So many prayers - BR, family-rosary, Hallel, Chapel on wheels, Mass - spiritual and physical by 9a - "Let my cry come to you" - +JMJ+

Tom loves to put on grandma's glasses and get the picture I have in my prayer space of his Aunt Little Sister Hallel! Yes, I have a picture of Hallel as I know of her many prayers throughout her day for her family.  

She is a contemplative nun, and that means that she spends her days in prayer - morning prayer with an hour of adoration, mass, evening prayer with an hour of adoration, and the night before they mendicate the Gospel for the next day - chant each line and speak each line numerous times to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts, minds and souls!  

I know that many of her prayers are for her family!  She loves her Tom so much as she sees how he is such an unexpected gift from above to our farm family.  Such a sign of New LIFE, as that is what he is without a doubt.  When he had her beside him today- it just struck me as how much her prayers are surrounding her little Thomas Robert and his wonderful farm family!  

Tom is so happy to come to grandma's house, and today he found my kitty Ignatius laying on the floor, and so Tom sat down beside him and rubbed his soft belly.

Buddies sharing some time at grandma's house.  

Grandma making her bed with a little helper - he just giggles with so much joy to be here with me.  I am very humbled to have so much love from sweet Tom!  Today grandpa stopped in to spend some time and Tom just loved to be with grandpa - wresting on the bed, or sitting on his lap.  When it was nap time I looked for his special blankets and found that he had taken them and dropped in his pack and play - "I am totally comfortable here and I want to take my nap now please."  

Reaching for my glasses...

Oh my!  

I just sent out an email to the ladies from Birthright as we are putting on the State Convention here in Marshall this year on Sept 15-16!  Yikes!  We are having a planning meeting and I suggested we go to Mass on Monday night and pray before we gather!  So many prayers already for this big undertaking.  

It brings me to recall all the ways I find prayer as I go along... starting with mass followed by morning prayer, while I am driving I love to start the rosary in bits and pieces in my chapel on wheels, My Rosary is huge for praying for my family each day - each of the 5 decades is for one of my 5 children and their growing families!   The prayers of our nun Hallel for our family are felt and depended upon. And when there are big happenings on the horizon and I feel very inadequate - I turn to prayer!  

The beginning line of Psalm 102 from mass today is my mantra as I go through my day- O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you. Psalm 102

Further down this Truth!

Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.  Psalm 102

The crown was passed around from grandpa to grandma and then to our sweet boy, Tom!  He squealed with delight!  

Reaching for grandma's glasses - I am sitting in my prayer space where I am blessed with much spiritual reading every day, if I can get to sit there and do it.  The Magnificat - morning prayer and the Readings from mass, Then dad's Prayer of The Church where he has underlined, written and shares with me his JOY and LOVE for All that our amazing Church gives to us each day!  My parents brought all 13 of us into The Church 51 years ago and each day since has been total gift!  A pearl of great price! 

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

Another time of great prayer is shared with my son, John, in Adoration!  He has the last hour of Sunday and I have the first hour of Monday!  We share from the heart in the presence of Jesus in the Monstrance, and then we share prayer ending with the Hail Holy Queen... how we love Our Lady since John went to Lourdes during his brain cancer!

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: John's cancer stories

John's Spirit Juice Video - the story continues with wife and children!  

Danielle Rose - Hail Holy Queen

Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen sung as Hallel and The Community of the Lamb sing it at night prayer each night. Angels singing for sure!  

Cheerful is important on our journey!  

Prayer shared in our domestic Church/family is of utmost importance!  

Work of art - Milan, Italy!  Stunning beauty is often experienced in Italy!  

There is so much beauty found in beginning each day with mass and then on to the Y for my swim fitness - wow!  On the top of the world to have spiritual and physical in by 9a when a lot of days I then get to pick up my Tom and see his beaming face with so much love and happiness for his old grandma!  My cup overflows, O Lord!  Such a spectacular view from my humble seat on this farm in Southwest Minnesota.  

Another gift of an hour of prayer each week is being blessed to pray for Fr Denny with 7 Sisters on Friday in front of a tabernacle wherever I find myself.  I have prayed on military bases, in KCK, in Shawnee, KS, and many other places.  Jesus is everywhere and He is LIFTED Up on the Cross for us to look upon and be saved and healed!

From the Gospel today - So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.  John 8

My dad underlining today St Leo in the Office of Readings - thanks, dad!  

Psalm 33 in morning prayer today - dad has a strong devotion to the Name!!!  

Now a special blessing each day from my mom - a daily meditation by Pope Benedict XVI!  She read this 10 years and I am on my 3rd!  He is so wise and I continue to learn each day.  Thanks, mom! 

