Ready for More Rain

Dear Diary

Today is Thursday, May 21st, and this morning Robert picked us up at the mailbox as usual and right on time. Sister Mary Claire, Mini, and I were all ready, and the road still looked wet from the nice rain we had. The sky was gray again, and it looked like more rain was coming before long, so Sister Mary Claire made sure we had our raincoats with us. Mine was buttoned up, and Mini had her little place ready in the truck where she could stay dry.

Robert said the rain would make the fields green in a hurry, and Sister Mary Claire smiled and said that grace can be like that too. When God sends it, quiet little places in the soul can begin growing again before we hardly notice.

On the way to St. Mary’s, we talked about today’s Gospel reading because Sister Mary Claire and I had read it ahead of time. Jesus was praying for His disciples, but not only for them. He was praying for everyone who would believe in Him later. That means He was praying for us too. I liked thinking about that as we rode along the wet country road, watching the clouds gather low over the fields.

At Mass, Father LeRoy explained the Gospel in his homily. He said Jesus was praying that all who believe in Him would be one, just as He and the Father are one. Father said that this does not mean we all have the same work to do or the same place in life. It means we are meant to belong to God together, with love and peace in our hearts.

Then Father LeRoy said something I kept thinking about. He said, “Our Lord does not forget the little ones who will come after. He sees them, He knows them, and He prays for them before they even know how much they need Him.”

That made me feel very safe. Jesus prayed for His apostles long ago, but He also prayed for little girls in Iowa, and nuns, and kind neighbors named Robert, and all the people who come to Him with faith. He even knows about our wet fields, our raincoats, our little mailbox, and our quiet ride to church.

After Mass, the air felt heavy with more rain. Robert said we might get another good shower by evening, and I hoped the fields would drink it all in. I thought about Father LeRoy’s words and how Jesus wants our hearts to grow together in His love. The rain helps the farm grow, but prayer helps the heart stay faithful.

Tonight, Sister Mary Claire and I said our prayers quietly while the rain began tapping again. Mini settled herself nearby, glad to be warm and dry. I thanked Jesus for the rain, for the Gospel, for Robert’s kindness, for Father LeRoy’s homily, and for the way Our Lord prayed for us before we were even born.
Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus,
thank You for praying for us
and for keeping us close to Your Heart.
Make our hearts gentle, faithful, and united in Your love.
Help us grow in grace each day,
and keep us safe beneath Your care.

Amen.

Love,
Kathy

__________________________

Gospel Reading

A reading from
the holy Gospel according to John 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.

And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.

Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name
and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Kept in Thy Name

Old Morning Prayer

Dear Diary,

Today is Wednesday, and Robert picked us up as usual and right on time. Sister Mary Claire and I were ready at the mailbox, and Mini came along too, looking so pretty and pleased with herself, as if going to Holy Mass was her special duty. She settled in the pickup very nicely, and I felt glad having all of us together on the road to St. Mary’s.

At Mass, the Gospel was from Saint John, where Jesus lifted His eyes to Heaven and prayed to His Father for His disciples. Father LeRoy said this was one of the most tender parts of the Gospel, because Jesus was not only teaching us, but praying for us. He said Jesus knew His friends would have to live in a world that did not always love what was holy, and so He asked His Father to keep them safe in His name.

Father LeRoy explained that Jesus did not ask the Father to take His disciples out of the world. That part stayed with me. Father said we still have chores to do, roads to travel, people to love, and duties to finish. We are not meant to hide away from everything hard. But we are meant to belong to God while we are here.

He said when Jesus prayed, “Consecrate them in the truth,” He was asking that His disciples be made holy by God’s own truth. Father LeRoy said truth is not just a lesson in a book. Truth is what keeps the soul straight and safe. It is like a good fence around a field, or like Sister Mary Claire’s hand guiding me when I am not sure where to step.

On the way home, Robert said it was a comforting thing to think of Jesus praying for His own. Sister Mary Claire said Jesus is still praying for us, and that when we feel weak or worried, we should remember that we are kept in His Father’s name. Mini looked out the window for a while, and then rested quietly, as if she knew the ride home was peaceful.

Tonight, I am thinking about how Jesus loves us so much that He prayed for us before He suffered. He wanted us guarded from evil. He wanted us to have His joy. He wanted us to be holy and true.

