Christ sitting on His throne,

behold Him hanging on His cross. Rest in Christ's Passion and live

willingly in His holy wounds." ~ Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

Mary at the foot of the Cross!!!  How I love to be there with her, and yes," live willingly in his holy wounds." 

After some sharing with those close to me that have real struggles and pain and hardship, and in my own life as well... it just seems to be right to find solace in all that The Lamb without blemish did for me and to live willingly in His wounds. 

"Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;

you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter."  verse before the Gospel today

By his wounds we are healed, but can it also be that by our own wounds we are healed as well?  By realizing that we need Jesus in our every moment of our lives and our wounds leave scars that remind us of our need for Jesus and dying to self so that he may live in us!

Hallel placing Jesus, her spouse, on the altar for me to have time with him in Lumen Christi/Light of Christ Monastery in KC!  She will vow to live always according to the rule of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience!  That requires that she willingly sacrifice and live in his holy wounds!

We now know that she will be taking her final vows on The Feast of the Assumption on August 15th in France!  I have huge anxiety due to my knee!  Lord, help me and show me... I give my pain and suffering over to you and Trust.  Guide the doctors to show me how I may go forward!  To be a part of this huge occasion for our domestic church/family!

She was singing with the voice of an angel to her LOVE!!! It was a most intimate moment and her loved was there for me to witness deep in my heart, mind and soul!

How did I get to lucky to have a Little Sister Hallel?  In considering a call myself, which led me into The Church with my entire family of 13... I then encouraged each of my children to discern this amazing option, and now my grandchildren!  I pray every day on Hallel's decade/#4 of the rosary that each of my grandchildren will consider this amazing call when they ask Jesus to show them his personal plan for them in prayer!

Just thinking about this the other day... the week that I lived at the Little Monastery while The Community was in France!  I have been so lucky to have some contemplative nun time thanks to my daughter, who is a nun!  I was called to marriage, but still the Lord spoils me!

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Yes, how I need you, Lord!

Jesus, I am wounded and weak and so I cling to you on the Cross!  You show us that LOVE is the answer no matter what we face, and if we give in to anger and hatred we are only hurting ourselves.  May we live willingly in your wounds and there find the call to LOVE and forgive and return the LOVE and Mercy we have been given.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

St. William left his life as a soldier and duke to become a simple monk.

Happy Feast Day, St. William!

The Tenth Station:
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

It seems that every step to Calvary brought You fresh humiliation, my Jesus. How Your sensitive nature recoiled at being stripped before a crowd of people. You desired to leave this life as You entered it - completely detached from all the comforts of this world. You want me to know without a doubt that you loved me with an unselfish love. Your... love for me caused You nothing but pain and sorrow. You gave everything and received nothing in return. Why do I find it so hard to be detached?

In your loving mind, dear Jesus, did You look up to the Father as You stood there on that windy hill, shivering from cold and shame and trembling from fear, and ask Him to have mercy on those who would violate their purity and make love a mockery? Did you ask forgiveness for those whose greed would make them lie, cheat and steal for a few pieces of cold silver?

Forgive us all, dear Jesus. Look upon the world with pity, for mankind has lost its way and the principles of this world make lust a fun game and luxury a necessity. Detachment has become merely another hardship of the poor and obedience the fault of the weak. Have mercy on us and grant the people of this day the courage to see and know themselves and the light to change.  Amen

Mother Angelica's Stations of the Cross




Lord, help me to be of good spirits no matter what comes my way... all the Big important things are truly going my way!!!  Jesus always being with me and #1 for me, my wonderful Church in all its wisdom giving me all I need to follow to get to heaven forever with Jesus, Mary and all the Saints, and sharing that Faith with my family/ finding a small slice of heaven here on earth in that domestic church/family.  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

So rich and life-giving, life-changing, glorious!!!

Honor thy mother!!! 

Danielle Rose - Pursue me

Danielle Rose - True LOVE/The Cross

Ginny Owens - If you want me to

"Oh, my God, through the precious Blood of Jesus

and His five wounds, 

grant me today five graces:

 

the conversion of a sinner, 

the conversion of an unbeliever, 

the salvation of someone 

dying in peril of everlasting death; 

a vocation to the priesthood 

or to the religious life; 

 and, for some new soul, 

the grace of entering into and

savoring the mystery of the Eucharist."

 

Prayer of Elisabeth Leseur (+1914)

A good way to pray through our suffering united with His!!!  Wow!!!

