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.

October 11, 2003

October 12th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 8 Period II.
The Novena Rosary Mysteries for October 12th are the Sorrowful.

                                   

Call to apostles, servants, and handmaids
will be in China on the 13th of October
beginning at 12:00 noon China time.
Adoration will begin on Saturday
and end on the 14th.

               
       

A Prayer for Intimacy with the Lamb
the Bridegroom of the soul

    Oh Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, come and act on my soul most intimately. I surrender myself, as I ask for the grace to let go, to just be as I exist in You and You act most intimately on my soul. You are the Initiator. I am the soul waiting Your favors as You act in me. I love You. I adore You. I worship You. Come and possess my soul with Your Divine Grace, as I experience You most intimately.

        
  

October 12, 2003

Matthew 11: 28

‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.

    

God the Father speaks:

                                              I write to you on this day before the
                                                   86 anniversary of the last apparition
                                                   of October 13, 1917.

    

Excerpt from the Spirituality of Fatima

by Father Edward Carter, S.J.
 

October 13, 1917

    On October 13, 1917, there were more than 70,000 people gathered in the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal. They had come to observe a miracle which had been foretold by the Blessed Virgin to three young visionaries: Lucia dos Santos, and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. (1) Shortly after noon, Our Lady appeared to the three visionaries:

    As the Lady was about to leave, she pointed to the sun. Lucy excitedly repeated the gesture, and the people looked into the sky. The rain had ceased, the clouds parted, and the sun shone forth, but not in its usual brilliance. Instead, it appeared like a silver disc, pale as the moon, at which all could gaze without straining their eyes. Suddenly, impelled by some mysterious force, the disc began to whirl in the sky, casting off great shafts of multicolored light. Red, green, blue, yellow, violet—the enormous rays shot across the sky at all angles, lighting up the entire countryside for many miles around, but particularly the upturned faces of those 70,000 spellbound people.

    After a few moments the wonder stopped, but resumed again a second and a third time—three times in all—within about 12 minutes. It seemed that the whole world was on fire, with the sun spinning at a greater speed each time.

    Then a gasp of terror rose from the crowd, for the sun seemed to tear itself from the heavens and come crashing down upon the horrified multitude.... Just when it seemed that the ball of fire would fall upon and destroy them, the miracle ceased, and the sun resumed its normal place in the sky, shining forth as peacefully as ever.

    When the people arose from the ground, cries of astonishment were heard on all sides. Their clothes, which had been soaking wet and muddy, now were clean and dry. Many of the sick and crippled had been cured of their afflictions. (2)


NOTE:

2. For background material on Fatima, I am particularly indebted to 
        Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven
(Rockford: 
        TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983). pp.7-8.
  

end of excerpts from The Spirituality of Fatima and Medjugorje

 

  

Excerpt from the Spirituality of Fatima

by Father Edward Carter, S.J. 

            October 13, 1917

                In her message that day, Our Blessed Mother told the children:

    I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day.(17)


NOTE:

17. For background material on Fatima, I am particularly indebted to 
    Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven
(Rockford: TAN 
    Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983). p.7.

end of excerpts from The Spirituality of Fatima

       

October 12, 2003 message continues

God the Father speaks:

                                       So many years later and you still are not
                                           praying the rosary.

                                        Do you want peace in the world?

                                        Your Mother Mary tells you to pray the
                                             rosary and meditate on the life
                                             of Jesus and Mary.

                                         Christ must be the center of your life.

                                          Oh My People, My children, I have
                                          sent My Son Jesus into the world.

                                          Jesus is the Light of the World.

                                           Mary is the Queen of peace -

                                           Oh My children - that you would
                                               come to Me as a little child -

                                           I love you so much -

                                           You are receiving tremendous grace for
                                              your faithfulness and love given
                                              in serving your God.

                                           I am the Alpha and the Omega.

                                           I am your God.

                                           I am your all.

                                           Oh little children - you are so focused
                                              on the details of this life and I
                                               am God, I am Almighty. You lack
                                               trust in God.

    

   

   

October 12, 2003 message continues

God the Father speaks:

                                        You do not come, many times, with an open
                                            heart.

                                           Oh My People, love God with your whole
                                               heart, your whole soul and your whole
                                               being.

Jesus speaks:     Oh My precious spouse, I love you so much,
                                I love you to promote My Kingdom, I
                                love your faithfulness to Me and to My
                                Movement Shepherds of Christ.

                            I have given you a garden to plant fruit
                                for the Kingdom.

                            I have sent the New Eve to you, she appears
                                  behind the tree.

                            They hung Me, the Son of God on a tree.

                            They whipped Me, persecuted Me, they
                            watched Me bleed.

                             My Blood fell to the ground in the garden.
                             Now I give you a garden in Florida.

