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 11 p.m. Eastern time, U.S.A. We acknowledge that the final authority regarding these messages rests with the Holy See of Rome.

January 9, 2006

January 10th Holy Spirit Novena Scripture selection is Day 9 Period I.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries   for January 10th are Glorious.

Messenger:       God is love.

                        We live to love, but we have problems
                            many times.

                        God will help us with problems.

                        We do not want to handle problems
                            in anger — doing so opens up
                            a door to satan.

                        We want to always handle problems
                            in love — we pray and
                            it may be very hard, but
                            God's might will help us with
                            the problem.

                        We want to handle problems in
                            God's time.
                            Timing is important.

                            Sometimes people are more
                                ready to move than others.

                            We learn to wait on His time
                                and pray.

                        This retreat is to help us love God
                            and each other more and to
                            pray for our urgent needs.

                        What good does it do us to do
                            things, if we fail to love.

                        A man bought a house and he was
                            angry a lot, he had memories of
                            angry days, angry Christmas,
                            angry birthdays, when he finally
                            realized that every day he was a
                            creature of habit, what felt
                            comfortable was looking for a
                            problem and being angry, he was
                            so sorry — he had to try to look
                            for happy things and it was hard
                            because he was a creature of habit.
                            What was familiar was lack of peace,
                            worrying, then he felt comfortable
                            in tension.

                            Where others cried for oneness
                        and love, he could distance himself
                        from others, not getting too close
                        if he put a big wall up between
                        him and someone else.

Excerpt from the Mass Book

  

December 19, 1996

THERE IS A MAN ON THE CROSS  

God wants union with us. He wants fire. Many try to love God with a cold heart. They tell Him words that they think they should say that are loving.

When one loves, they do not need to be prompted to say words. From the depth of their being they cry out their words of love. It is a cry from within, from the fire within their chest, behind the words. The words are burning in their chest and must be released because of the fire behind them.

We are as blind men. We do not see the great gifts that God gives to us. It is as if we stand by the shore of the sea and throw little words at Jesus. We must not be afraid to jump into the water and be completely immersed in His love. He was consumed with such love for us. He gave Himself to His death on the cross.

There is a man on a cross and he tells us so many things. He does not have to speak. When we study Him on the cross, He speaks to us with His pierced hands, His head covered with blood, His body withered and beaten. He speaks to us of His undying love.

Oh, beloved Savior, I am blind. I am selfish. I do not see the great reservoir of love that you give to Me. I see the man dying on the cross. How do I see Him? Do I see a figure and think, oh, is it a pretty cross, would it look good in my living room? Do I see the cross and think, oh, I guess I should have one in my house, others will think I am holy then? Holy people do have a cross in their homes.

Do I see the body of a man, a live man? Do I see His labored breath? Do I see His chest move as His Heart beats within? Do I see the real skin of a man? Do I see the real blood He shed? Do I see the light that silhouettes His withered body? Do I see the Light of the World? Do I see the tender skin of an infant laid on bare wood in the manager and then the torn, lacerated, bloodied skin of this man?

This is love! There is a man on the cross. There is a child born to us today. He is the Light of the World. His light is shining in the darkness, but people do not see. They see the wood, but they view it for the beauty it will create in their newly decorated living rooms.

The cross is not a thing of the past, the cross is with us today. We carry it on our backs as He showed us we would, but we try to take it off and throw it away.

It is in the cross there is the resurrection. It is by meditating on the crucifix, we see His undying love. We must open up our eyes and see. Pray for vision to see clearly the man Who gave Himself for love of us, Our Divine Lord.

And how do we return His love?

Love is spontaneous, love is fire in our hearts, love is alive and emitted with force. God is love.

Do we realize that His last thoughts on the cross were for us. In this agony, as He hung on the cross, He was consumed with burning love for us. When He was scourged at the pillar, He was comforted by our acts of love that we give to Him today. Our burning love for Him was sweetness to His most Sacred Heart in the moments of His bitter Passion.

