Shepherds of Christ  
       Daily Writing        
 

November 13, 2010

November 14th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 5 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for November 14th are Glorious.

 

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                Given November 10, 2010

                R. Open your eyes and
                    your heart —

                Open your heart —

                Christ's Heart was opened
                    by a lance —

                Open your heart and
                    receive His life —

                Blessed are the eyes that are
                    open to see the treasures
                    Christ is revealing
                    to us about His
                    burning Heart of
                    love —

                Christ gave His life
                    to serve and not be
                    served —

   

Matthew 11: 28-30

‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

 

Matthew 25: 34-40

Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me." Then the upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?" And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."

  

                When we do this to our
                    brothers
                    we do it to Jesus —

                Song: I Love You Jesus

                Song: Teach Me to Love with Your Heart

 

Matthew 5: 43-48

    ‘You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

   

Matthew 26: 51-52

And suddenly, one of the followers of Jesus grasped his sword and drew it; he struck the high priest's servant and cut off his ear. Jesus then said, 'Put your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

  

                God's Kingdom is a Kingdom
                    of love —

                Jesus shows us His Heart
               

 

 

 

                Given November 8, 2010

                    The Jesuits were very strong
                on devotion to the Sacred Heart —

                    Fr. Carter said this picture in His
                novitiate brought him close
                to the Sacred Heart

 

 

                Here is his ordination card
   

 

                St. John Eudes had devotion to
                    the Sacred Heart

 

    From the Priestly Newsletter Book III - 2000 Issue 3 - p. 42

    The following words of St. John Eudes remind us of the glorious goal the Christian is called to: the most intimate union with Jesus.

"I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head and that you are a member of his body. He belongs to you as the head belongs to the body. All that is his is yours: breath, heart, body, soul and all his faculties. All of these you must use as if they belonged to you, so that in serving him you may give him praise, love and glory. You belong to him as a member belongs to the head. This is why he earnestly desires you to serve and glorify the Father by using all your faculties as if they were his.

"He belongs to you, but more than that, he longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules in the body. He desires that whatever is in him may live and rule in you: his breath in your breath, his heart in your heart, all the faculties of his soul in the faculties of your soul...

"You belong to the Son of God, but more than that, you ought to be in him as the members are in the head. All that is in you must be incorporated into him. You must receive life from him and be ruled by him. There will be no true life for you except in him, for he is the one source of true life. Apart from him you will find only death and destruction. Let him be the only source of your movements, of the actions and the strength of your life.

"Finally, you are one with Jesus as the body is one with the head. You must, then, have one breath with him, one soul, one life, one will, one mind, one heart. And he must be your breath, heart, love, life, your all. These great gifts in the follower of Christ originate from baptism. They are increased and strengthened through confirmation and by making good use of other graces that are given by God. Through the holy eucharist they are brought to perfection." 8

8. St. John Eudes, from a treatise on the Admirable Heart of Jesus, as in The Liturgy of the Hours, Catholic Book Publishing Co., Vol. IV, pp. 1331-32.

 

 

 

   


 

                    St. Margaret Mary's first apparition of Jesus
                occurred on the feast of St. John the Evangelist
                probably 1673.

                    St. Margaret Mary was before the Blessed
                Sacrament when she was
                overwhelmed with the presence of God.
                Christ told her His love and the
                secrets of His Heart —

                    He told Margaret Mary He was
                consumed with love for her 

                    Jesus told St. Margaret Mary
 


 

                "See, My well-beloved, I give
                thee a precious token of My love,
                having enclosed within thy side a
                little spark of its glowing flames,
                that it may serve thee for a heart
                and consume thee to the last
                moment of thy life . . .
                If hitherto, thou hast taken
                only the name of My slave, I
                now give thee that of the
                beloved disciple of My Sacred Heart"

                We can see putting ourselves in
                    the Heart of Jesus — Jesus
                    consumed with love for us —
                    We can see Father, Son and
                    Holy Spirit dwelling in our graced
                    baptized soul.

                    The second apparition 1674

                I never knew this
                From Fr. Carter's writings — I see
                how he knew this long ago from these writings —               

                Christ showed St. Margaret Mary as on a throne
                of flames —
                It had a crown of thorns —
                Above the heart was a cross —
                Fr. Carter said this signified that Christ's
                mortal life was one of humiliation,
                poverty, pain and scorn.

                Our Lord showed St. Margaret Mary that He had
                a great desire to be loved by men —
                He told her about satan leading
                men off —

                He said He would manifest His
                Heart to men with its multiple
                treasure of love, mercy, grace,
                salvation and sanctification —
                Those who serve Him could be
                abundantly enriched with such
                spiritual blessings of which
                His Heart is the source.
                He told St. Margaret Mary to honor Him
                under the symbol of His Sacred Heart.
                He said He wanted the image
                of the Sacred Heart exposed.
                He promised grace and blessings
                to those who expose and honor
                His Sacred Heart —
                He said He wanted to draw men
                from giving into satan by
                focusing on the love of His Sacred Heart.
                He told her He wanted devotion
                to His Sacred Heart —

                Jesus told Margaret Mary
                "These are the designs for which I
                    have chosen you. That is why
                    I have given you so many graces
                    and have taken quite special
                    care of you from your very
                    cradle. I Myself have been
                    your teacher and your director
                    only that I might prepare you for
                    the accomplishment of this
                    great design and confide to you
                    this great treasure which
                    I am displaying to you here."


 
   

                This is what Fr. Carter wrote was said
                    to Margaret Mary —

                I read this now from Fr. Carter's writings —

 

                Here is a picture taken of Fr. Carter on July 2, 1996.

   Message from Jesus: "Peace will abound when nations, churches, families and individuals are consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
   "Fr. Carter is a pillar of light to the dark world. This is the explanation of the photo. It is through him, I will turn darkness to light. Circulate this message with the picture. Encourage all to consecrate their hearts to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to join the Shepherds of Christ Chapters, and the Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Movement to pray for your Church and your world. This is My Movement for renewal of the Church and the world, based in consecration, joining your every act to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, praying the rosary, and making reparation to Our Hearts, especially on First Fridays and First Saturdays. It is through your prayers and sacrifices many souls will be helped to be saved. Grace will flow from those whose hearts are consecrated to Our Hearts and the fire of My Love will light up this darkened world."
   As you look at the picture, you see Fr. Carter's arm and hand on your left. This picture of Fr. Carter was taken July 2, 1996 at the Tuesday Shepherds of Christ Meeting at Tom Arlinghaus' Farm.

end of excerpt

   

                The 3rd apparition July 2, 1674 —
                    July 2nd was my dad and husband's
                    birthday —
                   
                    Margaret Mary was before the Blessed Sacrament
                    Fr. Carter says —

 

 

               
                Christ appeared to her
                Christ showed her His Heart —
                Christ revealed the marvels of His love — 

                Christ said He has given such
                    love to men and met with
                    such ingratitude and contempt.

                Fr. Carter quoted from St. Margaret Mary's
                    autobiography

                "I feel this more than all that I suffered
                    during My Passion.

                If only they would make Me some
                    return for My love, I should
                    think but little of all I have
                    done for them and would wish,
                    were it possible, to suffer
                    still more.

                But the sole return they make
                    for all My eagerness to do them
                    good is to reject Me and treat
                    Me with coldness.
                    Do thou at least console Me
                    by supplying for their ingratitude,
                    as far as thou are able"

                He told her to go to Holy Communion as
                    often as obedience
                    permitted and about
                    the First Friday Devotion
                    to His Sacred Heart.

                He shared His sufferings
                    with her on Thursday before
                    Friday —

 

Picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

My Heart Bleeds

March 6, 1994 Sunday Night

Jesus: My little ones, I never give you more than you can handle. Come to Me and I give you rest. I am Jesus, the Son of God, and I love you. This is not a myth. If the whole world does not believe it doesn't matter. I, Jesus Christ, talk to you. I am present right now and I love you.