                              The New Adam and the New Eve appear
                                  so the children will come and here the
                                  words I speak in these messages and
                                  pray the prayers I have given for the
                                  renewal of the Church and the world.

                             Oh gardens of the earth, how dry you have
                                  become, you have allowed the winds to
                                  blow your seeds and the sun to scorch
                                  the new shoots, when I sent rain, it
                                  beat some little shoots growth down because
                                  you had not planted it thoughtfully -
                                  you rush in your busy world and I
                                  say slow - slower - God wants a
                                  love affair with His creatures.

                              What is the message of My Blue Books -

                                    I love you -

                                    Come and sit a while with Me -
                                    write love letters to Me - be truthful -
                                          not letters of hate about your fellow
                                          men how they are mean and you are
                                          right and then you go away ready to
                                          act hatefully -

                                Oh My people, I am God, I want to be loved

                                      I want you to love one another -

                                      I made a house and some came to
                                          make it a home -

                                      I made a house and some came with
                                          sharp tongues to destroy -

                                      Why would I invite you with the
                                          the sharp tongue to My house again.

                                       My Movement is not your spouse,
                                           My workers are not your husbands.

                                      You look for love in so many wrong places,
                                          you want doting mates -

                                          Do you come to My Movement to serve?

                                          Do you come with a bag of wounded
                                              relationships and one more time
                                              press on well meaning people to
                                              make you feel better.

                                      One man comes to serve, his strength is from
                                              Me. He is there to promote the Kingdom.

                                       Another one comes to weep, to look for the
                                              love they feel they missed all
                                              their life. When they don't get it
                                              they blame people around them for
                                              the deep seated hurt inside in all
                                              their failed relationships.

                                  I have called servants and handmaids
                                              and apostles to SERVE MY MOVEMENT.

                                  Never before in the history of the world have
                                              I given such gifts to My People.

                                  I have written to you, sung songs of love
                                              through My messenger, wooed you,
                                              kissed your little heart and some
                                              whine like babies wanting a bottle.
                                              Big men and woman can come from
                                              the strength of My love and serve -

                                  The devil wants you to waste time, Focus
                                              on yourselves.

                                  You work for Me.

                                  I am your husband.

                                  I have called you.

                                  My precious souls are bleeding.

                                 I have given you the image in Florida
                                         and asked My servants and handmaids
                                          and apostles to spread My message there.

                                 One Blue Book writing changed your life.

                                 Be there in your heart, thinking about
                                          serving the people as I asked, some
                                          never quit thinking of themselves and
                                          do not reach the people because
                                          of this.

                                 I have given this apparition to spread
                                          this message.

     

Shepherds of Christ
Ministries

bride-groom.jpg (16414 bytes)

onlinelogo.jpg (2649 bytes)

For Helping in the Renewal of the
Church and the World
   

WE PRAY FOR PRIESTS, THE RENEWAL OF
THE CHURCH, AND THE WORLD.

We join as a body united to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offering our lives to the Father as intercessors praying for our priests, the Church, and the world.
   

WILL YOU PRAY WITH US?

Your prayers united to ours will help the priests,
the Church, and the world.
  

Our Focus

WE HAVE PRAYER CHAPTERS PRAYING ALL OVER THE WORLD for the priests, the Church, and the world.

OUR PRIMARY FOCUS is the circulation of a newsletter.

WE CIRCULATE A SPIRITUALITY NEWSLETTER written by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J., a Jesuit Theologian with a Doctor's degree in Theology and author of 17 books, to about 75,000 priests in the world in both English and Spanish. Father Carter has been a professor of Theology for over 30 years.

Besides being sent to about 75,000 priests and bishops in the U.S.A., the newsletter is sent internationally to about 225 bishops, including 4 cardinals, who distribute copies to all of their priests, and also, in some cases, to their deacons and seminarians.

The newsletter is centered in consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It features writings regarding our union with Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit and Mary. The newsletter also stresses the Eucharist, the Church, prayer, and one's responsibility regarding the social order. The newsletter stresses sound doctrine as found in Scripture, the writings of the Popes and other Church documents. It also presents selected writings from the saints and competent priest-theologians and others.

The newsletter can be used by all for development in the spiritual life centered in consecration.

 

About Shepherds of Christ Ministries

MINISTRIES

  1. PRIMARY MINISTRY - CIRCULATING PRIESTLY NEWSLETTERS TO PRIESTS ALL OVER THE WORLD IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH to promote priestly holiness.
  2. PRAYER CHAPTERS praying for the priests and the renewal of the Church and the world.
  3. School Rosary Program and Junior Shepherds of Christ Ministry.
  4. Nursing Home Ministry.
  5. Special retreats and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
  6. Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
  7. Promoting the rosary to all, rosary meditations.
  8. Prison Ministry to promote prayer and spiritual renewal.
  9. Handmaids and Servants of the Good Shepherd.
  10. Audio/Video Departments (priestly newsletters on tape).
  11. Prayer books, newsletters, newsletter books, and other spiritual aids.