Love gives and wants to give its all. A person in love does not need to be prompted and told to love. Love wants to give.

Love is given spontaneously, it is not controlled. Love is tenderness pouring forth from the heart. Love is not concerned with commitment, love by itself is committed. It pours forth from the mouth of the lover because of the fire burning deep inside.

Let us study the battered body of Christ on the cross. As I study His

pierced hands and feet, His head crowned with thorns, the blood pouring forth from His Heart, as I view the lacerations covering His body, I feel His word well up in my heart. He speaks to me in the depth of my soul and I hear Him say, "I love you. I love you. I love you, to My death on the cross."

He gives, He gives, He gives to us constantly. He gives and how is He treated by us? We take and we take and we take and we don't even say thanks. Thanks for our breath, our heartbeat, the beautiful sky, the sunlit day, the moon at night, the beautiful eyes of our friends. Oh, how many things He gives to us and how ungrateful we are!

How is your day? Is your glass half-empty or half-full?

How often my glass is half empty, as I am reminded by my spiritual director, Fr. Carter. How often I do not thank Our Divine Lord for His gifts!

When I am filled with love, I see more clearly. The secret is to know God's love. We must pray for the grace to know His love more and for the grace to love Him more.

There is a man on the cross. Do we see His undying love for us? He speaks no words. He shows us the crucifix. The words are alive in our hearts.

The Father created us to love and to be loved. God is love. He wants union with us. He gives Himself to us. This is love. There is union in proportion to how I give myself to Him.

Jesus gives and gives and gives and we treat Him "nonchalantly". He gives us love, but we must give ourselves to Him to have union with Him. He wants us to be one with Him.

We must relish the great gifts He gives to us - the greatest gift being the gift of Himself. We should anticipate the great gift of receiving Him in the Holy Eucharist with such eagerness in our hearts. The words I feel in my heart are expressed in the song, "I Love You, Jesus":

Oh Burning Heart, Oh Love divine, how sweet You are to me. I see the host, I know You're here to love and care for me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. I cannot say. There are not words to say what my heart feels. I love You so, I scarce can breathe when You come into me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. Your tender Heart, Oh how it beats for love of each this day. I want to give You all my love, surrender totally. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee.

When we awake at night, we must think of Him and how we will receive Him the next day. We long to go to Communion to receive Him. We love Jesus in the Eucharist so much. A King comes to us. He enters our body and unites with our soul. He is the King of the kingdom of heaven…He is our Lover, He is the Almighty God, a Divine Person, and He comes to us. He wants us to come to Him with such longing. He wants us to think of Him all day. He wants us to long for Him.

Ps. 63:1-8:

God, you are my God, I pine for you;
my heart thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
as a land parched, dreary and waterless.
Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary,
seeing your power and your glory.
Better your faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise you.
Thus I will bless you all my life,
in your name lift up my hands.
All my longings fulfilled as with fat and rich foods,
a song of joy on my lips and praise in my mouth.
On my bed when I think of you,
I muse on you in the watches of the night,
for you have always been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;
my heart clings to you,
your right hand supports me.

The priest says in the Mass at the Offertory, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the Divinity of Christ, Who humbled himself to share in our humanity." He gives Himself to us. He shares His Divinity with us. We are human creatures and He shares Himself with us. My heart burns when the priest puts the drop of water in the wine. This is, indeed, a great mystery that God remains with us today, truly present in His Divinity and humanity in the Holy Eucharist, that He gives Himself to us in Communion, and that He waits for us to come to the tabernacle and be with Him. He wants to outpour His divine love and His divine life to us.

We should swoon for our Lover the Almighty, Divine God, yet we go to Him with such cold hearts. He wants our burning love.

The song "I Love You, Jesus":

Oh Burning Heart, Oh Love divine, how sweet You are to me. I see the Host, I know You're here to love and care for me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. I cannot say. There are not words to say what my heart feels. I love You so, I scarce can breathe when You come into me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. Your tender Heart, Oh how it beats for love of each this day. I want to give You all my love, surrender totally. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee.