Catholic Church in the United States Will Welcome Thousands of New Catholics at Easter Vigil Masses.
"As the culmination of the Easter Triduum, the vigil celebrates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. While people can become Catholic at any time of the year, the Easter Vigil is a particularly appropriate moment for adult catechumens to be baptized and for already-baptized Christians to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church."

For more, including a breakdown of the numbers by diocese, visit: http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-056.cfm

"Beauty shop" "The more we empty ourselves the more room for God to fill us."St Teresa of Calcutta

John with fiancé Bobbi and youngest Goddaughter, Joy about a month ago after sharing mass.  Joy will be one on the day before Easter, and her Godfather is telling her that he wants her to walk up the aisle with his other Godchildren in 3 months!

Humility is huge for us on this journey... "the three most important virtues are humility, humility, and humility ."  St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Today in the Gospel we get a major taste of this theme for us in the story of Judas and Peter, who both were prideful in how they betrayed and denied Jesus! 

It warmed my grandma's heart to come into the house here at the farm today and see that Joy was in the "beauty shop" as mom put her sweet red hair into "pig tails/dog ears."  I think it is more that Ruth is afraid of what I will put into her hair, so she makes sure to approve of the hairstyle by getting it done first!  After my 4 girls in a row... I find the greatest JOY in doing little girl's hair!

She's not a nucky girl, but she sure is cute!!!

Adorable red pig tails!!!


It seems that my days at home are spent here on the farm   I tend to the house and the kids while farmer Ruth is out working with her dad!  She loves to be the farmer and I am more than willing to give her the baton.  All of this snow makes getting around out there difficult!  Last night after the rain and snow there was a lot to do in order for everything to have dry bedding for the night, so grandma got to read stories and say prayers and get them to bed.  Joy waited up for mom and dad in my arms, and that was special too!

Our landscape is wintry!!!  Over a foot of snow over the weekend, and more rain and snow yesterday.  How we are praying for spring and warm weather to help warm and dry things up!


I am hoping to get to Adoration when I leave here.  Holy week has been spent with the beads in my hands in front of cow TV and with Luke here talking to me about his cars, trucks, tractors, and take home teddy bear...

Luke with a bunny mask for Easter from preschool and "take home teddy."  With no school for the rest of the week for Easter..."They must have thought that Luke's house would be a special place for take home Teddy to spend his Easter vacation."  Yes, there will be lots of Easter JOY here!  We have fake plans to share early 7a mass followed by candy hunt with yummy tombs, and then sharing a wonderful farm Easter Feast!!!

Yes, Take Home Teddy... you will spend a wonderful Easter with this most special family on the farm!  This was taken 2 years ago - we had all moved/switched homes on Good Friday, so this was just days after they had moved onto the farm!  The house footprint was the same, but the main floor had been gutted and totally redone! 


A year later Joy was born, and that amazed me because a year after we moved to this farm I had John!  Ruth not only loves the life she grew up with and now has it with her wonderful family, but so many times we mirror each others' lives!  It is like having my life to share in and live again!  What a gift!!!

Farmers Ruth and Paul with the 6 at Christmas... we will have to get an updated Easter pic in a few days... maybe at Joy's first birthday!  I think the theme will be blue and pink and not red for Easter!

"The humility of Jesus

can be seen in the crib,

in the exile to Egypt, in the hidden life,

in the inability to make people understand Him,

in the desertion of His apostles,

in the hatred of His persecutors,

in all the terrible suffering and death of His Passion,

and now ...

Nancy's family picture the week after Thanksgiving before we laid Maximilian to rest... Easter will be hard for them this year as they mourn the loss of their son and have empty arms aching to hold him and love him.  He keeps our eyes on heaven!

in His permanent state of humility in the tabernacle,

where He has reduced Himself

to such a small particle of bread

that the priest can hold Him with two fingers.

The more we empty ourselves,

the more room we give God to fill us."

St Teresa of Calcutta

Joy and Hallel!!!  We found out yesterday that Hallel will be taking her final vows on The Feast of the Assumption of  Mary to heaven/August 15th in France!  Originally there was talk of bringing all of our families to be there with her and her Community of the Lamb, but now the girls are considering leaving their younger children home with their other grandparents.   Time will tell, but the excitement and fake plans are flying!


One thing I can see with the denial of St Peter of Jesus 3 times is that as a result of recognizing what he had done with the cock crowed is that he was humiliated and emptied of all pride and made empty with remorse, and that emptiness was then filled with God!

Recognizing our failures, sins, wrongdoings, weaknesses... we are emptied and if we fall on our knees and turn to Him... His Spirit will fill us and allow us to die to self and become His hands and feet and speak His words/the Truth!

