Daily Writing
| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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December 3, 2010
December 4th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 7 Period II.The Novena Rosary Mysteries
for December 4th are Glorious.
Florida Retreat
December 2nd - 5th
1:30pm and 6:20pm
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Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson
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December 3, 2010 - Feast of St. Francis Xavier
Saint Francis Xavier
was born in Navarre, Spain
1506
Saint Francis Xavier heard from St. Ignatius
"What does it profit a man, if he
gains the whole world, but suffers
the loss of his own soul?"
Saint Francis Xavier was a zealous apostle —
He went out to the world —
We pray for strength for the
priests in the Church and we pray
for the continual growth of the Church throughout
the whole world —
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God has called us to spread these prayers and this book
to all bishops of the world so
the bishops will consecrate their
dioceses to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart —
So the Bishops will make the Sacred Heart and
Immaculate Heart the King and Queen of
their hearts —
So we will be witnesses in sending
these homilies and priestly writings
to all priests and bishops of the world.
Our Mission and the Consecration to the Two Hearts
The Father has a Plan. This is the time He chose us to be here to help the souls that Jesus died for. We are brothers in Christ. We are to live in love of God and others. We are to recognize our part in uniquely loving and building God’s Kingdom here and now.
We have circulated 15,000,000 Priestly Newsletters in books and individually for 16 years at the direction of Fr. Carter, S.J., our founder.
1. We hope Bishops consecrate their diocese to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and spread this devotion as Mary asked for at Fatima. Fr. Carter said, July 31, 1994, Jesus asked him to begin these prayer chapters.
2. The more people consecrate themselves, their homes, the schools, the Churches and all places to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart, the more we will go to the period of peace Mary promised at Fatima.
“But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world.” (13) Our Lady’s Peace Plan, op cit., p.5.
We are brothers and sisters in Christ —
We are to love God and love our
brothers and sisters of the
world —
God fill us with Your love to
bring this message of
salvation to all and to
spread the Good News
of the Gospel and the Eucharist,
of the sacraments, the Church —
to tell all about
the gift of baptism —
Help us to be an example of
what a Christian is to be —
Song: They'll know we are Christians
God help us to inherit eternal
life —
We pray in the Name of Jesus —
Sing again
Gather #735 - They'll know we are Christians
Gather #770 - Soon and Very Soon
Gather #646 - I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
Gather #687 - Go Make of All Disciples
Sing: Here I Am Lord
Sing: Because I Love You
Saint Francis Xavier — 
Relics at the Jesuits in Rome
Fr. Carter had a dream.
July 31, 1994
Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.
"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.
"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."
- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)
John 17: 11-19
I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.
Holy Father,
keep those you have given me
true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me
true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except one who was destined to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and I say these things in the world
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you
to remove them from the world,
but to protect them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too
may be consecrated in truth.
God has called us to tell all about the
Plan of the Father to all, by our example
and our lives lived as being Christ-like —
God created men to know, love and serve
Him —
Because of Adam and Eve there is disorder
in the world —
Men have acted with their wounded
human nature —
Men act imperfectly —
Many times, men act dysfunctionally, impurely,
sinfully —
Men have waivered from God's
Plan —
We have a duty to help make the world as the Father wants —
Jesus has called Fr. Carter and us to make
Jesus the King and Center of our
hearts
To display images of Jesus at our
houses and churches and
school —
We are called to spread this news to
the whole earth —
We send the books and letters to
help spread the consecration
to the Sacred Heart to all
Dioceses —
To have a network of prayer —
praying for the priests, the Church
and the world and to help set
these prayer chapters for the
future of the Church and the
world long after we are gone —
A network of prayer —
praying for the priests, the Church
and the world — dedicated to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary long after we
are gone —
When we see with eyes of greed and
selfishness and jealousy it comes
from our impurities in our hearts —
We do not want our heart filled
with impurities —
Jesus is the Sacred Heart —
Jesus' Heart is all Pure —
When we consecrate our hearts
to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary — we see
with more pure vision — the Plan
of the Father — not with distorted
vision, selfish vision, jealousies,
etc.
Jesus is our King —
We are to live our lives to help
build His Kingdom —
1 Corinthians 4: 6-21
I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that you can learn how the saying, 'Nothing beyond what is written' is true of us: no individual among you must become filled with his own importance and make comparisons, to another's detriment. Who made you so important? What have you got that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why are you boasting as though it were your own? You already have everything—you are rich already—you have come into your kingdom, without any help from us! Well, I wish you were kings and we could be kings with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on show right at the end, like men condemned to death: we have been exhibited as a spectacle to the whole universe, both angelic and human. Here we are, fools for Christ's sake, while you are the clever ones in Christ; we are weak, while you are strong; you are honoured, while we are disgraced. To this day, we go short of food and drink and clothes, we are beaten up and we have no homes; we earn our living by labouring with our own hands; when we are cursed, we answer with a blessing; when we are hounded, we endure it passively; when we are insulted, we give a courteous answer. We are treated even now as the dregs of the world, the very lowest scum.