  

19 de Diciembre de 1996

Hay un Hombre en la Cruz

    Dios quiere unión con nosotros. El quiere fuego. Muchos tratan de amar a Dios con un corazón frío. Le dicen a Dios palabras porque ellos piensan que son amorosas y deberían de decírselas.

    Cuando uno ama, no necesita ser impulsado a decir palabras. Desde las profundidades de su ser gritan sus palabras de amor. Es un grito desde adentro, desde el fuego que hay en su pecho, detrás de las palabras. Las palabras están ardiendo en su pecho y tienen que ser liberadas por el fuego detrás de ellas.

    Somos como hombres ciegos. No vemos los grandes regalos que Dios nos da. Es como si estuviéramos en una playa y le lanzáramos palabritas a Jesús. No debemos tener miedo de brincar al agua y sumergirnos completamente en su amor. El fue consumido con semejante amor por nosotros. Se entregó hasta su muerte en la cruz.

    Hay un hombre en la cruz y nos dice tantas cosas. Jesús no tiene que hablar. Cuando lo estudiamos en la cruz, él nos habla con sus manos traspasadas, con su cabeza cubierta de sangre, con su cuerpo maltratado y golpeado. El nos habla de su amor que no muere.

    Oh, amado Salvador, estoy ciega. Soy egoísta. No veo todo el amor que me das. Yo veo a un hombre muriendo en la cruz. ¿Cómo lo veo? Veo una figura y pienso, oh, es una cruz bonita, ¿se vería bien en mi sala? Veo la cruz y pienso, oh, supongo que debería tener una en mi casa, ¿pensarán entonces los demás que soy santa? Las personas santas tienen una cruz en sus hogares.

    ¿Veo el cuerpo de un hombre, un hombre vivo? ¿Veo su forzada respiración? ¿Veo moverse su pecho al latir su Corazón ahí dentro? ¿Veo la verdadera piel de un hombre? ¿Veo la sangre real que él derramó? ¿Veo la luz en la silueta de su cuerpo desfallecido? ¿Veo la Luz del Mundo? ¿Veo la tierna piel de un bebé que descansa sobre la madera en un pesebre y luego la piel desgarrada, herida y ensangrentada de este hombre?

    ¡Esto es amor! Hay un hombre en la cruz. Hoy nos ha nacido un niño. El es la Luz del Mundo. Su luz está brillando en la obscuridad, pero la gente no la ve. Ellos ven la madera, pero la ven por la belleza que creará en sus salas recién decoradas.

    La cruz no es una cosa del pasado, la cruz está con nosotros hoy. La cargamos sobre nuestras espaldas como Jesús nos enseñó que lo haríamos, pero tratamos de quitarla y echarla a un lado.

    Es ahí en la cruz donde está la resurrección. Es meditando sobre el crucifijo, que vemos su amor eterno. Debemos abrir nuestros ojos y ver. Recemos para poder ver claramente al hombre que se entregó por amor a nosotros, Nuestro Divino Señor.

    ¿Y cómo le devolvemos su amor?

    El amor es espontáneo, el amor es fuego en nuestros corazones, el amor está vivo y es emitido con fuerza. Dios es amor.

    ¿Nos damos cuenta de que los últimos pensamientos de Jesús en la cruz fueron para nosotros? En esta agonía, mientras estaba colgado en la cruz, él fue consumido con ardiente amor por nosotros. Cuando fue golpeado en el pilar, él fue confortado por nuestros actos de amor que le damos hoy. Nuestro ardiente amor por él fue una dulzura para su Sacratísimo Corazón en los momentos de su amarga Pasión.

    El amor da y quiere entregar su todo. Una persona enamorada no necesita ser incitada o decirle que ame. El amor quiere dar.