These trials will strengthen you. You will come forth steadfast in My love. Turn to Me. This is where our union is strengthened. I want you entirely dependent on Me for everything. When you are hurting, come to Me and cry at My feet. I love you more than any person ever could. I am God, child. I love with the most ardent love and I care when you hurt. I want to comfort you. I am Whom you seek. Your heart aches for union with Me and Me alone.

R. It is not this. It is not that. It is You, Lord. The more I grow in loving You, the more I experience such aching in my heart for love of You. I want to behold You so!

The aching soul craves this union with God. The more I know how You love me, how You died so brutally for me and how You want to be close to me, the more I want to be closer to You and I cannot experience You this way on earth. I crave You, my Lord and God. I want to be so close to You! I ache so in my heart. I only know a little how You suffered for love of us. I only know a little how the souls in purgatory ache for love of You.

Oh, my precious Jesus, I love You so. I long to be close to You and know You more. It is this longing and aching I have for You. Such unrest in my soul! And it will not be satisfied here in my earthly form. Oh, sweet Jesus, when they show pictures of saints and those who love You, do they ever show their hearts aching to want to behold you more? They look so peaceful with their halos and saintliness!

This relationship with You, this way to You, is the Way of the Cross. I see pictures of saints with crucifixes. Why did they carry these? Was it that when they were given their crosses they looked at how You suffered and it made their crosses easier to carry? You suffered so, my Lord, for love of me. Oh, my Lord, I truly love You.

Jesus: I am Jesus, Son of God. I truly suffered. Your heart is experiencing aching. I allow you to ache and feel some of My emotions. I am a person. When people love one another, they share each other's pain. Your heart aches as I, too, ache for love of My beloved ones. Preach about My aching heart.

Every soul has periods of unrest because the soul was made to love the Lord. Sunday is a day I let you suffer My aching heart. I want you to tell others how I ache for love of them. I allow you to suffer on Saturday and Sunday for My aching heart.

My heart is on fire for love of each soul and many do not ever come to Me. Some come to Me in Communion and the thought of Me never crosses their minds. How this wounds My aching heart! Such indifference! It pierces My heart and makes it bleed. You will never comprehend the love of God. You will never know how My heart aches. I let you feel this aching heart, to suffer with Me and tell others of My intense love for them. My indifferent loved ones are piercing My heart. I suffered for love of you.

Please preach My love to them. Tell them of My aching, waiting, longing, bleeding heart. You do not know even a tiny amount of the torrent of My love for You.

I am Jesus, Son of the Living God.

end of excerpt

  

                The 4th apparition Fr. Carter said
                    1675 during the octave of
                    Corpus Christi

                Margaret Mary was before the Blessed
                    Sacrament

                Christ showed her His Heart
                He spoke of the men's
                    ingratitudes

                He wanted Margaret Mary to make
                    amends for this

                Therefore, Jesus asked for a
                    special feast in honor
                    of His Sacred Heart be established
                    the First Friday after
                    the octave of Corpus Christi.

                    He asked for an Act of Reparation
                and the reception of Holy Communion
                on this Feast in order to atone
                for the outrages His Heart
                had received while exposed
                on altars.

                Christ promised that His
                Heart would pour forth
                love on all who gave
                Him such honor —

                Jesus wanted Margaret Mary to bring
                greater love and devotion to His
                Sacred Heart on fire for men and treated
                with such ingratitude by
                them — asking for the Feast
                of the Sacred Heart and for communal
                reparation and devotion before
                the Blessed Sacrament especially
                for ingratitude to the Blessed Sacrament

                We see this so consistent with 
                    the message of the Angel of
                    Peace that appeared to the
                    children of Fatima

 

Excerpt from The Spirituality of Fatima

by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

Before receiving the six apparitions of Our Lady, May through October of 1917, the three Fatima visionaries were visited by an angel on three different occasions during the preceding year. He appeared to them in the spring, summer, and fall. Lucia (now Sr. Lucia) describes the springtime apparition of the angel:

"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."

Then, rising he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."

His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them (3)

During the summer of 1916, the angel again appeared to the three visionaries. He said to them:

Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way.... I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you. (4)

In the fall of the same year, the angel visited the visionaries a final time:

The angel came...bearing a golden chalice in one hand and a Host above it in the other. The amazed children noticed that drops of blood were falling from the Host into the chalice. Presently, the angel left both suspended in mid-air and prostrated himself on the ground, saying this beautiful prayer: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners." (5)

Sr. Lucia relates how the angel gave them Communion:

Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hand. He gave the Sacred Host to me and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:

"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God." (6)

Reflecting upon these messages of the angel, we see how much they contain for our spiritual instruction.


NOTES:

3. Louis Kondar, SVD, editor, Fatima in Lucia's Own Words (Fatima: Postulation Center, 1976), p.62. Distributed in the U.S.A. by the Ravengate Press, Cambridge, MA.
4. Our Lady's Peace Plan, op cit., pp.1-2.
5. Ibid., p.2 (The words in brackets are my own-added for clarification).
6. Fatima in Lucia's Own Words, op cit., pp.64-65.

 

                In reading Fr. Carter's document I see
                why He supported me so strongly
                for Jesus outpoured and still does
                outpour His love for men —
                and He wants them to come to His
                Heart —

 


Blue Book I

Blue Book II

Blue Book III

Blue Book IV

Blue Book V

Blue Book VI

Mass Book

 

July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 


   

Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
 

From Spirituality of Fatima

Yes, St. Margaret Mary holds a preeminent place in the history of devotion to the Heart of Jesus. I consider myself very privileged to have been able to make a recent pilgrimage to Paray-le-Monial. This is the French town where St. Margaret Mary lived out her religious life at the Convent of the Sisters of the Visitation. I was privileged to make a holy hour in the Chapel of Apparitions, the place where St. Margaret Mary received apparitions and revelations from the Sacred Heart. This was one of the most special experiences of my entire life.

 

                    From the interview with Father Carter January 20, 1995

                         It was the last day
                            of June. I was sitting at my desk and I was looking
                            at a picture of Jesus, that one which is reported to
                            resemble His or be His true image and I was looking
                            at that and not thinking about anything in particular and
                            I had the real strong message, "I want you to go to
                            Paray-le-Monial."

                         Jesus said, "I want you 
                            to go to Paray-le-Monial." Well, what or where is Paray-
                            le-Monial? It's a small town in France not too far from 
                            Paris and that is where Our Lord as the Sacred Heart
                            appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and gave His
                            famous revelations concerning devotion to His Heart.

end of excerpt

 

                    Claude de la Columbiere supported
                St. Margaret Mary's revelations —

                He was a Jesuit —

                His life's special task Fr. Carter said, was
                    St. Margaret Mary and her revelations —
                    Claude de la Columbiere her
                    spiritual director confirmed
                    the genuinity of these revelations —

                He had such a devotion to the Sacred Heart —

                He was extremely holy —

                He was the confidant and advisor
                    of St. Margaret Mary —

                He had a special grace to penetrate
                    the depth's of Christ's Heart —
    

Shepherds of Christ Priestly Newsletter

1999 - Issue Two

Trust in the Lord

    St. Claude La Colombière, one of the great apostles of devotion to the Heart of Christ, speaks eloquently concerning confidence or trust in God. Trust in God is one of the great fruits of devotion to the Heart of Christ. Claude says: "My God, I am so convinced that you keep watch over those who hope in you, and that we can want for nothing when we look for all from you, that I am resolved in the future to live free from every care, and to turn all my anxieties over to you…

    "Man may deprive me of possessions and honor, sickness may strip me of strength and the means of serving you…but I shall never lose my hope. I shall keep it till the last moment of my life; and at that moment all the demons in Hell shall strive to tear it from me in vain…

    "Others may look for happiness from their wealth or their talents; others may rest on the innocence of their life or the severity of their penance, or the amount of their alms, or the fervor of their prayer. As for me, Lord, all my confidence is my confidence itself. This confidence has never deceived anyone. No one, no one has hoped in the Lord and has been confounded.

