January 17, 2010

16 Years Ago

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

                    I give to you the gift of marriage —
                love — where husband and wife
                join in intimate love to bring
                a child into the world — God the Father
                gives this gift — husband and wife
                co-create.

                    This is a beautiful gift God gives
                to husband and wife in the sacrament
                of marriage —

                    Marriage is a sacrament —

                    Marriage shows the unity and love
                that is to exist between husband
                and wife —

                    People who are married are to see
                how in receiving this sacrament it
                is a special gift and baptized
                persons when partaking in marriage
                and with the right disposition
                and requirements can receive
                a more abundant sharing in God's life —

                In Genesis God said

Genesis 1: 28

    God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.’

                In order for husband and wife to
                    grow in their union with
                    each other and God — they must
                    communicate on issues that
                    concern their relationship and
                    their children —

                "Open" is the word here — since
                    Children are a gift from God
                    and they are given to many
                    in marriage —

                Married couples are to thank God for
                    this blessing and share in the
                    teachings of love as a
                    unit of love to the children, a family
                    of love

                God made men and women different
                    and so they have to learn
                    in love to work with their
                    differences

                To be open to God's will for them —

                A couple may desire a baby and
                    try and try to have one and —
                    they do not have a baby —

                A person is to be open to God's will
                    for them —

                Open — praying for God's will —
                    accepting what God gives —

                A child is taught to love, to share —

                SISTER - SISTER - SISTER

                    a child in the middle of the line of
                    sister and sister — works with
                    the older sister and the younger
                    sister —

                    they learn tools working with
                        one older sister and younger sister —

                    the youngest, child, may be always
                        called, little at 60, 70,
                        'little' is not really an accurate
                        term for a 50 year old
                        adult

                A child the 'oldest' may see himself
                    'big' with siblings under him
                    and unless he looks at this
                    and how he thinks he can
                    be over responsible for everyone
                    else and see himself as a
                    rescuer, as 'big' not looking at himself
                    in unity with other adults —

                Adults need to live their vocation
                    maturing in the Christian life —
                    dying to ways not like Jesus —
                    living more the resurrected life —
                    having hearts like Jesus —

                Adults must look at themselves — not be
                    stone hearts — stone hearts is mentioned
                    and mentioned in the Bible —

                One may consistently not look
                    at themselves and sees themselves
                    as rescuing, as over, as 'big' —

                Wanting God's will gives everybody
                    their proper place, their
                    proper respect —

                Learning to live in relationship is
                    why we are here —
                    ONE BODY — ONE FAMILY —
                    IN LOVE — UNITED
                    learning to love —

                    God gives us this sharing in His Divine Life —
                    Jesus reveals the inner life of the Trinity to us.
                    Intimacy with Jesus
                    Life in the Spirit

                We live being the little child of God the Father —

                This is the will of God —
                    we work as God wants in our
                    vocation —
                    We chose God's will — we are free to to this or not —

                Because of the fallen human nature
                    and people being wounded,
                    locked up in jealousy and pride,
                    anger —

                    one can be as Jesus calls it
                        'FROZEN' — LIKE A STONE IN
                            OUR HEART —

                Our life is to be lived being open
                    more and more to the Holy Spirit
                    to counsel us on knowing
                    God's will

                Many may think life in the spirit means we
                    do what we want — doing what the little
                    child of the past wants — no discipline

                One living according to the Spirit
                    of God is 'disciplined' —
                    Discerning the spirits —

                Stopping like Fr. Carter to examine our
                    conscience and take our
                    "spiritual pulse" to see who
                    is counseling us

                    the Holy Spirit? the evil spirit?
                        our own thoughts — good or bad

                Try to force others by blocking a work
                    needed for building God's Kingdom
                    affects ourselves — acting impurely,
                    stopping others from doing God's will
                    for them because of our impurities —
                    God calls us to spread the Good News —

                We do not live in a vacuum —
                    God gave us marriage and the
                    marriage act to propagate
                    children and show mutual love

                In calling the Shepherds of Christ —
                    God is calling us to do God's will —
                    to pray to know God's will —

                    when we know God's will — not close down
                    to control things against God's will —