WE WANT TO BE INTERCESSORS PROMOTING UNITY IN PRAYER WITH ALL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, PRAYING FOR THE PRIESTS, THE CHURCH, AND THE WORLD.

   We have described above the primary ministry of the Movement, the spirituality newsletter for priests, Shepherds of Christ. The 2nd most important ministry is the prayer chapters, whose members pray for the needs of priests and for the needs of all others also. Other ministries include promoting the act of consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary as widely as possible. Promoting this act of consecration permeates all of our ministries. We also promote the praying of the rosary, and we have a special program regarding the rosary and the act of consecration for school children. We have programs for prisons and nursing homes to encourage the residents to pray for priests, the Church, and the world. We also publish various books, cassette tapes, and other materials to help in the ongoing work of spiritual renewal.

   The mission of the Shepherds of Christ Movement is closely connected to Our Lady of Fatima's mission. We hope to play a major role in helping to bring fulfillment of the Peace Plan of Our Lady of Fatima. This plan includes:

  1. Consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary—until a sufficient number of people make and live the consecration, we will not have peace in the world.

  2. Praying the rosary.

  3. Observing the First Saturday Devotion.

  4. Making reparation to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

   In helping to bring the Fatima message to completion, the Shepherds of Christ Movement is helping to bring about the Reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. This is a great privilege and a great responsibility! We ask for your prayers and help in other ways also. May God bless you abundantly!
  


  
LEVELS OF COMMITMENT

There are seven levels of commitment in the Shepherds of Christ Movement.

  1. There are Associates who gather and pray at least once monthly as a group and also help with donations to support the Shepherds of Christ priestly newsletter. They can be tremendously involved. They give as they feel they are able.

  2. Apostles are members who have restricted their apostolic activity to the Shepherds of Christ. They literally act as a body of lay people who have given their lives in their present living situation to do all that they can to bring about the Reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart.

  3. Prayer Apostles are often shut-ins, some are able to go to church and pray. They spend much of their lives praying for the Movement.

  4. Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus are those who spend at least two separate hours weekly before the Blessed Sacrament praying for the following:

  1. For the spread of the devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary culminating in the reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart.

  2. For the Pope.

  3. For all bishops of the world.

  4. For all priests.

  5. For all sisters and brothers in the religious life.

  6. For all members of the Shepherds of Christ Movement, and for the spread of this Movement to the world.

  7. For all members of the Catholic Church.

  8. For all members of the human family.

  9. For all souls in purgatory.

  1. Handmaids of the Good Shepherd are young and older women who have given their lives in community primarily to pray for the Shepherds of Christ Movement and intentions and to be special spouses of Jesus. Some have more duties than others. All have the primary duty of prayer and the desire to be a special spouse of our Lord. One of the functions of the handmaids is the involvement in praying for and helping to circulate the priestly newsletter. The handmaids are not members of a religious order.
      
      
      

  2. Servants of the Good Shepherd are men who live in community with a lifestyle and purpose similar to that of the handmaids. The servants are not members of a religious order.
      
     
      

  3. We wish to form a special congregation of priests who will realize their great oneness with Christ. They will be consecrated deeply to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and support the Shepherds of Christ Movement as holy priests.

   Whatever one's level of commitment in the Shepherds of Christ Movement, all share in promoting the overall goal of the Movement. This goal is to help in the spiritual renewal of the Church and the world. All varied ministries of the Movement are directed toward this purpose. The spirituality which the Shepherds of Christ Movement presents to its members and to those outside the Movement through its various ministries is very basic. This spirituality is explicitly Trinitarian and Christocentric. Our spirituality helps others, especially priests, to develop a very deep union with Jesus, this Jesus Who leads us to the Father in the Holy Spirit with Mary at our side. Our spirituality is deeply Eucharistic. We stress very much participation in the Mass and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We also emphasize the extremely important role of prayer in the spiritual life. Devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, especially consecration to Their Hearts, is also a most important and central element. We are very much interested in helping to bring the Fatima message to completion, a message which has consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary at its very core.

    

      

Father Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Father Edward Carter, S.J. was a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate of St. Xavier High School and Xavier University, both in Cincinnati, he was ordained a priest in 1962 and received his doctorate in theology from Catholic University of America four years later. He was a professor of theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati for over 30 years. He has authored 17 books in the area of Catholic spirituality. His two latest books are the priestly newsletter books, which include the newsletters from almost six years. He is devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

   

Be Part Of It!

PLEASE HELP US THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS UNITED TO OURS.

PRIESTS PRAYING WITH US WILL INCREASE THE PRAYER POWER; THEY ARE ANOINTED BY CHRIST AS HOLY PRIESTS.

PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD offering up their lives in the Morning Offering for the priests, the Church, the world, and for the work of the Shepherds of Christ will help so much.

LITTLE PRAYER BOOKS OF SHORT PRAYERS CALLED THE SHEPHERDS OF CHRIST PRAYER MANUAL ARE AVAILABLE. Praying these short prayers together with us as a body united to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being celebrated around the world can help great grace be released on the souls of the earth.

PLEASE UNITE WITH US.

        

October 12, 2003 message continues

Jesus speaks:         I send people to the site in Florida, and
                                      to the phones, e-mail, mail etc., to you, to tell them
                                      these words - oh some are tired
                                      and so self focused.

                                 I set up My Movement.

                                 I called you to be My special spouse.

                                 I called you to help Me.

                                  How many days go by when your main focus
                                      is yourself and you treat My work
                                          as a job in the workplace -
                                              you are not there  in
                                              your heart to serve the people.

                                  The building is there for this purpose to
                                        help renew the Church and the world.

                                  I have given these wallets to lead people
                                      to the web site and these writings.

                                      I want a personal, spousal relationship
                                          with My People.

                                  You can see the live image by camera
                                          on the home page.

                                  Be an apostle -
                                          spread the work to those you think
                                          are open - do it diligently with
                                          thought of why I called you -
                                          some never quit thinking of themselves
                                          like crying babies and the devil works
                                          in this.

                                  Please listen to the words of your Mother
                                          Mary who has appeared there for
                                          almost 7 years.

     

Mary's Message
from the Rosary of August 27, 1996

Mary speaks:  I stood beneath the cross of my Son, and my Heart was in such pain for I saw Him before my eyes. I saw Him covered with blood. I saw Him die. My Heart, my children, my Heart to watch my Son, but my Heart, my Heart, how I suffered for my little children of the world that give in to this world and give up the love of my Son. O my little children of light, I give you this message. Carry this light into the darkness for your Mother Mary, for I stood beneath the cross and I cried. I cried for the little ones. I cried for the young ones, the ones that do not care and will lose their souls. How do I make you see for you will not listen to me? What can I do? I come. I appear. I beg. I plead. I give you these gifts from my Son, and you reject me. I do not deliver messages very often anymore for I have been ignored. The message is the same. You do not read the messages I have given to you. Please help me. Help the little children. I appear. I appear. I appear, and I am ignored. I stood beneath the cross, and I cried. I cried, and my Heart was in such anguish for my little children, for I am searching for them this day as I searched for the Child Jesus. Please, please help me. I cannot hold back the hand of my Son any longer. I am Mary, your Mother. I ask you to help my children. You are my children of light.

end of Mary's Message, August 27, 1996  

   

October 12, 2003 message continues

Jesus speaks:         It is truly -- what is in your heart --

                                What tapes do you play in your head all day --

                               

#1      I want to reach the souls --

          God has given me a special mission

          God is my strength --

          The Virgin Mary appears on this building.

          God wants people to know how much He loves them.

          God has called me.

                               

#2   The devil works like this

          I am tired --

          I had to do too much

          She did that to me --

          People are talking negatively about me

          I don't look good

                                 How much enthusiasm do you think

                                          #2 will conjure up when a pilgrim

                                          comes to find out why Mary

                                          appears on the building.

                                The devil is blocking My work and you

                                cry for money and you don't see

                                your own lack of heart-felt commitment -

                                Your energy wasted while satan tries to beat-you-up

                                in your mind - and you let him. This is a factor in your problem.

                                Satan does not want the Reign of My Sacred

                                          Heart on this earth.

                                You are My Apostles of My Sacred Heart to

                                          help bring this about.

                                He attacks your minds, your attitudes,

                                          your heart and - your weak commitment

                                          in being a real servant is because

                                          of where you are in real service.

                                Fr. Carter wrote in his book about two people

                                          who marry and when asked why they

                                          said "I want to be loved" rather

                                          than giving love, they wanted love.

                                          Then Fr. Carter said, do you see this

                                          as a factor to why there are so

                                          many divorces?

                                Servants and handmaids are married to Me in

                                          a special way. They are helping to spread

                                          the devotion to My Heart and My Mother's

                                          Heart. We are hearts of love.

                                Many are mean to the people they live with.

                                Many come to get love and not give love like

                                          Fr. Carter talks of the married couples

                                          and to work out their games, pouting

                                          games, victim games, power games --

                                          all your energy is going to this, this is

                                          why you are tired ----

                                Be faithful to your calling --

                                I am God and I called you to this mission --

                                          Praise God --

                                          Show love to God and one another

                                                   when you love one another

                                                   you are showing love to God.

                                My Movement is not a dumping ground for

                                          people with failed relationships to

                                          come and work out their pain

                                          negatively on others.

