Corpus Christi Blog

As Catholics, we have a tendency to refrain from sharing about our personalrelationship with God. However, this is something we feel needs to change! Webelieve sharing our faith with others and being witnesses to how God has workedin our lives, can only help to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ!

In order to help facilitate this sharing, we will be featuring conversion stories and personal testimonies about how God has impacted the lives of our parishioners.

A Mother's Prayers

06-25-2017What's Your Story?Alice Wold

My heart is filled with joy and hope for our son and new daughter-in law. Our son and his lovely wife were just married. It was such a beautiful sacrament. Just bursting with joy.

The last of the guests have gone home. The newlyweds are off on their honeymoon and I'm surrounded with the happy chaos of table linens and flowers. The beautiful quiet is just what I need – a peaceful day with Our Lord. As I reminisce through the tears and memories, my prayer begins:

"Dear Lord thank you for this beautiful marriage, please bless them with a beautiful life filled with happiness. Please bless them with children and help them to always remain close to you. Help them to have a relaxing and fun honeymoon and keep them safe in their adventures." I can't believe how wonderful Our Lord has been. He has always stunned me by His awesome blessings.

When I was a young girl my mother passed away. The loneliness was devastating. But soon my dear friend Jesus came to fill the emptiness. He led me into a conversation that fills the moments of my life like a beautiful melody. He has taught me about His joy and His always-interesting plan for my life.

When I was young, I asked him to lead me in my vocation and eventually asked Him to find a wonderful husband for me and to bless us with a beautiful family. He sent me Chuck. We dated and prepared for our marriage. We prayed together that He would guide us and help us in His will. I asked Him to help me to be a good wife, and if it was his will – that He would bless us with children and make me a good mother. Throughout my days, the prayer continues:

"I love you Jesus, thank you for all your abundant blessings, please be with me – help me to do Your most holy will."

Our wedding was beautiful and our life together began.

"Thank you for this beautiful life you have made for us, please help me to be a good wife. Please be with Chuck and guide him as he leads our family. Please help me to appreciate him and bring him kindness and comfort. Please bless us with children."

We soon found out we were expecting.

"Oh, dear Lord, thank you for the great blessing of this child Please help this little one to be healthy and happy. Please help us to be good parents and to guide him to know you and love You."

Then came our second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth — all healthy and such a delight.

"Wow, thank you, Lord — you are so amazing – how You know how to touch my heart with joy! Please help me to be a good wife and mother. Please watch over the children and keep them close to you. Please send them good friends. Please touch them and lead them in the joy of Your most holy will."

We also have two little ones who are waiting for us in heaven. There were many tears, but eventually He brought the consolation to rejoice that they are with Jesus.

"Dear Little Ones, be with me in my prayers. Whisper to Christ and watch over your brothers and sister."

I would join my conversation with Mary and the saints, and with our parents. I could imagine Chuck's dad and his cute little laugh from heaven when they were doing something silly; my mother's smile and prayer that I would be a good mom. I would ask my children's guardian angels to watch over each of them and pray that they would be safe as they went to school, especially as they entered their teenage years and were off spreading their wings. I remember when I was informed by our oldest son that my directions to, "Have fun and be safe," were opposites, so which would I prefer. Yikes!

"Lord keep them safe. Please send them good friends who will not lead them away from You. Keep them close to You – touch their hearts and help them to always seek You."

When our youngest was nine months old, I experienced a severe stroke. "Oh my, Lord," I complained, "You have given me six Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time June 25, 2017 wonderful children; and now You have taken away my ability to care for them – and right when they need me most – what do You have in mind now???"

With many prayers and tears and the amazing intercessory prayers of everyone around me, we embarked on this new adventure. God was asking for a little intense attention; I called this little lesson "Humility 101." I learned to rely on myself a little less and God a lot more. Chuck and the children helped me so much as I went through rehab and tried to regain my health.

"Please Lord help me to accept this set back with grace. Help me to be a good mom with these new limitations. Please help me to be loving and appreciative to Chuck, the children, my caregivers, and everyone else who I encounter. Help me to work hard in this rehab process. Please help me to accept what You have in mind. I know that You have some 'good' in this process even though I can't imagine what that might be."