                Because we want it our way not the
                    way God wants —

                People can come in communities
                    and try to force their dysfunction
                    on others — so they don't have
                    to change —

                God expects men and women to be one
                    in Him building a community —
                    a family — with children
                    in love —
                    discussing problems —
                    working in suffering —
                    carrying the cross as one united
                        to Jesus —
                    strength in unity — the 2 shall be one —

                They work together in building a community
                    of love to help build up the
                    world and the Church with
                    that little family of love —

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
 

January 14, 2007

INTRODUCTION: Five hundred thirty years before Christ the Jews were exiles in Babylon. You’ve heard me mention this many, many times. Today’s first reading is an announcement from the prophet that the Persians, who had conquered the Babylonians, were going to let God’s people go home. Their cities and homes were in ruins during the time of their exile and the Persians were even willing to give them some material help to rebuild. God said he would forgive the sins of his people, their sins that brought on their exile, and God would take them back. God would make Jerusalem and Judea his spouse. The image of God marrying his people is an important biblical image and is the best symbol from our human experience that can be used to describe the love and intimacy God desires to have with his people. The image prepares the way for gospel account of the marriage feast of Cana.


HOMILY: I want to encourage you to make sure you have truly invited Christ into your homes and into your relationships, especially your marriage relationship if you are married.

Several years ago I read the story about a couple who bought a new home and spent a lot of money on interior decoration. The wife, who wrote the article, had a husband who wanted to hang a large picture of the Sacred Heart in a prominent place in their living room and the lady objected. It did not fit with the décor of their new home. But he insisted and reminded her of Jesus’ words: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” (Mt. 10,32) Being a religious person, she gave in to his wishes and hung the picture. In her article she told about a few incidents that happened because the picture was there. One visitor, who kept glancing at the picture, eventually commented that “Jesus doesn’t look at you, he looks right through you.” Another friend commented, “I always feel so peaceful in your home.” She said one of the most striking things she noticed was that inevitably the conversation with friends and relatives was drawn to a higher plane. She felt overall the picture had a good effect on their family. Her article concluded with the statement: “This much I know, when you invite Jesus into your home, you are never the same again.”

I’m sure the couple in today’s gospel would agree. Wedding receptions were major celebrations in the culture and time of Jesus. They went on for several days and planning for one would have been difficult, but running out of wine would have been a long remembered embarrassment for the bride and groom. So Jesus came to their rescue, with a little prompting from his mother. And he rescued them big time.

Others we hear about in the gospel had their lives changed significantly for the better by inviting Jesus into their home. Peter brought Jesus to his home and Jesus healed his mother-in-law. A little girl died who was the daughter of a synagogue official named Jairus. Jairus went to find Jesus and Jesus came to his home and raised his daughter to life. He healed a man of dropsy one evening while having dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee. He became good friends with Martha, Mary and Lazarus and visited them when he came to Jerusalem. When Lazarus died Jesus brought him back to life. This is not to mention how people’s lives were changed in other ways because they opened their doors to Jesus.

Certainly, inviting Jesus into our lives begins by opening our hearts to him. But what if we lived in a country where it is illegal to be a Christian and the police came to our home, would there be enough evidence there to convict us? Do we have religious books or periodicals, any religious articles that remind us of our Lord or Mary or one of the saints, is there a bible somewhere within reach or is it on a shelf covered with dust? If our houses were bugged by the police, would we ever get caught praying with other family members?

When Jesus sent his disciples out he always told them to say “Peace to this house” whenever they entered a house. It is his desire to bring peace wherever he goes. In the book of Revelation Jesus makes this promise to us: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” He will not invade our space. He wants to be invited in.

That goes doubly in marriage. St. John tells us “God is love.” If people want love in their marriage, they need to have God as the foundation of their relationship. I always have major concerns about couples who call up and want to have their marriage at St. Boniface, but they’ve not been going to Church. They are missing the essential ingredient for a loving and successful life ahead. I always challenge them that if they want me to have their wedding, then I want to see them become serious enough about their faith that they start practicing it.

