“A family that pray together stays together” – that is a great saying – my family spread to both east and west coasts early on – and honestly any of us with ancestors who came on the boats in the great immigration era should remember those people endured leaving family that they never saw again – letters were sent and sometimes packages in my family – but no plane ride home to visit – all my great grandparents would have left home in the same ages of my kids now at 20 something – that is just the way it was…

I remember my Dad today with finding a newspaper clipping about his 1st communion and other articles, like with scouting. I remember many blessings growing up like family trips and family stories – remembering this morning while giving my cat water of when my Dad who vowed that he hated cats said to my mom: “we need to get cat food – there is a stray in the garage” – and wouldn’t you know it? we became cat people – as the stray was pregnant and had her kittens under my bed – on a green velvety blanket that was my grandmothers. We gave all of them away except one who became my cat.  

Spreading the love and taking care of others – that was my Dad – taking care of your fellow man – and realizing to be appreciative for everything you have – and treating them fairly – and all this good advice that still fills my brain and my heart. I had over 50 years with my Dad before he passed few years ago. I remember his stories (and to make sure I have good brakes for the car)…  I recently found during family history searching, newspaper articles about our family. I found the great scouting article where my family spoke of their many sons in scouting and how good it was. I found a letter to the editor about my Dad as a persistent newspaper carrier, telling folks they needed to buy a subscription – VERY CONVINCING – I also found what we discovered years later that he was a hero for saving a boy who broke away from his troop and fell at a scout camp in the rugged terrain. We also found good articles of the dedication of my grandmother as a den mother.. cool…

A family which prays together – and plays together – and all that – well I found an article from the parochial school of my father’s first communion – a family which worships God together…  It is comforting to me that it was my grandparents who instilled faith and instruction into my dad and his siblings – by enrolling them in parochial school. Even if my father railed against the hypocrisy in the catholic church and the unfortunate but totally human going-wrongs of the day, I am encouraged that the Lord’s teachings still got instilled in that generation – including first communion. My faith is that faith was instilled early and demonstrated weekly and daily and moment to moment by my Grandmother.

I remember my Dad taking great concern for visiting my Grandmother in the nursing home every day – yes every day – sometimes in the morning before work – sometimes at lunch – sometimes after work. I trust that my grandmother, is in Heaven by the Love of Jesus. My Grandmother,  whom I never heard complain ever, even with a noisy roommate and with many aches and pains of leg amputation from diabetes and cancer from mesothelioma,. And I remember my Dad talking about his father – about the generosity of helping others – about the chickens they bought and then had eggs more than they could handle and beng directed to go give them to all the neighbors – that my grandfather would have directed them to take their wagon and go door to door not to sell but to give away… Yeah – family who takes care of others…

I thank the Lord for these memories and my family. I am grateful for these newspaper articles for new memories.

My connection to a lamb scripture today – is that the Lord told the families in the first “Passover” – to share between neighbors – to make sure there is enough but not too much – to take care of their households and of each other. I would know that my family was trained to take care of each other by the generosity of the Lord – the Lamb gives of Himself – and no one is to waste it – like the Lord’s Word which comes to earth and never returns void – always shared to do His Work.

May we always be remembering good memories – and may we always be thankful to the Lord for all our life experiences good and bad – and the perseverance the Lord has enabled in us to survive and yes to thrive… Amen

Thanks Lord for my Dad and family… Thank You, Lord, for You!

Amen and amen…

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. Exodus 12:1-3