Mary has requested that the daily message be given each day to the world. It is read nightly at the prayer service from her Image Building in Clearwater, Florida, U.S.A. This is according to her request. All attempts will be made to publish this daily message to the world at 11p.m. Eastern time, U.S.A.


We acknowledge that the final authority regarding these messages rests with the Holy See of Rome.


I appear my children on this former bank building in Florida, Our Lady Clothed with the Sun.

January 4, 2002

January 5th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 2 Period I.
The Novena Rosary Mystery
for January 5th is Sorrowful.

              

We really need the $35,000 for the postage
    for the Newsletter Book II so they can 
    send it as soon as it is printed.
  
Our donor will match the whole $35,000.

           


  

This is from the president

Newsletter Book II update:

We received $45,000 for the Newsletter Book II.

We need at least another additional $30,000 for postage.

The donor has already matched the first $40,000.

Please help us with the postage so the priests can receive the Newsletter Book as soon as it is printed. 

Thank you so much for all who have given. We really want to please God the Father this Christmas.

   

Messenger: We have a Donor that will match the funds for the Newsletter so for every $1 you give, the donor will match the money for the Newsletter until we get $150,000 for the Newsletter Book II.

Jesus wants it out —

Please we need the money urgently because God the Father wants the Newsletter Book II out by Christmas. 


Excerpt from July 14, 2001 message

Mary speaks:

     ...The Father wishes the Priestly Newsletter Book II
    to reach all the 75,000 Priests. Pray Hourly for
    funds for this.
..Please if you can help, help
    me.
        Sending the Priestly Newsletter Book II to the
    75,000 Priests will help to change the face of the
    earth.

end of excerpt from July 14, 2001 message


Excerpt from August 18, 2001 message 

Messenger:     ... We need to send the Priestly Newsletter Book II
   
                             to the priests of this earth.

                             This is God's plan. God the Father said
                                "The Priestly Newsletter Book II would
                                    help to change the face of the earth."

end of excerpt from August 18, 2001 message 


Excerpt from October 19, 2001 message

Mary speaks:  ... Please I ask you to get my Son's priestly
                            Newsletter Book II, with the
                            prayer manual to my priest sons
                            by Christmas.

                        These writings were directed by my Son Jesus and given
                            to Father Carter to circulate for the renewal
                            of the Church and the world.

                        The Father has said this book will help to
                            change the face of the earth.

end of excerpt from October 19, 2001      

          

January 4, 2002

Messenger:        Our Lord told me to go to St. Xavier today at 6:15 AM.
                            The priest talked about St. Elizabeth Seton.
                            I went to Catholic Schools with the Sisters of Charity
                                for 8 years in grade school, four years in high school,
                                four years in college and I taught in a Catholic
                                high school run by the Sisters of Charity.

                            My sister was a Sister of Charity. My cousin a Sister of Charity.
                            I feel very close to the Sisters of Charity and Elizabeth
                                Ann Seton.

                            The priest said these things about St. Elizabeth Seton, he said 
                                she was married and had five children, but she founded
                                the order the Sisters of Charity. The Jesuit priest
                                at St. Xavier said that she loved the Eucharist and
                                Our Lady and she believed the popes went back
                                to Christ in the Catholic Church.

    

St. Xavier Church

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:         He said she only wanted to live according to God's will.
                                He said she may have wanted more time
                                for private prayer, but she knew God was
                                calling her to do all the work she was doing.

                            He said she did ordinary things in her life.

                            I felt that Our Lord called me to St. Xavier Church where
                                Fr. Carter was laid out right in the front of the
                                Church in the casket before his funeral Mass.
                                I was called there to hear this.

   

   

    

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:         We are called in a special way to be Shepherds of Christ.
                            The calling is in our hearts.
                            A person is called many times in reading their first
                                Blue Book Message.  
                            A person may be called with a visit to the Virgin Mary   
                                site. After that they are changed and very committed.
                            A person may be called through praying the Shepherds
                                of Christ Prayers in the Prayer Manual.
                            Or a priest or Bishop may be called through the Prayer
                                Manual or Newsletter.
                            There is a definite calling that takes place, it is from
                                Jesus.
                            Some people have been called when they attended
                                live rosaries or Shepherds of Christ Meetings on the
                                5ths and 13ths.