                                My Movement is a special Movement in

                                          this world --

                                A Movement where people live a special

                                          spousal union with God and come

                                          to spread that light to the world --

                                          they come in strength -- go to Daily

                                          Mass, daily adoration, praying

                                          the Shepherds of Christ Prayers Daily --

                                          It is a Movement of love and

                                                   service.

                                          It is a army of strong soldiers

                                                   of My Sacred Heart.

                                          The commitment is in your heart.

                                          Do you see Me hanging on the cross --

                                I died for My precious souls.

                                Many are going to go to hell forever.

                                Many do not know of My love.

                                I have called you the special servants

                                          of My Sacred Heart to spread this

                                          devotion to My Heart and the Heart of

                                          My Mother Mary.

                                I have called you to be positive.

                                It is an act of the will.

                                It is praying for grace to let go of old

                                          negative habits, satan has worked

                                          on you to develop and you gave

                                          in and some give into every day.

                                There was a beautiful woman who loved the

                                          movement. She knew her time
      
                                    drew near. She said she would
      
                                    help you after her death.

                                She loved all of you and wanted the

                                          Movement to be pure.

                                She gave herself in many, many ways,

                                          over and over again.

                                Today she still is helping you.

                                Her name is Margaret Mary.

                                Her birthday is October 17.

   

  

  

    

  

   

   

When Margaret Mary went to China

  

October 12, 2003 message continues

Jesus speaks:         The Feast of St. Margaret Mary is October 16.

    

Promises of Our Lord to those devoted to His Sacred Heart

(1) I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
(2) I will establish peace in their homes.
(3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
(4) I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.
(5) I will bestow a large blessing on all their undertakings.
(6) Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
(7) Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
(8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
(9) I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored.
(10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
(11) Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
(12) I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the first Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

   

October 12, 2003 message continues

Jesus speaks:    I am telling you. You could accomplish

          tremendous feats with My grace if

          you quit giving into satan who wants

          you to be negative and tired.

The Virgin Mary appears in Florida to deliver

          this message.

You are the ones I have asked to deliver

          this message.

If you don't do it, it won't get done.

Do you know how cancer attacks the body.

The devil can work on people 24 hours a

          day to be bowed down, controlling,

          self-focused, have a "poor-me" attitude.

Or the person can pray especially to the

          Holy Spirit to be lifted up, joyful,

          thankful, loving to those around them.

It is an act of the will.

You choose what comes out of your mouth.

You have the attitude you do --

You are in charge of it --

I know unfaithfulness --

Why would a Jesuit enter the Jesuits and act

          hatefully to the community?

They study many years to be a priest.

Listen to Fr. Carter speak in his

          message February 1, 1998

   

Talk by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
given to the Apostles in the 
Shepherds of Christ Movement
   

February 1, 1998
   

    Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen all of you at once in the same place. It’s a tremendous treat for me. So praise be the Lord. Let’s start with the Holy Spirit Prayer.

    Come, Holy Spirit, almighty Sanctifier, God of love, who filled the Virgin Mary with grace, who wonderfully changed the hearts of the apostles, who endowed all Your martyrs with miraculous courage, come and sanctify us. Enlighten our minds, strengthen our wills, purify our consciences, rectify our judgment, set our hearts on fire, and preserve us from the misfortunes of resisting Your inspirations. Amen.

    ...So after I talk here I will have to depart and leave the praying to you at this place. I’ll be praying with you as I drive away...  

    ...I’m spending much more time on the newsletter now. Our Lord had been calling me to do that for months but it was when I was fully active it was very, very hard to get the time to really spread it around the world like He wanted to, although we had been working with the English edition trying to get that in more and more countries. We are in about eighty or more countries with the English edition... 

    And in cases where it needs translation, for instance, the Spanish edition we translate that up here, we print it up here and we bulk mail it.

    [Note: He talks about the spread of the Newsletter to priests and bishops in Central, South America in Spanish, Africa, India, French speaking, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia]

    ...It is Our Lord’s wish along with the prayer chapters that this be considered our primary ministry, the Newsletter. So please, please, please, please pray for it’s continued success and expansion. It is so extremely important because as you know, if you can change the heart of one priest, he is in a position to do so, so much good with even thousands of people. And we have received extremely encouraging letters over the years that the newsletters been published from priests, how it’s helped them out on their own spiritual life but in their ministries, giving them homilies and so forth. And from bishops which are highly encouraging commending us on the quality and the worthwhileness of the newsletter.

        

  • Dear Father Carter,

        For years I have received Shepherds of Christ Newsletter; I do not know who put me on your mailing list, but I’m grateful to you both. Since I first began to receive the newsletter I have been assigned as the Director of Formation Advising for the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

        I would like to know if it would be possible to make a bulk order so that our seminarians could benefit from the newsletter as well. I will make sure they are distributed to our seminarians. At present we have about 200 seminarians and student priests on our campus, all eager for good spiritual reading!