    "I know, alas! I know only too well that I am weak and unstable. I know what temptation can do against the strongest virtue. I have seen the stars of heaven fall, and the pillars of the firmament; but that cannot frighten me. So long as I continue to hope, I shall be sheltered from all misfortune; and I am sure of hoping always, since I hope for this unwavering hopefulness.

    "Finally, I am sure I cannot hope too much in you, and that I cannot receive less than I hoped for from you. So I hope that you will hold me safe on the steepest slopes, that you will sustain me against the most furious assaults, and that you will make my weakness triumph over my most fearful enemies. I hope that you will love me always, and that I too shall love you without ceasing. To carry my hope once for all as far as it can go, I hope from you to possess you, O my Creator, in time and in eternity. Amen."21

21. St. Claude La Colombière, "An Act of Confidence in God", Apostleship of Prayer, Chicago Regional Office.

   

Shepherds of Christ Priestly Newsletter

July/August 1997 

This Friend Jesus

    Here are words from St. Claude de la Columbiere, one of the great apostles of devotion to the Heart of Christ. Speaking to Jesus, Claude says:

You share my burdens,
You take them upon yourself.
You listen to me fondly when I tell you my troubles.
You never fail to lighten them.
I find You at all times and in all places.
You never leave me.
I will always find You wherever I go.
Old age or misfortune will not cause You to abandon me.
You will never be closer to me than
When all seems to go against me.
No matter how miserable I may be,
You will never cease to be my friend.
You tolerate my faults with admirable patience.
You are always ready to come to me, if I so desire it.
Jesus, may I die praising you!
May I die loving you!
May I die for the love of you.12

12. St. Claude de la Columbiere, as published by Apostleship of Prayer, Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus.

 

                    Other Jesuits were committed to
                help Margaret Mary spread the
                devotion to the Sacred Heart —

                In the Blue Book writings we see
                    the Personal relationship Christ
                    wants with us —

                We see His tremendous love for us
                We see His desire for us to have
                    one hour of adoration daily and
                    daily reception of the Eucharist —

                We see Christ's undaunted love for us —

                We see through this devotion to Christ
                    we are led in greater love
                    of the Father and Holy Spirit —
                    We know God as one

                    We grow more deeply in our
                        relationship with the
                        Persons of the Trinity —

                We in having devotion to His
                    Heart know Christ more
                    deeply — His love, His
                    joys and His sorrows —

                We know more the mercy of His
                    Heart —
                    His kindness and meekness and
                    His generosity and His courage as
                    Christ - the man —

                We know His holiness, His purity —

                We know more deeply —
                    God's Divine Love —

                We know the treasures found
                    in the Heart of Christ —
   

John 3: 16

For this is how God loved the world: 
he gave his only Son, 
so that everyone who believes in him 
    may not perish 
but may have eternal life.
 

                Christ is the perfect model
                The perfection of mankind —

                Christ shows us our goal
                    as human creatures —

                Christ teaches us of pure and
                    perfect love —

                Christ teaches us about loving —
                    giving so completely in
                    love —

                    The Sacred Heart of Jesus wants our
                love in return — The Blue Book messages
                tell us how Jesus wants
                relationship with us —

                    Jesus wants to be loved by us —
                Jesus wants us to stay away from
                satan's attempts to trick
                us by knowing His love more and
                more —

                    Christ calls out to us in the
                Blue Books to love Him and
                to love one another to be
                members in the Father's family
                that love each other —

                    Christ wants to be loved by
                us with a heart on fire for love
                of us — He shows us His Heart that
                we know His love for us and that
                we know He wants us to love Him
                in return and love our brothers
                God has created — He died for all
                the souls. He wants the souls
                in heaven with Him — He
                wants people to obey His commands
                and live loving each other
                like brothers —

                    This is a reality that Jesus
                loves us so much — This is why
                He gave me His letters of love
                for His precious souls to know —

                    Did you ever get mail and
                someone didn't give it to you —
                Jesus has given His letters of love
                to His precious souls — Help
                me to give them His letters of love —
    

Picture of Jesus' Heart on fire. 

About God's Blue Book II Cover:

"My Heart is an open furnace of endless love. It is open and on fire for love of you, My dear ones. I held back not one drop of My blood. I spread My arms and gave the last beat of My Heart for you. I come to you in this book with this Heart open. It is a roaring fire, aflame for love of you every second, even when you are not thinking about Me. Read My love letters, written just for you. When you see this Heart, open and on fire, remember I love you in just this way, this very moment."                   -Message from Jesus 12/19/94

 

    From the front of Blue Book I

To The Reader

Jesus wants to share His love with you. He comes in these letters to tell you how you can be in intimate union with Him.

All of us possess everything we need to have an intimate union with Him. He has been giving me messages since October of 1991. For at least a year I sat in front of the tabernacle and begged him to talk to me. I wanted words. I prayed to the Holy Spirit and begged and begged Him to baptize me. After a long and seemingly endless search, trying to hear God, He told me to "feed the hungry." For six weeks this was all I heard. I thought maybe I wasn't feeding my children well or eating well enough myself. What a long wait for three words! At long last one day, as I was writing to Jesus, I received a letter back. He told me, "I am Jesus, Son of the Living God." I did not want to write this but it kept coming-and so did many other messages. I knew nothing of anyone getting messages. I wrote them, reluctantly, and hid my notebooks. The letters kept coming, many during the night. I would be awakened, then given long letters which I felt compelled to get up and write down. I read these letters privately and my life began to change. I felt a new life within me.

He taught me of His fervent love and how truly present He was. He taught me how precious I was to Him. Over and over again He would call me His precious child and tell me how He loved me, how He clothed me with dignity and honor. He told me over and over how He was right by my side always. He is teaching me to give up all fear and to trust in Him. He is teaching me to let go of myself and let Him run my life. I am trying every day to do His will.

He is also telling you in your heart all you need to know. He has all the answers for you there in your heart. You must be silent and go to Him so you can hear His words for you.

Sit in front of the tabernacle and be with Him. Do not pray prayers. Sit and be open and just be with Him. Read these letters there. These are Jesus' love letters to you. Sit in front of the tabernacle and let Him talk to you. Sit silent awhile. Read these letters part of the time. Open any page and He will talk to you. Do not read this like a book, cover to cover. Just open to a page and read that page. That is the way He speaks to you.

end of excerpt

   

                    To handle the difficulties in
                the spiritual life we must have
                a firm footage on how much God
                loves us — Others cannot feed the hungry
                soul made for God

                Song: God's Love

                    We are bound to love and serve
                God — God commands us to do so —
                We can't ignore our part in this —
                We are bound to love God in return —
                Fr. Carter wrote the books

 
 
"Response in Christ"
  "Response to God's Love"

                We truly give ourselves to Christ in
                consecrating ourselves to Him —
                We are to love God with our whole
                heart, our whole soul, our whole
                being and love our neighbor as
                ourselves —

                    Surrendering ourselves to God —
                We are called in the Church to be
                members of Christ's mystical body —
                We are to respond with this
                gift of ourselves — Christ is the Head —

                    Christ gave Himself on the
                cross — He laid down His life
                for us — We lay down our lives
                as members of the mystical
                body of Christ —

                    We are to live our lives helping —
                in doing the work Christ has
                called us to do —
                Christ, then, through the members
                of His Church, continues to be
                present to men as He teaches,
                administers the sacraments,
                extends His mercy — all done
                through the members of the
                Mystical Christ, the Church —
                Christ is the Head, who
                reigns gloriously in heaven with
                the Father and the Holy Spirit.

 

Click to Tell My People

Messages of Jesus and Mary given to Fr. Carter
by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

 

Galatians 2: 19-20

...I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me.