I am writing all this not to make you ashamed but simply to remind you, as my dear children; for even though you might have ten thousand slaves to look after you in Christ, you still have no more than one father, and it was I who fathered you in Christ Jesus, by the gospel. That is why I urge you to take me as your pattern and why I have sent you Timothy, a dear and faithful son to me in the Lord, who will remind you of my principles of conduct in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
On the assumption that I was not coming to you, some of you have become filled with your own self-importance; but I shall be coming to you soon, the Lord willing, and then I shall find out not what these self-important people say, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God consists not in spoken words but in power. What do you want then? Am I to come to you with a stick in my hand or in love, and with a spirit of gentleness?
Jesus: Do not become inflated with pride,
but seek My light, bring My message
of the love of My Heart to all, that
all may know greater purity in
their hearts —
Live to spread My message —
I want to be the King and center
of your hearts and your lives —
In your work in the Shepherds of Christ
you are to live to help further My Kingdom
on earth —
1 Corinthians 3: 9-13, 16-17
After all, we do share in God’s work; you are God’s farm, God’s building.
By the grace of God which was given to me, I laid the foundations like a trained master–builder, and someone else is building on them. Now each one must be careful how he does the building. For nobody can lay down any other foundation than the one which is there already, namely Jesus Christ. On this foundation, different people may build in gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw but each person’s handiwork will be shown for what it is. The Day which dawns in fire will make it clear and the fire itself will test the quality of each person’s work.
Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy; and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22-23
In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it. If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me. What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me.
So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could.
To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others.
2 Corinthians 9: 8-11
God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in all kinds of good work. As scripture says: To the needy he gave without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever.
The one who so freely provides seed for the sower and food to eat will provide you with ample store of seed for sowing and make the harvest of your uprightness a bigger one: you will be rich enough in every way for every kind of generosity that makes people thank God for what we have done.
Mark 16: 15-20
And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
St. Ignatius
Fr. Edward Carter, S. J. and Rita Ring
4 days before his death
Prayer from St. Ignatius
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil and not to seek for rest;
To labor and not to ask for any reward,
Save that of knowing
that I am doing your will.
From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. p. 12
23. FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION
Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God
our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.
The other things on the face of the earth are created
for man to help him in attaining the end for which he
is created.Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they
help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid
himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to
him.Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all
created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and
are not under any prohibition. Consequently, as far
as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to
sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long
life to a short life. The same holds for all other things.Our one desire and choice should be what is more
conducive to the end for which we are created.
From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. p.1121. SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Which have as their purpose the conquest of self
and the regulation of one's life in such a way that
no decision is made under the influence of any
inordinate attachment
Prayer of St Ignatius
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Permit me not to be separated from Thee
From the wicked foe defend me
at the hour of my death call me
and bid me come to Thee
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee
For ever and ever. Amen.
From the Priestly Newsletter Book III - 2000 Issue 3 p. 44-47
The Father's Will for Us - Our Source of Peace
Pope John Paul II instructs us: "The Church, as a reconciled and reconciling community, cannot forget that at the source of her gift and mission of reconciliation is the initiative, full of compassionate love and mercy, of that God who is love (see 1 John 4:8) and who out of love created human beings (see Wisdom 11:23-26; Genesis 1:27: Psalms 8:4-8)…He created them so that they might live in friendship with Him and in communion with one another.
"God is faithful to His eternal plan even when man, under the impulse of the evil one (see Wisdom 2:24) and carried away by his own pride, abuses the freedom given to him in order to love and generously seek what is good, and (instead) refuses to obey his Lord and Father. God is faithful even when man, instead of responding with love to God’s love, opposes Him and treats Him like a rival, deluding himself and relying on his own power, with the resulting break of relationship with the One who created him. In spite of this transgression on man’s part, God remains faithful in love.
"It is certainly true that the story of the Garden of Eden makes us think about the tragic consequences of rejecting the Father, which becomes evident in man’s inner disorder and in the breakdown of harmony between man and woman, brother and brother (see Genesis 3:12 ff; 4:1-16). Also significant is the Gospel parable of the two brothers (the parable of the ‘prodigal son’; see Luke 15:11-32) who, in different ways, distance themselves from their father and cause a rift between them. Refusal of God’s fatherly love and of His loving gifts is always at the root of humanity’s divisions.
"But we know that God…like the father in the parable (of the prodigal son), does not close His heart to any of His children. He waits for them, looks for them, goes to meet them at the place where the refusal of communion imprisons them in isolation and division. He calls them to gather about His table in the joy of the feast of forgiveness and reconciliation.
"This initiative on God’s part is made concrete and manifest in the redemptive act of Christ, which radiates through the world by means of the ministry of the Church." 13
___________
13. Pope John Paul II, as in Celebrate 2000!, Servant Publications, pp. 140-141.
Matthew 10: 39
Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.
R. God is calling us today to hear this
message — or read this message —
If God wants to get our attention
He will —
Think of St. Paul and of —
his writings and how we have
profited from St. Paul's writings —
Yet God knocked
Saul to the ground to get his attention —
We are to spread the Good News
and make Jesus the King and
Center of our lives —
What does God want of me?
What is His Plan for me?
