| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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November 28, 2018
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November 29th Holy Spirit Novena |
The Novena Rosary
Mysteries |
Pray for Fr. Mike, Dan, Jimmy, Mary
Prayer for Grace for our Country
Dear Father united to Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally made present, celebrated around the world, in the Holy Spirit. We offer up all we do united to the Mass. We unite in one mind and one heart as members of the mystical body of Christ, with Christ our head in the pure and holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, through the powerful intercession of Mary with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory, and we beg for the saving grace, for our country, the United States. Please help us. We further pray for unity to always do the will of God in love. We spread the Blood of Jesus on the leaders and people of the United States and cast the devil into hell. We consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and all our dioceses, and beg for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God help us. We pray for our families, the priests, the Church and the world. In the Name of Jesus please hear us, we pray. We pray for our president and leaders. We pray that we are united as one nation under God to work together in love as God wants.
November 26, 2018
R. Oh God fill me abundantly with Your
grace. I put my trust in Thee. Protection
Lord, to be filled by Thee –
Come and dwell in me –
Protect me –
Dwell in me –
Life in You –
Come Holy Spirit fill me with Yourself –
Come inside of me –
I give myself to God –
Love is giving –
I unite to the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass in oneness with Jesus
and offer myself to the heavenly
Father in the Holy Spirit with all the
angels and saints and the
souls in purgatory –
Love is giving – my life is lived to
be that instrument of love – that of
giving for the honor and glory of God –
If there are germs, flu's – a person
does not want to go and expose
themselves to germs to get sick –
so one wants to take care of themselves,
keep themselves healthy – protect
against sickness by fortifications of
health –
The devil is prowling the earth looking
for one to devour.
One strengthens themselves with spiritual
things – prayer – going to Mass –
practicing faith, hope, love –
fortifies their lives with virtues,
humility, prudence, temperance –
much like fortifications of a house
so a thief can't get in –
If one is prideful, giving into anger,
jealousy, envy, slothfulness,
entertaining the dark spirit –
secrets, plots against one's neighbor,
hatred not love in their hearts –
selfishness, addicted to power, chaos,
confusion, excitement –
they are like a person with a
bad flu – If you go to them
they are ready to attack and bring
down the house –
St. Ignatius in the spiritual discernment
talks about fortifications – we do
religious things – praying for grace –
fortifying our house –
live in order –
We don't entertain darkness and
turn our backs on God's law –
It's like a steady diet of poison –
Remember the story of the poison apple –
Snow White – the bad one comes
to bring an apple filled with poison
for the good person –
Only pure love can wake the good
person who is afflicted by the
poison apple because of one bite –
We must live our lives to be as St. Paul
says
...I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me.
R. Yes Christ living in me is my strength –
Good – God calls us to be Good –
God is All Good –
We constantly live in oneness with
God –
We are united with God in such unity –
We know it is
"no longer, I who live, but
He who lives in me"
God in us –
Life in Him –
The Christ - life –
Life in the Holy Spirit –
Love in our hearts
John 15: 5
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
R. We don't stay the same in the spiritual
life – not to go in the oneness
of God and to give into satan
is to go backward.
We are vigilant – always focused
on the prize – GOD –
God is on our throne –
God comes first –
A little plant beginning to grow
from a seed is fragile –
but if it is fed and sunlight,
water, time –
It can grow –
If somebody comes and pours
poison on it, steps on it
when it is a tender shoot –
it may not make it –
Spiritually we mature in the new life
from baptism –
We are filled more and more with
His life in us –
We are strengthened in this
Christ-life –
We put on Christ –
We are given new life – now
we must grow and
mature in the Christ-life –
We want the Holy Spirit to be in us –
to strengthen us –
Confirmation makes us soldiers
for Christ –
In baptism God opens the supernatural
world to us –
In Confirmation we are strengthened in
our faith and in doing right.
We have a special power to do right
if we want to –
We become soldiers for Christ –
This is spiritual strength –
Physical strength is in our bodies –
Confirmation strengthens our faith –
We receive the power to lead others to
Christ - in holiness –
Confirmation helps us be spiritual adults –
It makes us ready to share the
life we received in baptism
with others –
It gives us the mission to lead
others to Christ –
It gives us a new calling,
a new job –
We are interested in the
salvation of others –
to do all we can to help this –
We can speak for Christ –
be witnesses of Christ –
Acts 1: 8
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.'
Excerpt from November 20, 2018
R. Peter was a big talker –
At Pentecost they received the Holy Spirit.
Read Acts 5: 12-42
The Holy Spirit in us helps us in our vocation –
At home – husbands and wives,
children.
In our neighborhood.
We stand up for what is right
Being sincere, honest, pure,
kind.
In the community.
The Apostles witnessed
Many were martyred.
We are working for Christ – to lead
the world to Him –
to lead the world to His Reign
of love and peace in the
hearts of men
The Holy Spirit doesn't force us –
But will help us –
Open up our eyes, our
hearts if we are willing.
We want to co-operate in
God's plan with all
our heart –
We want to work with
what is right –
In the sacraments they are
signs or symbols through
which Christ acts to give
us His life or increase
and deepen this life in us –
John 9: 6-7
Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (the name means ‘one who has been sent’). So he went off and washed and came back able to see.
R. Christ acts in the sacraments –
The priest, the bread, the
wine, the water –
In the Mass
We have
Adoration
Contrition
Thanksgiving
Supplication
end of excerpt
R. We are to progress in the spiritual
life in sincere self knowledge
and in being honest with ourselves –
willing to tell God we are sorry for
offending Him in our relationship
with Him and trying to do loving
things in our lives. Working with
others, as God desires, helping them
bringing union, doing what is needed
as God wants us to do.
Mary responded to God's love
given to us. Mary sought the
Father's will – Mary wanted to
please the Father –
The prideful man is usually angry
helping others – he wants to act tough –
he is out for himself – he can act
tough if he gives something to
somebody.
A man who is serving satan –
acts like he is better than others –
he thinks, they are lucky he gives them
the time of day –
he thinks, who are they, that they expect him
to come down from his high tower, and
serve them –
Jesus showed us what love was
all about – He lived to do the
Father's will –
His whole life a gift given for us –
for our sins –
We are to spend time every day in the
examination of conscience –
take our spiritual pulse –
how have we acted –
We are to act like Jesus –
Do we try to oppose others who
are trying to serve God, for
some prideful power and
sport of raising up ourselves
putting them under us.
Satan is the great opposer –
We are to live in harmony and love
according to the Father's will –
Do what God wants of us willingly
and in love – acting like Jesus
before the Heavenly Father –
love is giving according to God's
will –
doing good, as God desires, with
no strings attached –
doing good that comes from a
pure heart to serve and
love God and others –
We are to purify our minds and hearts –
Yesterday's Gospel –
Jesus says: Read this Gospel three times.
Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round him, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, keep the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them to keep, concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, 'Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?' He answered, 'How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites in the passage of scripture:
This people honours me
only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from me.
Their reverence of me is worthless;
the lessons they teach
are nothing but human commandments.You put aside the commandment of God to observe human traditions.
He called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean.
For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.'
R. How is the heart inside – is it generous
in serving God with our life –
Are we glad we are able to do
things because we are healthy,
have the ability to do it –
I remember Jesus saying –
You will miss it when it is gone!
Is our attitude - an attitude of gratitude
or do we want to punish people
and hold them at bay because of
an angry heart –
Do we think God has no right to
expect us to get out of our
high tower and serve in
our vocation –
An attitude of service in our vocation
in love – giving – wanting to
help the other – being unified –
being thankful for our health,
funds, our ability to build
God's Kingdom and give with
a generous heart –
Prayer from St. Ignatius
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil and not to seek for rest;
To labor and not to ask for any reward,
Save that of knowing
that I am doing your will.
R. We examine our conscience to ask
for grace to strengthen us
against temptation
"...lead us not into temptation...
as we forgive those who
trespass against us"
Have we stayed deeply united to Christ
in our hearts and made
greater progress of loving God
more and more in our actions
toward God and our fellow men?
We are expected to progress in sincere
self knowledge and be honest
with ourselves about our
sins of being unloving to others,
not serving God lovingly –
sins of pride, anger, envy,
jealousy etc. against our
neighbor and against God –
making ourselves a god before
others – pride – I am better
than all of you, we think.
God has called us. God has loved us
first. God has loved us into
existence. We are to grow in
holiness, to love God and others
lavishly – to give where God
wants us to give in our lives,
our vocation with a generous
and loving heart –
to be a witness before others of
Christ who lives in us!
You are expected to progress in sincere
self knowledge of sins that
are unloving against others –
God has commanded us to love Him
first with our whole heart, our
whole soul, our whole mind and love
our neighbor as ourselves –
Love gives generously to the other –
Love doesn't come from an angry
heart that holds out in anger
before God for those God has
commanded us to be under
and serve in our vocation –
Love gives to God in one's vocation –
Love gives good example of order
and structure because we
are accountable to bring
Christ-in-us as witnesses
before men –
...I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me.
R. We must pray to not be influenced
by the devil and be under
the effects of sin – We are
to be holy – show men -
love – God lives in us –
Focus on our intimate union with
Christ –
Prayer for Union with Jesus
Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.
I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.
I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.
When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.
-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994
R. The Gospel tells us about Jesus –
We are learning about Jesus
as we read and hear the Gospel –
Jesus is our Savior – Jesus gives
us living water to drink!
Song: A Song from Jesus
R. Whenever we sin - the only way out
is to admit it and try to make
up for the wrong we did - to tell
God and others we are sorry –
Think of all the blind writings in the
Gospels, the leprosy writings
wanting healing from God – we
offend God when we sin – when
we are unloving – God is love!
We see the blindness of the Pharisees –
Jesus is the Light –
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life!
Jesus is the healer –
Jesus healed –
Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead!
This is the Good News – we are commissioned
in baptism to spread the Good News –
to be witnesses to the Good News –
to live our faith before men in
joy and thanksgiving –
not in pride and anger and wear
a crucifix
The Rosary helps us meditate on the
Life of Christ – the lives of Jesus and Mary –
Prayers is essential if we are to
find God. If you want a friend – you
communicate, build the relationship –
are truthful, develop trust – give
love.
If we want love with God – we
need to have a relationship – pray
and spend time with Him –
communicate with God as our
friend – our best friend –
If we want friendship with
God we have to talk to Him –
go to Him in prayer with a
loving heart – communicate
thankfulness, love our needs.
Love is giving – it comes
from the heart willing to open up
and relate with another – it's not
closed down, isolated and divided –
trying to close a door on people
before they even walk in the room –
Jesus: I knew a friend I called to love
and they were like a bulldog at
the door – they guarded the door
to ward off any passage and
love – they were so angry from
being this way – they lived their
life hurting people I sent to
them – trying to hurt them –
then being angry –
I knocked on their door and
they said – Go away Jesus – I am
mad –
They were guarding the door like
a western movie afraid of the
enemy – ready with a gun –
they were the keeper of that
door –
and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.
Every day they went on ceaselessly teaching and proclaiming the good news of Christ Jesus, both in the temple and in private houses.
He is the image of the unseen God,
the first–born of all creation,
for in him were created all things
in heaven and on earth:
everything visible
and everything invisible,
thrones, ruling forces,
sovereignties, powers—
all things were created through him
and for him.
He exists before all things
and in him all things hold together,
and he is the Head of the Body,
that is, the Church.
He is the Beginning,
the first–born from the dead,
so that he should be supreme in every way;
because God wanted all fullness
to be found in him
and through him
to reconcile all things to him,
everything in heaven
and everything on earth,
by making peace through his death
on the cross.
Excerpt from Response to God's Love by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
... In reference to Christianity, God himself is the ultimate mystery. Radically, God is completely other and transcendent, hidden from man in his inner life, unless he chooses to reveal himself. Let us briefly look at this inner life of God.
The Father, in a perfect act of self-expression, in a perfect act of knowing, generates his son. The Son, the Word, is, then, the immanent expression of God's fullness, the reflection of the Father. Likewise, from all eternity, the Father and the Son bring forth the Holy Spirit in a perfect act of loving.
At the destined moment in human history, God's self-expression, the Word, immersed himself into man's world. God's inner self-expression now had also become God's outer self-expression. Consequently, the mystery of God becomes the mystery of Christ. In Christ, God tells us about himself, about his inner life, about his plan of creation and redemption. He tells us how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to dwell within us in the most intimate fashion, how they wish to share with us their own life through grace. All this he has accomplished and does accomplish through Christ. St. Paul tells us: "I became a minister of this Church through the commission God gave me to preach among you his word in its fullness, that mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now revealed to his holy ones. God has willed to make known to them the glory beyond price which this mystery brings to the Gentiles—the mystery of Christ in you, your hope of glory. This is the Christ we proclaim while we admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ" (Col 1:25-28).
R. We are the children of God the
Father –
The Father gave us life
We are in the family of
God the Father –
God is love –
Sing: Glory Be – 3 times
Say Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
end of excerpt
August 31, 2014
R.
Dear God thank You for all Your gifts to me.
Yesterday Jesus said to see ourselves as in
a picture and to smile and see the gifts
surrounding me.
I know that God has blessed us abundantly
and showed us His lavishing love and I want
to see through His eyes how it really is.
Reality is living in the truth and embracing
the gifts God gives me.
Yesterday we celebrated with two priests.