     

                This calling God gives us in
                the Church is a great privilege —
                We have been called to help in
                this mission of helping souls
                get to heaven —

Cardinal Newman said

                    "... everyone who breathes, high and low,
                    educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman,
                    has a mission, has a work. We are not sent
                    into this world for nothing; we are not born at
                    random. . . God sees every one of us;
                    He creates every soul, He lodges it in
                    a body, one by one, for a purpose. He needs,
                    He deigns to need, every one of us.
                    He has an end for each of us... we are
                    placed in our different ranks and stations, not to
                    get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to
                    labor in them for Him, as He rejoiced to do His work,
                    we must rejoice in ours also.
"
                                       
(Discourses addressed to mixed congregations)

                    God calls us to a particular
                vocation and in this vocation we
                serve and love God and others —

                    There is no "Me and Jesus - only"
                Christianity — we were called
                to love others as ourselves —

    

Act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

"Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock, I consecrate myself to Your most Sacred Heart. From Your pierced Heart the Church was born, the Church You have called me, as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, to serve in a most special way. You reveal Your Heart as a symbol of Your love in all its aspects, including Your most special love for me, whom You have chosen as Your companion in this most important work. Help me to always love You in return. Help me to give myself entirely to You. Help me always to pour out my life in love of God and neighbor! Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You!

"Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, I consecrate myself to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, this Heart which is symbol of your life of love. You are the Mother of my Savior. You are also my Mother. You love me with a most special love as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, a movement created by your Son as a powerful instrument for the renewal of the Church and the world. In a return of love, I give myself entirely to your motherly love and protection. You followed Jesus perfectly. You are His first and perfect disciple. Teach me to imitate you in the putting on of Christ. Be my motherly intercessor so that, through your Immaculate Heart, I may be guided to an ever closer union with the pierced Heart of Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock."

     

 

My Life in Your Hearts cannot be Contained (excerpt)

January 10, 1994 -After Mass

Jesus: ... Amen, Amen, I say to you. Come and be with Me. Let Me fill you to the brim with My love. Time is short and you need to focus on only those things of the Lord. Though heaven and earth pass away, not one letter of the law will pass away.

R. And they came and they sat and He imparted to them such knowledge they scarce could believe their ears. They were taken back and knew it came from Him because only He knew such things!

Jesus: I sit here every day waiting for you as an ardent lover and you do not come to Me. Listen to My words here that you will know. I wait for your love. No one makes up your love to Me. I wait for you, little one. Come and be with Me.

I give you all you need. I know the ways of your heart far better than you yourself. I wait for your union with Me. Come, beloved of My Father. Come and know God. He waits for you here and wants to give Himself to you.

Oh, that you knew what a treasure you possess and you busy yourselves with such nonsense! This is the day of the Lord. Make ready a path for Him in your hearts! Turn yourself over to His care today. Give yourself totally to Him and let Him be the Master of your souls. You are My babies. I operate you and you do My work here. Be a baby. Babies sit and wait. They do not do their own thing. You be a baby! I am He Who loved you to My death. All I send you is out of Love.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

I have spoken that you will hear My words here. Alleluia.

end of excerpt

    

Excerpt from Mother at Our Side - by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Lourdes—And My Own Marian Experience (excerpt)

    I was privileged to be at Fatima for the 75th anniversary of the October 13 apparition of Mary to the three young visionaries—Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. I had a conviction that Mary wanted me there at that particular time. That I was able to be present for this momentous occasion was another special gift of Mary to me.
 

    On October 12, the eve of the anniversary day, I was praying in the basilica at Fatima. I was close to the altar. In the sanctuary was a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I prayed that Mary would draw me closer than ever to the Heart of Jesus and to her own Immaculate Heart. I also prayed that I would be able, as never before, to work for the spread of devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

end of excerpt

 
 

Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

My dear fellow Associate Members,

Jesus is calling special apostles to join a new division of the Shepherds of Christ Movement. Here is a message from Jesus given to Father Carter:

    My beloved priest-companion, I am requesting that a new prayer movement be started under the direction of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. I am asking for volunteers who are willing to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for one hour, twice-weekly. Members of the Shepherds of Christ prayer chapters, as well as others, are to be invited to join this movement.

    These apostles are to pray for the intentions I am giving you. For part of the hour they are to use the prayers of the Shepherds of Christ Associates Handbook. They may spend the rest of the hour as they so choose.

    I will use this new prayer movement within My Shepherds of Christ Ministries in a powerful way to help in the renewal of My Church and the world. I will give great graces to those who join this movement. The name, Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, is to be given to this movement.

    I am inviting My beloved Rita Ring to be coordinator for this activity.

    I pour out the great love of My Sacred Heart to all. I am Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock.

    This is indeed a special calling for us to unite in one heart with His Eucharistic Heart and pray for the following intentions:

    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.

end of Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart

 

July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 

 

August 1, 1994

Pray For The Success Of The Priestly Newsletter - Shepherds of Christ

R. The following is the first official message I received before the statue of Mary at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center. It is a personal message for Father Carter.

Mary: (in front of the glowing statue of Our Lady of Sorrows) I am the Immaculate Heart. My Heart is glowing for love of all my beloved children. I am your most loving Mother. I am with you this day. Pray for the success of the priestly newsletter Shepherds of Christ. I am guarding your way. You will receive such graces to accomplish this task! Grace from God is so abundantly bestowed on you and will lead to the success of this endeavor! Pray for this cause at the Center. The priests will lead the people to the love of My beloved Son. This is no little task. It will take many prayers and graces. Pray hard, little one. Your prayers will change many hearts.

I am Mary, your Immaculate Mother. I bring this message to My beloved priest-son.

end of August 1, 1994

 

Our Mission and the Consecration to the Two Hearts

The Father has a Plan. This is the time He chose us to be here to help the souls that Jesus died for. We are brothers in Christ. We are to live in love of God and others. We are to recognize our part in uniquely loving and building God’s Kingdom here and now.

We have circulated 15,000,000 Priestly Newsletters in books and individually for 16 years at the direction of Fr. Carter, S.J., our founder.

 1. We hope Bishops consecrate their diocese to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and spread this devotion as Mary asked for at Fatima. Fr. Carter said, July 31, 1994, Jesus asked him to begin these prayer chapters.

2. The more people consecrate themselves, their homes, the schools, the Churches and all places to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart, the more we will go to the period of peace Mary promised at Fatima.

“But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world.”  Our Lady’s Peace Plan, op cit., p.5.

 

 

  

Glorious Mysteries

 

                Resurrection

                (1) It was written

Matthew 16: 21

From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day.

                (2) Jesus said He would die
                    and He would rise again

                (3) This was the Plan of the
                    Father —

Matthew 16: 22-23

Then, taking him aside, Peter started to rebuke him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord,’ he said, ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.’

                (4) Peter denied Christ 3 times —
                    But Jesus made Peter head
                        of the Church — 

Matthew 16: 18-19

So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ 

 

                (5) Jesus healed the sick —
                    Jesus said, I forgive your sins —
                    They called Jesus a blasphemer
                        because they said, only God
                        can forgive sins —

                    Today we know Jesus forgives
                        our sins in confession —
                        through the priest —

                    Today we know that people can
                        be healed by the sacrament
                        of the sick which the
                        priest gives —

                (6) The Apostles didn't get it —
                        that Jesus came to die and rise —

                    When Jesus died on the cross
                        John, Mary and Mary Magdaline
                        was there.

                    The other Apostles were not under
                        the cross —

                (7) Peter denied Christ because
                    he was afraid when they
                    recognized him as Jesus'
                    disciple — he was afraid that
                    they could hurt him

                (8) John 20: 13-18

They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.' Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' — which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her.

                (9) John 20: 3-9

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter, following him, also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying on the ground and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had still not understood the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

                (10) Sing: Glory, Glory, Glory Lord

 

  

 

                Ascension

                (1) Jesus' apparitions —

From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
    by Louis J. Puhl, S.J.  pp. 132-137

299. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST OUR
        LORD
THE FIRST APPARITION

300. THE SECOND APPARITION
        St. Mark 16: 1-11

301. THE THIRD APPARITION
        St. Matthew 28

302. THE FOURTH APPARITION
        St. Luke 24: 9-12, 33-34

303. THE FIFTH APPARITION
        St. Luke 24

304. THE SIXTH APPARITION
        St. John 20: 19-23

305. THE SEVENTH APPARITION
        St. John 20: 24-29

306. THE EIGHTH APPARITION
        St. John 21: 1-17

307. THE NINTH APPARITION
        St. Matthew 28: 16-20

308. THE TENTH APPARITION
        1 Corinthians 15: 6

309. THE ELEVENTH APPARITION
        1 Corinthians 15: 7

310. THE TWELFTH APPARITION

311. THE THIRTEENTH APPARITION
        1 Corinthians 15: 8

 

                (2) John 20: 22-23

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive anyone's sins,
they are forgiven;
if you retain anyone's sins,
they are retained.

Matthew 28: 19-20

Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

 

                (3) Through the pierced Heart of Christ
                    the Church was born —
                    Water for baptism
                    Blood for the Eucharist

                (4) Acts 1: 1-11

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’, he had said, ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earth’s remotest end.’
     As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were standing beside them, and they said, ‘Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him go to heaven.’

 

                (5) Guiding Light - Cycle B - Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson p. 80

Feast of the Ascension - May 28, 2006

(Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 4, 1-13; Mark 16, 15-20) Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension. It is interesting to compare the way it is described in different parts of the Scriptures according to the particular purpose of each of the writers. St. Matthew, for example, doesn’t describe the ascension at all. He implies there was a time when Jesus parted from them, and this parting seems to have taken place in Galilee. Matthew doesn’t want to stress the parting so much as the idea that even though we can no longer see our Lord he is still with us. Jesus’ last words in Matthew’s gospel are: “Behold, I am with you always…”

                (6) Guiding Light - Cycle B - Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson continues pp. 80-81

St. Luke, on the other hand, has Jesus leaving from Bethany, outside Jerusalem. There’s even a rock there with a faint footprint on it which the tour guide will tell you is the very rock Jesus was standing on when he ascended. Luke gave us both the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. In the Acts of the Apostles he tells us Jesus ascended 40 after Easter. In his gospel we get the impression this happened on Easter Sunday.

                (7) Guiding Light - Cycle B - Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson continues p. 81

Today’s gospel was from St. Mark’s 16th chapter. If we read the entire 16th chapter of St. Mark, we also get the impression this event happened on Easter Sunday. St. Mark wants us to know that Jesus continues to work in and through the Church and the apostles.

Mark 16: 15-20

And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’ 

    And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.

 

                (8) Guiding Light - Cycle B - Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson continues p. 81

St. John’s gospel is especially interesting as John not only gives us the impression the ascension took place on Easter Sunday, but that Jesus also gave the apostles the Holy Spirit on Easter Sunday night. I’m sure you remember the gospel for the second Sunday of Easter which was from John, how John tells us Jesus appeared to his apostles on Easter Sunday evening, wished them peace, showed them his hands and his side, told them he was sending them as he had been sent, then immediately he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” All of this leaves us confused. When did Jesus ascend? And from where?

Ephesians 4: 1-13

I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you therefore to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each other in love. Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

    On each one of us God's favour has been bestowed in whatever way Christ allotted it. That is why it says:

    He went up to the heights, took captives,
    he gave gifts to humanity.

    When it says, 'he went up', it must mean that he had gone down to the deepest levels of the earth. The one who went down is none other than the one who went up above all the heavens to fill all things. And to some, his ‘gift’ was that they should be apostles; to some prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; to knit God’s holy people together for the work of service to build up the Body of Christ, until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.

 

                (9) Guiding Light - Cycle B - Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson continues pp. 81-83

The gospels are very exact as to when the resurrection occurred, on the first day of the week, early in the morning; and where it happened: in a borrowed tomb where Jesus was buried outside of Jerusalem. Archeologists are nearly certain that the tomb around which the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built is the exact tomb where Jesus was buried.

With the Ascension, it’s obviously not the day or the place that is so important but the meaning of the event. I want to mention three meanings. 1) Jesus’ risen body entered into the world of the divine. He is no longer present among us in a way that our senses can perceive him. For brief moments he did make himself visible to some of his followers but that period of time ended shortly after the resurrection and perhaps that’s where the idea of the 40 days after the resurrection came from. When I say he entered into the world of the divine, I do not mean he wasn’t already divine, the Son of God, the second person of the Blessed Trinity. It’s that his human body, which had all the limitations that our own bodies have in terms of getting hungry, tired, feeling pain, that human body of Jesus was glorified and is now taken over with the fullness of his divine nature. The recent DeVinci Code says boldly that Jesus was revered simply as a wise human teacher and was not acclaimed as divine until the time of Constantine, who lived over three hundred years after Christ. Dan Brown’s so called history and theology is as fictitious as his characters. The gospels and letters of the Apostles that we hear each Sunday were written two hundred to two hundred and fifty years before Constantine. And they were accepted as a true and authentic representation of Jesus Christ. That’s why they became the gospels the Christian community used and honored as opposed to other so called “gospels” that were written later. If they had not given us an honest picture of Jesus Christ, they would have been long forgotten rather than copied and read again and again. Getting back to the ascension, it brings to completion and perfection the resurrection. Jesus not only came back to life, but he returned to the Father who had sent him and to quote Paul in today’s second reading, Jesus was seated at God’s right hand, “far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion…” And yet, although he is glorified at the right hand of the Father, he continues to be with us, but in a new way. We now come to know him not by physical sight but by meeting him through prayer, the sacraments, the Scriptures and through each other.

                (10) Guiding Light - Cycle B - Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson continues p. 83

The second meaning of the ascension is that Jesus’ ascension is a preview of God's plans for each of us who are faithful to him. We hope to rise to glory with him and to enter into a new life with him some day. When we say in the creed “we look for the resurrection of the dead” that does not mean we will come back to life and then spend eternity wandering aimlessly throughout the universe. Our resurrection will allow our bodies to share in new life in union with Jesus in God’s kingdom.

There is a third meaning for the ascension: it’s up to us to keep his work going (“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature…”) Today there are about a billion believers in Jesus. That was only because a handful of his followers shared their faith with others. It’s up to us now. If we keep our faith a secret from everyone else, we will not be doing anyone a favor. We need to share it, we need to ask people to come with us to Church and share in what we do. And it has to come more from you than from me. If I say something about God or faith or going to Church, people will think “well, he’s supposed to say that. That’s what he’s getting paid for.” If you say it it will carry much more weight. “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature…” is meant for all those who believe in Jesus.

Summing things up: Christ is with us now as we gather in his name. He promised he would be, and he gives himself to us in the Eucharist. He gives us a preview of our own future glory in his ascension and he has left us with the job of continuing his work, bringing the message of faith and the love of God to others. Amen.

 

  

                Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles

                (1) Sing: Veni Sancte Spiritus

    From the Lectionary

                        Pentecost Sequence

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
    Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
    Come, within our bosoms shine!

You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul's most welcome guest;
    Sweet refreshment here below;

In our Labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
    Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
    And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, man has naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
    Nothing free from taint of ill!

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
    Wash the stains of guilt away;

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
    Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
    In your sev'nfold gift descend;

Give them virtue's sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
    Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia.

                (2) Acts 2: 1-11

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.

    Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, and each one was bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely,’ they said, ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; residents of Rome—Jews and proselytes alike—Cretans and Arabs, we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’

 

Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - Pentecost - June 4, 2006

Homily: Pentecost is one of the three most important feasts of the Church year. We know Christmas is one of the three. It’s easy to get excited about the birth of a baby, especially when the baby is God’s Son and his mother is the Virgin Mary. We know the feast of Jesus’ resurrection is the most important feast of all, because if there were no resurrection, we would have no faith or hope at all. But Pentecost, the third most important feast, seems like another ordinary Sunday.

 

                (3) 1 Corinthians 12: 3-7, 12-13

Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no one who says ‘A curse on Jesus’ can be speaking in the Spirit of God, and nobody is able to say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.

There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord. There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all. The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good.

For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts—all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body—so it is with Christ. We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink.

 

Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - Pentecost continues

Let me give you a little history of Pentecost. It was not invented by the Church. The Jews were celebrating Pentecost 3000 years ago. It was one of their three most important feasts. It was originally a harvest feast on which the first fruits were offered in gratitude to God. It later came to be celebrated as the anniversary of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The word itself means simply 50th, the 50th day after Jewish Passover. The Jews were celebrating that feast when the Spirit came on Jesus’ followers. And so Pentecost is still celebrated, but we who are Christians celebrate it as the day on which God sent his Holy Spirit upon the Church.

 

                (4) John 20: 12-23

and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she replied, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.' As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’—which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that he had said these things to her.

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,' and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord, and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you.

'As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.'

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive anyone's sins,
they are forgiven;
if you retain anyone's sins,
they are retained.

                (5) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - Pentecost continues

Pentecost isn’t just the celebration of a past event. It is important for us today, because the Holy Spirit is important for us today. The Spirit is hard to picture because the Spirit is within us when we are in God’s grace. The Spirit is like the air we breathe, the light that goes on when we have an idea, the fire that burns in our heart. And so the Scriptures use these symbols help us know the Spirit; in the first reading the Spirit is a strong driving wind whereas in John’s gospel the Spirit is the gentle breath of Jesus who breathes on his apostles and says “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In either case, whether as a powerful wind or a gentle breath, the Spirit is like the invisible air we cannot live without. The Spirit is like the light that goes on in our mind when we have an idea: Jesus tells us in the gospel “he will guide you to all truth.” Jesus couldn’t explain everything to the apostles that he wanted them to know, but the Spirit turned on the light in their minds to be able to understand all that he had been teaching them. The Spirit also appeared to the apostles as tongues of fire, a fire that started burning in them to proclaim Christ with courage and conviction.

                (6) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - Pentecost continues

God wants us to know him and love him and the Spirit helps us to do that. But because the Spirit works within us, we are not aware the Spirit is even there. I would like to share with you some thoughts from C.S. Lewis about how we grow in knowledge things, people and God. If we want to know something about rocks, for example, we go and we find rocks. They won’t come to us, they won’t run away from us. In no way do they cooperate with us in getting to know them. The initiative is all on our side if we are to know rocks. If we want to study wild animals, that’s a little different. We have to go find them and if we’re not really quiet they probably will run away from us (or eat us alive). The initiative is mostly on our part if we are to know about wild animals, but they could prevent us from knowing them. If we want to know another human being, and they are determined for us not to know them, we probably won’t. We have to win their confidence if they are going to open up to us. The initiative is equally divided: it takes two to make a friendship. When it comes to God, there is no way we could find him or know him if he didn’t show himself to us. And he has done so in Jesus Christ. But we cannot not know Jesus Christ without the help of the Spirit. As Paul tells us in today’s second reading: “No one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit.” Without the Spirit God is totally unknown to us. The Spirit makes the Scriptures alive for us and helps us to be aware of God's presence with us and God's love for us.

                (7) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - Pentecost continues

When we have this kind of a relationship with God it spills over into everything else we do. So St. Paul tells us in Galatians: if we live by the Spirit, the Spirit will produce in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.” Most of us also are familiar with Paul’s description of the greatest gift of the Spirit: “I may be able to speak the languages of men and even angels, but if have not love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell…Love is patient and kind, love is not jealous, etc, etc.

                (8) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - Pentecost continues

One last point: it was on the Church, that God sent his Spirit. As the first reading tells us Christ followers were all together in one place. The Spirit gives different gifts to different members of the Church so we can help each other to know and experience God and God’s love. If we want to experience the fullness of the Spirit, we need each other, we need to come together, to worship together, to share our gifts with one another. Without the Spirit we are trying to breathe without air, think without light, love without fire.

                (9) Sing: Come Holy Ghost

                (10) Excerpt from Blue Book III - Holy Spirit - June 30, 1994

R. Dear Spirit, oh, Holy Spirit, how little I tell You of my love! You are indeed a Person. You are God. It is through Your gifts that I receive the knowledge of God, to know, love and serve Him more. Open me, oh, Spirit. Open this closed heart of mine and fill me with the fire of Your love. Impart to me the tongues of fire I need to do the work God wants me to do. Give me Your love so I can love God more than myself. Help me to surrender to You and let You live and dwell in my heart in such union!

Oh, Spirit of God, open my eyes so I can see more and more with Your gifts what I need to see to serve and to love You. Help me to love my brothers as You want me to, to know how to love as God wants me to.

Mary, you are the spouse of the Holy Spirit. It is through Him that Jesus was conceived in your womb. Draw me to your Spouse, the Holy Spirit, to greater union with Him. Help me to love the Holy Spirit more and more through your Immaculate Heart.

Help me to grow in my intimacy with You, oh, Holy Spirit. Help me to hear what You want to tell me. You are the love between the Father and the Son. Help me to know the fire of this love. I want to know more Your love for me. I want to love You more, to grow in deeper union with You.

Mary, help me to love the Holy Spirit through your Immaculate Heart.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit: three Persons in one God. Each Person to be loved individually, yet God to be loved as One, in union with Mary! Such burning in my heart for each Person, a burning to love God, three in one, through Mary's Immaculate Heart.

I could spend such joyful hours dwelling on this immense love. God is present and truly in our midst and in our hearts. I cannot love my brothers as God wants me to if I do not know God. When I am filled with the love of God, then I can love my brothers as He wants: "that you are willing to lay down your life for your brother." It takes that intimacy, that oneness, to know God, to love as God wants me to love.

To love you, my brother, I must constantly try to be more united with the one, true, magnificent God. Through Mary, I learn to love God more intimately.

Open me, oh, Spirit of the living God. Open my heart to love, to the fire of Your love. Enkindle it deep in my heart. The love of the one, triune God!

Oh, Mary, help me to love God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through your Heart.

Praise God in His magnificence. Praise God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Let us pour out our abundant love, through Mary, on Them. Teach us to love You, God. Help us, in our littleness, to give You love through Mary's sinless Heart. I can grow in my intimacy with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

end of excerpt

    

                Assumption

                (1) Revelation 11: 19; 12: 1-6

    Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened, and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake and violent hail.

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky: there was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail swept a third of the stars from the sky and hurled them to the ground, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was at the point of giving birth, so that it could eat the child as soon as it was born. The woman was delivered of a boy, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had prepared a place for her to be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days.

                (2) 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27

    In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first–fruits of all who have fallen asleep. As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first–fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjected everything to him.

                (3) Luke 1: 39-56

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her.

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said:

My soul proclaims
    the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
    in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon
    the humiliation of his servant.
Yes, from now onwards
    all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty
    has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his faithful love extends age after age
    to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm,
he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes
    from their thrones
        and raised high the lowly.
He has filled the starving with good things,
    sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help
    of Israel his servant,
        mindful of his faithful love
—according to the promise
    he made to our ancestors—
of his mercy to Abraham
    and to his descendants for ever.

Mary stayed with her some three months and then went home.

 

                (4) Guiding Light - Focusing on the Word - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson

Feast of the Assumption - August 15, 2006

INTRODUCTION ON THE FEAST – (Rev. 11, 19a; 12, 1-6a, 10ab;  I Cor. 15, 20-27; Lk. 1, 39-56)  The book of Revelation is highly symbolic.  Some of the symbolism is quite obvious while it requires a fairly extensive knowledge of Scripture to interpret some of the other symbols.  In today’s first reading we hear about a woman, a child and a dragon.  The dragon is the devil and the powers of evil at work in the world.  The child is Christ.  The woman in our reading has a double symbolism.  She stands for Mary, the physical mother of Jesus Christ, and she stands for the Church, our spiritual mother who brings Jesus Christ to birth in us through faith and the sacraments.  In today’s passage the woman is rescued from the powers of the dragon and is described in great glory.  This too has a double symbolism.  It symbolizes the glory of Mary in the assumption.  It also symbolizes God’s faithful people whom he will rescue from evil and will bring, in the resurrection from the dead, into the glory of heaven.

 

                (5) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - continues

HOMILY – It is recorded nowhere in Scripture when, where or how Mary died.  Nor do the Scriptures tell us about her assumption.  It has been a part, however, of the very ancient tradition of the Church that Mary was assumed bodily into heavenly glory when her life here on earth was ended.  One early document referring to this event comes from the Bishop of Jerusalem in 451, St. Juvenal.  He was asked by the emperor of Constantinople to bring the body of Mary to Constantinople.  He replied to the emperor that Mary had died in the presence of all the apostles.  But her tomb, when opened upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty.  Thus the apostles concluded that her body was taken up to heaven as Jesus was.

                (6) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - continues

Some people belittle tradition as if it were unimportant.  They claim to believe only the Scriptures.  Yet, if we stop and think about it, we would have no Scriptures without tradition for the Scriptures came from the Church’s tradition.  Many of the letters of Paul were written before the gospels and there probably was a written list of many of Jesus’ sayings that no longer exists.  But of our four gospels, Mark’s is the first that was written, and it was written about 40 years after Jesus’ ascension.  I say all of this so you can see the importance of tradition.  So to say that the knowledge of the Assumption of Mary came from the very early tradition of the Church is to give a lot of weight to this teaching.  But to eliminate any doubt as to whether Mary actually was assumed into heavenly glory, the Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, after reviewing the belief of the Church through the ages, made it a dogma of our faith in 1950.

                (7) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - continues

In today’s gospel Mary is a young girl going to visit her much older cousin Elizabeth.  Mary had just been visited by the angel, and she had accepted the invitation to be the mother of the Savior God was sending to his people.  So she is at this moment pregnant and not married.  And she is not pregnant by her spouse to be, Joseph.  It was not a happy situation for a girl in that society.  She could have been rejected by her husband to be, she could have been rejected by her family or could even have been put to death.  Yet she is full of trust in God and praises God's greatness and God's goodness.  There is no expression of “poor me.”  She is entirely focused on God.  Mary shows us how to be trusting and in her assumption she shows us where that trust will lead us.

                (8) Guiding Light - Cycle B Homilies - by Fr. Joe Robinson - continues

Today’s feast honors Mary, for God himself has honored her.  In her openness to God and in her willingness to always do whatever God wanted, God rewarded her in a unique way.  But today’s feast also is a source of hope for us.  Christ came, as he says in St. John’s gospel, that we might have the fullness of life.  Our faith tells us our bodies too will share in that fullness.  So Mary is allowed to enjoy ahead of time what God’s plan is for all of us who are faithful in following him and serving him.

 

                (9) 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.

 

                (10) August 9, 2000

  Oh, there is not one so fair as thee, my beloved Mother Mary.

     Of all the maidens that God could have chosen it was you, oh shining Star of Heaven.

     Oh Mary, Mother of us all.

     She doth appear as a wonder so fair indeed,

     A permanent sign of God's love.
      A Woman clothed in gold.
      One that glistens with the radiance of a golden tone,

     Her beauty dancing in the sunlit hours of every day.

     In morning splendor, in dancing light at noon day as the sun glistens on her rainbow glow and at night she has appeared on special dates in golden splendor and light.

     Would you quote the Scripture for Mary so fair.

     "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth." (Revelation 12: 1-2)

     Would you see her as she appeared in little villages in the 20th century, tucked in hills and out of the way places.

     If you missed these enormous signs from heaven, of one so fair, she appears there clothed in the golden sun of the day, reflecting her radiant beauty painted by the hand of the Father. She is His chosen maiden so fair.

     She appears daily, she is there by day and beneath the black shadows of night, she does not slumber, but calls to her children of light to come through her golden doorway and let the light of Christ shine in their souls.

     She appears one so fair, by day and sometimes by night clothed in radiance and golden, her garment hemmed with glistening sunlight. She once appeared to a few and her visits fleeting in remotest places, she remains a Woman Clothed with the Sun, the sun dancing on her garments of rainbow color on a busy, busy corner for all to see, in the state of the sun, sunny Florida. She is a Woman painted by the brush of God.

     And do you know the wonder of one who calls the children far and wide, to hear the voice of her Son, Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

     Mary, the heavenly maiden, to call them home to His Heart.

     Oh, of one so fair, do we not boast and praise our God and thank Him for such a wonder.

     Oh, to Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, we cry, help us to do what you asked for at Fatima and help us in our mission of telling the world of your Son's desire to spread His Movement so men will be Shepherds of Christ.

 

         

                Mary Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth

                (1) Genesis 3: 9-15, 20

But Yahweh God called to the man. 'Where are you?' he asked. 'I heard the sound of you in the garden,' he replied. 'I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.' 'Who told you that you were naked?' he asked. 'Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?' The man replied, 'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' Then Yahweh God said to the woman, 'Why did you do that?' The woman replied, 'The snake tempted me and I ate.'

Then Yahweh God said to the snake, 'Because you have done this,

    Accursed be you
    of all animals wild and tame!
    On your belly you will go
    and on dust you will feed
    as long as you live.
    I shall put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
    it will bruise your head
    and you will strike its heel.'

The man named his wife 'Eve' because she was the mother of all those who live.

 

                (2) Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us (repeat after each invocation).
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the Covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy rosary,
Queen of peace,
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God, that we Your servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the blessed Mary, ever virgin, be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

 

                (3) Proverbs 8: 21-31

                        to endow my friends with my wealth
                            and to fill their treasures.

‘Yahweh created me, first–fruits of his fashioning, 
    before the oldest of his works. 
From everlasting, I was firmly set, 
    from the beginning, before the earth came into being. 
The deep was not, when I was born, 
    nor were the springs with their abounding waters. 
Before the mountains were settled, 
    before the hills, I came to birth; 
before he had made the earth, the countryside, 
    and the first elements of the world. 
When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there, 
    when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep, 
when he thickened the clouds above, 
    when the sources of the deep began to swell, 
when he assigned the sea its boundaries
    —and the waters will not encroach on the shore–
    when he traced the foundations of the earth, 
I was beside the master craftsman, 
    delighting him day after day, 
    ever at play in his presence, 
at play everywhere on his earth, 
    delighting to be with the children of men.

 

                (4) Sing: Holy Is His Name

                (5) Sing: Hail Mary Gentle Woman

                (6) Sing: Hail Holy Queen

                (7) Sing: Immaculate Mary

                (8) Sing: See the Eyes that Look at Mary

                (9) Act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

"Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock, I consecrate myself to Your most Sacred Heart. From Your pierced Heart the Church was born, the Church You have called me, as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, to serve in a most special way. You reveal Your Heart as a symbol of Your love in all its aspects, including Your most special love for me, whom You have chosen as Your companion in this most important work. Help me to always love You in return. Help me to give myself entirely to You. Help me always to pour out my life in love of God and neighbor! Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You!

 

                (10) Act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

"Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, I consecrate myself to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, this Heart which is symbol of your life of love. You are the Mother of my Savior. You are also my Mother. You love me with a most special love as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, a movement created by your Son as a powerful instrument for the renewal of the Church and the world. In a return of love, I give myself entirely to your motherly love and protection. You followed Jesus perfectly. You are His first and perfect disciple. Teach me to imitate you in the putting on of Christ. Be my motherly intercessor so that, through your Immaculate Heart, I may be guided to an ever closer union with the pierced Heart of Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock."

 

 

 

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Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume I
Red Rosary Book - Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage
Blue Rosary Book
Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume II
$ 12.00  plus postage
Short Rosary Meditations for the Ederly, Ill, and Homebound
From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary: Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
This book is 8 1/2" by 11" and you can open it up and sit it on your lap.
$ 10.00  plus postage
  Messages From Jesus
  Given by Jesus to His Messenger Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
  This book is 8 1/2" by 11" and you can open it up and sit it on your lap.

  $ 10.00  plus postage

 
Daily Messages From Heaven 1
From the Florida Apparition Site Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

Daily Messages From Heaven Volumes 2 thru 5 (Spiral bound)
From the Florida Apparition Site Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.

$25.00 each plus postage

Rosary Meditations for Little People and Elderly
Short Meditations for the Rosary
$ 3.00  plus postage
Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary, Books 1 thru 5
A Coloring Book with Short Meditations on the 15 mysteries of the rosary. Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 5.00 each plus postage
  Coloring the Lives of Jesus and Mary Books 6 and 7
  Mysteries of Light
  $ 5.00 each plus postage

  

 

  God's Blue Book I on CD, Disk #1
  God's Blue Book I, Disk #1 Read by author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
  $ 10.00 plus postage

 

  Mysteries of Light Rosary Book
  Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume I
  $ 5.00
  plus postage
 

 

  Mysteries of Light Rosary Book
  Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume II
  $ 5.00
 plus postage
 

 

  Apostle's Manual
  Shepherds of Christ Overview: Very carefully discerned by Fr. Edward J. Carter S. J.
  $ 20.00  

 

  Songs From Jesus
  Given by Jesus to His Messenger Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
  $ 5.00  

 

  Colorea 1 thru 5
  las vidas de Jesús y María (recibido el Imprimátur)
  $ 5.00 each plus postage 

 

  Para Comprender Mejor La Santa Misa
  Una Jornada Hacia el Corazón de Jesús
  $ 10.00  

 

  Meditaciones del Rosario
  para Pequenos y Ancianos
  $ 10.00  

 

 

Fr. Joe Robinson

 
  Guiding Light - Steadfast to the Son
  Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle A of the Liturgical Year
  $ 10.00
plus postage
 

 

 

Guiding Light - Feed My Soul
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle C of the Liturgical Year
$ 10.00
plus postage
Guiding Light - Focusing on the Word
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle B of the Liturgical Year
$ 10.00 plus postage
Guiding Light - The Word Alive in Our Hearts
Inspiring Homilies covering partial year of Cycle A by Fr. Joe Robinson
$ 5.00 plus postage
Fr. Edward J. Carter

Books written by the founder of Shepherds of Christ Ministries

 
Response to God's Love
...God Himself is the Ultimate Mystery
$ 10.00  plus postage
Shepherds of Christ Spirituality Newsletters 1
Selected Writings on Spirituality—for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
$ 10.00  plus postage
Shepherds of Christ Spirituality Newsletters 2
Selected Writings on Spirituality — for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
$ 12.00  plus postage
Shepherds of Christ Spirituality Newsletters 3
Selected Writings on Spirituality — for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage
Tell My People
Messages from Jesus and Mary Author: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimi Potest  
$ 10.00  plus postage
Spirituality Handbook
Shepherds of Christ Associates Spirituality Handbook - A Way of Spiritual Life
Author: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimi Potest

$ 3.00  plus postage
The Spirituality of Fatima
Fatima: The Setting, The Message, The Spirituality of Consecration
$ 5.00  plus postage
Shepherds of Christ 6:20 Prayers CD
Holy Spirit Novena, Associates Prayer Manual and the Rosary Led by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage
Priestly Newsletter 2000 Issue 1
Audio CD - Read by Father Edward J. Carter
$ 10.00  plus postage

 

 

Get a canvas print of Mary's image
with a sliver of glass and
a little bottle of
Jesus and Mary water.

The glass will be fixed behind the
back of the picture.

Cost   — $200.00

                           

Also available

a cup with a Mary's image on it

Cost $15

Call Doris
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312

 

 

   

Rosaries with Mary's Image Available
Aurora Borealis Beads

6mm - $30.00
8mm - $40.00

 

Call Doris
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312

 

Statues  

     

Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass - 18

Our Lady-Guadalupe w/glass - 12
Limpias - 8
     

Immaculate Heart w/glass - 18

I Heart - Ivory w/glass - 18

Our Lady of Grace w/glass - 18

     
Our Lady-Mt. Carmel w/glass - 18

Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass - 18

Infant of Prague w/glass - 24

     

Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass - 24

Sacred Heart -Blessing w/glass - 24

Sorrowful Mother w/glass - 24

 

 

 

I Heart - Ivory w/glass - 24

I Heart of Mary w/glass - 24

Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass - 24
   

 

  

 

Our Lady-Guadalupe w/glass - 28

Our Lady of Grace w/glass - 24

Our Lady-Mt. Carmel w/glass - 24
     

St. Padre Pio

St. Joseph

St. Therese

   

 

 

St. Francis

St. Anthony

St. Claire

 

  

 

Limpias

St. Jude
 

Divine Mercy

 

  

 

Holy Family

Angel

St. Philomena

 

 

 

Pieta - Marble

Pieta - Color

Holy Family

 

  

 

St. Anthony - 18

St. Francis - 18

St. Joseph - 18

 

 

 

St. Therese - 18

St. Rita - 18

St. Clare - 12
 
     
     

St. Rita - 12

St. Padre Pio - 12

Divine Mercy - 12

St. Michael - 11

         

 


Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P. O. Box 627
China, IN  47250

 

Toll free - 1-888-211-3041
Local - 1-812-273-8405
fax - 1-812-273-3182
web: www.sofc.org
e-mail: info@sofc.org

 

  Size Price Quantity   

 Holy Family

 24"

$180

 

 Limpias

 24"

$125

 

 St. Anthony

 24"

$125

 

 St. Claire

 24"

$125

 

 St. Francis

 24"

$125

 

 St. Joseph

 24"

$125

 

 St. Jude

 24"

$125

 

 St. Padre Pio

 24"

$125

 

 St. Therese

 24"

$125

 
 Divine Mercy

22"

$125  
 Angel

22"

$100  
 St. Philomena

20"

$100  
 St. Philomena

16"

$65  
 St. Joseph

18"

$65  
 St. Francis

18"

$65  
 St. Anthony

18"

$65  
 St. Rita

18"

$65  
 St. Therese

18"

$65  
 Pieta - Color 15" $75  
 Pieta - Marble 15" $75  
 Holy Family

12"

$60  
 St. Padre Pio - standing

12"

$40  
 St. Padre Pio - sitting

8"

$50  
 St. Michael

11"

$40  
 St. Rita

12"

$40  

 Divine Mercy

12"

$40  
 St. Claire

12"

$40  
 Limpias

8"

$25  
 Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass

28"

$500  
 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass

24"

$500  

 Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass

 24"

$500  

 Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass

 24"

$500  

 Infant of Prague w/glass

 24"

$500  

 Our Lady of Grace w/glass

 24"

$500  

 Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass  

 24"

$500  
 Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass

 24"

$500  
 Sacred Heart -Blessing w/glass

 24"

$500  

 Sorrowful Mother w/glass

 24"

$500  
 Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass

18"

$300  
 Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass

18"

$300  
 Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass

18"

$300  
 Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass  

18"

$300  
 Our Lady of Grace w/glass

18"

$300  

 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass

18" $300  
 Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass

12"

$200  

 Fatima w/glass

11"

$150  

 Fatima w/glass

 18"

$250  
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass

 12"

$160  
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 15" $200  
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 18" $250  
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass

27"

$450  


Call for Shipping Price (1-888-211-3041)
 

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Call Doris
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312

 

   

    
Immaculate Heart and Sacred Heart Pictures Available

with & without frames - different sizes available

 

Call Doris
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312

 

 

Brand New Internet Store

 

 

Click picture

   

 


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SofC LogoCopyright © 2008 Shepherds of Christ.
Rights for non—commercial reproduction granted:
May be copied in its entirety, but neither re—typed nor edited.
Translations are welcome but they must be reviewed for moral and 
theological accuracy by a source approved by Shepherds of Christ Ministries 
before any distribution takes place. Please contact us for more information.