Surrender to the Plan of God!
Do not be enslaved to satan who
wants us to try to control and stay in
a rut — old bad habits, just because
they are familiar that can be leading us
to greater and greater unhappiness —
Happiness is found in doing the
will of God —
To be willing to be changed —
To dwell in the Pure and Holy Heart
of Jesus —
Prayer for Union with Jesus
Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.
I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.
I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.
When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.
-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994
We are called to help build God's
Kingdom — live by God's Plan —
Not build a selfish life for ourselves —
but to see, not through distorted
vision, but see more and more through
the eyes of love, the eyes of Jesus —
God wants to be so intimate with us —
God wants us to make Jesus, the King
of our hearts —
The devil wants us tired and sad and to
make him the one we listen to and
he tries to give us bad counsel —
Discernment of spirits —
What is good?
What does God want me to do?
How can I be God's instrument,
witness,
Being called out of that comfortable
familiarity that may be a
trap and a spiritual death —
God wants us to open to His will —
Open to love
God wants us to be other-focused —
God wants us to follow Him and
to live our vocation —
Harmony in doing God's will —
We can see St. Ignatius who was
involved with the courts —
Kings and Queens, knights and ladies —
St. Ignatius hurt his leg —
St. Ignatius was recuperating and all
he had to read was the lives
of the saints —
He saw the passion of the Saints
to serve God —
He saw how the saints love of
God lasted —
Where as many of the knights of the
courts were sad —
St. Ignatius consecrated his
life to Our Lady —
St. Ignatius fasted in a cave
and prayed —
St. Ignatius wanted to know
God —
St. Ignatius had a vision of
The Blessed Trinity —
In the Mass Book
I shared an experience I
had December 15th.
IN THE DEEPEST RECESSES OF HIS HEART
The place Jesus took me was into the deepest recesses of His Heart. I was enveloped in His burning love. It was a red room with heat and an intense glow. I was swept away in this embrace, and I only existed in Him. The power of the Almighty God enveloped me, and I only existed in Him. There was no fear, for I was existent in this Almighty Being. My heart was wrapped in the eternal embrace of this Supreme Being. The security, the power I know was His deep presence in which I existed.
I knew the room was red and warm. I knew His immenseness, but I felt my own completeness in Him. I did not feel little, as a speck, but elevated and empowered for I existed then in Him in a most special way.
I was overtaken by the love of God. The fire of the Holy Spirit filled me. I was absorbed by the love of the Father, and I existed IN Him and in the deepest recesses of the Heart of Jesus. Our heaven on earth is these inner chambers of His magnificent Heart - the Heart of the Almighty God, with all the power, with omnipotence, with the fire of the love of God. He took me to the deepest chamber of this fiery Heart, and in that moment, I touched eternity, for I knew what it was to be enveloped in the deep furnace of His love. I now want to exist in this chamber of His Heart, swept away in His burning love, absorbed in my every cell with His love.
We do not understand the fire of His love. We do not understand what it is to be absorbed by love itself. He took me to the inner, deepest chamber of His Heart, and I felt the heat and knew the presence of love itself, and there was no fear, only a feeling of completeness, omnipotence, all-embracing, penetrating love - a power indescribable in words, a saturation of my being in the presence of God, and I was as I was created to be - living in Him!
This is how I will forever live my life, saturated with His divine life and love deep within this inner chamber of His burning Heart, living in Him as He possesses my being, and I operate with His power in me.
Little creatures though we are, we are His, His power, His life, flowing through us. In Him, we are as the Father intended: one in Him, each one of us, dwelling in this fiery furnace of His love. With our fears quieted and our hearts empowered by His life, we live forever in Him - in the Heart of Jesus.
Let no man separate what God has joined together. I am wed in the deepest love with my beloved Spouse, wed to the Heart of Jesus. As I am, I am one in Him. I live and I breathe in Him. He, Who is love, He Who is our all, He Who is mighty and without limits, He Who is, He Who is God and as I live, He lives in me in this world.
I am wed to Him, and I shall not fear for He is God - one, complete, loving, God. Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee. As I live, I live in Your most adorable Heart, the furnace of God's love!
end of December 18, 1995
We want to pray to know the
truth —
Jesus gave me this prayer!!
From the Holy Spirit Novena
Little Prayers to the Holy Spirit
Dear Holy Spirit, help us not to be ignorant or indifferent or weak, help us to be strong with the love of God.
Dear Holy Spirit, please pray for our needs for us.
Dear Holy Spirit, help us to respect God and to avoid sin. Help us to live in the Father's will.
Dear Holy Spirit, help us to keep Your commandments and to respect authority. Help us to love all things as You will us to love them. Help us to want to pray and always serve God with the greatest love. Help us to know the truth. Help us to have the gift of faith, hope, and love. Help us to know what is right and what is wrong.
St. Ignatius told us about letting
go of inordinate attachments
From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. p.1121. SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Which have as their purpose the conquest of self
and the regulation of one's life in such a way that
no decision is made under the influence of any
inordinate attachment
Purpose
To free us of all inordinate
attachments —
St. Ignatius gave us the
Spiritual Exercises
like walking is exercise for
the body —
We need spiritual exercises
St. Ignatius says!!