                            Every time I go to St. Xavier Church, I see all the 
                                servants and handmaids gathered around the casket
                                in the front of the Church

    

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:              and I see Fr. Carter our founder there
                                with us.
                                He looked so beautiful, it was hard to explain,
                                he had a glow about him. He had a crystal rosary
                                in his hands. 

  

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:              The hands I watched so closely when he
                                consecrated the host and whenever he raised the
                                host I usually always saw that golden
aura of
                                a host above the host—like see through host—
                                a halo. The host would be raised and then I would
                                just watch the glowing host come out above the host.
                                It was a gift God gave me to see this.

                            Today I went to another Mass for First Friday and
                                the priest is a very holy priest. I felt he was
                                rushing the words. I remember crying many times
                                because of some priest rushing the words during
                                Mass.

                            Fr. Carter at the end of his life said the Mass with such 
                                fervor. I watched him
the last year as he was becoming
                                closer to his death. All those homilies he gave in
                                China are very valuable documents, treasures.
                                It is so interesting how he took his trips to
                                China with such seriousness.

                            God told him lots of things and directed him in
                                many ways.

                            Jesus has given us this way of life in the Shepherds
                                of Christ, but it is so influenced by the
                                Jesuit (Fr. Carter) who founded it.

                            The priest at St. Xavier said about the way of
                                life of the Sisters of Charity and where
                                it came from in France.

                            I couldn't help but identify with the Shepherds of Christ
                                way of life and how we were influenced
                                so deeply by Fr. Carter's Jesuit training.

                            My life is centered around the Eucharist.
                                I feel God has sent Fr. Mike to do the Mass video
                                and all the pictures for the Mass.

                                They appear almost as live shots out of
                                    the video for the Little Book of Pictures
                                    on the Mass.

                                (Now with single-sided printing!)

                                I hope that you can down load the pictures
                                    from the PDF file and keep a set and
                                    give them especially to children, but
                                    it would help anyone to grow in their
                                    love of the Mass from using the Little
                                    Book of Pictures and/or the Mass Video
                                    fervently.

                                Giving a person or a group the Mass Video and
                                    the say daily card can help to change
                                    the person's life and help to bring down
                                    great grace for the world.

  

   

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:         Many times I write about events and feelings, but beneath
                                all the details is the depth of my experience
                                at Mass and my love and desire to be there
                                and my inability to ever be able to explain
                                it to anyone.

                            I see so much now in our relationship here with
                                all the souls and our relationship with
                                God and all the saints in heaven.

                            Today I feel deeply united to heaven again on this
                                special feast. I heard about St. Elizabeth
                                Seton all my life, she was Blessed a good
                                part of my school life, but I never knew
                                my life would be sort of like hers. I never
                                thought about her life so much.

                            I taught at Seton High School and I went to
                                Seton High School.
                            I had a great devotion to the Eucharist because
                                I went almost every day of my life into
                                college.
                            I am now at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the
                                Cathedral

  

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:         As a child I would come and do adoration
                                in this chapel before the Blessed Sacrament,
                                my sister and I would take the bus down
                                town and we had committed ourselves
                                to time before the Blessed Sacrament.
                            In this chapel when I was young the Blessed Sacrament
                                was exposed a good part of the time. It was
                                in this chapel there was the fire June 8, 1999.

                                On June 8, 1995 I had a interior vision
                                    of a fire as I was at Falmouth that
                                    day. I also had the interior vision
                                    of the flood.

  


    

Excerpt from June 8, 2001 message

Messenger: On June 8, 1995, I had two visions at the Falmouth farm in Kentucky...

    Saw flame as bright brilliant, heard it go puff then it came out of a square box sitting on a hardwood floor that looked like the floor in the Sorrowful Mother Chapel. The Chapel was empty, some things on the floor in the distance. Room was bright. Floor was the center.

  

Vision from June 9, 1995

 

    I saw a river and the riverbanks on both sides were lined with trees. Slowly the water began to rise in the river and the banks were flooded. And then I saw the water was pouring over the treetops (like a waterfall) into the river. The rough sketch enclosed is from my notebook on June 8, 1995...