Fr. Don had a celebration because he was a
priest for 60 years. At the end of his homily, he said
he had to thank Jesus for his life as a priest. The
Church was a very large church and full of families
and people all over who had been helped by
his priesthood. He had married 700 couples
he counted in the 60 years as a priest. He
had brought 700 families together. Wow.
I often meditate on the crowds that
were baptized by the Apostles, the crowds
fed with the fish and bread – the Multiplication
of the loaves and fish – Do we see how we
who receive a sharing in God's life in baptism
can receive His Body and Blood. Wow – what
a gift.
When I go to the Eucharist and am fed by
the Body and Blood of Jesus, people all over
the world are fed with His Body and Blood. We
are truly one body in Him. We are given a
sharing in His life in baptism and people
all over the world share in this life in
baptism and we eat His Body and drink His Blood
and that feeds this life.
How wonderful is that – unity – one body in
Him.
We are all children of Adam and Eve and we
have a tainted human nature. God gives us
baptism in which we receive a sharing
in His life. Baptism takes away original
sin, but we have tainted hearts with tendencies
toward evil. We must deal with our tainted
human nature. We have tendencies toward
pride, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and
slothfulness. We can develop bad habits of
pride, jealousy, envy etc.
Faith, hope and love are theological
virtues and we pray to God to increase
in us these virtues – These are good habits.
We see with loving eyes because the virtue
of love has grown more and more in us. God
is more and more filling our graced baptized
soul and we are more and more in His
image and likeness.
Song: Give Me Your Heart Oh Jesus
Song: In My Heart
R. The heart is in us pumping life to the
body. We need our heart to do this
or we can die.
How we think becomes a habit we can
develop that can be lighted – seeing through
God's eyes at the Plan He has for us,
seeing unity and love and working in
that unity in the vocation God wants for
us.
We are not in competition with our
brothers. We are trying to see God's Plan
for us and our brothers and work together
with all God's gifts given to us, living out
our vocation that God has called us to –
in loving service, working as one – in Him –
to help build the Kingdom of God.
We can see that unity that God gives us
that we are one body in Him in the Church.
We know we eat the Body of Jesus and drink
the cup of His Blood – we are one in Him –
IN HIM – and all the world looks
more lighted as we live and dwell
in Him and
are filled more and more with His life,
His grace in us.
Fr. Joe said Mass for the first Sunday
Mass in 4 weeks. I sat in his Church
before Mass and I wanted to see the
picture Jesus talked about –
R. I saw the beautiful gold dome and the beautiful
altar and I was excited to be there to
know he would say Mass. I love to go
to his Masses. I love to focus on receiving
the Eucharist and the precious Blood and
all the gifts I receive at Mass.
I love to be at Mass.
Well I saw the picture of myself in
the beautiful Church – My Mom and
Dad were married there
June 25, 1936.
My brother Joe was born the day
after the Fatima date October 14, 1937.
I think that sending his books to all the
priests in the United States and all Cardinals
and all Bishops and the Pope has helped the
world and spread devotion to the Sacred Heart
and Immaculate Heart.
There is a good letter Jesus told me to
put in his book –
It is on life and it follows this writing.
Life is not life, if it is not rooted
in God.
Well in Fr. Joe's Church, I was filled
with joy in my heart to be there and
go to his Mass. I tried to focus on the
picture of myself there and how
blessed I was to go to Mass and be with
my friends and all there to pray in
one mind and one heart for the world.
Satan wants us to close down and
focus on things people may have
done to hurt us or jealousies or
other very negative emotions that
can close us down and stop us from
seeing how really blessed we are.
"Caved - in"
Satan wants to come in a surprise
when we are in our hearts and
throw a wet wash cloth in our
face, to make us frustrated and
closed in.
Jesus: I want you to spread love – to smile –
to thank Me for the precious moments
you received –
to work in love – with those you
love for the building of My Kingdom –
to be grateful – for all the gifts I give
you –
baptism, a sharing in My life in baptism –
I feed you with the bread of life.
I give you Myself in the Eucharist and
fill you with Myself –
The Mass is a great act of love for
you - to give yourself in love –
You should at the beginning of Mass –
see how you have offended God –
been unloving to God and
how you have been unloving
to others –
You are to grow more and more in your
image of God –
to be other focused and loving –
to smile –
to see yourself through the eyes
of the Father and His Plan for you –
Readings from Today's Mass –
Jeremiah 20: 7-9
You have seduced me, Yahweh,
and I have let myself be seduced;
you have overpowered me:
you were the stronger.
I am a laughing-stock all day long,
they all make fun of me.
For whenever I speak, I have to howl
and proclaim, ‘Violence and ruin!’
For me , Yahweh’s word has been the cause
of insult and derision all day long.
I would say to myself,
‘I will not think about him,
I will not speak in his name any more,’
but then there seemed to be a fire
burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones.
The effort to restrain it wearied me,
I could not do it.
Romans 12: 1-2
I urge you, then, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people. Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and mature.
Matthew 16: 21-27
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. 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.’
Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? ‘For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his behaviour.
R. I see what Fr. Joe said at Mass –
He sat at the altar and he said –
God intends us to go through suffering –
He talked about Jeremiah –
He said Jeremiah thought he would have
a nice job as a prophet and
people would love him and listen
to him, but instead they hated him and
wanted to put him to death –
So he gave us the first reading –
"You have duped me, O Lord"
I love the second reading –
because our lives are an offering to God –
We are to try to be as pure in
our interior offering as possible –
In this reading it says we are to be
holy and pleasing to God –
That means we take a lesson from
Jeremiah and especially Jesus,
who gave His all.
Jeremiah suffered and men persecuted
him, made fun of him,
ridiculed him, threw him in
a pit and
God was warning them through
Jeremiah's teaching of what they
were about to suffer –
And suffer they did, because they
would not listen to Jeremiah
and the Babylonians took over
their Kingdom –
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
‘Disaster for the shepherds who lose and scatter the sheep of my pasture, Yahweh declares. This, therefore, is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people, "You have scattered my flock, you have driven them away and have not taken care of them. Right, I shall take care of you for your misdeeds, Yahweh declares! But the remnant of my flock I myself shall gather from all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; they will be fruitful and increase in numbers. For them I shall raise up shepherds to shepherd them and pasture them. No fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost, Yahweh declares!
Look, the days are coming,
Yahweh declares,
when I shall raise an upright Branch
for David;
he will reign as king and be wise,
doing what is just and upright
in the country.
In his days Judah will triumph
and Israel live in safety.
And this is the name he will be called,
‘Yahweh–is–our–Saving–Justice.’ "
Psalm 23: 1-6
Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits his name.Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger, for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.You prepare a table for me
under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.Kindness and faithful love pursue me
every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
Ephesians 2: 13-18
But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far off have been brought close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one entity and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, by destroying in his own person the hostility, that is, the Law of commandments with its decrees. His purpose in this was, by restoring peace, to create a single New Man out of the two of them, and through the cross, to reconcile them both to God in one Body; in his own person he killed the hostility. He came to bring the good news of peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. Through him, then, we both in the one Spirit have free access to the Father.