From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. p.1121. SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Which have as their purpose the conquest of self
and the regulation of one's life in such a way that
no decision is made under the influence of any
inordinate attachment
The goal is freedom to do the
will of God
The goal is freedom to know
the will of God —
Passion to do the will of God —
Do it for God
I live to serve God —
I am doing my vocation
in trials and joys because
I have committed myself
to God —
It is passionate — love of
God —
Not apathetical —
Not passiveness —
Not absent of energy —
God wants action —
Commitment in our heart —
God wants the love He talks
about in the Blue Book
I Love You
April 13, 1994
Words of Jesus. Read before the Tabernacle.
Jesus: How, child, do I, Jesus, tell you I love you? You hold on to silly things when God is in your midst and is ardently loving you. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am writing to each precious child this day. I am on fire for love of you. I remain in the Eucharist to be with you with My ardent love. I did not want to leave My beloved ones at the Last Supper. I love you so, My dear and ardently loved children. I remain with you this day in the Blessed Sacrament, the same Jesus Who died a brutal death on the Cross.
Do you know I am truly present there? Do you know that God waits every day for you in the tabernacle? Do you comprehend even a minute amount of My love? You will never know of how I love you on earth.
I, Jesus, truly the Son of God, came to earth a man and suffered a brutal death for love of you. I love you so much! I remain with you this day. I long for your love. I want you to come and be with Me in front of the tabernacle. I wait, I yearn for you to come and whisper your love to Me. I am a person and I love you this day, with such an ardent on-fire love! No human could ever compare a speck to My love for you.
I wait, little ones, in the tabernacle. I wait for you to come and receive Me in Communion. I want you to want Me so much you cannot wait to come and receive Me. I want to be the love, the center of your life!
I am Jesus. I am the Son of God. I am writing to you this day. I want to possess your very soul and live in you. I have all you need, sweet ones. Oh, you are so blind! I long for your union with Me. I wrote the book of love. I instituted it, yet you go to the world for your love and do not even come to Me! Oh, I love you, little ones. Little ones, beloved of the Father, loved by the Holy Spirit, mothered by My very own mother! What more can I say? The rest is up to you!
I give you your will with such love and I want your love freely given. I am God. What do you think you could ever need that I do not give you? I am the Savior of this world. I am Jesus, the Son of God. I am waiting for you. I am longing for you. I am yearning for you. I am God. I have all you ever will need!
Surrender this life to Me. Pray My Prayer for Union with Me. I want to possess your soul and operate from your very being. I am Jesus. I am the Son of God. I am the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I am Who am. I died and rose on the third day.
Harken to My call, harken to My pleading. Spend your days in love with Me. Nothing matters unless it is rooted in Me and rooted in My love. I am the Son of God. I am the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I love you with the tenderest love. I am waiting this day for just you, My beloved one. Come to Me for I am the tenderest of all hearts. I am the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
- God's Blue Book, Volume 2 April 13, 1994
Sing: I Love You Jesus
Sing: A Song from Jesus
Say: A Prayer for Intimacy with the Lamb, the Bridegroom of the Soul
Oh Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, come and act on my soul most intimately. I surrender myself, as I ask for the grace to let go, to just be as I exist in You and You act most intimately on my soul. You are the Initiator. I am the soul waiting Your favors as You act in me. I love You. I adore You. I worship You. Come and possess my soul with Your Divine Grace, as I experience You most intimately.
Excerpt from December 3, 2004
R. Today the Feast of St. Xavier,
First Friday, Jesus appeared to me
as the King on His Throne at the
Cathedral where He told me to go
to Church.He was smiling and His
mouth moved and moved and moved.
He looked happy and the vision was
all aglow. He gave me a message to sit
in the first pew and He appeared
and talked about 20 minutes, He
was smiling.
e
nd of excerpt
Excerpts from December 4, 2004
R. Dear Jesus you are the King of our hearts —
Again Jesus told me to go to the Cathedral
and light flashed from the left side of Jesus
over and over again and Jesus' mouth
moved as He appeared as Christ
the King.
He has been making me so aware of
His presence in the priest at
Mass and today He did not smile,
but His mouth moved as the
priest said the words at
the principle part of the Mass —
the Light flashed over to the side
of His left hand where He
held the keys and Peter knelt.
It flashed across the front of Jesus
from left to right to His raised
hand, but to the side of where Peter
was it was all lit up then
proceeded across Jesus to the
right side.
R. I see the King, Jesus, appear
on His throne on First Friday and
First Saturday and First Saturday with flashes
of light from the keys in His hand
above Peter's head to His right
hand.
It is odd I received the
message
of the missing keys two days ago —
R. Christ has been giving me a
very special realization how He
is the chief-priest and celebrant
at the Mass and I see Christ —
yesterday I went to a second Mass
and it made me cry to see Christ
so present at the Mass in my
brother who said the Mass —
Yesterday when Jesus appeared as
King at the Cathedral at the
5:00 Mass I knew He was
celebrating the Mass in the
priest —
The King, Our God - celebrates the
Mass in the priest and gives us
Himself in the Eucharist —
Jesus is the Lamb of God —
I saw His mouth move all
through the consecration
today and the gold-white light
flashed across Him as He
sat on His throne with
the keys in His left hand
above Peter's head as he
knelt and it flashed to the
right hand raised.
end of excerpts
Advent is a time of hope
John 3: 16
For this is how God loved the world:
he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish
but may have eternal life.
