Saints and Resolutions for 2017

Our family is continuing the tradition of choosing a patron saint to be our special intercessor for the new year.   A friend of mine who has a special devotion to St. Faustina first told me about this beautiful tradition a few years ago when she shared the following excerpt from Faustina's diary:

"Jesus likes to intervene in the smallest details of our life, and He often fulfills secret wishes of mine that I sometimes hide from Him, although I know that from Him nothing can be hidden.  There is a custom among [the sisters in our convent] of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, for special patrons for ourselves for the whole year.  In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special patron for this year also, as in the past.  But hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that.  When the sisters gathered for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons.  When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes.  Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul:  I am your patron.  Read.  I looked at once at the inscription and read, "Patron for the Year 1935--the most Blessed Eucharist."  My heart lept with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart.  (entry 360)


So, here are the saints God chose for us this year:

Paul:  St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Maria:  St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Joseph:  St. Bernadino Realino
Michael:  St. Barbara
Dominic:  St. Charles Lwagna
Nathanael:  St. Anthony
Isaiah:  St. Juan Diego

All you holy saints...pray for us!  Pray that our family grows closer to Jesus this year and helps others to do so too!

I have also continued the tradition that I learned from Ann Voskamp to pray for a "word" to be my New Year's resolution---a word that the Lord wants me to adopt as my motto for the year to help draw me closer to His heart.  So on New Year's Day we went to Mass and I asked the Lord what word He was placing on my heart, and the word that popped into my head was "Peace."  But I wasn't totally sure (because I'm scrupulous and second-guess everything), so I kept searching for another sign for confirmation.  As I listened to the Mass readings, I head the familiar words that my parents used to pray over me as they tucked me in bed at night,  "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord look upon you with kindness and give you PEACE."  There it was again!  The Lord wants to give me the peace this year that I so desperately desire.  Peace like a child being tucked in by her loving parents, secure in being loved and taken care of.  Peace that I have somehow lost as I have let the world's worries distract my childlike trust that I once had.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me find that peace again this year and help me to focus on what is true:   that I can be at peace in ALL circumstances because I am still very much loved and being taken care of by a trustworthy God.

Let me know if you want me and my kids to draw a saint name for you!  :)  Just reply to this post or send me an email (pmhurlbert@gmail.com).

Medjugorje Christmas Messages from Our Lady

The Christmas season is over, but I thought these latest messages from Our Lady of Medjugorje during this resent Christmas season were worth sharing.  The visionaries say that when she appears to them on Christmas Day, she is always carrying the infant Jesus in her arms and is filled with joy.  I love picturing that.  May these messages from heaven fill you with joy and hope this New Year!



December 25, 2016 Message to Marija

"Dear children! With great joy, today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace. Open your hearts, little children, and be joyful that you can receive it. Heaven is with you and is fighting for peace in your hearts, in the families and in the world; and you, little children, help with your prayers for it to be so. I bless you with my Son Jesus and call you not to lose hope; and for your gaze and heart to always be directed towards Heaven and eternity. In this way, you will be open to God and to His plans. Thank you for having responded to my call."



January 2, 2017 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, My Son was the source of love and light when he spoke on earth to the people of all peoples. My apostles, follow His light. This is not easy. You must be little. You must make yourselves smaller than others; with the help of faith to be filled with His love. Not a single person on earth can experience a miraculous experience without faith. I am with you. I am making myself known to you by these comings, by these words; I desire to witness to you my love and motherly care. My children, do not waste time posing questions to which you never receive an answer. At the end of your journey on earth, the Heavenly Father will give them to you. Always know that God knows everything; God sees, God loves. My most beloved Son illuminates lives, dispels darkness; and my motherly love which carries me to you is inexpressible, mysterious but real. I am expressing my feelings to you: love, understanding and motherly benevolence. Of you, my apostles, I am asking for your roses of prayer which need to be acts of love. To my motherly heart these are the dearest prayers. I offer these to my Son who was born for your sake. He looks at you and hears you. We are always close to you. This is the love which calls, unites, converts, encourages and fulfills. Therefore, my apostles, always love one another and above all, love my Son. This is the only way to salvation, to eternal life. This is my dearest prayer which fills my heart with the most beautiful scent of roses. Pray, always pray for your shepherds that they may have the strength to be the light of my Son. Thank you."