It was recommended during this whole process that we consider a better climate, so we began to pray about a move to Phoenix.

"Lord, is this what You want – what do You have in mind? How do we know for sure if this is your will?"

At that time, I went on a retreat and one of the questions the retreat master asked was: "Would anyone like to know how you know the will of God?' Oh boy, did I! He told us that you take baby steps and God will facilitate His will and place "road blocks" when it's not. Well that sounded simple enough. So, we prayed and moved forward. Wow, did God facilitate! Both the sale of Chuck's business and our rather strange home were beyond amazing. Chuck said he felt like God's hands were pushing him forward. It was so unmi st akabl e. So off we went.

"Please Lord help this move to be good for our family. Help us always to seek your will, I have no idea what you have in mind here; I can't believe this is just for my health; Minnesotans don't move – and our families think we're crazy!"

We started our trek to Phoenix. Chuck, who was starting his business out fresh, got his first new client on the drive down.

"Thank you, Lord, you are so awesome, thank you for taking care of us Please keep us safe and lead us in our new life."

The move went well and soon we discovered the great blessing of Corpus Christi. We all chose something to get involved in. Chuck helped with Junior High CE, some of the children got involved with altar serving, and I joined the Coffee Break Ministry, Christ Child Society, and then later on, Perpetual Adoration. Everyone made friends and found a nice niche.

"Thank you Lord, for sending us wonderful friends, for allowing us to participate in Your work, for enriching our lives and leading us in your way."

Altar serving was wonderful for the children. They made such good friends — Kurt and Carl Perera, Nathaniel Glenn, and many others — under the watchful eye of Father Hoorman. Father Hoorman always had lots of little jobs for them to do and many opportunities for them to develop their friendship as they grew in their appreciation of the Mass and in service to the Church.

"Dear Jesus, please bless Father Hoorman and the wonderful friends you have sent into the children's lives. Please accompany them all as they grow and discern what it is that You would like them to do in their lives. Always keep them close to Your heart."

As the children grew up and my days moved from chaos to quiet, my prayers continue; little prayers, just a little thank-you here, a little request there, sometimes just a little, "Hey friend I love you." My circle of prayer has grown:

"Please watch over our children, our friends, our parish; please keep us close; help us all to seek with joy, Your most holy will."

"Thank you for all Your wonderful blessings. Please help us to always be faithful to your plan."

"Thank you dear Lord for Chuck and all of our children, their wonderful spouses, and our grandchildren. Please surround them all with your love, help them to know and love you and guide them in all that they do. Please be with the wonderful friends You have brought into our lives."

"Thank you for our Catholic Church; for Bishop Olmsted and all the wonderful priests he shepherds, bring them wisdom and joy."

My heart is filled with joy as I thank God for the past few days. The awesome ways He has touched my heart. Father Kurt's totally awesome homily was such a joy, the glance of love between our son and daughter-in law (who were married last year) as he spoke of Christ crucified being the center of their marriage; and then our son-in-law with his little daughter wiggling in his arms.

"Oh my, Lord, you know how to touch my heart – thank you for giving us the gift of faith and all the joy that it brings! Thank you for keeping my children close to you! Always guide them in all that they do."

Any day now we are expecting another addition to the family. My son and daughter-in-law, are expecting their first, our sixth grandchild. We are filled with excitement and hope and a little nervous about the birth ahead.

"We thank you Lord for this gift of life; watch over them and protect them. Help them to a safe delivery. Help them to be good parents. Help them to be prudent and wise as they pass on the gift of faith."

And so the joy of the conversation goes on like a song wafting through the days and years.

"Dear Lord, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for bringing us into your beautiful Family of Love. Please hold my hand and guide me; help me always to be a good wife, mom, Nana and friend."

Editor's Note: Shortly after Alice submitted her article for the bulletin, her newest grandson, Isidore Michael Wold was born! Congratulations!

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