    El amor se da espontáneamente, no es controlado. El amor es ternura derramándose del corazón. El amor no se preocupa por el compromiso, el amor por sí mismo está comprometido. Se derrama de la boca del que ama debido al fuego que arde muy dentro de su ser.

    Estudiemos el cuerpo golpeado de Cristo en la cruz. Al estudiar sus manos y sus pies traspasados, su cabeza coronada con espinas, la sangre que corre de su Corazón, al ver las llagas que cubren su cuerpo, siento su palabra brotar en mi corazón. El me habla en lo más hondo de mi alma y lo escucho decir, "Te amo. Te amo. Te amo, hasta mi muerte en la cruz."

    Cristo da, él da, él nos da constantemente. El da ¿y cómo lo tratamos? Tomamos y tomamos y tomamos y ni siquiera le damos las gracias. Gracias por nuestra respiración, por los latidos de nuestro corazón, por el cielo hermoso, por el día soleado, por la luna en la noches, por los hermosos ojos de nuestros amigos. ¡Oh, tantas cosas que nos da y cómo somos malagradecidos!

    ¿Cómo está tu día? ¿Está tu vaso la mitad vacío o la mitad lleno?

    Cuántas veces mi vaso está la mitad vacío, me recuerda mi director espiritual, el Padre Carter. ¡Cuántas veces no le doy gracias a Nuestro Divino Señor por sus regalos!

    Cuando estoy llena de amor, veo más claramente. El secreto es conocer el amor de Dios. Debemos rezar por la gracia para conocer más su amor y la gracia para amarlo más.

    Hay un hombre en la cruz. ¿Vemos su eterno amor por nosotros? El no dice palabras. El nos muestra el crucifijo. Las palabras están vivas en nuestros corazones.

    El Padre nos creó para amar y ser amados. Dios es amor. El quiere unión con nosotros. El se entrega a nosotros. Esto es amor. Hay unión en proporción a cuánto me entrego a él.

    Jesús da y da y da y lo tratamos "indiferentemente." El nos da amor, pero debemos entregarnos a él para tener unión con él. El quiere que seamos uno con él.

    Debemos apreciar los grandes regalos que Jesús nos da - el regalo más grande que existe es el regalo de él mismo. Deberíamos esperar el gran regalo de recibirlo en la Santa Eucaristía con un gran entusiasmo en nuestros corazones. Las palabras que siento en mi corazón son expresadas en el canto, "Te amo Jesús"

Oh Corazón ardiente, oh amor divino,
Qué dulce eres conmigo.
Veo la hostia y sé que estás aquí
para amar y cuidar de Mí.

No puedo decir. No hay palabras
Para expresar mi corazón.
Te amo tanto, que apenas puedo respirar
cuando tú vienes a mí.

Oh cómo late tu tierno corazón,
en este día por amor a todos.
Yo quiero darte todo mi amor,
entregarme totalmente.

Refrán

Sé de tu amor ahora un poquito,
tan amado eres para mí.
Ven y dame vida, vida en abundancia,
sedienta estoy de ti.

    Cuando despertemos en la noche, deberíamos pensar en Jesús y que lo vamos a recibir al día siguiente. Anhelamos ir a la Comunión a recibirlo. Amamos tanto a Jesús en la Eucaristía. Un Rey viene a nosotros. El entra a nuestro cuerpo y se une con nuestra alma. El es el Rey del reino del cielo. El es nuestro amor, es el Dios Todopoderoso, es una Persona Divina y viene a nosotros. El quiere que vengamos a él con gran anhelo. Quiere que pensemos en él todo el día. Quiere que anhelemos por él.

Sal. 63:1-8:

Oh Dios, tú eres mi Dios, a ti te busco,
mi alma tiene sed de ti,
en pos de ti mi carne languidece,
cual tierra seca, sedienta, sin agua.
Por eso vine a verte en el santuario,
para admirar tu gloria y tu poder.