Mysteries of Light
Baptism of Jesus
(1) Sing: A Voice Cries out in the Wilderness
(2) Jesus was baptized in the Jordon.
(3) Jesus wants us to know what a
gift baptism is.
(4) In baptism our knowing and loving
capacity is elevated —
(5) The Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in a
special way in the baptized
graced soul —
(6) God commissions us in baptism to go
out and spread the Good News —
to help build the Kingdom
(7) God gave us rules to live by.
The Ten Commandments
1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
(8) God loves us so much —
God is love.
Genesis 1: 26-27
God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.’
God created man in the image of himself,
in the image of God he created him,
male and female he created them.
(9) Sing: A Song from Jesus
(10) Psalm 67: 2-3, 5-7
Then the earth will acknowledge your ways,
and all nations your power to save.Let the nations praise you,
God, let all the nations praise you.Let the nations praise you, God,
let all the nations praise you.The earth has yielded its produce;
God, our God has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us,
and be revered by the whole wide world.
Marriage at Cana
(1) Galatians 4: 4-7
but when the completion of the time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons. As you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son crying, ‘Abba, Father’; and so you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir, by God’s own act.
(2) Numbers 6: 22-27
Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Speak to Aaron and his sons and say:
"This is how you must bless the Israelites. You will say:
May Yahweh bless you and keep you.
May Yahweh let his face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
May Yahweh show you his face
and bring you peace."This is how they must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them.'
(3) Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7
First song of the servant
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one
in whom my soul delights.
I have sent my spirit upon him,
he will bring fair judgement to the nations.
He does not cry out or raise his voice,
his voice is not heard in the street;
he does not break the crushed reed
or snuff the faltering wick.
Faithfully he presents fair judgement;
he will not grow faint,
he will not be crushed
until he has established
fair judgement on earth,
and the coasts and islands
are waiting for his instruction.I, Yahweh, have called you
in saving justice,
I have grasped you by the hand
and shaped you;
I have made you a covenant of the people
and light to the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness
from the dungeon.
(4) Jesus is the Light of the World.
(5) John 2: 1-11
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. And they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the feast had all been used, and the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said, ‘Woman, what do you want from me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water,’ and they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, ‘Draw some out now and take it to the president of the feast.’ They did this; the president tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew—the president of the feast called the bridegroom and said, ‘Everyone serves good wine first and the worse wine when the guests are well wined; but you have kept the best wine till now.’
This was the first of Jesus’ signs: it was at Cana in Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.?
(6) Jesus changed water into wine —
We see the gift of the Mass.
We see the gift of the Priest.
(7) Song: A Priest is a Gift from God
(8) We see Mary's powerful intercession.
(9) Psalm 47: 10-11
Both your name and your praise, God,
are over the whole wide world.Your right hand is full of saving justice,
Mount Zion rejoices,
the daughters of Judah delight
because of your saving justice.
(10) Hebrews 2: 14-18
Since all the children share the same human nature, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could set aside him who held the power of death, namely the devil, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself the line of Abraham. It was essential that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people. For the suffering he himself passed through while being put to the test enables him to help others when they are being put to the test.
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
(1) Sing: Blest Are They
(2)
From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by
Louis J. Puhl, S.J. p. 43-44
91. THE CALL OF AN EARTHLY KING
This will help us to contemplate the life of the
eternal kingPrayer. The preparatory prayer will be as usual.
First Prelude. This is a mental representation of the
place. Here it will be to see in imagination the
synagogues, villages, and towns where Christ our
Lord preached.Second Prelude. I will ask for the grace I desire.
Here it will be to ask of our Lord the grace not to be
deaf to His call, but prompt and diligent to accomplish
His most holy will.FIRST PART
92. First Point. This will be to place before my mind
a human king, chosen by God our Lord Himself, to
whom all Christian princes and people pay homage
and obedience.93. Second Point. This will be to consider the address
this king makes to all his subjects, with the words: "It
is my will to conquer all the lands of the infidel. There-
fore, whoever wishes to join with me in this enterprise
must be content with the same food, drink, clothing,
etc. as mine. So, too, he must work with me by day,
and watch with me by night, etc., that as he has had a
share in the toil with me, afterwards, he may share in
the victory with me." . . .95. ...
First Point. If such a summons of an earthly king to
his subjects deserves our attention, how much more
worthy of consideration is Christ our Lord, the Eternal
King, before whom is assembled the whole world. To
all His summons goes forth, and to each one in
particular He addresses the words: "It is my will to
conquer the whole world and all my enemies, and thus to
enter into the glory of my Father. Therefore, whoever
wishes to join me in this enterprise must be willing to
labor with me, that by following me in suffering, he
may follow me in glory."