Mark 6: 30-34
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat. So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 19, 2009
HOMILY: There was a man who worked in a museum whose job it was to explain the different exhibits. On one occasion he pointed to the bones of a dinosaur saying the bones were 100 million and 9 years old. Someone asked how they could date those bones so accurately. He said “well, when I started working here, I was told these bones were 100 million years old and I’ve worked here for nine years.”
Today I want to give everyone a little history lesson. I’m not going back to the dinosaurs, but I am going back pretty far – to King David, 1000 years before Christ. When I was in school, I hated history. It wasn’t until we studied the history of the Old Testament in the seminary that I began to appreciate it. I cannot cram 1000 years of history into a couple of minutes. I just want to touch on the parts of Jewish history that are mentioned in today’s reading. If you want to learn more, read everything in the Old Testament, but be sure you have a commentary to help you. Otherwise, you’ll give up in despair because you won’t know what it’s all about - especially the prophets and the historical books.
When David was king 1000 years before Christ, David wanted to build a house for God, since there was no Temple for God at that time. God did not give David permission to do so, however God promised David through the prophet Nathan that he would bless him and build David a house in the sense that David’s kingdom would continue forever and one of his descendants would always rule. This blessing lasted through the reign of David’s son, Solomon; but we humans somehow have the ability to sabotage God’s blessings. Solomon turned to pagan gods and over-extended the country financially by elaborate building projects and exorbitant taxes, so when Solomon died there was a rebellion and most of Israel broke away from Solomon’s successor, David’s grandson, Rehoboam. Rehoboam continued to rule over the southern part of Israel, the area we know as Judaea . For 400 years (and this is amazing) the kings of Judaea were descendants of King David. The northern kingdom that rebelled against David’s successors suffered under a succession of kings and rebellions. In less than 300 years the northern kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians, people from northern Iraq. About 100 years after that, the Babylonians from southern Iraq conquered the Assyrians and took control of the entire Middle East. The conquest of the Babylonians brings us up to Jeremiah whom we heard in today’s first reading. At the time of Jeremiah, here was the situation: the northern kingdom no longer existed. The southern kingdom, Judaea, was still being ruled by David’s descendants but they were not loyal to God or to God’s laws. Jeremiah spoke to these kings as they came into power, the last four being: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoikin and Zedekiah. Zedikiah, the last reigning king, died in disgrace. After the Babylonians captured him, his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, he was then blinded and led off to Babylon in chains where he presumably died. You can read how Jeremiah spoke with them in great detail in the book of Jeremiah. He told them exactly what they needed to do to survive the invading forces of Babylon. His messages were ignored. He blames them and their leadership for the destruction that came upon God’s people. As we heard in today’s first reading, God speaks through Jeremiah: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.” God said he would take over shepherding his people; he would bring them back from exile; he would appoint leaders over them who would serve them well and lead them to peace and security. It took 600 years before God thought the world was ready for this king who would reign and govern wisely, who would do what is just and right in the land.
But then he came, through the announcement of an angel to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel said to her “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
In last week’s gospel, Jesus sent his apostles out to heal and cast out demons and to call people to repentance. In today’s gospel we are told of their return, excited over their experience and tired. Jesus wanted to some time off, but he couldn’t. The mission of Jesus and his apostles apparently was so successful that a great crowd caught up with them before they had chance to catch their breath. Mark describes Jesus taking compassion on them (his heart was moved with deep sympathy for them would probably be a better translation). He saw them as sheep without a shepherd, - people without leadership, and he began to teach them.
One of the important messages in today’s readings is that in love our Lord leads us, by teaching us and appointing others to teach us. But we need to listen, and we need to keep on listening. We’ll never be finished listening and learning as long as our world suffers from injustice, poverty, hunger, discrimination, war, hatred and killing of innocent people. Christ would be put to death before he would stop teaching. It is to our own great loss when we stop listening. That’s one of the reasons we are here each weekend, to listen and to learn. We call ourselves disciples. The word disciple means learner. When we’ve quit learning, we’ve quit being a disciple.
R. Jesus suffered, they whipped Jesus,
crowned Him with thorns and
hung Him on a cross to His
death. But Jesus rose the 3rd day –
We always know –
If it is of God it will win
out – in the end –
When we fight what God
sends to warn us – we fight
God –
Matthew 23: 27-32
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of corruption. In just the same way, from the outside you look upright, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the upright, saying, "We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our ancestors' day." So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the children of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your ancestors began.
Excerpt from the Spirituality of Fatima by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
Because of the excitement caused by the apparitions, the civil authorities were so alarmed that they kidnapped the three young visionaries and put them in jail. The incarceration period included the day of August 13. Consequently, Our Lady did not appear to the children on this particular 13th.
The authorities, fearing reaction on the part of the people, quickly released the children. Mary appeared to them on August 19 near Valinhos:
She told them she was greatly displeased by the action of the mayor. As a result, the miracle promised for October would not be as impressive as originally planned. 15
15. Our Lady’s Peace Plan, op cit., p.6.
Jesus is Life
Jesus tells us
John 6: 48-51
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate manna in the desert
and they are dead;
but this is the bread
which comes down from heaven,
so that a person may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread
which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread
will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.'
John 14:6 I am the Way; I am Truth and Life…
We live out His life, death and resurrection in our lives – Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus gives us Himself in the Eucharist. Jesus gives us His Word. We are living in the world with a purpose: God has created us and we are to die to those ways, not likened to Him and come forth living that life of resurrection in our lives. Baptism gives us a sharing in His life – In baptism our knowing and loving capacity is elevated. We have this capacity. We have been commanded in the greatest commandment to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves.
Fr. Carter says in Response in Christ "As we progress, we hope to show in detail that Christian holiness is life in Christ, for our life in Christ contains everything – our love of God, our love of men, our love of all creation. We hope to portray the Christian as one who believes from the depths of his being that to live is Christ...
"Man rejected this self-communication of God in original sin. Yet God's desire to give Himself
to man was not withdrawn. He determined to save man from his sinfulness, and thereafter the divine communication centered around the promised Redeemer."Life is not life if it is not rooted in God.
Satan has pressed on man from the beginning in disobedience to a good God, a generous God,
the Almighty and All Powerful and All Just. Satan wants this culture of death.We live out the mystery of Christ in our lives. A constant dying to those ways not like Christ. Dying to vices and not giving into the deadly sins of seeking dominance for dominance sake, greed, pride, anger, envy, lust, jealousness, slothfulness. We rise to new life in Him – Our Christ-life – Our life in Jesus. Life in the Spirit. Life, Life, Life! Life is in Him.