Pues tu amor es mejor que la vida,
mis labios tu gloria cantarán.
Quiero bendecirte mientras viva,
y con las manos en alto invocar tu Nombre.
Mi alma está repleta, saciada y blanda,
y te alaba mi boca con labios jubilosos.

Cuando estoy en mi cama pienso en ti,
y durante la noche en ti medito,
pues tú fuiste un refugio para mí
y salto de gozo a la sombra de tus alas.
Mi alma se estrecha a ti con fuerte abrazo
y tu diestra me toma de la mano.

    En la Misa, el sacerdote dice en el ofertorio: "Por el misterio del agua y el vino, vengamos a compartir en la Divinidad de Cristo, quién se humilló para compartir de nuestra humanidad." Jesús se entrega a nosotros, comparte su Divinidad con nosotros. Somos criaturas humanas y él se comparte con nosotros. Mi corazón arde cuando el sacerdote pone la gota de agua en el vino. Esto es verdaderamente un gran misterio, el que Dios permanezca con nosotros hoy en día, verdaderamente presente en su Divinidad y humanidad en la Santa Eucaristía, que se entrega a nosotros en la Comunión y que espera en el sagrario a que vayamos a estar con él. El quiere derramarnos su amor divino y su vida divina.

    Deberíamos desmayarnos por nuestro amado, el Todopoderoso, Dios Divino, sin embargo vamos a él con corazones tan fríos. El quiere nuestro amor ardiente.

Canto: "Te amo Jesús:"

Oh Corazón ardiente, oh amor divino,
Qué dulce eres conmigo.
Veo la hostia y sé que estás aquí
para amar y cuidar de Mí.

No puedo decir. No hay palabras
Para expresar mi corazón.
Te amo tanto, que apenas puedo respirar
cuando tú vienes a mí.

Oh cómo late tu tierno corazón,
en este día por amor a todos.
Yo quiero darte todo mi amor,
entregarme totalmente.

Refrán

Sé de tu amor ahora un poquito,
tan amado eres para mí.
Ven y dame vida, vida en abundancia,
sedienta estoy de ti.

   

January 9, 2006 message continues

Messenger:   Did you ever see the TV with tubes?
                        Tubes would be lighted.
                        Some would get hot.

                    God wants oneness.

                    When a tube would go out
                        it could shut the whole TV off.

                    Obedience to your superiors in
                        organizations is vital.

                    If one constantly defies authority
                        they can weaken the structure
                        of the organization.

                    In talking to a priest — "where is the
                        obedience to the superior?"

                    If an organization is to become an
                        order it must be rooted in
                        these principles.

                    Obedience is important in an
                        organization.

 

 

From Mass Book II

ABOUT HIS PASSION

    God loves us so much, we do not fully comprehend how He suffered for the sins of pride and hardness in the hearts of men.

    Jesus was beaten for our sins, crowned with thorns for our lack of love and for the hatred in our hearts.

    Jesus paid the price for our sins and His Heart hurt so much because of His most perfect love. We are responsible for hurting Jesus in the passion when we are haughty and prideful and do not tell the truth and do not forgive.

end excerpt August 17, 2000 message (from October 10, 2000 Daily Message)

 

---

 

~ Newsletter 1998 Issue 5 ~

 

Mother at Our Side I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; this is because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. (Jn 10:11-151) Yes, the Good Shepherd has laid down His life for us. As He was near death, an awesome episode in the work of redemption took place: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, "Woman, this is your son". Then to the disciple he said, "This is your mother." And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home." (Jn 19:25-27).

    Speaking of Mary, Vatican II tells us: "In an utterly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace." ²

    Mary is the Mother of Jesus. She is also our Mother. The above words of Scripture and of the Second Vatican Council attest to this.