This Odd Couple...

...wishes you a very Happy and Holy Christmas!

The Christmas story and the picture above just makes me smile and marvel at what God can do...  

If God can come down to earth as a fragile baby to save mankind from sin, and if God can bring two polar-opposite people like Paul and I together (and keep us together!), then He must really be a God of miracles and mystery and unsurpassing Love.  

That He is.  

And so much more.  

Christmas is that season where we get a glimpse, a taste, an inexplainable conviction of that miracle, that mystery, that Love which is God.  

And we long to know more.  

I hope and pray for myself, my family, and my friends that we all keep that longing in our hearts long past the Christmas season and get to know our marvelous God more and more...and more still.

Although the Christmas season is still being celebrated (I love that it lasts 12 days!!!), here is a summary of our celebration thus far:

It began with a special helicopter drop-off from Santa.  Grandma Jean (Paul's Mom) landed on Christmas Eve and spent a week spoiling our family with lots of hugs, love, presents, and amazing cuisine!

Even our tall teenager got one of Grandma's great big bear hugs!

When we got home from the airport, we had a nice meal followed by letting the kids open one present each (which is our Christmas Eve tradition).

After Isaiah unwrapped his present, 

it wrapped him up! :)

Nathanael's rhinoceros viper can't wait to snuggle with Grandma Theresa next time she comes! :)

Dominic got a unique albino crocodile with a great smile.

Unique with a great smile, just like Dom!

Michael could not wait to start using these high-quality binos!

Joseph was in shock and awe and bliss when he opened his new iPod

that I told him he would never get in a million years--

proving that Christmas miracles still happen :)

Grandma Jean was given some great Catholic books and a new sweater,

but I think her true gift was just being with her grandkids for a week.

She especially loved listening to Natey read 

and helping him with the words that stumped him 

(which are getting fewer and farther between)

Grandma also had fun making gingerbread houses with the boys...

but the boys had the most fun watching her do the work while they snacked on the candy :)

Natey loved placing baby Jesus in the manger, all soft with hay--

a symbol of all the boys' good deeds done over the Advent season

Even as an adult I think that presents under a glowing tree are gorgeous!

The boys finding the small treasures in their stockings on Christmas morning!

This was the majestic view from our car as we drove into town for Christmas Mass.

Perhaps Santa uses elk instead of reindeer when he comes to Montana? :)

Our handsome boys at the gorgeous Cathedral

Our family after Christmas morning Mass---the Mass was the highlight of Christmas for me!

Grandma Jean surrounded by her grandsons!

She is accustomed to being surrounded by boys for she raised 4 sons and 2 foster sons too!

The Cathedral felt so sacred and full of love on Christmas morning!

I love being Catholic and knowing that every time I walk into church Jesus is truly present in the tabernacle.  How blessed we are to receive Him---not just on Christmas---but every time we receive the Eucharist at Mass!

The best Christmas present of all is Jesus' gift of Himself--the gift that keeps on giving.

He came as a simple baby, 

He comes as simple bread, 

and He will come again in glory someday...

simply amazing!!!

When we returned home from Christmas Mass, we were greeted by a deer who seemed to be waiting for a Christmas present too.  So Grandma Jean got give her a little Christmas treat--

which made them both merry, very! :)

Then we came indoors to let the kids open all their presents.

The wait was finally over and it was so fun to watch them help one another 

and see the joy on their faces.

Nathanael liked his new game, some books, and some LEGO sets.

Dominic liked his new LEGO book, a Snap-circuit electricity set, and some Nexo Knight LEGO sets.

Michael was happy with his new basketball and a new full-size outdoor hoop!

All of us got wonderful gifts, but hopefully we would have been just as joyful to receive nothing but the gift of spending time together and the miraculous, indescribable gift of Emmanuel--God with us!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15