(3) Sing: The King of Glory
(4)
Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson
Guiding Light - Cycle A
$10.00 plus shipping
From Cycle C - Feed My Soul - Christ the King - November 25, 2007
INTRODUCTION: When the first king of Israel, King Saul, was killed in battle, the southern part of Israel chose David as their king. The northern part chose Ishbaal, King Saul’s son, to be their king. Ishbaal was inept and after seven years of chaos, the northern tribes turned to David and asked him to rule them also. This is where our first reading comes in. David was a successful leader and, in spite of some serious misbehavior, was viewed throughout Jewish history as an ideal king. The Jews always hoped for another king like him. When a king assumed his office, he was anointed and thus the ideal king the Jews longed for was often referred to as “the anointed one.” The Hebrew word for this is “Mashiah,” or as we say it: “Messiah.” When Mashiah is translated into Greek we have “Χριστός.” So when we call Jesus “Christ” we are in effect saying Jesus, the King. Christ’s kingdom is not an earthly one, as St. Paul tells us, but it is eternal and a sharing in God’s own authority and power.
(5) 2 Samuel 5: 1-3
All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron and said, 'Look, we are your own flesh and bone. In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel on its campaigns, and to you it was that Yahweh promised, "You are to shepherd my people Israel and be leader of Israel." 'So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them in Yahweh's presence at Hebron, and they anointed David as king of Israel.
(6) Psalm 122: 1-5
I rejoiced that they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of Yahweh.’
At last our feet are standing
at your gates, Jerusalem!Jerusalem, built as a city,
in one united whole,
there the tribes go up,
the tribes of Yahweh,
a sign for Israel to give thanks
to the name of Yahweh.
For there are set the thrones of judgement,
the thrones of the house of David.Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
prosperity for your homes!
Peace within your walls,
prosperity in your palaces!For love of my brothers and my friends
I will say, ‘Peace upon you!’
For love of the house of Yahweh our God
I will pray for your well–being.
(7) Colossians 1: 12-20
giving thanks with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God’s holy people and with them to inherit the light.
Because that is what he has done. It is he who has rescued us from the ruling force of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him we enjoy our freedom, the forgiveness of sin.
I: FORMAL INSTRUCTION
Christ is the head of all creation
He is the image of the unseen
God,
the first–born of all creation,
for in him were created all things
in heaven and on earth:
everything visible
and everything invisible,
thrones, ruling forces,
sovereignties, powers—
all things were created through him
and for him.
He exists before all things
and in him all things hold together,
and he is the Head of the Body,
that is, the Church.
He is the Beginning,
the first–born from the dead,
so that he should be supreme in every way;
because God wanted all fullness
to be found in him
and through him
to reconcile all things to him,
everything in heaven
and everything on earth,
by making peace through his death
on the cross.
(8) Luke 23: 35-43
The people stayed there watching. As for the leaders, they jeered at him with the words, 'He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.' The soldiers mocked him too, coming up to him, offering him vinegar, and saying, 'If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.' Above him there was an inscription: 'This is the King of the Jews'.
One of the criminals hanging there abused him: 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well.' But the other spoke up and rebuked him. 'Have you no fear of God at all?' he said. 'You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' He answered him, 'In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'
(9) From Cycle C - Feed My Soul - Christ the King - November 25, 2007
HOMILY: This will be my last homily for this year. Before everyone cheers or wonders whether I am taking an extended vacation, I should tell you I’m talking about the liturgical year -otherwise known as the Church year. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, and we begin again a new Church year, preparing ourselves to celebrate Christ’s birth. Before we know it, we’re into Ash Wednesday, and it is especially early this year. The last time Lent came so early in the spring (and that’s because Easter is early) was 89 years ago. Starting next Sunday, then, we begin to recall the major events of Jesus life: his birth, his death, resurrection, ascension and his sending of the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, as usual, we hear about his miracles and his teaching as presented to us in St. Matthew’s gospel. And as usual, at the end of the liturgical year, we will again celebrate the feast of Christ the King.
The feast of Christ the King was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. You might wonder, didn’t Pius XI know kings are not so popular any more? But what else could we call Christ? Should we call him instead a president, a prime minister, the chairman of the board, a dictator, president for life? The title “King” is most fitting for Christ. But he is not the same as any other king. His power is absolute and eternal. He has received his authority and power from God the Father and that will never change.
When we think of kings, it is automatic to associate them with castles and crowns, royal robes, jewelry, servants, armies and various symbols of wealth and power. Today Jesus, our king, is pictured hanging on the cross, his crown a crown of thorns. His small group of followers is nowhere to be found except for his mother, one faithful Apostle, and a couple of women. No rings were on his fingers, just nails in his hands and feet. No royal robes, instead he was most likely stripped naked as was the Roman custom. Later centuries have covered him over with a loin cloth for modesty. No one is cheering him or praising him. His enemies are outdoing each other mocking him. After three years working to establish a kingdom of love, he is condemned as a criminal, tortured and executed. He warned his followers some of them would suffer in a similar fashion. It’s a wonder he had any followers at all.