    Yes, Jesus has given us Mary as our spiritual Mother. As He hung on the cross, Jesus told John to look upon Mary as his Mother, this John who represented all of us. In His moment of deepest anguish and suffering, Jesus was thinking of us. As the undescribable physical pain racked His body from head to toe, as the unfathomable spiritual anguish penetrated to the depths of His magnificent Heart, Jesus was thinking of us. If we allow this scene to penetrate into our hearts, if we take the time to contemplate the depth of Jesus' and Mary's love for us as their Hearts were pierced with grief, we are truly overwhelmed with the magnificent greatness, sorrow, and tenderness of the scene.

    The fact that Mary is our Mother, the fact that she has such a powerful role to play in our salvation in no way detracts from the mediatorship of Christ. Vatican II states: "The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. For all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin on men originate, not from some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure. They flow forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rest on His mediation, depend entirely on it, and draw all their power from it. In no way do they impede the immediate union of the faithful with Christ. Rather, they foster this union." ³

    In her loving, maternal role, Mary cooperates with the Holy Spirit in forming Christ in us. Pope John Paul II tells us: "The Church knows that 'all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin on mankind originate... from the divine pleasure...' This saving influence is sustained by the Holy Spirit, Who, just as He overshadowed the Virgin Mary when he began in her the divine motherhood, in a similar way constantly sustains her solicitude for the brothers and sisters of her Son." ⁴

    Mary, our Mother is ever with us, guiding us, teaching us, caring for us, protecting us, loving us. With her maternal assistance we go to the Father through and with Christ in the Holy Spirit.

    Mary nourishes our growth in Christ with a very tender and specialized love for each of us. She regards each of us as a precious, unique individual. John Paul II again speaks to us: "Of the essence of motherhood is the fact that it concerns the person. Motherhood always establishes a unique and unrepeatable relationship between two people: between mother and child and between child and mother. Even when the same woman is the mother of many children, her personal relationship with each one of them is of the very essence of motherhood. For each child is generated in a unique and unrepeatable way, and this is true both for the mother and for the child." ⁵

    The Holy Father then applies these ideas to Mary and us: "It can be said that motherhood 'in the order of grace' preserves the analogy with what 'in the order of nature' characterizes the union between mother and child. In the light of this fact it becomes easier to understand why in Christ's testament on Golgotha His Mother's new motherhood is expressed in the singular, in reference to one man." ⁶

    This is the awesome and consoling truth-you and I are very precious to Mary. She shows us her Heart as a symbol of her life of love, including her most special, unique love for each of us individually. Yes, she loves each of us much more than we can ever fathom. It is our great privilege and responsibility to love her in return. She asks for this love, she asks for our trust, she asks us to come to her maternal and Immaculate Heart, so that she can lead us ever closer to the Heart of her Son, Jesus.

    Are we sorrowful, anxious, troubled? Let us go to Mary our Mother and ask her to console us. Let us ask her for the grace to handle our sorrow, our anxieties, our troubles properly-according to God's will. In this way our suffering will bring us closer to Christ as it simultaneously allows us to contribute to the ongoing Christianization of the world.

    Are we especially joyful, happy, basking in the glow of a goal successfully accomplished? Let us go to Mary and ask her to help us handle our joy, our happiness, our success as God intends. Let us petition her not to allow our joy to make us forgetful of God, our God Who is the source of all true joy, success and happiness.

    Yes, Mary invites us to come to her in all circumstances-whether it be in joy or sorrow, success or failure, laughter or tears. Mary wants us to share in her maternal wisdom so that we may understand how to use our various experiences to come closer to God in Christ. Sharing our lives with Mary in this fashion, and on a consistent basis, requires that we love her, that we trust her, that we surrender ourselves to her maternal love.

    Help us, Mother Mary, to probe ever more deeply into the depths of your love for us. Help us to realize more and more that to be loved by you is to experience a sweetness, a warmth, a tenderness, a serenity, a security, which makes us cry out, "O Mother, how good and loving you are!"

