The Domestic Church

This past week my family and I piled into our car and headed down south to celebrate the life of my grandfather (Ganga).  What we gained through this short trip could fill volumes...here is just a taste...

We miss so many miracles daily...so many blessings...but the events leading up to my grandfathers funeral and since following it have caught my eye to a valuable lesson that he and my grandmothers life are to me...
They lived out the call to be a domestic church...to raise their children and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren in the faith and to lead them to experience the love of God...

They lived out their life of suffering and joy holding onto one another and onto a faith that is pure gift...
They radiated this faith in the ordinary every day things...always saying I love you, having a sense of humor about things, the very,very,very muches that they signed each card with....and the xoxoxoxox that also was enclosed in every birthday card, sacramental celebration and birth.
They built their house on rock...and I am so proud for that foundation.  When they read the scriptures at my grandfathers funeral...his life embodied the message of the gospel...of the disciples, of the prophets...
As I sat in the church I felt blessed...as I wittnessed the 21 gun salute I felt honored...as I visited with my grandmother that evening with my sister and my mother I felt loved...

We have a call in this family....to live what we have been taught and shown so that we can share the blessing they are...and the love that they have sown in our family...

Since my grandfather passed my grandmother has recieved close to 100 mass cards in just the past two days...flowers, food, and visits...and these are just from those in their parish...

I now pray for my grandmother and her beautiful heart that is heavy and ask you to do the same...
And I challenge you to look into the windows of your heart...and home...into your domestic church and find the blessings there...to find God in both the ordinary and extraordinary....

I know that as I struggle to be the best wife and mother of these 5 children...I can lean on the faith given to me and draw strength from the roots of my family...that rely on living water...I am so thankful...
As my 8 year old said...."Mom rather than be sad Ganga is gone I am going to be thankful that he lived"....
I am going to take this a step further to say...although I am sad Ganga has died....I am going to find peace and consolation in knowing that he lives..."

on our way home yesterday, on one of our many stops we parked next to a car that had a liscence plate that read GANGA....what are the chances...no chances, just blessings...as he liked to say..
We are well watched over...

We love you Ganga!