This book, Response in Christ tells us about life! Living in Christ – Dying to the selfish ways of the wounded human nature – God and His rules are first in our lives – We live to please our heavenly Father - to do His will – This is why we act – we operate in Him, our beloved God – We live in the Heart of Jesus - a Heart on fire for love of man.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in our graced, baptized soul – We beg God to increase in us the virtues of faith, hope and love.
We go into the tomb at every Mass and die more and more to our selfish sinful ways to live more the life of resurrection in Him. In the Prayer before the Mass we pray with lavishing love to God – The greatest gift we can give to God is our obedience and love to Him.
A Prayer before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Let me be a holy sacrifice and unite with God in the sacrament of His greatest love.
I want to be one in Him in this act of love, where He gives Himself to me and I give myself as a sacrifice to Him. Let me be a holy sacrifice as I become one with Him in this my act of greatest love to Him.
Let me unite with Him more, that I may more deeply love Him. May I help make reparation to His adorable Heart and the heart of His Mother, Mary. With greatest love, I offer myself to You and pray that You will accept my sacrifice of greatest love. I give myself to You and unite in Your gift of Yourself to me. Come and possess my soul.
Cleanse me, strengthen me, heal me. Dear Holy Spirit act in the heart of Mary to make me more and more like Jesus.
Father, I offer this my sacrifice, myself united to Jesus in the Holy Spirit to You. Help me to love God more deeply in this act of my greatest love.
Give me the grace to grow in my knowledge, love and service of You and for this to be my greatest participation in the Mass. Give me the greatest graces to love You so deeply in this Mass, You who are so worthy of my love. - Mass Book, December 27, 1995
At every Mass – we pray in the beginning to be forgiven for our venial sins, to be cleansed –
We receive the Bread of Life – We listen to the Word – we are fed we eat His Body – we are fed – We are one in the Consecration – Praying to the Father united to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We unite to Jesus in the Holy Spirit through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory, we pray.We are one – begging for grace to be outpoured on this sinful world – We tell God we are so sorry for our sins and the sins of this world – I cry in my heart begging to God to hear My prayer –
I wrote the Mass Book for this – To tell the world about God and this intimate love union God wants with us – Come to me Lord and Possess my Soul.
Prayer for Union with Jesus
Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.
I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.
I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.
When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now. - God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994
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.
So in this culture of death – we know as members of the mystical body of Christ we are united to all the Masses going on around the world – The Mass the sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally made present – We say our Morning Offering – We give ourselves in total consecration to God – Our lives, all we do, united to the Mass.
(this we use extensively, nursing homes etc.)
Here we have consecrations for children.
We are united ever deeper to each other as members of the mystical body of Christ, by offering ourselves, united to the Mass in everything we do praying to the Father, in the Holy Spirit through the intercession of Mary our Mother with all the angels and saints and the souls in purgatory.
The Eucharist is the Mighty Medicine – God wants our love. We need adoration chapels all over the world praying for these things.
Fr. Carter, S.J. said Jesus gave him a message to have Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
People spend at least 2 separate hours a week before the Blessed Sacrament praying for these 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.
Fr. Carter said Jesus told him on July 31, 1994 to pray these prayers in prayer chapters all over the world. We have them in 8 languages.
To combat the fear of death – we say the rosary and pray 53 Hail Marys saying – "pray for us now and at the hour of death"
Fr. Carter prayed the 7 sorrows after every rosary. He saw himself as a baby in Mary's arms – When he died he had a holy card of the baby Jesus in the arms of Mary clenched in his hand.
In the Shepherds of Christ prayers he put before the 7 sorrows – “Mary has promised very special graces to those who do this on a daily basis. Included in the promises of Our Lady for those who practice this devotion is her pledge to give special assistance at the hour of death, including the sight of her face.”
Then in the prayers we pray the promises to St. Margaret Mary and we thank Jesus after every promise. The last promise says “I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the first Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.”
WOW! Jesus promises if we make the 9 First Fridays we will not die without receiving their sacraments; and His Divine Heart shall be our safe refuge in this moment.
Fear of death – God gives us so many gifts. What a gift this is - dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary – I am praying the Seven Sorrows every day – I knew of death, my mom and Fr. Joe’s mom, died when I was 5 years old. Response in Christ – Living in Him. Going into the tomb and dying to our ways not likened to God.
Preparing ourselves for the beatific vision – Living deeply knowing God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in our graced baptized soul – Knowing God more and more deeply dwelling in us.
Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament in His Divinity and humanity – no less present than when He walked the earth –
Come to me Lord and Possess my Soul –
The mission Fr. Carter wanted in the Priestly Newsletters was to get out the message that we go to the Heart of Mary, our spiritual womb and the Holy Spirit works to mold us more and more into the image and likeness of God. Here is a message Fr. Carter received.
The Holy Spirit
Jesus: "My beloved friend, tell My people to pray daily to the Holy Spirit. They are to pray for an increase in His gifts. My people must realize that the Holy Spirit comes to transform them. The Spirit desires to transform you more and more according to My image. Those who are docile to His touch become increasingly shaped in My likeness. He performs this marvel within Mary's Immaculate Heart. The more one dwells in My Mother's Heart, the more active are the workings of the Spirit. The Spirit leads Mary to place you within My own Heart. In both Our Hearts, then, your transformation continues. The more you are formed after My own Heart, the more I lead you to the bosom of My Father. Tell My people all this. Tell them to pray daily for a greater appreciation of these wondrous gifts. I am Lord and Master. All who come to My Heart will be on fire to receive the gifts of the Spirit in ever greater measure! I love and bless My people!"
Reflection: The Holy Spirit is given to us to fashion us ever more according to the likeness of Jesus. And the more we are like Jesus, the more Jesus leads us to the Father. Do we, each day, pray to the Holy Spirit to be more open to His transforming influence? Do we strive each day to grow in union with Mary? The greater our union with our Mother, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the greater is the transforming action of the Holy Spirit within us. From Tell My People
Fr. Pasquini has written his Mary Priestly Newsletter which we include and I tried to deliver this message for 15 years.
Here is what Bishop Martinez says –
The Holy Spirit and Mary
The late Archbishop Luis M. Martinez of Mexico strikingly speaks of the ongoing cooperation of Mary with the Holy Spirit regarding the reproduction of Jesus within us: "Christian life is the reproduction of Jesus in souls…
"Now, how will this mystical reproduction be brought about in souls? In the same way in which Jesus was brought into the world, for God gives a wonderful mark of unity to all His works. Divine acts have a wealth of variety because they are the work of omnipotence; nevertheless, a most perfect unity always shines forth from them because they are the fruit of wisdom; and this divine contrast of unity and variety stamps the works of God with sublime and unutterable beauty.
"In His miraculous birth, Jesus was the fruit of heaven and earth…The Holy Spirit conveyed the divine fruitfulness of the Father to Mary, and the virginal soil brought forth in an ineffable manner our most loving Savior, the divine Seed, as the prophets called Him…
"That is the way He is reproduced in souls. He is always the fruit of heaven and earth.