---

NOTES:

1. Scriptural quotations are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday & Co. 
2. The Documents of Vatican II, "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church", America Press edition, no. 61 
3. Ibid., No. 45. 
4. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, The Mother of the Redeemer, United States Catholic Conference, No. 38. 
5. Ibid., No. 45. 
6. Ibid., No. 45. 
 

end excerpt from Newsletter - 1998 Issue 5 (from October 10, 2000 Daily Message)

end of excerpt from Mass Book II

     

  

From October 23, 1998

Jesus speaks: My dear chosen one,
It is not what you experience and feel that determines the grace that is released from a heartfelt prayer. It is the disposition of the heart. It is your desire to love your God with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole being. You will have to fight all attempts of Satan to block your heartfelt prayer. I have allowed you to experience ecstasies to help to record insights into the mysteries of My divine love.

My people, you must focus on your intention to love God with your whole heart, whole soul and whole being. Love is most dynamic, but many times it is so gentle and quiet as the peaceful breeze washing your tender face with love and care. Love can be experienced in the deepest sufferings as when one through anguishing pain watches a loved one slowly deteriorate with life threatening cancer. Love is in the heart, it is not selfish, seeking selfish gain. This love truly is the love the Father wishes you to have. It is the love that is patient with the teenage son, and the love that gives in a marriage which is one-sided. One loves because it is God's will. It is the love that embraces the wailing widow as she cries for relief and you stoop to hear her cries. Love is giving in this Shepherds of Christ Movement tirelessly, morning and night. Some spend hours when no one even knows, praying and talking to others to see that My wishes are done. Love is giving God your feet to wash in obedience when you think it should not be. Love is loving, it is not selfish and demanding, it is giving in service willingly according to the will of God. For what will it matter if you do all these deeds and have a bitter heart? You will miss your greatest reward in that bitterness. God wants conformity to His will in love. Love is being patient when you are tired and hungry and feel like screaming, but instead you pray and try to be as God wishes. To My death on the cross, I was in perfect peace. I am your beloved Savior, the Prince of Peace. My Mother is Queen of Peace. You will experience suffering. Being loving even during suffering helps to release great grace. You must ask to be spread with the Blood of Jesus and cast the devil far from you. You must realize I allow you to suffer. In the Mass you may experience great suffering, wishing to experience great gifts. I give as I see fit. Even when you do not experience special gifts, your suffering helps release great graces if you stay focused on Me and intercede through Mary's Immaculate Heart. When praying, you cannot judge the graces given by your experiences alone. Great graces are released when you must struggle to concentrate on the Mass and on what you are begging the Father to grant you. You must try to maintain a level, peaceful, attitude and ask for grace, tremendous grace, even when you do not feel that you are receiving it. Do not focus on yourselves and all that you want and all you do not have. Focus on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass when attending Mass even when it is most difficult. Intercede with the priest and all the faithful to the Father. Fight the temptation to be divided with any man. You cannot be divided with men, dead or alive. This will harm your union with Me. Intercede as never before.

1) Pray and know that soon the priestly newsletter will go to the far ends of the earth. Have faith, it is My instrument.

2) Do all you can to tell all about the daily messages on the Internet. I wish all Shepherds of Christ people to try to find an access to these messages so that they can live by them. We need your support in the Shepherds of Christ Movement. You must stay connected through prayers and these messages.

3) Pray for the success of the 6:30 p.m. prayer services in China, Indiana; Florida; and Morrow. They will be simple prayer services with a) the Shepherds of Christ Prayers from the prayer manual, b) the rosary from Rosary Book and Children's Rosary Book. This service will be short, c) the daily message will be read. Please publicize the daily messages and circulate in any way possible.

You can immensely help to bring about the Reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of Mary's Heart. Help the Shepherds of Christ accomplish all I and My Mother have asked you to do. Immensely help with the priestly newsletter and the chapters and pray yourselves. Help to begin prayer chapters in churches, schools, and families. Tell the priests about the newsletter. Help to begin prayer chapters in nursing homes and prisons. My beloved America, your Mother appears on the building in Florida and you have ignored her. You must pray. Please help Me My beloved earth. I am the Good Shepherd, help Me to shepherd the flock home to My Heart. They will hear My voice through consecration, and they will follow Me. Help Me to complete the mission My Mother began at Fatima.