St. John tells us today this was the first of Jesus’ signs. As a sign it shows Jesus’ high regard for marriage. But it shows much more. It tells us Jesus was interested in more than just keeping the party going, that he came to bring abundant blessings to those who believe in him. Today he works greater miracle for us by changing bread and wine into his own body and blood. May we be filled with his love as we receive the food and drink he gives us. Amen.

end of homily

  

                Every week you can read the scripture
                    and be prepared more for the
                    Sunday readings — Reading Fr. Joe's homily
                    book —

                The message of the Shepherds of Christ is to
                    help to bring about the Reign of the
                    Sacred Heart and Triumph of Mary's
                    Immaculate Heart —
                    PLEASE HELP US Send Fr. Joe's
                    book to all the priests in the United States

                Jesus wants to embrace us
                    to lead us to deeper oneness in the Trinity here —
                    relationship with the Trinity each Person and to be
                    wrapped in their embrace of love for all eternity —

                God's mission is love

                The Shepherds of Christ mission is love

                Love of the 2 Holy and Pure Hearts of LOVE —

                We help bring the era of Peace and unity —

                We pray for the priests, the Church and
                    the world in love

                Getting along in love — working as a team —
                    in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary in holiness —

... In reference to Christianity, God himself is the ultimate mystery. Radically, God is completely other and transcendent, hidden from man in his inner life, unless he chooses to reveal himself. Let us briefly look at this inner life of God.

    The Father, in a perfect act of self-expression, in a perfect act of knowing, generates his son. The Son, the Word, is, then, the immanent expression of God's fullness, the reflection of the Father. Likewise, from all eternity, the Father and the Son bring forth the Holy Spirit in a perfect act of loving.

    At the destined moment in human history, God's self-expression, the Word, immersed himself into man's world. God's inner self-expression now had also become God's outer self-expression. Consequently, the mystery of God becomes the mystery of Christ. In Christ, God tells us about himself, about his inner life, about his plan of creation and redemption. He tells us how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to dwell within us in the most intimate fashion, how they wish to share with us their own life through grace. All this he has accomplished and does accomplish through Christ. St. Paul tells us: "I became a minister of this Church through the commission God gave me to preach among you his word in its fullness, that mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now revealed to his holy ones. God has willed to make known to them the glory beyond price which this mystery brings to the Gentiles—the mystery of Christ in you, your hope of glory. This is the Christ we proclaim while we admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ" (Col 1:25-28).

end of excerpt

                Like snow that accumulates — it
                    comes one act of love at a time —
                    one act of loving God by doing His
                    will, thanking Him for His blessings
                    and gifts and
                It can cover the earth — it can be thick —

                When I saw Jesus transfigured in January, 1996
                    at Holy Cross-Immaculata — I
                    had to park my car down the street
                    because there was so much snow —

                And the light - was white light like
                    I saw on the way to China on
                    the 13th of January this year and the sun
                    was spinning on the way to China —
                    I was blinded I could not see —
                    there was no color —
                    only this blinding light —
                    usually the light does not affect
                        my eyes during the vision, but
                        can afterward —

                The blessings God gives to us are
                    so great and if we love Him
                    we are to thank Him for these
                    blessings and spread the Good News —

                God help us to thank You for creating
                    us and making us unique
                    with all these talents —
                    Help us to realize that talents
                    are gifts from You to do Your
                    work —

                Help us to grow in our intimate
                    relationship with you and

                to realize that satan is division,
                    emptiness, anger, isolation
                    and selfishness, jealousy —

                Help us never to block Your will
                    or Your vocation for others
                    because of selfishness —

                Help us never to block Your will
                    or Your vocation for others
                    because of selfishness —

                Help our hearts to be open —
                    open wide and
                    help us to empty our hearts of
                    anger, revenge, unforgiveness —

                Help us to thank You for Your blessings
                    and gifts given to us —
                    to be ever grateful —
                    to help build more and more the body of Christ
                    to help us to live working together —
                    in harmony and peace

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

                When we look at how God has set up
                    families and children — we
                    see God is teaching us about
                    unity and love — oneness —

