Shepherds of Christ  
       Daily Writing        
 

  

January 3, 2007

January 4th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 9 Period I.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for January 4th are Sorrowful.

   

 

Retreat in January

is the 12th & 13th only

     

There will be a big Apostle Retreat in February

10th thru the 13th.

The Priestly Newsletter mailing 

will take place then.

   

January 3, 2007

Messenger:               Life is lived as a response
                            to God's love —
                            Living deeper life in Him. Life
                            a journey saturated with His grace —
                            we contemplate everyday to
                            live more directly
                            according to God's will.
                           
                                Living according to God's will is
                            a process whereby we are taught in
                            the instruction and wisdom of the Holy
                            Spirit —
                                   dwelling deeply in God:
                                   Father, Son and Holy Spirit in such oneness.

                                We are to reach to live in the reality —
                            heaven is real and we are preparing for the
                            beatific vision —

                                God's life in us — the life of grace
                            IS OUR JOURNEY HERE BELOW.

                                Beginning at baptism — we receive
                            a special sharing in His life — our knowing
                            and loving capacity is elevated — we are
                            raised to such heights in Him.
                            For me this is reality —
                                God lives in me —
                                I communicate in
                                deep oneness
                                with the Divine God.

                            My life a journey of deeper live in Him.
                            I am deeply aware of His presence
                            within me. I study my life lived
                            in Him as one going to school — I
                            am living in the school of life in
                            Him — according to His Plan — experiencing
                            deeper life in Him always is my journey
                            of life.

                                Fr. John J. Pasquini states

                                "Life needs purpose and meaning, a purpose
                            and meaning that transcends the here and
                            now."

                                "We recognize that we must be more than
                            some complex organism that is born,
                            lives, struggles and dies in emptiness."

                                The Priestly Newsletter is the voice of the Good
                            Shepherd. The Bishops and Cardinals are recognizing
                            the voice of the Good Shepherd and following
                            Him.

                                In this oneness of consecrating our hearts
                            to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary — in living
                            deeply IN — Him — IN being united so deeply
                            in the Mass — I see the oneness grow
                            ever deeper — as the Church a pilgrim
                            Church grows to greater maturity — living
                            more according to God's will — The Father's
                            Plan for the Church and the world.

                                The priests are called Father — they are
                            to help to lead the flock as a deeply
                            united family following the Good Shepherd.

                                Truth is in Him — the more we live
                            in the truth — know the truth — the truth
                            of Jesus Christ — the more we are united.

                                Living in truth, being one in Him is
                            not to confuse the issue with our
                            individual uniqueness. Every person has
                            been given such talents to serve God uniquely,
                            love God and others uniquely and build God's
                            Kingdom helping to lead souls to heaven.

                                We shout the joy of the resurrection —
                            singing Alleluia for the Victory has been
                            won — Our lives are lived according to God's
                            will — in the Plan of the Father living the
                            Pascal Mystery of death/resurrection —

                                The purple book "Light, Happiness and Peace"
                            by Fr. John J. Pasquini
                            is a gift and a very strong companion to
                            the prayers "Authenticity" a book of prayers
                            by Fr. John.

                                Our lives are but a simple breath
                            when compared to eternity — let us focus
                            vision of life in Him —

                                As St. Paul says
                                "It is no longer I who live, but He
                            who lives in me."

                                Yes — LIFE IN HIM IS LIFE   
                                lived in Light, Happiness and Peace —

                            This book Light, Happiness and Peace is
                                a journey into the spiritual life —
                                an awakening of deeper life IN HIM.

                                This book will be published under
                            Shepherds of Christ Publications and sent to the
                            hierarchy in the Church with the
                            Newsletter as Authenticity was in August.

                                Here are some of the comments we received
                            from bishops and cardinals about the book
                            Authenticity — a book of prayers and meditations
                            that can help lead the soul
                                to the unitive life —

 

 

January 3, 2007 message continues

Messenger:               Now there were so many requests for this
                            book of prayers by Archbishops and Bishops
                            for their priests.

                                Here are some of these requests — so
                            we sent the book to them for their priests —

 

 

January 3, 2007 message continues

Messenger:               Both of these books by Fr. John J. Pasquini,
                            editor of the Shepherds of Christ Priestly Newsletter can
                            help lead to deeper oneness in the hearts of
                            priests as they go deeper and deeper into oneness with
                            the Divine God.

                                The Church is "one", "holy", "Catholic" and
                            Apostolic — The Church is the body of
                            Christ and Jesus is the head.

                            A quote from the book
                                Light Happiness and Peace by
                                    Fr. John J. Pasquini
                                    page 4

                            A Hardened Heart

                                "I felt at the time that religion would impede my work. I
                                wanted to have nothing to do with the religion of those I
                                saw all around me. I felt that I must turn from it as from a
                                drug. I felt it indeed to be an opiate of the people and not
                                a very attractive one, so I hardened my heart. It was a
                                conscious and deliberate process.               
Dorothy Day"

                                Fr. John says
                                "Dorothy Day would eventually respond to
                            God and soften her heart and become
                            a world leader in the Church's work
                            for the poor and the disenfranchised." 