I hope I can remember that tomorrow when I do my chores, speak my words, and walk around Camp Littlemore. I want to belong to Jesus, even while I am still living in this world.

Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus, keep me in Thy holy name. Guard Sister Mary Claire, Robert, Mini, and all those I love. Help me to live in Thy truth and belong to Thee always. Amen.

Love, Kathy

________________________________________

Gospel Reading

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 17:11b-19

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:

“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.

When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely.

I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One.

They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.

Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.

And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Jesus Prayed for Us

The Apostles Creed

Dear Diary,

This morning Robert picked us up at the mailbox as usual and right on time. Sister Mary Claire, Mini, and I were all ready for the ride to St. Mary’s.

The fields looked fresh and green as we drove along the gravel road. The morning was quiet, and I kept thinking about today’s Gospel from St. John. It was the beautiful prayer of Jesus, when He raised His eyes to Heaven and spoke to His Father.

At Mass, Father LeRoy explained that this Gospel lets us listen to the prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He said Jesus was close to His suffering, but He was not thinking only about Himself. He was thinking about the ones the Father had given Him. He was praying for His disciples.

Father LeRoy said, “Jesus prayed for His disciples, and He still prays for those who belong to Him.” That made me feel deeply loved, and also very safe. It is a wonderful thing to think that Jesus knows us, loves us, and prays for us.

Then Father LeRoy explained the words, “Now this is eternal life, that they should know You, the only true God, and the one whom You sent, Jesus Christ.” He said eternal life is not only something far away in Heaven. It begins in the soul when we begin to know and love God. Every prayer, every Mass, every Gospel reading, and every little act of obedience helps us know Him more.

Father LeRoy also said that Jesus glorified the Father by finishing the work He was given to do. That made me think about our own daily duties. God gives each person work to do. Some work looks important, and some work looks very small, but if it is done for God, it matters. Helping Sister Mary Claire, caring for Mini, doing my chores, listening carefully at Mass, and trying to be good are all little works I can offer to Jesus.

On the ride home, Robert said he liked the part where Jesus said, “I pray for them.” Sister Mary Claire said those words are like a warm shelter for the soul. Mini sat close, and the road home seemed peaceful.

Tonight I am glad that Jesus prayed for His disciples before He went to the Father. I am glad He does not forget us while we are still in the world. I want to belong to Him more and more, and I want to keep His word like His disciples did.

Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for praying for us. Help me know You better, love You more, and do the little work You give me each day. Keep Sister Mary Claire, Robert, Mini, and me close to Your Sacred Heart. Amen.

Love,
Kathy

________

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 17:1-11a

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.

Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.

Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them.

And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Faith, Family, Farm, and Courage

Kathy's Latest Prayer

 

Dear Diary,

Today felt like one of those golden days when the farm itself seems to be saying its prayers.

The sun was warm and gentle, and the light fell across the barn and fence in such a pretty way that everything looked almost like a holy picture. I wore my overalls today, and Mini let me hold her for a little while by the old farm sign while Sister took our photo. Mini looked so proud and happy, with her red and white coat shining in the light. I held her close, and it made me think how good God is to give us a home, a family, animals to love, and faith to keep us brave.

Robert picked us up as usual and right on time, and we went to St. Mary’s for Holy Mass. Mini was very good, and Sister Mary Claire smiled at me when she saw how carefully I kept her settled. The church was quiet and peaceful, and I was glad to be there.

The Gospel today was from St. John, where Jesus told His disciples that they would all be scattered and would leave Him alone. That part made my heart feel sad. I thought of Jesus being so kind to them, and still knowing they would run away when things became frightening.

Father LeRoy explained it very gently in his homily. He said the disciples thought they were very strong when they said they believed. They really did love Jesus, but they did not yet know how weak they could be when trouble came. Father said Jesus was not trying to shame them. He was telling them the truth so they would not despair later. Even when they failed, He still loved them.

Then Father LeRoy said something I liked very much. He said, “Jesus did not say, ‘You will have no trouble.’ He said, ‘In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

That made me think of our farm sign: Faith Family Farm. Faith does not mean that everything will always be easy. Family does not mean nobody ever feels afraid or tired. Farm life certainly does not mean there is no trouble, because there are storms, mud, sick animals, broken fences, and days when chores feel too big. But faith means Jesus is with us through it all. Family means we help one another keep going. And the farm teaches us courage every day, because we must rise again in the morning and do what God gives us to do.