He makes grandpa and I smile and laugh with him.  So much LOVE for these old folks!  Jesus, there are so many times we need to come to you in prayer with each new day.  It is the wind beneath our wings to turn to you in our worry and weakness.  May we die to self and serve you without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34

Now dad's man, Brother Victor - Mercy!  

Oh, dad how I love to share in his religious life each day!  May I become more humble!  

Love is never finished." Pope Benedict XVI

 

 

"The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is proof that

His love for us has no sunset. He is the Desired of the

everlasting hills, and he puts into our hearts

the desire to live close to him.

 

The stresses and hurts and partings of life often bear down on us,

and we may tend to feel alone as when the sun has gone down.

The words of St. Augustine can lift us

"He neither rises nor sets because he abides always."

So our lives do not have to go down into the shadows.

 

It was at evening time that the risen Lord restored the

desolate spirits of two disciples by revealing his presence

to them "in the breaking of the bread." They pleaded with

him "Stay with us, for it is towards evening." (Lk 24,29).

We too can plead with him, "Lord, be with us,

both at sunrise and at sunset..."

 

In the Holy Eucharist the only Son of God, Jesus Christ,

 fulfills his promise to be with us always.

What consolation, how could we be lonely? 

From all the sunsets to all the sunrises

"He neither rises nor sets

because he abides always." (St. Augustine)."

 

- from the writings of Msgr. John Moloney, P.P.

Dublin, Ireland (+2014)

“Every day has been a great day as a priest."

As quoted on the celebration of his

70th Anniversary of priesthood Ordination

______________________________

 

+ Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving +

Will Morrison

 

Susanna and The woman taken in adultery/Family time for Jude! - +JMJ+

These two cousin friends are now both 4!  George is 6 weeks older than Jude and between them in Hector, who is in Charlottesville, VA for the year.  This summer grandma already has plans to get them matchy matchy when Hector will be in Minnesota for a month this summer as they move from Charlottesville to Leavenworth, KS.

How we love to see our grandkids being best friends for LIFE!  

Grandpa with his arms full of Tom and Regina, who are just a month apart.  Tom was a bit overwhelmed by all the noise and activity of having 17 of our grandkids together to celebrate Jude.  

In a month I will have Regina for 3 days while Nancy goes to a convention in Alabama.  We are hoping the Gina will be walking by then.  She is just about ready to go off on her own.

Regina feeding Tom some ice cream cake.  It was like feeding two little birds - their mouth would open one after the other to get their bite of ice cream birthday cake!  

Tom is ready for his bite!  

Cousin friends for LIFE!  They are joined by older Magdalene, who will be here this summer.  To have the 3 of them walking around together?  Probably they will be going in 3 different directions.  Magdalene will be 2 in May and is just about 6 months older than these two.  

Nancy and John with their 2 babies - How we love to share family!  John - "Thanks mom for giving us such a huge wonderful family to share our life with."  

Lucy is now 2 1/2 months and she will be growing up with the 3 older than her.  

The 4 together when Maria flew in with Maggie on her lap for Mary's Confirmation about a month ago.  A picture of LIFE!  

Tom is outnumbered by 3 girls, but he has the 3 little boys that are all 4 ahead of him to take him under their wings.  Tom loves his old grandma so much, so he will probably be just fine with having a flock of girls to go through life with in the family.  Maybe he will love to cook like his big brother, David?!?

Lucy awake and kicking while all around her is a huge family gathering!  

You can just hear the joyful noise as we celebrate sweet Jude the Dude!  

Lucy joining the fun!  

The readings today are amazing!  I love the OT story of Susanna - #1 it was where I could show Susan where her name was and such a story of Faith overcoming injustice and a story of great mercy!  Daniel 13 - But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me. 
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”  Her prayer from Daniel 13 and it was answered by Daniel's wisdom and justice was served.

Such a fun time had by his cousins gathered around him for his 4th birthday!  

In about 5 weeks  Birdie will be 3!  

Happy Birthday!  

A fun train track for the 2 guys to play together.

Now the truly merciful story from John 8 - the woman taken in adultery!  So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”  John 8

An entire ice cream cake was gone!!!  That takes a crew and so we were as we made Jude feel special!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34

 

 "God has placed us all in a dark room,

hoping that we will have sense enough

to turn the light on... " - Mother Angelica

 

"There are two things I want you to do -
keep close to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist...

(and) stay close to His Mother.

With those two loves, you will always have 
the light to see what is right and what is wrong."