        Please let me know if we can make an arrangement for the delivery of the newsletter here at the college.

        Please keep our faculty and seminarians in your prayers.

    Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. J. Mark Williams
Director of Formation Advising
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State

     

[He then talks about funds for the Newsletter.]

    I think I came to speak to you today because I think we’re at a very, very significant point of the Shepherds of Christ Movement as it marches into the new era of which was promised by Our Lady of Fatima. And I think the Movement is basically strong, basically healthy but I think we need a recommitment of ourselves to the Movement precisely because much more is being asked of us. We have three centers to staff not only with people but with materials.

    So as we go on in what Our Lord wants us to do, we just need a deeper commitment to the Movement just like the spiritual life in general. You never stand still on the spiritual journey. I mean spiritual masters have always told us this, you either go back or you go forward.

    And so it is with the Movement, we just don’t stand still. We have to keep on deepening our commitment to the Movement individually and collectively or it’s not going to move forward obviously. So I guess you can say that’s the main reason I thought it was very important that I come here today to speak to you to ask you to renew your commitment to Our Lord in the Movement. And to put some thoughts before (you) which hopefully will help you to renew your commitment.

    I’ll begin by reminding all of us of the great, great privilege it is to have been called to this Movement. I’ve said this before, I say it now even with deeper conviction, I really believe that this will go down in history as one of the great Movements in the history of the Church. And if you reflect upon what we’ve been called to do, I don’t think it’s hard to come to that conclusion. I don’t know of any just taking our ministry to the priests with the newsletter and with the prayer chapters whose primary duty is to pray for the priests as well as the whole human race. But I am unaware of any other Movement in the history of the Church which has tried to reach all priests the world over with the newsletter and the prayer chapters to the extent that we are trying to do so. So just those two ministries in themselves I think point to the greatness of this Movement. Then our many other ministries: the rosaries, the consecration of the schools, the nursing home, prison ministries are all our various publications. So much wonderful literature, rosary in the homes, one of our newest ministries, the couples rosary and the spirituality which comes out of that and we hope to work more and more nationally to strengthen marriage and family life through working with couples as couples.

    So if you look at what we are doing with the tremendous amount of materials which are being distributed from the Florida site and through orders from this site and through other sites.  

    So again I think this is one of the great, great Movements in the history of the Church. And we have to pinch ourselves every once in awhile and nudge ourselves and realize the great calling we have been given to work in this Movement. I think there has been a certain, despite all the great work which is being done, I think there is a certain stagnation which has set in to a certain degree and we have to jolt ourselves out of that and recommit ourselves.

    St. John of the Cross in one of his writings says—of course he is one of the greatest mystical theologians in the history of the Church and in one of his writings he says, “What does it profit you to give God one thing if He wishes for another? Consider what it is God wants and then do it.”

    Let’s read that again together “What does it profit you to give God one thing if He wishes for another? Consider what it is God wants and then do it.”

    [Father Carter is speaking to Servants and Handmaids of the Good Shepherd—]

  

  

    [Apostles who dedicate themselves completely to the Shepherds of Christ Ministries—]

  

   

  

   

    Applying that to our calling to Shepherds of Christ—there’s more work to this Movement than any of us, individually or all put together can ever attend to properly. What I am getting at, if you really feel you’ve been called to this Movement and especially to the apostle's level, I am suggesting to you very fervently and hopefully, persuasively, the Shepherds of Christ Ministries can use all the spare time, all the ministerial time you have to give to the work of the Kingdom. You don’t have to go around looking for other ministries to contribute your time to. You are free to do that, you are free to leave the Movement at any time. We are not forcing anyone to stay, we hope everybody stays but we have had people leave.

    So there should always be that, that sense of freedom if you want to lessen off your commitment or hopefully it would never happen, but if you would chose to leave the commitment, Jesus respects your freewill.

    But looking at it again positively I’m suggesting to you—there is so much work to be done in the Movement. So this first day of February which happened to be the month of the feast of St. Claude de la Columbiere, February the 15th, who has been one of the greatest apostles to the devotion to the Heart of Jesus in the history of the Church, so in a certain sense it’s a type of month of the Sacred Heart because of his feast, so I ask that all of us renew our commitment to the Movement. And again realize the great privilege, that’s one of the first ways to persevere in the Movement and to grow in the Movement, everyday to thank God for the great graces He has given you in the Movement.