  

river1.jpg (12140 bytes) river2.jpg (12296 bytes)

end of excerpt from June 8, 2001

    


   

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:          On June 8, 1994 was when they took the
                                    message Jesus gave me for Falmouth
                                    off the master copy of the handout when 
                                    thousands of people were to be there at Falmouth. 
                                It was June 8, 1995 I received this Morning
                                Offering before the Altar at Our Lady of the Holy
                                    Spirit Center—

  


     

Morning Offering (for Shepherds of Christ Members)

    My dear Father, I offer You this day all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings, my every breath, my every heartbeat, my every thought, all my actions, in union with Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in the Holy Spirit. I pray the Holy Spirit is with me every second today, enlightening me to do the will of the Father and filling me with the fire of God's love.

    I ask Jesus and Mary to be one in me in all that I do and I unite with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory to pray continually to the Father for these intercessions, in this prayer, for this day.

    For myself, I pray for grace-abundant grace, to know and love God more and more and to follow the will of the Father. I pray to the Holy Spirit to transform me in the heart of Mary to be more and more like Jesus. I pray that I can forever dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. I pray for conversion of all those I hold dear who need conversion. I pray for each member of my family that they will be filled with Your abundant grace to grow in their knowledge and love of God.

    I pray for all my friends that they will receive abundant grace to carry out the great plan of the Father, that they will grow forever closer to Jesus' Heart through Mary's heart, that we will all be led by the Holy Spirit to do His work, that we will, together, carry out the plan of the Father as He intends us to, to spread the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary's heart to this world.

    Jesus, I pray for myself so the Holy Spirit descends upon me and opens my heart to Your love so I will grow more and more deeply in union with You. I pray that I do not worry what other people think but try always to please the Father and do His will. I pray that I may help lead many to Your burning love.

    I pray for the following people in particular that they will be filled with the Spirit and grow deeply in their union with You, that they will receive abundant graces to know, love and serve You more. (Include special friends by name...)

    I pray for priests the world over, for the success of the Priestly Newsletter, the Chapters and for the finances needed for the Newsletter. I pray for the circulation of the Blue Book messages, rosary meditations and tapes. I pray for all those involved in the publication of these messages.

    I pray that You will shower Your abundant graces onto the priests reading the Newsletter the people reading and hearing the Blue Book messages and Rosary Meditations and all of Fr. Carter's publications.

    We pray for the intentions we hold deep within our hearts, for our families and friends, for those requesting our prayers. We pray for children the world over and for the souls in purgatory. We ask God to shower His abundant grace on us and the members of our Shepherds of Christ chapter so that we may grow more and more in our knowledge and love of God.

    We consecrate ourselves to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We pray for Father Carter, for Father Smith, for Rita Ring, and for John Weickert, for all leaders and helpers in the Shepherds of Christ Movement, for Shepherds of Christ Ministries, and Our Lady of Light Ministry. We pray for all those who are working in these ministries.

    We bind ourselves and our children and our friends to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We place the precious blood of Jesus on ourselves, and all we touch, so that we will be protected from the evil one. We pray to St. Michael to cast the devil into hell.

    We love You, God, we love You, we love You. We beg that we may receive the grace to love You more and more deeply. We adore You, we praise You, our beloved Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

   


  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             then I went to the Falmouth Farm that same 
                                   day and had the two visions, one of the flood 
                                   and the other the little box with the flame that 
                                   went poof.

                                This was a vision I saw clearly,

                                    It was the ones that are like a little
                                        movie inside my eye lids or
                                        the screen that comes up when
                                        I close my eyes and I am going
                                        to see a vision.

                                    I remember all the visions I have had
                                        this way I never
forget them, they
                                        are etched in my soul.

                                I see the sparkling light that surrounds
                                    these visions, It is awesome.

                                I love it when I get mystical things.
                               I see light.
                               I always drove Fr. Carter to China.
                               Once in a while I would become too tired
                                    and he would have to drive.

  

 

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:         Whenever he drove and I slept I would
                                see all this light, I loved it, it was blinding.

                            When I drove to China with Fr. Carter God would
                                give me deep revelations on the way, then I saw
                                how the revelations I received were
                                intertwined with his
writings in the Priestly
                                Newsletters.

