THE GOOD I DO ACTS AS RIPPLES ON A POND

Written during my retreat:

The good that I do acts as ripples on a pond - it resounds to all those I touch.

When we sin, we do not see the far reaching effects of that sin on others, on the world.

When I follow His way, others are touched by His light through my actions.

When I sin, I cast a dark shadow. Others are not touched by Him acting in Me. I have chosen bad actions to good actions.

Jesus wants us to model our lives after His life and the life of His Mother. So, as I am in my heart, I will be in this world. His light shines through me as I interact with others. If my heart is filled with His light and His love, others see His light and love reflected in my life. If my heart is filled with darkness, then others do not see this light reflected in my life.

Think of a single complaint. Several persons are gathered in a room. There may be a certain sense of anxiousness, a sense of excitement. One person speaks and begins to complain. They see the world as tainted and dark. Others, to relate, begin to identify and soon all are complaining about things and, sad to say, other people also. One begins to tell a better story and the competition for the floor begins. Soon the focus is to give the best story, not even thinking about who or what is being discussed, just trying to tell a better story.

Think again of the same room: Many are joined and someone begins to speak about the goodness of God, the bright blue sky, a breath of fresh air. Within the soul is the craving to be fed with the love of God. To talk about His burning love, excites the greatest appetite of all. We have the greatest news to discuss. He is alive. He is giving us insights into the mysteries of His life. Why would we worry for such incidental subjects when He is giving us such wisdom and knowledge.

Satan goes about the earth as a prowling lion attempting to devour his prey and forever send them to the burning flames of hell. He presses on, he tricks us with his ways and we are falling into his trap. We carry out his work without even realizing how our action has taken a bad turn. Eve said, "…The snake tempted me and I ate." (Gn. 3:13)

God calls us to holiness. He calls us to guard our tongue. He calls us to light lights where we are. He calls us to proclaim the Gospel message. We must not give in to idle "chit chat" for the sake of conversation. We must guard our mouth and our tongue. This is the way He chose to enter our body!

God enters our body through our mouth. If we realized the great honor we are given to receive His Flesh and Blood, we would not talk about anyone maliciously. If we realized the great gifts we are given, we would sing for joy.

Even many in church have turned to Godless ways. People go through the motions. God sits on His throne and they ignore the Master.

Life flows from the Father, in the Holy Spirit, through the pierced Heart of Jesus, through Mary's heart, into our hearts and we are channels to spread His life into the world.

We must emphasize the love of God first and then the social aspects.

God is the Source of all life and love. We must be deeply rooted in Him, to love ourselves and others. To focus only on ourselves and others is to leave out the Source. We must be aware of God first, then love of ourselves and others. Life is not life without Jesus! Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. speaks of this in his book, Response to God's Love. He calls them the three awarenesses and loves: awareness and love of God, self, and neighbor. All three are essential.

Mary always complied to the will of the Father. The angel told her, "…do not be afraid…" (Lk. 1:30) and revealed the plan of the Father. Jesus tells us to not be afraid, the Father has a plan for us. He is a just God. We are to fear the Lord. So many today do not realize the wrath of God for sins. There is a hell and many will go there if they do not obey God.

Our Lady at Fatima showed the three children a vision of hell. Souls are going to hell for all eternity because of their sins. Many of Mary's little lost children will go to hell. I cry out in my heart, "Lord, what can I do?"

God wants us to surrender to Him, to pray, and to become holy. God loves us so much. He is alive. He is alive this day. He is truly present in the Eucharist, no less present than the day He walked the earth. He lives in our hearts. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in us in a special way when we are baptized and in the state of grace.

Think of the struggle of Our Lady to travel on a donkey for the long journey to Bethlehem. She is with child and about to give birth to Him. In her struggle, she always complied to the will of the Father.

Her way was not an easy life, it was a life of joy and sorrow. If we could see the sorrow on the face of Mary, if we could feel the sorrow in her heart, we would do all that we could to help others know His deep burning love.

Do we know that He allows us to suffer to gain greater life in Him? Mary traveled with a baby in her womb over the bumpy road, up and down. Jesus walked, His cross on His back over the rocky road, up and down. We travel over our bumpy road to Him - our cross is nothing like His cross. Our journey is nothing like Mary's journey on the way to Bethlehem carrying a baby, nothing like her journey to Egypt in the middle of the night carrying their belongings, nothing like the walk on the road to Calvary. We receive little crosses. We unite our sufferings to His. We carry out His life in our lives. He asks us to carry our crosses willingly. He asks us to sacrifice for our own salvation and that of our brother's. We complain about the crosses He gives us.

The cross leads to life. The cross is our way to everlasting life. To remove the cross is to miss the life, the abundant life that He came to give us. Life is rooted in the cross.

Oh, the Mass, the Mass, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the gift given to man and man aimlessly wanders the earth in search of a worldly treasure to fill the hunger in his soul!

My God, my God, I cry out from the depth of my soul to Your glory and Your honor, with my whole being. I proclaim Your greatness and wait for the courts of the Lord.

I offer myself as a sacrifice to lead all to Your burning love. You are the treasure that the soul seeks.

Your love is the medicine for the sick world. Gently You wait and You fill us with Yourself. You give us life and nourish this life with Yourself.

This is the love that You have for me - that You gave Yourself that I would have life.

I am talking to You, little child, in the manger at Bethlehem. I see You surrounded by the sheep and shepherds. Let me be a shepherd to help lead the hungry ones to Your love.

I am so sorry that You, little child, with a burning heart, are neglected and forgotten by so many. I offer myself as a sacrifice to spread the devotion to Your Sacred Heart and that of Your Mother's heart, throughout this world. Show me the way. I surrender myself to You.

Lead us all through the Shepherd of Christ movement to a deeper relationship with You. Let our prayers for the priests and for each other resound throughout the world as we carry out this mission through You. This is a mission You have given to us, to spread this devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary throughout the world.

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Copyright © 1997 Shepherds of Christ Ministries
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact Shepherds of Christ Publications
First Printing: September, 1997