(10) Christ the King - November 25, 2007 - homily continues
I am always impressed when I think of what Jesus did in three years. Moses labored for 40 years, Buddha 45 years, and Muhammad 23. The carpenter on the cross, with the sign above his head, Jesus Christ, king of the Jews, who came from a politically and religiously insignificant part of an insignificant country, influenced this world more than any human being that ever lived. After two thousand years a billion people, including ourselves, call him our king! If some of his followers reflected his teachings more faithfully, there might be six billion who now follow him. Jesus is a king who does not parade around in worldly glory or demonstrate worldly power. However, he is greater than any king who ever lived, for he is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
Our king does not rule by arms and weapons. Arms and weapons get people’s attention. Without having someone to stand over us with a club or a gun, we are tempted to feel “why do I have to do what they tell me?” A lot of people feel that about Jesus. The people who put him on a cross felt that way, except for his few friends and the thief who asked to be remembered when Jesus entered his kingdom. The Jewish leaders thought they would be rid of this troublemaker, this bossy person who went around telling people how they should live. They didn’t understand the power that he lived by and taught by, the power of love. He will always be a king who rules with love, but whether or not he is king in our lives and in our hearts is up to us. If we respond to him in love, it will lead us into his kingdom of new life.
A cartoon in the New Yorker showed two fellows walking to lunch one day and the one was complaining to the other: “my boss keeps telling me what to do.” Authority is not popular, we like to make our own rules, even with regard to God. The new age theology, which is really a return to paganism, views Christ as a nice guy who overlooks our bad behavior and is going to reward all of us in the end, no matter how we’ve lived. He will forgive us if we turn to him. Notice his words of forgiveness were directed only to one of the two crucified with him. We cannot take our salvation lightly. The cross was not a joy ride for Jesus. Salvation is serious business and Jesus suffered in order to win salvation for us. But he can only save us if we do not forget that he is always our king, not just in an abstract way but in our concrete, everyday lives. Amen.
The Transfiguration
(1) Matthew 17: 1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as dazzling as light. And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you want me to, I will make three shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and suddenly from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them, saying, ‘Stand up, do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but Jesus.
(2) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice
R. When I go to Mass I offer a sacrifice. God wants our all. He wants to be first in our life. He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son.
(3) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
Gen. 22:1-2, 9-13
It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he called. 'Here I am,' he replied. God said, 'Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you. '
When they arrived at the place which God had indicated to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son and put him on the altar on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he said. 'Here I am,' he replied. 'Do not raise your hand against the boy,' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.' Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
(4) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
Gen. 22:15-18:
The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven. 'I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son, I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.'
(5) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
R. The Father gave His Son for us. This is how great the Father's love is for us.
When we go to the altar many times we are suffering. We want something really bad, but we know we love God the most. What the Father asks for us is to offer that which we are so attached to as a sacrifice, united to the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. If we offer this sacrifice to Him, the Father will pour out blessings that will be divine blessings, greater than anything we could have here on earth.
(6) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
R. The Mass is the perfect sacrifice we offer to the Father, in which God pours out His blessings and we are one with Him and with all others in a profound expression of love. God shares His divine love with us and we partake in an intense way in His divine loving capacity. In order to become one in Him and to feel His love like this, we must surrender ourselves and be open.
He told Abraham to offer his son. God gave him his son back. He wanted Abraham to love God above all things and people.
(7) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
R. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to the Father. This is the most pleasing sacrifice to the Father. If He gave His Son Who died for love of us, will He deny us when we unite our petitions with Jesus and offer these at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
He took them to the highest mountain and He was transfigured before them in the greatest light.
(8) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
Mark 9:2-10:
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus, 'Rabbi,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.' Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.
(9) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
R. We go to the altar of sacrifice. The mountain to come, in which so many graces will flow, is the altar of sacrifice where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered through the hands of consecrated priests.
We hear the Father say, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him." He is speaking to us. He is the Word. He is speaking in these messages. He is unveiling the Scriptures and speaking to us in plain talk. This is a great gift He is giving to us.
(10) From the Apostles Manual - February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice continues
R. We are transformed in the Mass. We unite with the greatest sacrifice offered in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We have the most perfect sacrifice to offer to the Father when we offer this sacrifice. He gives us great blessings. We die to ourselves, we become white.
We must unite all of our sacrifices to this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being said all over the world. This is the greatest way to magnify all of our offerings - by uniting everything we do as an offering, a sacrifice to the Father in union with His Son.
The Last Supper and the Institution of the Eucharist
(1) Matthew 14: 13-21
When Jesus received this news he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the crowds heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the
disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and
time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to
the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There
is no need for them to go: give them something to eat
yourselves.’ But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five
loaves and two fish.’ So he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ He
gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then
he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to
heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed
them to his disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate
as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps left over,
twelve baskets full. Now about five thousand men had eaten, to
say nothing of women and children.
(2) Matthew 26: 20-30
The treachery of Judas foretold
When evening came he was at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating he said, ‘In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not me, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me. The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, ‘Not me, Rabbi, surely?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is you who say it.’
The institution of the Eucharist
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ he said, ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. From now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.’
