NOVENAS, a seven letter word in Word Twist

I'm still basking in the afterglow of our beautiful circle from yesterday. Closing my eyes and seeing a clear vision of all that were there and acknowledging my love for each and every one of you. I asked Carrie to send me the poem that Wahe Guru recited and here it is:

The Tao of Healing
-Trevino

The Spirit of Healing, like an infinite
cloud
Takes the moment's perfect form,
Yet it is formless;
It can be seen,but not touched
Felt,but not held;
Light on the outside,dark within.

Yet even the darkness is teeming with
life,
And failed knowledge bears the seeds
of faith.

Therefore,allow faith to reveal;
In the last, the First is seen
In disease,Wholeness
In a blade of grass,all of creation.


Also, I want to say that in the crazy way that things present themselves to us, my dear dear friend from high school, Julie Cangelosi Ryan, who I love beyond words, and who baptized Pablo in her den when he was just a baby, has been praying a 54 day novena for Pablo for three weeks now. WOW. Even though I am not a practicing Catholic, I always feel a sense of comfort and calm with the repetition of certain prayers that were said so many times in my life. Julie knows that I have a special place in my heart for Our Lady of Prompt Succor, the patroness of the great state of Louisiana and my beloved city of New Orleans, AND enshrined at our Alma Mater, Ursuline Academy, the oldest Catholic girls' school in the United States. I've been calling on her quite a bit lately. So much so, that I feel like I am up for the challenge to pray her nine day novena for my little guy, knowing very well that Our Lady does not let us down.

My grandmother, who did a second baptism on Pablo with the Holy Water that she brought back from Lourdes, France, passed away this past November. During the end of her illness, she sent me a beautiful figurine of a mother holding her baby, along with a note saying that it reminded her of me because she understood that being a great mom was what matters most to me in life, and that she believed that I was, in fact, doing a good job. At her services in New Orleans, my Aunt Linda asked me if there was anything else that I would like to have of hers. I couldn't think of anything except her rosary. The director gave it to me at the end of the service. I left it with my mom, and have asked her to bring it out to me when she and my father come back on June 30th, two days before Pablo's surgery. My plan is to start my nine day novena tonight and start Julie's 54 day novena with my Grandma's rosary on July 1st, the night before Pablo's surgery. I'm excited, so thank you Julie for inspiring me. Love, Jo Ann

These photos are from Christmas 2003



Me, Pablo and Julie with the Holy Water after Pablo's impromptu baptism




Grandma baptizing Pablo with the Holy Water from Lourdes




Grandma, Pablo and Grady