"Two artisans must concur in the work that is at once God’s masterpiece and humanity’s supreme product: the Holy Spirit and the most holy Virgin Mary. Two sanctifiers are necessary to souls, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, for they are the only ones who can reproduce Christ.
"Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary sanctify us in different ways. The first is the Sanctifier by essence; because He is God, who is infinite sanctity; because He is the personal Love that completes, so to speak, the sanctity of God, consummating His life and His unity, and it belongs to Him to communicate to souls the mystery of that sanctity. The Virgin Mary, for her part, is the co-operator, the indispensable instrument in and by God’s design. From Mary’s maternal relation to the human body of Christ is derived her relation to His Mystical Body which is being formed through all the centuries until the end of time, when it will be lifted up to the heavens, beautiful, splendid, complete, and glorious.
"These two, then, the Holy Spirit and Mary, are the indispensable artificers of Jesus, the indispensable sanctifiers of souls. Any saint in heaven can co-operate in the sanctification of a soul, but his co-operation is not necessary, not profound, not constant: while the co-operation of these two artisans of Jesus of whom we have just been speaking is so necessary that without it souls are not sanctified (and this by the actual design of Providence), and so intimate that it reaches to the very depths of our soul. For the Holy Spirit pours charity into our heart, makes a habitation of our soul, and directs our spiritual life by means of His gifts. The Virgin Mary has the efficacious influence of Mediatrix in the most profound and delicate operations of grace in our souls. And, finally, the action of the Holy Spirit and the co-operation of the most holy Virgin Mary are constant; without them, not one single character of Jesus would be traced on our souls, no virtue grow, no gift be developed, no grace increased, no bond of union with God be strengthened in the rich flowering of the spiritual life.
"Such is the place that the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary have in the order of sanctification. Therefore, Christian piety should put these two artisans of Christ in their true place, making devotion to them something necessary, profound, and constant." The Sanctifier, op. cit. pp. 5-7.
So in summation – I see Fr. Carter when he did his doctorate on the Sacred Heart outlined much of what he said Jesus told him to do in the Shepherds of Christ in circulating over 17,000,000 Priestly Newsletters to priests and hierarchy in these 18 years we have existed.We circulated my brother's book of homilies – 5 times now – last year to the Pope and all the Cardinals in the world and all the priests and Bishops of the United States. (at least 40,000 of Fr. Joe’s book last year to priests and hierarchy) His book is centered on the bread of life – on the Word and the Eucharist.
John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life.
Response in Christ
Praying the Shepherds of Christ Prayers in the tri-fold paper for the priests, the Church and the world in 8 languages with the Imprimatur.
Mary said at Fatima until a sufficient number of people have consecrated their hearts to Jesus and Mary we won't have peace in the world. Mary said at Fatima: Bishops need to consecrate their dioceses to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart - putting pictures of Jesus, the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in their homes, businesses, Churches where Jesus is the King and Center of their hearts.
To have the vision of the heavenly Father for each one of us – each one of us uniquely created for a purpose to contribute to the Plan of the Father in salvation history – We need adoration chapels around the world - praying for these things –
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.
Please help us circulate these prayers and materials praying for the priests, the Church and the world.
Rita Ring. Co-founder
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
Feast of St. IgnatiusAugust 29, 1994
Dear Friend,
I give my heart to Jesus and Mary with you in love.
Thank you so much for your donation.
It is because of your help we can do what Jesus and Mary tell us to do.
We finally got Fr. Joe's last homily book out to all priests in the United States.
We printed 40,000 and we needed most of them for the pope, the Cardinals of the world, all Bishops in the United States, and all priests in the United States.
Fr. Carter was told to spread the Shepherds of Christ Prayers all over the world.
We have them in 8 languages with the Church's Imprimatur.
We will send Fr. Joe's new edition of homilies out as soon as we get it done, before the new cycle begins with the first Sunday of Advent.
We start with the pope, all Cardinals of the world,
all Bishops in the United States, and all priests in the United States.
Jesus gave Fr. Carter this message to send the Priestly Mailing to all priests in the United States and the hierarchy.
Jesus told Fr. Carter to spread the prayer chapters all over the world.
The beauty of this Movement is all these priests probably keep Fr. Joe's book close at hand and in the back are the prayers Fr. Carter said Jesus gave him 20 years ago when Fr. Carter, S.J. (doctorate in theology) founded the Movement praying for the priests, the Church and the world at the direction of Jesus, he said in this message enclosed that Fr. Carter said Jesus gave him on the Feast of St. Ignatius 20 years ago.
From the hand of Fr. Carter 20 Years ago as Jesus delivered this message.
We are directed by Jesus to pray 8 days a month for the priests, the Church and the world.
We earnestly do this.
4 days in Florida ending on the 5th.
4 in China ending on the 13th with 3 or 4 Masses and the exposed Eucharist.
Every month we have usually 5 to 6 Masses and 8 days of prayer.
If we want the world to change we need to pray to God and Fr. Carter our founder told us Jesus wanted us to pray the prayers on the enclosed Prayer Brochure Centered in consecration to the Sacred Heart and Mary's Immaculate Heart.
So far we have sent 17,000,000 Priestly Newsletters around the world to priests and hierarchy.
Since these books of Fr. Joe's are probably in most priest's drawers in their desks all we need is one Cardinal or the pope to help us to endorse these prayers in the back of every homily book.
Please say the Shepherds of Christ Prayers praying for the priests, the Church and the world.
We need to pray now more than ever.
We can have a network of holy people dedicated to the Sacred Heart and Mary's Immaculate Heart in one mind and one heart praying for the world as Fr. Carter said Jesus told him to pray.
We usually print 20,000 of Fr. Joe's books and send them to the pope, all Cardinals of the world all Bishops of the United States - right away before December
and 4 states Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.
Then we proceed until we reach every priest in the states that are on the Archdiocesan list.
We send a Prayer Brochure with every book and the prayers are in the back of the book too.
This costs $33,000 to send out the first batch and print 20,000 books for the rest of the priests.
This takes us a while to do but usually we are done a few months later.
We then have to print another 20,000 books of Fr. Joe's for the priests in the United States.
Cardinal George told me to do this 7 books ago.
If you can help with a donation it will help us do what Jesus asked Fr. Carter to do and we have done in the Priestly Mailing now for 20 years.
Fr. Joe's homily book is like a weekly Priestly Newsletter if the priest uses it once a week.
In the past we had a lot of the money from a person helping us a lot in the core of the Movement, but we needed that money for bills this year.
In any event please help us if you can and for sure pray your prayers in the prayer manual and pray for the Priestly Mailing.
We can use volunteers in China and Florida just to come and help us - a day, two days a week -whatever you can do.