Please, America, you must pray for the renewal of the Church and the world. You must pray for peace.

Do you want peace? Then you must harken to Me and pray as I have requested. Peace will be yours if you obey the Queen of Peace and listen to the words of the Prince of Peace. All you do will help make the difference. Help, HELP ME, PRAY FOR YOUR EARTH.

I address America because so many there have ignored Me. This has prevented My Movement from spreading more quickly to the world. Other countries have responded when they have been reached. I wish to reach the far ends of the earth and have the whole world praying. My Mother has asked all to gather as a body at 6:30 p.m. Florida time and pray the prayers in the Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual, the rosary and ask for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Please My beloved earth, I address you, I ask all in America to help Me to spread this to the earth and tell them about the Lady in Florida.

Please circulate all daily messages all over the world to all. Please tell the priests We are a Movement praying for priests and circulating the priestly newsletter. Please help Us reach the priests with the priestly newsletter. Please pray with Us for the priests and the renewal of the Church and the world.

I love you,
Jesus

end of October 23, 1998

 

 

Excerpt from Response in Christ by Edward J. Carter, S.J.

5. Obedience

Obedience disposes the Christian to relate properly to authority. In turn, all authority has been established by God. Concerning civil authority, St. Paul comments: "You must all obey the governing authorities. Since all government comes from God, the civil authorities were appointed by God, and so anyone who resists authority is rebelling against God's decision, and such an act is bound to be punished." (Rm 13:1-2). If God has established authority in civil society, He also, obviously, has established authority within the Church. In the words of Vatican II: "Therefore, the sacred council teaches that bishops by divine institution have succeeded to the place of the apostles, as shepherds of the Church, and that he who hears them, hears Christ, and he who rejects them, rejects Christ and him who sent Christ (Cf. Lk 10-16)."⁵  This authority of bishops is shared by others in the Church, such as pastors and religious superiors.

In our second chapter we have already treated to some extent authority and obedience within the Church. It is a question here of continuing that discussion.

Authority in the Church is aimed at building up the Body of Christ. It is concerned with developing the Christ-life within the members of the People of God. It is concerned with making the Church a more authentic continuation of the redemptive Incarnation. To do this properly, authority must realize its service role. The People of God do not exist for the sake of authority, but rather authority exists for the People of God. The People of God, in obedience to authority, are aided in their growth in Christ; for authority is meant to help channel the will of God and aid in its implementation. God has indeed chosen to manifest His will partly through Church authority. In this He respects man's nature. Man has a social dimension and therefore is meant to live in community. Life in community, in turn, demands authority.... 

Actually, authority is at the service of the freedom possessed by the members of the People of God.⁶ Christ has come to perfect our freedom. He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us to the fullness of freedom through the exercise of our Christ-like. We are meant to become more free the more we open ourselves up to God's self-communication in Christ. The more we choose God in Christ the freer we become, for we were created free in order to choose God and His will in all its various dimensions of our lives.

5. Constitution on the Church, No. 20.
                6. Cf. J. Sekora, Calling: A Reappraisal of Religious Life (New York: Herder & Herder, 1968), pp. 70-71.

 

 

 

Retreat

  

From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, 
    by Louis J. Puhl, S.J.  p. 25

46. PRAYER.  In the preparatory prayer I will beg God
our Lord for grace that all my intentions, actions, 
and operations may be directed purely to the 
praise and service of His Divine Majesty.

p. 11

21.                     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

  

        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. 

                                Meditate for 30 minute

   

                        January 10th

                        Meditate for 30 minutes before 9:00am
                        First Exercise #45-54  pp. 25-28

                       

 

 

Call Morrow 

Shepherds of Christ
P O Box 193
Morrow, OH  45152
1-888-211-3041
info@sofc.org

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