Father LeRoy said Jesus was not alone because the Father was with Him. Then he said that when we belong to Jesus, we are never truly alone either. Even if everybody else misunderstands us, even if our courage feels small, even if our hearts tremble, God is still with us.

After Mass, I kept thinking about Mini in my arms by the sign. She trusts me so completely. She does not understand every trouble, but she knows she is loved. I think Jesus wants me to trust Him that way. I do not have to understand everything. I just have to stay close.

Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus, when trouble comes, help me not to be afraid. Keep me close to You, close to my family, and faithful in the little duties of farm life. Thank You for Mini, for Sister Mary Claire, for Robert, for St. Mary’s, and for Father LeRoy’s good words today. Please help me remember that You have conquered the world. Amen.

Love,
Kathy

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Today's reading from the holy Gospel according to John 16:29-33

The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

With You Always

Click for The Sunday Sermon by Bishop Robert Barron

Dear Diary,

Today was a beautiful May day at Camp Littlemore. The corn is coming up green in the fields, and my new Ford tractor still feels almost too wonderful to be mine. I like sitting up high on it and seeing the bridge, the creek, the fences, and the road that leads back home.

Robert picked us up as usual and right on time. Sister Mary Claire, Mini, and I rode with him to St. Mary’s. Mini sat close and looked very pleased, as if the new Ford tractor belonged partly to her too.

At Mass, Father LeRoy read the Gospel about the eleven disciples going to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. Father LeRoy said that part is very comforting, because Jesus still came close to them. He did not send them away because their hearts were not perfect yet.

Father said Jesus told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” That means there is no place where Jesus is not King. He is King in Heaven, King on earth, King over the Church, King over our little St. Mary’s, and King even over the quiet fields of Camp Littlemore.

Then Father LeRoy explained that Jesus gave His disciples a great mission. He told them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that He commanded. Father said the Church has been carrying that mission ever since, from country to country, church to church, family to family, and heart to heart.

But the part that stayed with me most was when Jesus said, “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Father LeRoy said those words are like a lamp for every Christian soul. Jesus did not say, “I was with you.” He said, “I am with you.” He is with us when we are brave, and He is with us when we are afraid. He is with us when we understand, and He is still with us when we are a little confused, like the disciples who worshiped but still had some doubt.

I thought about that later when I drove my Ford tractor slowly across the little bridge. Mini rode in the wagon behind me with her orange squeak ball. The wagon bumped softly over the boards, and Mini sat there very grandly, like she was guarding all of Camp Littlemore.

On the back of the wagon, I imagined a brand new white tin sign that said, “With You Always.” That is the name for today, because it is what Jesus promised.

I looked back once to make sure Mini was all right, and then I thought how Jesus looks after us even better than that. He sees the whole road. He sees the bridge, the creek, the farm, the church, and every place I cannot see yet. I only have to keep going where He asks me to go, and trust that He is near.

Tonight, in the patchwork quilt tent in the bedroom, Sister Mary Claire and I said our prayers in our pajamas. The little lamp made everything soft and golden, and Mini curled close by, looking sleepy and safe. I thanked Jesus for staying with us always. I thanked Him for St. Mary’s, for Father LeRoy’s words, for Robert’s kindness, for Sister’s care, for Mini’s happy face, and for my new Ford tractor.

I want to remember that Jesus is with me always, even to the end.
Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for promising to be with us always. Stay close to me when I am brave and when I am afraid. Help me follow You, trust You, and remember that You are King of Heaven and earth. Bless Sister Mary Claire, Robert, Mini, Father LeRoy, and everyone at St. Mary’s.

Amen.

Love,

The Little Ford

Dear Diary,

Today after Mass, Robert had the nicest surprise for me.

He gave me the little Ford tractor.

He said he never, ever used it, and it just sat in the shed looking lonesome.

Then he smiled and said it might as well be my tractor, since I could use it for little jaunts around Camp Littlemore and someday down toward the cave.

Sister Mary Claire looked pleased, but careful.

Robert said he would teach me slowly, and that I must never go faster than a sensible farm girl ought to go.

That made Sister Mary Claire smile.

Father LeRoy’s homily stayed in my heart all day.

In the Gospel, Jesus said,
“Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

Father LeRoy said that when we pray in the name of Jesus, we are not just sending wishes up into the sky.