Come during retreat and pray with us for the priests, the Church and the world.
Thank you for your donation and all your help.
Please spread the prayer chapters to others, the Blue Books and spread the homily books to deacons, music ministers, and the school principal and planner of things in the parish and education.
Thanks for all your help,
Sincerely,
Rita and the Shepherds of Christ Ministries, Servants, Handmaids, and all involved.With much love,
Rita Ring (Co-founder)
November 16, 2018
R. December 17th is the 22nd year Anniversary of Mary’s apparition on the building in Florida.
Mary: Please come and pray.
The grottos are so beautiful.
The waters bring great graces of healing.
Praying there on the 17th brings down great healing.
When you come special grace will go out to the priests, the Church and the world.
Pray for Fr. Ken who is sick.
Also the Florida retreat is December 2nd thru December 5th.
Jesus wants people to come especially on the 5th.
God the Father asked for these prayer services.
Great grace comes to you and those you pray for, when you come to Clearwater as We asked you to do. Great grace for healing also.
Please come and pray.
I am Mary your Mother.
Our Lady of Clearwater.
Given October 29, 2016
R.
Please spread blessed holy water
(You can also mix Jesus and Mary water
with your blessed Holy Water if you have it.)
in your yard, around your house,
in the state you live in.
And ask God to bless your state
Ask God to bless the United States
Pray all prayers through the intercession of
Our Lady of CLEAR – WATER.
Ask the Lady of CLEAR - WATER
to help with the blessed water.
Mary has appeared to me for 22 years,
in Ohio and Florida.
Give
the gift that Counts
God's Blue Books - Love Letters from Jesus
Blue Books 1 & 2 - $4 each
Blue Book 3 - $3
Blue Books 4 & 5 - $2 each
Blue Books 6A, 6B, 6C, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 - $3 each
Blue Books 14, 15, 16 & 17 - $5 each
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Mass Book,
by Rita Ring: Many of the entries in the Priestly Newsletter
Volume II from a spiritual journal came from this book.
These entries |
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Rosary Meditations
for Parents and Children,
by Rita Ring, Short Meditations for both
parents and children to be used when
praying the |
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God's Blue Book I by Rita Ring. Open Anywhere This book will change your life. These are beautiful love letters to us from Jesus. A million books have been printed and circulated. Jesus loves us so much He wants a personal relationship with us He wants us to go to the Eucharist and be with Him before the tabernacle. $10 |
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God's Blue Book II by Rita Ring. Letters from Jesus about His on fire love Jesus wants this great intimacy with us On fire love Personal love letters from Jesus about the love of His Heart A book on surrender Fr. Carter said! $10 |
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God's Blue Book III by Rita Ring. Fr. Carter's favorite book It is about loving and forgiving each other Being pure in heart A book for unity in family, community, in life!! $10 |
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God's Blue Book IV by Rita Ring. This book is about the love Jesus has for Mary and Mary has for Jesus and Jesus and Mary have for us It is truly the Love of the Two Hearts. Mary appeared every day at the Holy Spirit Center Fr. Carter was there. Mary's first apparition July 5, 1994. $5 |
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God's Blue Book V by Rita Ring. Jesus wants to be the bridegroom of our soul He is our beloved Jesus tells us about pure love how we are to be pure of heart and love God and love others. It is a must, to hear about love from Jesus Jesus is love $5 |
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God's Blue Book 6A by Rita Ring. Rosaries from Their Hearts during apparitions. Jesus and Mary appeared every day and I received rosaries from Them and They were transcribed from a tape. Also messages of love from Jesus on days of January, 1995 About Baptism writings from Fr. Carter and the Scriptures. $10 |
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God's Blue Book 6B by Rita Ring. Jesus and Mary appeared every day in February, 1995 So beautiful transcribed from a tape the Stations, 7 Sorrows, prayers in the Prayer Manual, the Holy Spirit Novena Book and the Song Book. Pure love loving and forgiving a book about Jesus' love, baptism, grace and Fr. Carter's Newsletter. $10 |
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Apostles Manual. About the Movement — the structure of the Movement All Ministries — from the time 3 months before Mary appeared in Clearwater and 3 months after. Rosaries of the 13ths, Fr. Carter's Newsletters. Messages from God the Father Reaching the priests, the Church, the schools and the world. $20 |
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Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Book 1. Mary appeared in Clearwater December 17, 1996 in rainbow color and these rosaries left the printer the same day from Apparitions of Jesus and Mary transcribed from a tape. $10 |
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Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Book 2. This is a book of so many rosaries — transcribed from a tape. So many beautiful rosaries. pages $12 |
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Messages for the Elderly, Ill and Homebound. This is a big book of loving messages for nursing home people and homebound from Jesus and Mary Their lives are so important united to the Mass offering up their suffering, their lives for the souls of this earth. $10 |
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Short Rosary Meditations for the Elderly, Ill and Homebound. This book is so important with pictures they can open it and lay it on their laps and pray the rosary. $10 |
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Songs from Jesus Songbook. These loving songs were given from Jesus. So beautiful Love Songs from Jesus of His love — helping us have pure and loving hearts. $3 |
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Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary. Volumes 1 through 7. Coloring books and meditations for grade school children and others on the mysteries of the rosary — really good. $5 each. |
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Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary. Volumes 6 through 7. Coloring books and meditations for grade school children and others on the mysteries of the rosary — really good. $5 each. |
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| Fr. Joe Robinson |
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Guiding Light — The Word Alive in Our Hearts. — Cycle B for 2017/2018 $10.00 |
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Guiding Light — The Soul Who Could. — Cycle A for 2016/2017 $10.00 |
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Guiding Light homily series — Reflect on the Word — Cycle B The Word leaves an impression on our souls. In my thoughts and reflections are born a more tangible understanding of these eternal concepts presented in the Gospels and the readings. Anyone can read a sentence, but not anyone can absorb it's true meaning. Truth, in this day and age, is almost a matter of opinion or individual entitlement. We believe that Christ's truth is our Roman Catholic Church. We, as priests, champion it's teachings; we are ambassadors for the Pope and Christ to those faces looking at us. We are the light by which our congregation reads to reflect upon real truth and we do it hand in hand. $15 |
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Guiding Light homily series — Steadfast to the Son — Cycle A The sunflower is a great example of how we should be steadfastly guided by light. What a powerful thought that this exceptional plant is not stuck in one pose day in and day out, yet adaptable and magnetized to the sun. We feel the same about our Son. Our heads turns to face Christ as each day presents its challenges to find light. We join together like plants in a field and soak up the Son through the pulpit. We are a warm circle of strength using the wind of our breath to carry our priests' words, Christ's words, to new rich soil. $15 |