                We see that the Trinity is the most
                    perfect community —

                Children are not frozen — they jump
                    around and usually are not filled up with
                    agendas and unforgiveness —
                    rigidity — tension —

                    they are kids
                    they have parents

                We have a spiritual Mother and our
                    heavenly Father

                Jesus came and He came a little —
                    a Mighty King — Savior of the
                    world —

                There is a message in this how
                    Jesus came so little with
                    such Might —
                    We see it says in the scriptures —
                        He raised His eyes to heaven —

                His eyes always on His Heavenly Father

                The unity of Jesus in John 17

John 17: 21-23

May they all be one,
just as, Father, you are in me
   and I am in you,
so that they also may be in us,
so that the world may believe
it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory
   you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so perfected in unity
that the world will recognise
   that it was you who sent me
and that you have loved them
as you have loved me.

 

Cling to Me (excerpt)

May 13, 1993

Jesus: My dear child, if you stay close to Me, then I live in you and you live in Me. I am He Who created you and I love you with such an intensity that you will never know. My words are your truth. You must abide in My heart in all things. There is no room for doubt. My ways are steadfast, direct, and without error.

    You must stay rooted in Me to ward off the power of the evil one. His grip is paralyzing and crippling. His power is stronger every day.

end of excerpt

                The Grace of the Lord and His love be with you —

...instead, you will be called
   'My Delight is in her'
and your country 'The Wedded';
for Yahweh will take delight in you
and your country will have its wedding.
Like a young man marrying a virgin,
your rebuilder will wed you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice in you.

                Jesus gives us Himself in the Eucharist —

                Lord Your graces changes us —

                Lord have mercy
                Christ have mercy
                Lord have mercy

                Father, of heaven and earth —
                    hear our prayer and show us the
                    way to peace in the world —

                The Gospel is Jesus' first miracle
                    at the Wedding Feast of Cana —

                Jesus changed 120 to 150 gallons
                    of water into wine —

                This was the first of Jesus' signs

                John doesn't call it miracles —
                John calls it signs

                A Sign teaches us something:

                Biblical signs —

                Jesus' sign was for all people for
                    all time —

                God's people were always looking
                    for when God would
                    come to Save His people —  

Isaiah 25: 6

On this mountain, for all peoples, 
Yahweh Sabaoth is preparing 
a banquet of rich food, 
    a banquet of fine wines, 
of succulent food, of well–strained wines. 
 

Isaiah 55: 1-2

Oh, come to the water
    all you who are thirsty;
though you have no money, come!
Buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk
without money, free!
Why spend money on what cannot nourish
and your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen carefully to me,
and you will have good things to eat
and rich food to enjoy.

Amos 9: 13

The days are coming-
    declares Yahweh-
when the ploughman will tread
    on the heels of the reaper,
and the treader of grapes
    on the heels of the sower of seed,
and the mountains will run with new wine
and the hills all flow with it.

 

Proverbs 9: 1-5

Wisdom has built herself a house,
    she has hewn her seven pillars,
she has slaughtered her beasts, drawn her wine,
    she has laid her table.
She has despatched her maidservants
    and proclaimed from the heights above the city,
Who is simple? Let him come this way.
    To the fool she says,
"Come and eat my bread,
    drink the wine which I have drawn!

                Jews - lowest alcoholism abuse
                Jews - wine symbol of joy and celebration

                Sign of the unique Person
                    Jesus was

                    He revealed His glory at the
                        marriage of Cana
                        and the Apostles began
                        to believe in Him

                He is LIGHT to all nations

                Sign — Beginning of Jesus'
                    saving work —

                    This was His 'hour'

                Mary told Jesus —
                    they had no wine —

                    He told her —

                ‘...My hour has not come yet.’

                ‘Do whatever he tells you.’

                This is good for us:

                "Do whatever Jesus tells us"

                God knows every detail what
                    is going on in our lives —

                Changing water into wine

                Shows Jesus would be changing things

                Jesus changed sick people into people who would be well —

                Jesus changed sinners into saints.

                Jesus would give His Blood —
                    (His Blood a sign of life)
                    for us

 

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