    And I ask you just briefly to look back over your lives, now compared to when you joined the Movement. Has not Our Lord through Our Lady drawn you so, so, so much closer to Them. And He in turn has led you so much closer to the Father and the Spirit. The chairman of our theology department, the first departmental meeting when he took over, he said Xavier has been very good to me, now I feel it’s payback time and I think I should serve the University being chair of the Theology department. Being chair of a department, it’s really a pain of any department. But those words stick in my mind, he says now it is payback time. I should payback Xavier for all the good Xavier has done to me. I suggest we keep that in mind in reference to Jesus in His Movement. It’s always payback time. He does not give us graces and gifts in the Movement just for ourselves. Every gift of Jesus has a social dimension, it’s meant not only for my own spiritual growth, but for growth of the Kingdom. And so if we find ourselves becoming somewhat complacent in our gifts received through the Movement and not properly using them at least to the full extent that we could and helping to spread the Movement, helping to spread the Kingdom, then let us resolve here and now to do better.

    Perseverance in the Movement—all vocations, all callings need perseverance. I pray for perseverance as a Jesuit every day of my life. I pray for perseverance. I’m suggesting to all of us that we pray for perseverance in the Movement and not just a status quo type of perseverance, but pray for a perseverance which will allow us to dynamically grow and be greater apostles in the Movement. And we have to take the means to persevere.

    First of all, of course, is Mass and communion, then our visit to the Blessed Sacrament, saying the rosary and listening to at least five minutes a day to a live rosary which Rita receives, praying the hourly prayers without feeling overburdened. If you begin to feel overburdened by the hourly novena just make a 30 second prayer, say Jesus, say the three invocations, “Lord ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, through the intercession of Mary, thy most holy mother I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted” and just say we pray for all needs of the Shepherds of Christ Movement and the other two invocations. You can do that in about 30 seconds. And then at times of course when you have the time and you feel moved bring in the specific intentions. But that hourly prayer has great power to keep our motivation up but it should not on the other hand feel burdensome to you. If it feels burdensome to you for any length of time, just use the short form for quite a while.

    [Note: servants and handmaids and apostles of the Good Shepherd of the Shepherds of Christ Movement go to daily Mass and spend one hour before the tabernacle and pray hourly for the priests, the Church and the world.]

    Reading the Blue Book messages, at least just a few minutes a day, can do wonders to help us persevere in the Movement. Renew your love and commitment to the Movement. Included in that renewed love and commitment I think should be a resolution that we don’t bad mouth the Movement, certainly not to those outside the Movement, certainly not even to those within the Movement. We have problems, we always have had some, we always will, the universal Church has monumental problems. But we have to learn how to handle the problems responsibly. If you have a significant problem please contact John or Rita, talk it over with them, with me if you feel so called. They usually report problems to me. I’m in constant contact with them. Currently I talk to them each day about the Movement, what’s going on, strong points, weak points and so forth. If you have problems with the Movement, don’t spread your problem with the problems to somebody else who starts to think negatively also.

    I mean go to Jesus, of course, first of all, but then bring your problem to somebody who has the authority in the Movement to handle it. That’s very, very important, 'cause our loyalty and love for the Movement, I think are significantly harmed when we don’t take that approach. Obedience in the Movement is going to become more and more important as the Movement grows. Any organization needs a certain structure, a hierarchy of command, obedience to legitimate authority. When John asks you to do something, please try to answer his request. If you can’t, just tell him I can’t do it now. When he directs you to do something, which is stronger than a request, don’t give him a hard time. Jesus wants obedience in the Movement. No Movement can survive or progress without obedience, without a structure of command. John has a terrifically difficult job. Don’t make it more difficult for him by, as I say, giving him a hard time or by never answering his request for help.

    I understand that the level of volunteerism here at the center has gradually slackened off over recent months, and it is very difficult to get people together to do our mailings. We can’t keep depending on just a few people all the time. Here again it’s payback time. I mean everyday is payback time. You can never fully repay Jesus for what He has done for us or what He continues to do for us. Now we have to use Christian prudence in all this, we’ve got family duties; we’ve got other duties that’s God’s will for us. We have to take care of those. But granting all those other calls on our time and our energy, if Jesus has called you to this Movement, He’s called each and every one of you, then He expects you to live up to your commitment. And if it’s always looked upon, if you feel it’s always more of a burden than a privilege, then I think a person has to consider, 'Shall I stay in the Movement?' Jesus loves a cheerful giver. Suffering is involved, is it not? Any following of Christ involves suffering. Any non following of Christ brings suffering, and a greater suffering—those who don’t believe, who don’t have any religious faith or conviction. They end up suffering much more than we who suffer in the following of Christ.

    I would like to read you something that I’ve written on suffering that will appear in the next newsletter—

   

FATHER CARTER'S VOICE WAS VERY SAD
and VERY LOVING.

      

        Excerpt from Priestly Newsletter 1998 Issue 1

Suffering

To follow Jesus entails a willingness to suffer for Him and His cause. The furthering of any worthwhile cause demands a spirit of sacrifice, a willingness to endure a variety of hardships and difficulties. We cannot expect it to be otherwise regarding the cause of Christ. To help further the process of ongoing redemption demands a price.

There is an almost endless variety of pains, sufferings, and difficulties which can arise in following Jesus and promoting His cause. At times seeing few, if any, visible results of our labors, feeling unappreciated, experiencing opposition, sometimes comprehending that we are being hated precisely by some of those whom we are striving to help, at times being laughed at and ridiculed—these are some of the ways we experience the sufferings of an apostle.

The suffering involved in contributing to the process of ongoing redemption is not, however, the complete picture. The happiness resulting from commitment to Christ and His mission far outweighs the hardships. To be aware that one is so intimately loved by Jesus, to experience the satisfaction that one is contributing to a cause that cannot fail, to play a role in helping to bring to others the love and peace of Jesus—all of this makes for a life that has no equal. The committed follower of Christ, experiencing what it means to be closely associated with Jesus, realizes why St. Peter said, Lord,…it is wonderful for us to be here. (Mt. 17:4). 

  

Father Carter's talk continues

    So in God’s plan in the following of Christ, suffering is always meant to lead to greater life here and hereafter, not only greater life for us as we grow in Jesus through the proper handling of suffering, but also greater life in the sense that we become more apt instruments for channeling His life to others, as we are purified by His suffering, so that we may more and more allow Him to live in and through and for us. One of the greatest Apostles of all times of suffering showing us the place of suffering in the Christian dispensation is St. Paul. He brings out this theme of death-resurrection of Jesus and our participation in it in various places in his writing. I think one of the most dramatic of those places is in

   

2 Corinthians 4: 7-11

         The hardships and hopes of the apostolate

But we hold this treasure in pots of earthenware, so that the immensity of the power is God’s and not our own. We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our body. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are continually being handed over to death, for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our mortal flesh.

    

Father Carter's talk continues

    So we suffer with Jesus, so that here below and in eternity, so that we may live more with Him, and that we may become more fit instruments for helping to channel His life to others. We have a particular way of doing that, a magnificent way within the Shepherds of Christ Movement. He hung upon a cross on a hill called Calvary. He had already suffered so much, had He not? He had been brutally scourged at the pillar, crowned with thorns, laughed at, ridiculed, without sleep. He had to carry the heavy cross up the hill, upon reaching the hill He was mercilessly nailed to the cross. He hung there in that agonizing suffering until death came. His side was pierced and from His pierced Heart flowed blood and water, symbols of sacramental life in the Church, Baptism and the Eucharist. And as He hung on that cross nearing death in that brutalized suffering, St. Francis de Sales, who was a Doctor of the Church—a Doctor of the Church means that the Church recognizes not only the great holiness of the person, but the great learning, the great wisdom—in one of his classic works, St. Francis de Sales, his work Treatise on God's Divine Love, he says, “As Jesus hung upon the cross there in that brutal suffering each of us was present to Him. He knew each of us intimately and the perfect one gave His last drop of blood for you and for me.” So if we ever have problems with our motivation in the Movement, I suggest that we come to the foot of the cross and we realize what Jesus has done for me and continues to do. It is payback time. St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, has left us this beautiful prayer, “Lord teach me to be generous, teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward save that of knowing that I do your will.”  

      

    Now I will give the blessing. May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain forever. Amen.

end of Father Carter's talk February 1, 1998

  

   

October 12, 2003 message continues

Jesus speaks:  COME TO ME

I AM YOUR STRENGTH

I HAVE CALLED YOU

TO BE MY LIGHT TO

        THE NATIONS

You are My Apostles of My

          Sacred Heart

Spread this mission

Spread My messages

Commit yourselves

Don't hold back

    

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 want to be an Apostle of the Sacred Heart,

                                a Servant of the Good Shepherd or a

                                Handmaid of the Good Shepherd for the

                                Shepherds of Christ Movement. I thank God

                                for His gifts to me and I want to serve

                                and love God in this Movement. God help

                                me to do your will always and help me

                                to spread this message and these prayers

                                to the world. Help me to spread your peace.

                                Help me to be an instrument of love.

                                Outpour Your grace to me for this vocation

                                in the Shepherds of Christ Movement."

      

Florida

            July 11, 1999 Rosary about suffering

  

China

            each person say Hail Mary
                I read meditations
                read message

            Margaret's funeral

  

                                             

Please check out 

our new 

internet store:

www.sofcstore.org

 

             

Go Shopping on the Web and

get your Blue Books today

   

   

 

    

     

We're desperately in need of funds.
   

   Envelopes are ready

to be mailed for priests

but we don't have

any postage money.

 

We need money for the

English speaking priestly mailing.

You can put it on your credit card,

call Morrow.

  
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P.O. Box 193
Morrow, OH 45152

  
(toll free) 1-888-211-3041
1-513-932-4451

                


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All scripture quotes are from the New Jerusalem Bible, July 1990, published by Doubleday.
Revised: October 12, 2003

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