We are going to the Father through His beloved Son.

And Jesus told the disciples something so beautiful — that the Father Himself loves them because they love Jesus and believe He came from God.

I thought about that when I looked at my little Ford.

I have not driven it over the old bridge yet.

Robert said we will practice first in the lane and near the field.

Someday, when Sister Mary Claire says it is safe, I may take it slowly toward the cave path, with Mini riding safely behind me.

I keep imagining the wooden bridge, Indian Creek sparkling below, the corn just coming up small and green, and the cave waiting quietly beyond the trees.

I think I will ask Jesus to help me be careful, grateful, and brave.

Maybe prayer is a little like learning to drive the tractor.

I must not rush.

I must listen.

I must trust the one who is teaching me.

And Jesus is the best Teacher of all, because He brings my heart straight to the Father.

Tonight the little Ford is waiting by the shed, and I am waiting too.

I feel like the corn after rain — small, green, and happy to be growing.

Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for this happy day and for Robert’s kindness.

Teach me to ask the Father in Your holy Name with a trusting heart.

Help me learn slowly, listen carefully, and never be careless with the gifts You give me.

Bless Sister Mary Claire, who keeps me safe.

Bless Robert, who is so good to us.

Bless Mini, who will surely think the tractor belongs partly to her too.

Stay close to me tonight, dear Jesus, and make my joy complete in You.

Amen.

Love,
Kathy

The Little Corn Rows and His Promise

Dear Diary,

Today is Friday, and the little corn is popping up in the fields now. It looks like tiny green stitches sewn across the dark Iowa dirt. Some rows are still shy, but some are plain as can be, and I kept watching them from Robert’s pickup while we rode to St. Mary’s for Holy Mass.

Robert picked us up as usual and right on time. Sister Mary Claire had her prayer book with her, and Mini sat close beside me with her bright Corgi ears up, as if she were listening for church bells before we even got there. The morning smelled like spring fields, damp earth, and new growing things.

At Mass, Father LeRoy read the Gospel about Jesus meeting the eleven disciples on the mountain. He said something that stayed in my heart all day. He said the disciples worshiped Jesus, but some still doubted. That made me feel better somehow, because even the friends of Jesus had weak moments. Father said Jesus did not turn away from them because they were not perfect. Instead, He came closer and gave them a great mission.

Father LeRoy explained that when Jesus said, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” He was telling them that He was truly King over everything. Then He sent them out to teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Father said this is why the Church keeps going from year to year, country to country, and little church to little church, even all the way to our St. Mary’s in Littlemore.

But my favorite part was the very last line.

Jesus said, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Father LeRoy said those words are like a lantern that never goes out. Jesus did go up to Heaven, but He did not leave us lonely. He is with His Church. He is with us in prayer. He is with us in the Blessed Sacrament. He is with us when we are brave, and He is with us when we feel small and unsure.

On the ride home, Sister Mary Claire said the little corn rows made her think of the Gospel. The farmer plants the seed, but God gives the life. Father LeRoy plants Jesus’ words in our hearts at Mass, and then we must let them grow. Robert said the corn has to push up through the dirt before anyone can see it, and maybe faith is like that too. Sometimes it is growing quietly before we even notice.

I looked out the window at the fields and thought maybe every tiny corn blade was saying, “Jesus is with us always.”

Tonight we made our patchwork quilt prayer tent again in the bedroom. Sister Mary Claire helped tuck the quilts just right, and the lantern made everything soft and golden. I read the evening prayer from my sheet of paper, and Mini lay there with no collar, looking pleased to be included. I imagined Jesus and Mother Mary very near, not in a pretend way, but in the quiet real way that comes when a heart is praying.

It felt like our little prayer tent was a mountain, and Jesus was saying the same thing to us that He said to the disciples:

“I am with you always.”

Evening Prayer

Dear Jesus,
thank You for staying with us always.
Help my faith grow like the little corn in the fields.
Help me remember that You are near
when I am happy,
when I am afraid,
and even when I do not understand everything.

Dear Mother Mary,
keep me close to Jesus tonight.
Bless Sister Mary Claire, Robert, Father LeRoy,
and my dear Mini sleeping beside us.

Please make our little prayer tent
a quiet place where my heart remembers Heaven.

Amen.

Love,
Kathy

___________

 

Gospel Reading

A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

The Gospel of the Lord.