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Guiding Light — Focusing on the Word — Cycle B At times we may feel that our path to Christ is a bit "out of focus". Like the disciples in the Book of Mark, this ordinary life clouds our vision of Christ's Divinity. We may doubt the practicality or possibility of applying His teachings and example to our modern life. Cycle B's homilies are a "guiding light" to help us realize Jesus' Messianic greatness and His promise of better things to come. $15 |
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Guiding Light — Feed My Soul — Cycle C In a world rapidly advancing and encouraging personal gain, we are faced with modern problems. There is a challenge to find time in our busy schedules for Sunday Mass or a family meal. We are able to research, shop, bank and even work without hearing one human voice. It is no wonder that we may often feel disconnected and famished at our week's end. In Fr. Joe's third book of homilies from Cycle C, we are reminded of the charity that Christ intended us to show each other. We have a calling to turn the other cheek and be the Good Samaritan to others. We are rewarded with the Father's kingdom and love when we are not worthy. We are not left alone or hungry. $15 |
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| Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. |
Here are all the products in this category:
Books written by the founder of Shepherds of Christ Ministries
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Response to God’s Love by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. In this book Fr. Carter speaks of God as the ultimate mystery. We can meditate on the interior life of the Trinity. Fr. Carter tells us about our uniqueness in the Father's Plan for us, how the individual Christian, the Church and the world are in the state of becoming. Imprimatur. $10 |
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Shepherds of Christ — Selected Writings on Spirituality for all People as Published in Shepherds of Christ Newsletter for Priests. Contains 12 issues of the newsletter from July/August 1994 to May/June 1996. $15 |
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Shepherds of Christ — Volume 2: by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. Contains issues 13—29 of the newsletter (September/October 1996 — Issue 5, 1999) $15 |
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Shepherds of Christ — Volume 3 by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. Contains Newsletter Issues 1 through 4 of 2000 including Fr. Carter’s tremendous Overview of the Spiritual Life $10 |
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Tell My People. Messages from Jesus and Mary (As given to Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.) One of Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.'s Synopsis of the Spiritual Life From Jesus to Fr. Carter "On Holy Saturday, 1994, Jesus told me that on the following day, Easter, I would also begin to receive messages for others. Our Lord also told me that some of these were eventually to be published in a book and here is that book." $10 |
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Spirituality Handbook. Fr. Edward Carter, S.J. did 3 synopsis of the spiritual life. The Spirituality Handbook, the Priestly Newsletter 20he Tell My People book. The way of spiritual life proposed to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates is centered in consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. All aspects of the spiritual life discussed below should be viewed as means to help members develop their lives in consecration to Christ, the Sacred Heart, and to Mary, the Immaculate Heart. $3 |
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The Spirituality of Fatima by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. The Fatima apparitions and messages received official Church approval in 1930. In giving her official approval to the Fatima event, the Church tells us that what took place at Fatima involving the three young visionaries is worthy of our belief. $5 |
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Priestly Newsletter — 2000 #1 — CD. — Christ is Our Strength — Fr. Edward Carter, S.J. read it the year he died. It is so beautiful. "This brief passage contains one of the greatest lessons of the spiritual life. As we progress along our spiritual journey, we become increasingly aware of how weak we are in our—selves, but how strong we are in Christ. To experience our weakness involves suffering. The degree and kind of suffering can vary. The suffering can include the experience of the classical dark night of the spirit as described by St. John of the Cross. One of the main purposes of the dark night is to make a person keenly aware of his or her helplessness without God." quote by Fr. Carter from the newsletter $10 |
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Shepherds of Christ Holy Spirit Novena Holy Spirit Novena Booklet. In four languages with the Imprimatur with 18 scripture readings for two complete novenas – this very powerful Holy Spirit Novena has prayers for prayers for Protection by the Blood of Jesus, Healing, Strength and Light, To Be One with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One with Jesus, To Dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Prayer for the Holy Spirit and His Gifts, and the Word Alive in Our Hearts. All these prayers take about 10 minutes daily recited out loud. $1
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Shepherds of Christ Holy Spirit Novena CD
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Shepherds of Christ Prayer
Manual Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual. The Shepherds of Christ has prayer chapters all over the world praying for the priests, the Church and the world. These prayers that Father Carter compiled in the summer of 1994 began this worldwide network of prayer. Currently the prayers are in eight languages with the Church’s Imprimatur. We have prayed daily for the priests, the Church, and the world since 1994. Associates are called to join prayer Chapters and help us circulate the newsletter centered on spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and helping to renew the Church through greater holiness. Please form a Prayer Chapter & order a Prayer Manual. |
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Statues/Religious Items |
Statues, Crucifixes, and Religious Artwork
These items are very special additions to your home or place of worship.
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Special 12" Sacred Heart or Immaculate
Heart Statues with Glass
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Special 11" Our Lady of Fatima/Clearwater
Statue with Glass
White or Ivory gown with gold trim. $ 60.00 each plus shipping |
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Red
Crystal Rosary
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Clear Crystal Rosary
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Given March 21, 2014
R. Pray for These Things
1) Pray for the Pope & hierarchy to help us start prayer chapters.
2) Pray for Dan, Sally Jo, Richard, Carol, Margaret, Sue,
Jack, Jean, Amanda, Matthew, Special intentions.
3) Pray for the priests, the Church and the world!
4) Pray for the spread of prayer chapters,
also for the spread of priests doing prayer chapters.
5) Pray for the spread of Blue Books.
6) People going to Florida and China.
7) Vocations to all 7 categories.
8) Pray for spread of Consecration and Rosary.
9) Pray for pope helping us.
10) Pray for Jeff - sales & health. Pray for Nick.
11) Blue Book 18 and cover and all involved.
For our Publisher and all involved
12) All intentions on my list, Jerry's list.
13) Priests getting Fr. Joe's book.
14) Pray for Fr. Joe's new book, cover & funds for printing & postage.
15) Donors and members and their families.
16) Healing of the Family tree.
17) Dan & Melanie, Catherine & mom, Gary, Mary Jo,
Jim & statues, Fr. Ken, Monsignor, Kerry, Tom & wife.
18) All who asked us to pray for them.
19) All we promised to pray for.
20) Rita, John, Doris, Sheila, Jerry, Regina, Sanja,
Betty, Sophie, Lisa, Eileen, Fr. Mike, Louie, Laverne,
2 Dons, Mary Ellen, Fr. Joe, all priests helping us,
Ed, Jimmy, Steve, a special couple, Rosie & all involved.
21) 2 babies and moms.
22) Funds and insurance.
23) Jerry's garage.
24) In thanksgiving for gifts, graces, & blessings received.
25) Spread the Blood of Jesus on all of us here.
26) Consecrate all hearts.
27) Cast the devil out of all of us here and all in Movement.
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P.O. Box 627 China, Indiana 47250
Telephone: (toll free) 1-888-211-3041 or (812) 273-8405
FAX: (812) 273-3182
Copyright © 2014 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.