                            I saw things in a mystical light.
                            He saw things the way God told him and as
                                a very holy Jesuit priest very
                               
knowledgeable of the spiritual life
                                and of the Church.

                            My experience as wife and mother deeply touched
                                the tone of the Newsletter as it progressed.

                            The Church is Mother and bride.
                            The Newsletters written in this Second Newsletter
                                Book have a very deep expression of the
                                mixture of our roles as His witnesses.
                                Fr. Carter wrote as a mystic, Jesuit, theological
                                priest. His writings were majorly effected
                                by the
revelations Jesus gave me and my life
                                lived as a mother and bride.

                            To every saint God gives a special gift.
                            I remember asking Fr. Carter, why do I have to 
                                pray through certain saints and Fr. Carter
                                said God wants you to love them and honor
                                them and he gives special graces through 
                                certain saints that aren't given if we don't
                                pray through their powerful intercession.

                            I understand so much more now about heaven
                                and earth and the souls here and the
                                communion of the saints.

                            My knowledge of the whole picture ever deepens
                                and I am so excited to learn more because
                                it is helping me to get to heaven and helping
                                the souls and helping me to be more deeply
                                united to our beloved God and all the angels
                                and saints and to the souls of the earth.

                            I want to include Fr. Carter's explanation of
                                Relationship with Members of the Church.

  


       

Excerpt from Response In Christ
   

Relationship with Members of the Church

e) Relationship with Members of the Church

There is but one true Church of Christ. Yet this one Church has three different states of existence. There is the pilgrim Church, the Church of this world, composed of members who have received the grace of Christ and strive for its development. They have not yet obtained the goal of their efforts, as have the members of the heavenly Church, who enjoy God in eternal happiness. The Church suffering is an intermediate state of existence necessary for those who had not achieved the required purification as members of the pilgrim Church. Although there are these three phases of the Church’s existence, there is a profound union existing between all the members. All these members possess the same basic life of grace in Christ, and this common life establishes the most intimate bonds of love. In our preceding chapter, we discussed the pilgrim Church. Let us now consider the Church suffering and the heavenly Church.

The members of the Church suffering are those who have departed from this life in an incomplete state of Christian development. Their development is incomplete in the sense that grace has not fully taken possession of them, and, as a result, they are yet closed in upon themselves to a greater or lesser degree. They as yet cannot open themselves out in complete love to the Triune God in the beatific vision. They must undergo a further purification, a purification which could have been achieved upon earth with merit. Now the purification must be achieved with no merit attached. The pain of this purification is mixed with the certain expectation of achieving the vision of God. We can hasten the advent of this vision for this people by the offering of prayers and other good works. Scripture itself refers to our action on behalf of those in purgatory in Chapter 12 of the Second Book of Maccabees beginning with verse 38.

The members of the heavenly Church are those in whom the life of grace has taken full possession and has reached its completion in the life of glory. Faith now is unnecessary, as the light of glory gives the human intellect a new strength and capacity for seeing God face-to-face. While the Christian was a wayfarer, he received the imprint of the indwelling Trinity as he shared in God’s own life. Now in heaven that grace-life and possession of God reaches its completion—the absolute completion is not achieved, however, until the resurrection of the body. The divine persons give Themselves to the beatified in a profound union far surpassing that of the indwelling of the Trinity experienced here below.

This life of heaven is still the Christ-life, for just as we possess a share in Trinitarian life here below as mediated by Christ, and exercise this grace-life as structured by Him, so also in heaven is the mediation of Christ present. In the words of Rahner, "One always sees the Father through Jesus. Just as immediately as this, for the directness of the vision of God is not a denial of the mediatorship of Christ as man."14 And not only does the humanity of Christ unite the blessed to God, but also, in some way, to the whole of creation. This is merely a completion of what is begun here below, namely, the union with Christ in His humanity establishing the Christian in a special relationship with God, with other men, and with the whole of creation. We have a glimpse, therefore, of the fullness of life which members of the heavenly Church possess.