 

Mother Angelica

Poor Clare Nun

Founder of EWTN

(Eternal Word Television Network)

Anniversary of Death - 03/27/16

Requiescat in pace

 

"We are called to be great saints,

don't miss the opportunity."

 Mother Angelica

 

"A soul that trusts God is invincible."

 Mother Angelica

 

"God wants you to be in the world,

but so different from the world that

you will change it.  Get cracking."

Mother Angelica

_________________________

Related: 
Let go of 'false lights' that lead down the wrong path, Pope says :: Catholic News  Agency (CNA)
18 Mother Angelica Quotes that Hit It Right on the Nose | ChurchPOP

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+ Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving +

Mother Angelica is a gift that continues!

Will Morrison

 

Jude it 4 on the 5th Sunday of Lent - 18 sharing mass and brunch is instant party!/Gift of tears is from the HS! - +JMJ+

LOVE this - John and Bobbi with their precious family celebrating oldest son, Jude's 4th birthday today on the 5th Sunday of Advent!   A week from today is Palm Sunday then Holy Week - Palm Sunday will be our Nancy's birthday!  

Singing Happy Birthday with 4 candles on his doughnut and cupcake!  It is a huge wonderful party to share mass and brunch afterwards on the farm with 18 today!  We brought Augustine and Bernadette back with us from Delano last night.  Attended a very wonderful fundraiser for their Catholic School - St Max!  

Pat blessing our food, the farm with all the cows and calves and Jude on is birthday today.  We had our 71st calf on cow TV during breakfast.  They are coming quickly now.  About 10 in a 24 hour period!  

Sweet Jude is the last of the 3 boys in 6 weeks to turn 4.  George, Jude and Hector are all 4 years old now.  George is on his way with his family to party with his buddy Jude!  

John with precious 10 week old Lucy!  

Pat held her through mass and she did not let out a peep.  

Joy will be 6 next week on Friday.  She is so true to her name!  She comes shopping with grandpa and grandma for breakfast along with Jude and Birdie - the two 10 year old girls joined us today too.  Rose and Berna wanted to pick out the golden honeydew melons!  We bought the last 2.

Luke couldn't wait to get to his cousin buddy, Gus!  

Best friend cousins - Rose and Berna are just 6 months apart and so happy to see each other.  How we love to see the cousins coming together!  

Just received Jesus in His Body, Blood and Word!  Our JOY knows no bounds!  The amazing Gospel today was from John 11 - the raising of Lazarus!  Fr Shawn spoke about "Jesus wept."  How the human emotion yet also the raising of him from the dead showing he was also God!  Fr Shawn also had a most wonderful homily about the HS gift of tears!  I have this and I asked hubby if he had more of an appreciation of my gift of crying happy or sad.  Even Ruth had to admit that she now feels much better about this ability I have!  Thanks, Fr Shawn! 

Fr. Shawn's Homilies | Podcast on Spotify  

Special seat for his birthday!  

Grandma and Lucy watching Cow TV - We saw calf #71 be born!  Name it Jude.

Smiling for mom and grandma.

Pretty in pink - new outfit from Colorado.

Smiling for her wonderful mommy.  I must be on my way to Jude's party!  

Jude with grandpa on his 1st birthday 3 years ago.  It looks like it was Sunday that year too!  

Worth sharing again - Be with Jude today and always.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34

Fr Kyle speaking at the fundraiser last night.  Pat shared how much his homily on suffering and offering it up means to us!  Wow!  

Your Suffering Is Not Meaningless (buzzsprout.com)   

Fifth Sunday of Lent*

*Final Lenten Sunday before Palm Sunday

 

Give me justice, O God, and plead my cause

against a nation that is faithless.  From the deceitful

and cunning rescue me, for you, O God, are

my strength. - Entrance Antiphon (Today's Liturgy)

 "Without the Eucharist, 
the Church would not exist.

The holy Eucharist

is the central point of our life. 

I remember once a priest I met. He never talked at great length 
about the sufferings, persecutions and tortures, but he mentioned 
that even in prison, all the priests would celebrate the liturgy.

We were amazed; how could this be possible? 
Where did you get a Chalice and a Paten? 

He took off his glasses and said: 
'This is what we used; one lens served as the chalice 
with a drop of wine and on the other a piece of bread 
was placed, which served as the paten.' 

This is how they celebrated the liturgy in the prison 
or around the premises of the concentration camps.”

 

Major-Archbishop Swiatoslav Schevchuk

Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

___________________________

 

We pray, almighty God,

that we may always be counted

among the members of Christ,

in whose Body and Blood we have communion,

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

- Prayer After Communion (Today's Liturgy)

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+ Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving +