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.
|
 |
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
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
- PRIMARY MINISTRY - CIRCULATING
PRIESTLY NEWSLETTERS TO PRIESTS
ALL OVER THE WORLD IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH to promote priestly
holiness.
- PRAYER
CHAPTERS praying for the priests and the renewal of the
Church and the world.
- School Rosary
Program and Junior Shepherds of Christ Ministry.
- Nursing Home
Ministry.
- Special retreats and
adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
- Apostles of the
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
- Promoting the rosary to all, rosary meditations.
- Prison Ministry to promote prayer and spiritual
renewal.
- Handmaids and Servants of the
Good Shepherd.
- Audio/Video Departments (priestly newsletters on
tape).
- 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:
-
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.
-
Praying the rosary.
-
Observing the First Saturday Devotion.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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:
-
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.
-
For the Pope.
-
For all bishops of the world.
-
For all priests.
-
For all sisters and brothers in the
religious life.
-
For all members of the Shepherds of
Christ Movement, and for the spread of this Movement to the world.
-
For all members of the Catholic
Church.
-
For all members of the human family.
-
For all souls in purgatory.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
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
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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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