The heavenly Church, as St. Thomas says, is the true Church.15 The Church of this earth and the Church of purgatory are, each in its own way, reaching out in loving hope for the heavenly Jerusalem. Vatican II puts it very simply: "The Church, to which we are called in Christ Jesus, and in which we acquire sanctity through the grace of God, will attain her full perfection only in the glory of heaven."16

The members of the heavenly Church can help us in living our life of grace until we too share its fullness with them. Their power of intercession on our behalf is but another ramification of the communal aspect of Christianity. We are meant to help others grow in Christ. We, in turn, are intended by God to receive aid from others—yes, from members of the heavenly Church, as well as from those with whom we dwell here below.

Not only can we be aided by the saints’ intercession, but the example of the canonized saints can also be of great value to us. They have concretely proved that full holiness is possible. Such an inspiration is of real worth when we are tempted to think that Christian sanctity in its higher degrees is impossible of attainment. Moreover, the canonized saints, in their diversity, teach us that there are many authentic versions of Christian holiness. They can be innovators in showing us that there are numerous possibilities in assimilating the mystery of Christ, although the basic assimilation remains the same for all Christians of all times. In the opinion of Rahner this is one of the chief roles the canonized saints exert in the life of the Church.17


NOTES:

16. Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church, No. 48.
17. Cf. Karl Rahner, Op. cit., pp. 100-101.

end of excerpt from Response In Christ

            


    

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:         It is this whole picture I want to live in.

                            We all are created uniquely special.
                                God wants us to love Him in only the way we can do.

                                God wants us to be one and love and serve and 
                                    honor Him with our talents to help promote
                                    the Kingdom.

                                I want to include an excerpt from
                                    Response to God's Love.

  


    

Excerpt from Response to God's Love

                                                         2

                                                         The Christian's Personal
                                                                        Uniqueness

 

                                                        Obviously, we all assimilate the mystery of Christ in basically the same way. There are, however, significant differences in how each person puts on Christ that result from the uniqueness of each individual. Each person is a unique expression of God's creative love. Each person can truthfully say that there has never before been anyone like himself or herself, there is now no one like him or her, and there never will be.

       The personal uniqueness of each human being increases in proportion to one's assimilation to Jesus. That is to say, the more I put on Christ, the more I lose myself in Christ, the more I become myself. This is true because grace perfects nature, and, consequently, the more I grow in grace, the more perfect all dimensions of my person become—and this includes uniqueness. We see, then, how fallacious is the reasoning of those who think that the more they give themselves to the practice of religion, the more their personalities will be subdued. Actually, the opposite is true—the more one grows in Christ, the more his or her unique personality emerges in all its attractiveness.

       As I grow in the realization of my own uniqueness, I should also grow in developing a sense of self-identity and self-acceptance. If God in his tremendous love for me has created the uniqueness that I am, should I not rejoice in who I am and avoid morbidly comparing myself to others? Should I not have a healthy self-image? Of course, self-acceptance does not mean self-complacency. Honest self-reflection will always reveal to me that there are weaknesses that must be further curbed and strengths that must be further developed.

       As God gives each person his or her uniqueness, he attaches to it a unique mission or role that is to be accomplished. Cardinal Newman tells us: "Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random. . . . God sees every one of us; He creates every soul, He lodges it in a body, one by one, for a purpose. He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us" (Discourses Addressed to Mixed Congregations, pp. 111-112).

end of excerpt from Response to God's Love

   


   

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             I look at St. Therese the Little Flower.
                                    All I know is she died very young and she
                                        really loved Jesus, she was His little
                                        Flower.
                                    I feel deep love in my heart for her. I know
                                        her deeply in my heart. She loved Jesus
                                        so much, she was united to Him as His
                                        spouse. He took her to Himself.
                                    I love St. Xavier and St. Ignatius so deeply
                                        I cannot express it and St. Claude
                                        de Columbiere. I just have such deep devotion
                                        and love in my heart for certain saints, but I
                                        love them all very deeply.
                                    Heaven is so real to me and so too the
                                        communion of the saints.

                            I remember Fr. Carter saying that whole last year
                                when we drove to China, today it is
                                another sunny day. And it was, and he
                                was
determined to go to China to say Mass.

                            There is something very special at all 3 sites
                                God has given to us.
                                He has promised special graces for praying
                                at the sites.
                                China is His Eucharistic Center.
                                Mary has appeared in Clearwater.
                                And Morrow is where we had the 3 years
                                    of Sunday Rosaries.