Peter’s denial foretold
After the psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives.
(3) John 13: 1-30
The washing of feet
Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were his in the world, loved them to the end.
They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter. ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said, ‘Well then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has had a bath needs washing, such a person is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are’.
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’, he said, ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you must wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.
‘In all truth I tell
you,
no servant is greater than his master,
no messenger is greater
than the one who sent him.
‘Now that you know this, blessed are you if you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled:
‘He who shares my
table
takes advantage of me.
I tell you this now, before it happens,
so that when it does happen
you may believe that I am He.
In all truth I tell you,
whoever welcomes the one I send,
welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me,
welcomes the one who sent me.’
The treachery of Judas foretold
Having said this, Jesus
was deeply disturbed and declared, ‘In all truth I tell you, one of
you is going to betray me.’ The disciples looked at each other,
wondering whom he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next
to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he
means,’ so leaning back close to Jesus’ chest he said, ‘Who is it,
Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give the piece of
bread that I dip in the dish.’ And when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant,
after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said,
‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ None of the others at table
understood why he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common
fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need
for the festival,’ or telling him to give something to the poor. As
soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. It was
night.
(4) From Cycle C - Feed My Soul - Holy Thursday - April 9, 2009
Homily: Fran told me two weeks ago this is the time of the year when people hang up on her when she calls. That’s because for years Fran has been so kind as to recruit people for the foot washing. A lot of people avoid talking to her as we get closer to Holy Thursday. People react like Peter: “Fr. Joe will never wash my feet.” Well, I’ll admit it is humbling to have your pastor kneel in front of you and wash your feet. For me, though, it’s not very humbling at all. I think it’s very special. But in Jesus’ day it was a different story. It was a dirty job. People in those days didn’t wear shoes and socks. They wore something more like sandals, and most people walked when they went anywhere. They walked the same dusty, dirty roads that herds of animals walked on. So you can imagine people’s feet were dirty and smelly. Having their feet washed when they went to someone’s house for dinner would have been refreshing. But the master of the house didn’t do the foot washing. Slaves or servants did that job and where there were no slaves or servants, the children or the wife did it. I suppose if I wanted to be really humble, I would go wash the feet of several homeless people and have no audience or pretty singing while I was doing it. But we do it tonight to dramatize what Jesus did.
(5) Holy Thursday homily - April 9, 2009 continues
One of our candidates for foot washing remarked, “I don’t know what to think about this.” Well, Jesus did a lot of teaching and a lot of healing and helping people. But this last night with his apostles before his death, he wanted to really do something off the wall that would stick with them and symbolize what he was all about. So he told them how to think about what he had done. He said: “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” He had previously told us, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave.” He gave us an example of the great commandment of love; that we should love one another as he has loved us.
(6) Holy Thursday homily - April 9, 2009 continues
But there was an interesting interchange between Jesus and Peter. When Jesus came to Peter, Peter basically asked, “why are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus said, “you don’t understand now why I’m doing it, you will understand later.” Peter protested, “you will never wash my feet.” Jesus said (and I like this translation better), “If I do not wash you, you won’t belong to me.” That is as strong a statement as Jesus could have made. I asked myself why Jesus was so definite and why was it was so important that everyone have their feet washed, even Peter?
(7) Holy Thursday homily - April 9, 2009 continues
Thinking of what Jesus was doing as a demonstration of service, it struck me that we all need to allow ourselves to let Jesus serve us. In what ways does he serve us? He serves us through his sacrificial death on the cross and his resurrection. In his words, he came to seek out and to save the one who is lost; and that’s all of us. It’s only when we know we need to be saved that we will really know Jesus for that’s what the name “Jesus” means: God saves. How do we make this connection with his saving love? Two ways: prayer and the sacraments. In those two ways Jesus can serve us and save us.
(8) Holy Thursday homily - April 9, 2009 continues
Especially in the Eucharist does Jesus come to us to bring us the love and life he wants to share with us. He makes himself vulnerable to us. We can receive him with love, we can receive him with indifference, we can receive him with distraction, we can be too busy to bother coming to receive him at all. But for those who open the door of their heart to him, he is there to share a meal with us as friends. (Rev. 3, 20) What greater gift can he give us than himself. “My flesh is real food and my blood real drink,” he tells us in John’s sixth chapter on the Eucharist.
(9) Holy Thursday homily - April 9, 2009 continues
Tonight we recall Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. He came to serve them and he did serve them as their teacher and Lord, but now he was about to serve them (and all of us) by his death on a cross. He demonstrated to us how we are to serve one another and gave us a command to do so. And at the Last Supper he gave us a way to remember what he has done for us and how he continues to bring us into union with his saving work, the Eucharist. “Do this in memory of me” we hear him say twice in tonight’s second reading, the oldest recorded account of the institution of the Eucharist.
(10) Holy Thursday homily - April 9, 2009 continues
We may not understand it all, we may not understand why Jesus had to die to save us, we may not understand how a small host and a sip of wine can bring Jesus to us, we may not even understand why God would love us so much as to send his Son to save us, but as Jesus said to Peter: “you will understand later.” Amen.
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