                                page 5

                                "When we examine the lives of atheists, it is astonishingly
                            common to find these people lacking in good fatherly figures. It
                            is difficult to pray "Our Father who art in heaven" when our only
                            experience of a father has been that of one who was evil, mean-
                            spirited, or non-existent. When looking at the lives of the world's
                            major atheists, such as men like Nietzsche, we are struck by this
                            lack of fatherly guidance. For people such as this, nothing short
                            of a miracle is necessary to soften their hearts.

                                It is here where the communion of saints becomes so
                            significant (cf. Jn 2:1-14; Rv 5:8). The communion of the faithful
                            here on earth and in heaven has a profound effect on the softening
                            of hearts throughout the world, for by themselves people with
                            hardened hearts are much too weak to respond to the grace that
                            is being showered upon them. A tragic event or the power of the
                            prayers of the saints is often the only way these people soften their
                            hearts. In many ways, they are very much like addicts. They often
                            need to hit rock bottom before they can acknowledge the need of
                            another. It is through the prayers of others, known and unknown,
                            that the world's hearts are softened."

January 3, 2007 message continues

Messenger:                 In living more deeply the Unitive life —
                            being one with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
                            and being deeply united to Mary —
                            we will be one in truth — one
                            in Spirit — one in love in the pure
                            and holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

                                The Shepherds of Christ Movement is a Movement
                            of hope.

                                As we circulate the Priestly Newsletter
                            and these books centered in God's love —
                            deeply uniting to the Trinity — we will
                            spread a light of love and live in unity
                            in this world.

                                The prayer chapters can help bring down
                            this grace as we pray for the priests, the
                            Church and the world.

                                I have seen God's grace change hearts
                            overnight, but the instruction — the
                            instrument to lead was there accompanied
                            with God's grace for the person to open their
                            heart to the working of the Spirit's healing
                            touch — changing hearts with grace
                            to bring a person lukewarm to deeper
                            holiness.

                                This is the voice of the Good Shepherd
                            in the Priestly Newsletter and the book —
                            opening the door for God's grace to work
                            for an awakening of souls to the unitive
                            life — deeper life IN Him.

                                The Priestly Newsletter can enormously
                            help to strengthen the priests, the Church and
                            the world. The Newsletter is reaching 78,000
                            priests — every 2 months — accompanied by these
                            very important books on Catholic spirituality
                            that can lead to the response of living more
                            deeply united to and in God and unity
                            amongst all others.

                                I want the world to be as God wants
                            it to be — God is all Powerful — God
                            can work in grace to move the heart   
                            set in their ways to thirsting after Him —
                            God's grace to change the fervent to being
                            more fervent in their response to God's love.

                                The Priestly Newsletter and prayer chapters
                            are a pair — the instrument — the Newsletter
                            to nourish and lead, the prayer chapters —
                            the fervent prayers of the associates so
                            great grace will be released for the priests,
                            the Church and the world.

                            Fr. John —
                                Light Happiness and Peace
                                page 5

                                 "We must thus, never underestimate the
                                   power of praying for others. St. Monica
                                   prayed for thirty years for the conversion
                                   of her son, Augustine. Her prayers
                                   were successful in softening his
                                   heart and he became the great
                                   St. Augustine."

                            From Fr. John's book
                                Light Happiness and Peace
                                the Introduction

                                "The first stage of the spiritual life involves
                                the purgative stage, a stage of purification.
                                It is followed by the illuminative stage,
                                a stage of great enlightenment and integration.
                                The third and final stage is the unitive stage.
                                This is the stage of the mystics. It is the
                                stage when one's will and God's will are united
                                to such an extent that one may say,
                                without much reservation, that every
                                action performed is an
                                action of God."

                                In writing here I cannot give this book
                            justice in my feeble attempts to describe
                            the framework and gifts of the entire texts
                            in its brevity and profound insight
                            stated so succinctly —

                                This is a book that can help enliven   
                            the love for God, the Church and the world
                            and lead to greater unity of all who read
                            it.

                                I pray that you will help us circulate
                            it right away with the Priestly Newsletter to
                            the hierarchy in the Church.

                                This book is very much linked in
                            expression to the works of Fr. Carter,
                            but has a depth that can lead any
                            Christian into greater unity with God,
                            the Church and one another. It is
                            instructive, clearly expressed in
                            a framework of clarity and moving to a
                            new place of life in Him — especially when
                            accompanied with the Newsletter and
                            prayers of the yellow Authenticity Book
                            and the daily, if possible, prayers of
                            the Shepherds of Christ Prayer manual.

 

 

 

January 3, 2007 message continues

Messenger:           Fr. John Pasquini  from Light Happiness and Peace
                            page 12

                                "Grace provides the person with the
                                 possibility of entering into the Paschal
                                 mystery — Jesus' life, death,
                                 resurrection and ascension. Consequently,
                                 grace justifies a person. It makes
                                 one a "new creation" in God."

                                For me the reality of this all is overwhelming —
                            that God is and shares His Mystery with us —
                            my joy is found in living more deeply my
                            life in Him and understanding more fully
                            God's precepts.

                           

 

 


Table of Contents

Previous Daily Writing


Main Shepherds of Christ Page


SofC LogoCopyright © 2006 Shepherds of Christ.
Rights for non-commercial reproduction granted:
May be copied in its entirety, but neither re-typed nor edited.
Translations are welcome but they must be reviewed for moral and 
theological accuracy by a source approved by Shepherds of Christ Ministries 
before any distribution takes place. Please contact us for more information.