                                 Lots of teachings were given to the core members
                                    out of Morrow to get the Movement
                                    where it is today. 

   

  

 

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             Then He taught us on the 13ths out of China, 
                                    the larger group of Apostles were
                                    taught in China on the 13ths
                                    beginning in October 13, 1997. 
                                    We were taught to be intercessors 
                                    united to the Mass praying for the
                                    priests, the Church and the world.

   

 

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             Some 13ths were held under the tent in Morrow
                                        June 13, 1997, July 13, 1997, August 13, 1997,
                                        September 13, 1997.

 

 

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             The beginning 13ths were held at Tom's Farm
                                    October 13, 1996, November 13, 1996, December
                                    13, 1996, January 13, 1997 (also two other 13ths
                                    May 13, 1997 and October 13, 1998)

  

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             February 13, 1997, March 13, 1997, April 13, 1997
                                        was held at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center.

   

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             There has been lots of teaching and calling to a larger
                                    group of people in Florida on the 5ths.

  

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             Jesus has sent me as a messenger to the Virgin 
                                    Mary building in Florida. There have been 
                                    regular live rosaries since 1998 in Florida. The 
                                    apostles and handmaids had gatherings before this 
                                    with tapes. There were prayer meetings twice a week 
                                    with tapes. January 17, 1998 was an important
                                    rosary. It began the regular live rosaries in
                                    Florida. He sent me there.
                                    Then I did several rosaries at the end of
                                        February and March 5, 1998. Then we 
                                        were there for the 5ths and we began to
                                        lease the building right after July 5, 1998.

   

 

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             Fr. Carter had consecrated the world to the Sacred
                                    Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary on July 5, 1998.

                                They conducted public gatherings under the image
                                    since July 5, 1998 using the rosary meditations
                                    and I have gone to Florida every
                                    5th but 2 since then.

 

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             The people who have gathered at the Virgin Mary
                                    site on the 5th and daily have been
                                    taught by Jesus to be Shepherds of Christ.

                                I have been sent as a messenger to certain
                                    areas to set up groups. There is a group
                                    in Toledo and Sidney, Iowa and Jasper.
                                    Also I have traveled to other locations
                                    to
deliver messages, Dayton, Pennsylvania, Kentucky,
                                    south Florida, St. Louis, Memphis, Michigan, Indiana,
                                    different parts of Ohio, to mention a few.

                                We have been sent as apostles going to the
                                    different places. This is how the movement
                                    has expanded and the material spread
                                    and majorly it has spread through the internet.

                                Our Lord has sent me as a messenger.
                                    He has taught us to be Shepherds of Christ
                                    through these revelations and Fr. Carter's
                                    writings.

                                The Newsletter and the Internet reach the
                                    whole world.

                                There are prayer chapters all over the world.

                                We have been called His apostles, servants
                                    and handmaids of the Shepherds of Christ
                                    Movement to reach the world with
                                    the message of His love and to tell them
                                    about His most Sacred Heart and
                                    the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

                                We should want to be saints some day.
                                We are preparing for this here below.

                                Let us read this one more time—

  


       

Excerpt from Response In Christ
   

Relationship with Members of the Church

e) Relationship with Members of the Church

There is but one true Church of Christ. Yet this one Church has three different states of existence. There is the pilgrim Church, the Church of this world, composed of members who have received the grace of Christ and strive for its development. They have not yet obtained the goal of their efforts, as have the members of the heavenly Church, who enjoy God in eternal happiness. The Church suffering is an intermediate state of existence necessary for those who had not achieved the required purification as members of the pilgrim Church. Although there are these three phases of the Church’s existence, there is a profound union existing between all the members. All these members possess the same basic life of grace in Christ, and this common life establishes the most intimate bonds of love. In our preceding chapter, we discussed the pilgrim Church. Let us now consider the Church suffering and the heavenly Church.

The members of the Church suffering are those who have departed from this life in an incomplete state of Christian development. Their development is incomplete in the sense that grace has not fully taken possession of them, and, as a result, they are yet closed in upon themselves to a greater or lesser degree. They as yet cannot open themselves out in complete love to the Triune God in the beatific vision. They must undergo a further purification, a purification which could have been achieved upon earth with merit. Now the purification must be achieved with no merit attached. The pain of this purification is mixed with the certain expectation of achieving the vision of God. We can hasten the advent of this vision for this people by the offering of prayers and other good works. Scripture itself refers to our action on behalf of those in purgatory in Chapter 12 of the Second Book of Maccabees beginning with verse 38.