The sun coming through the clouds on my way over to the farm today!  How we look for the sun to warm the cows and calves and heal them of any chills or ailments they may have.  The farmers are out there hard at work to protect them and care for them! 


Jesus, we are long to rid ourselves of the pride which fills us and does not allow you to come into us and be at work in our lives!  May we humble ourselves and in our weakness we need you, Lord!  I always want to be yours, so humble me!  Jesus, I trust in you.  Amen

Little girls' hair always takes me back to my nest years!!!

Easter 26 years ago... the hats covered up the hair..  It sure would be nice to see the grass and that there was some hope of green!!!  .Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

Danielle Rose - The saint that is just me

Jordan Felix - The river

Two weddings/vows this summer...John and Hallel!

One of the fun engagement pictures I had the joy of taking this fall of John and Bobbi!  The swing was there idea and they turned out wonderful thanks to their beaming happy faces and having fun!

We just got word that Hallel will be taking her final vows in France on August 15th!  She left for France 10 years ago, and we were told that that is roughly the time frame for final vows, so there were some fake plans flying around saying that it could possibly be this summer.  Now we know!

August 2009 - John was fighting brain cancer at the same time Susan took her habit and became Little Sister Hallel! 

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html

 Now they are sharing the vows of Matrimony for John and Bobbi in June and Hallel's final vows as she gives herself totally to Jesus Christ, her spouse!

Hallel vows herself for life of chastity, poverty and obedience.  John's Catholic wedding vows and Bobbi's to him;

Roman Catholic Wedding Ceremony Vows. "I, ______, take you, ______, to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

All 3 are being vowed for LIFE! 

There were some fake plans flying around that the entire family would be going to France when Hallel took her vows, but now with the time set we will pray and see how it all works out. 

I feel a bit overwhelmed by the logistics of getting our large family there and where we will stay and how we will get around.  I do not do well with international travel and am overwhelmed and nervous about the whole thing.  A trip to Lourdes as a family will be shared I am sure after she has had her vows... she drives us there, and that is very special to share!  John has been there twice with her, and fallen head over heels in love with Our Lady!

 The family together to say goodbye to Hallel/Susan 10 years ago!  Our family has grown with marriages and children over those years.  Now we will add Bobbi in June!

These 3 will share total commitment in Christ this summer!  John and Bobbi in the sacrament of Matrimony on June 2nd in Ghent, MN, and Little Sister Hallel in her perpetual vows on August 15th in Saint Pierre, France. 

John and Susan are so close... with 2 losses between them and 3 after them including their two brothers, who died at 20 weeks in the womb/stillbirths and buried at the cemetery, William and Robert!

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

How Susan would care for her brother with so much devotion!!!  There is a family story of how she saved his life when she said; "Where's John?"  We looked around and discovered that he was walking into the shed where Pat was backing out with a tractor! 

It has been interesting to see them sharing life experiences.... now their vows!!!! 

 So blessed to have our nun!!! She has brought a huge family to us!  over 100 little sisters and little brothers! 

The Schmidts also have 2 weddings this summer!  Many wonderful family times to be had!!! 

Jesus, we rejoice at the journeys of our children!  John and Hallel's lives are intertwined as they ask for your plans for them.  It seems to be according to the big plan for them to still be allowed to share "family time."  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

"Wait for the LORD with courage;

be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation."  Psalm 27

It is quite amazing the way He will make things work out according to the Supreme plan.  Lord, help me to put it into your hands and trust!

"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By His wounds you have been healed."
– 1 Peter 2:24

"Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. "

John 12

LOVE!!!

Where John asked Bobbi to marry him.  Mary is beloved to him!  "Mom, there is a mother who is better than you."  "Yes, John, I totally agree with you!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

So beautiful and speaks so much of how this turned to the Cross in just a week's time!

Danielle Rose - True love/the Cross

John's cancer promo video!

4 years ago... "carrying the cross."

5 year old Therese helping Godmother Hallel with dishes in KC... T just turned 10 last week!  I know there are fake plans for her to spend some time with The Community to live their life and discern her call...

For her 5th birthday... mom made her a Little sister habit and one for her doll, Anna!  Her grandfather, David, made them their wooden crosses and rosaries.  So special!!!

Godmother Susan/now little Sister Hallel with her baby Goddaughter, Therese, March 2008!

Hallel will now be a professed nun, Nancy married with 4 children here and two in heaven, Maria has had 4 more here and two in heaven in the last 10 years!  LIFE is a journey filled with the best Plan we could never have guessed for ourselves!