The members of the heavenly Church are those in whom the life of grace has taken full possession and has reached its completion in the life of glory. Faith now is unnecessary, as the light of glory gives the human intellect a new strength and capacity for seeing God face-to-face. While the Christian was a wayfarer, he received the imprint of the indwelling Trinity as he shared in God’s own life. Now in heaven that grace-life and possession of God reaches its completion—the absolute completion is not achieved, however, until the resurrection of the body. The divine persons give Themselves to the beatified in a profound union far surpassing that of the indwelling of the Trinity experienced here below.

This life of heaven is still the Christ-life, for just as we possess a share in Trinitarian life here below as mediated by Christ, and exercise this grace-life as structured by Him, so also in heaven is the mediation of Christ present. In the words of Rahner, "One always sees the Father through Jesus. Just as immediately as this, for the directness of the vision of God is not a denial of the mediatorship of Christ as man."14 And not only does the humanity of Christ unite the blessed to God, but also, in some way, to the whole of creation. This is merely a completion of what is begun here below, namely, the union with Christ in His humanity establishing the Christian in a special relationship with God, with other men, and with the whole of creation. We have a glimpse, therefore, of the fullness of life which members of the heavenly Church possess.

The heavenly Church, as St. Thomas says, is the true Church.15 The Church of this earth and the Church of purgatory are, each in its own way, reaching out in loving hope for the heavenly Jerusalem. Vatican II puts it very simply: "The Church, to which we are called in Christ Jesus, and in which we acquire sanctity through the grace of God, will attain her full perfection only in the glory of heaven."16

The members of the heavenly Church can help us in living our life of grace until we too share its fullness with them. Their power of intercession on our behalf is but another ramification of the communal aspect of Christianity. We are meant to help others grow in Christ. We, in turn, are intended by God to receive aid from others—yes, from members of the heavenly Church, as well as from those with whom we dwell here below.

Not only can we be aided by the saints’ intercession, but the example of the canonized saints can also be of great value to us. They have concretely proved that full holiness is possible. Such an inspiration is of real worth when we are tempted to think that Christian sanctity in its higher degrees is impossible of attainment. Moreover, the canonized saints, in their diversity, teach us that there are many authentic versions of Christian holiness. They can be innovators in showing us that there are numerous possibilities in assimilating the mystery of Christ, although the basic assimilation remains the same for all Christians of all times. In the opinion of Rahner this is one of the chief roles the canonized saints exert in the life of the Church.17


NOTES:

16. Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church, No. 48.
17. Cf. Karl Rahner, Op. cit., pp. 100-101.

end of excerpt from Response In Christ

            


  

 

  

January 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:             Today is a sunny day on the way to China.
                                On this January 4, 2002 Our Lord has asked
                                    me to go to China as His messenger
                                    to deliver a message from there.

                               I know Fr. Carter and Rose and all the
                                    saints are united with us.

                                Please pray with us for a special
                                    novena January 10 - January 19.

                                We will have a special celebration on
                                    January 17, 2002 at Morrow.

                                Adoration will be in China
                                    January 12, 2002 to January 14, 2002
                                    beginning with Mass at 12:00 noon on
                                    January 12 and ending on
                                    January 14 with Mass at 12 noon.

                                If you cannot be here, please
                                    be united with us. The prayer
                                    service is broadcasted in
                                    certain areas.

                                January 13, 2002 we should have
                                    the story of the crucifix available.

                                On February 5, 2002 we will have a special
                                    anniversary celebration in Florida
                                    for the 2 year opening of the
                                    Rosary Factory.

                                Please come and celebrate with us.
                                    This will be a very special celebration.
                                    Mary has deeply touched so many who
                                    have come to the site, especially
                                    on the 5ths.

   


              

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SofC LogoCopyright © 2001 Shepherds of Christ.
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All scripture quotes are from the New Jerusalem Bible, July 1990, published by Doubleday.
Revised:
January
4,  2002
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