Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
December 31, 2006
January 1st Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 6 Period I.The Novena Rosary Mysteries
for January 1st are Glorious.
December 31, 2006 — Feast of the Holy Family
Received after 10:00am Mass
Messenger:
There is this place of unity in the family that is
only met with love. Not giving people "anything"
they want, but doing God's will in love.
Looking at the Holy Family is so beautiful — for
God came amongst human creatures in a family,
born of a Mother, living with His foster-Father
Saint Joseph.
We in the Shepherds of Christ, servants,
handmaids, apostles, associates, Apostles
of the Eucharistic Heart, Prayer Apostles were
called to be a family — united in the Hearts
of Jesus and Mary in love. Our gift is to be
one in Their Hearts. Mary is our spiritual
Mother, Jesus our beloved Bridegroom —
God the Father — our Father, Creator, the Holy Spirit,
we live in the Holy Spirit with the
fire of God's love.
God calls us to form these little prayer chapters
all over the world united deeply in the Hearts
of Jesus and Mary. Forming little spiritual
families of support — helping to spread God's
love to all the earth.
Sending the Newsletter centered in love and
dwelling in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary to 190
countries — uniting all more deeply in the body
of Christ in love, dwelling in the Hearts of
Jesus and Mary and living in love in the Holy Spirit.
This is a time of love — when a baby is born —
people are filled with awe and love (usually) and
happiness and joy.
Into this dark world — the promised Savior
comes in such poverty — loving so deeply His
beloved souls. We are the family God put on
this earth — the human family rooted in
love and heaven and earth unite at this
birth of Jesus — Mary is espoused to the Holy Spirit —
Jesus is the Son of God —
the angels sing, simple shepherds
come and beast of this earth —
And through this birth all will be able
to live harmoniously if they so choose
to obey God and follow the Son of God
Jesus.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life —
To the wandering human family — the
Son of God is born —
Open the portals of love — outpour
your grace on this earth oh God.
Heaven and earth Kiss —
A Savior is born —
But many will suffer — they will
wear the marks of battle to carry
the white flag of His victory —
Many will walk in suffering —
But the Victory is won.
He has triumphed over death.
1 Corinthians 15: 20-58
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. When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
Otherwise, what are people up to who have themselves baptised on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, what is the point of being baptised on their behalf? And what about us? Why should we endanger ourselves every hour of our lives? I swear by the pride that I take in you, in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I face death every day. If I fought wild animals at Ephesus in a purely human perspective, what had I to gain by it? If the dead are not going to be raised, then Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall be dead. So do not let anyone lead you astray, ‘Bad company corrupts good ways.’ Wake up from your stupor as you should and leave sin alone; some of you have no understanding of God; I tell you this to instil some shame in you.
Someone may ask: How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come? How foolish! What you sow must die before it is given new life; and what you sow is not the body that is to be, but only a bare grain, of wheat I dare say, or some other kind; it is God who gives it the sort of body that he has chosen for it, and for each kind of seed its own kind of body.
Not all flesh is the same flesh: there is human flesh; animals have another kind of flesh, birds another and fish yet another. Then there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; the heavenly have a splendour of their own, and the earthly a different splendour. The sun has its own splendour, the moon another splendour, and the stars yet another splendour; and the stars differ among themselves in splendour. It is the same too with the resurrection of the dead: what is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is powerful; what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is a spiritual body too. So the first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; and the last Adam has become a life–giving spirit. But first came the natural body, not the spiritual one; that came only afterwards. The first man, being made of earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. The earthly man is the pattern for earthly people, the heavenly man for heavenly ones. And as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so we shall bear the likeness of the heavenly one.
What I am saying, brothers, is that mere human nature cannot inherit the kingdom of God: what is perishable cannot inherit what is imperishable. Now I am going to tell you a mystery: we are not all going to fall asleep, but we are all going to be changed, instantly, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet is going to sound, and then the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed, because this perishable nature of ours must put on imperishability, this mortal nature must put on immortality.
And after this perishable nature has put on imperishability and this mortal nature has put on immortality, then will the words of scripture come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin comes from the Law. Thank God, then, for giving us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So, my dear brothers, keep firm and immovable, always abounding in energy for the Lord’s work, being sure that in the Lord none of your labours is wasted.
December 31, 2006 message continues
Messenger: The angels sing
Hosanna in the highest —
The human family should live
in love and joy — the Savior
came to this earth.
December 31, 2006 message continues
Messenger:
The holy Family - teaches us about community
oneness in love —
strength comes in modeling every
community after the Trinity —
the Trinity — the most perfect community.
Sing: What Child is This —
Jesus says "I am the way, the truth and the life."
Everything according to God's will.
Jesus says "I am the way, the truth and the life."
Love is doing things according to God's will
not dysfunctionally.
Anytime dysfunction is at the root the
devil is working to keep things dysfunctional.
Temperance according to God's will.
Love according to God's will.
When we see that satan is working in the
family and community, it can be a blessing —
if we can close that open door
so satan can no longer work there,
the problems in the Church should
have been exposed and healed —
this makes us a stronger Church —
this shows us — we as human creatures
have impurities — we are imperfect —
we always are focused on holiness.
What is God's will —
not slavishly dependent relationships to
fill a sick need — all things
as God wills — in holiness —
in real love —
Because sin entered the world — there was
dysfunction —
God showed us His way —
It was obedience —
His rule was for us to obey Him —
People may seek a simple, quick solution
for pain — that is a wrong solution and
what they can keep doing is creating a
monster.
Pain is a part of life — in an act of love
God died on the cross —
He experienced pain —
But He did the Father's will —
A person that acts incorrectly because of
pain can make a big monster in
their lives, alcoholism, addictive
behaviors — slavishly dependent
relationships —
God want us to love deeply according
to His will — according to His rules —
A wounded child grows up to be a wounded
adult until the healing is allowed
to take place —
Wounds in families — go on and on and on and
are passed down — so is anger — secrets —
A person who follows Jesus — see that
Family life should be modeled after the
Holy Family.
Jesus was born a baby —
Jesus showed us about obedience to the Father.
Jesus showed us about love —
Jesus experienced so much pain
He died on the cross —
so the victory was won in the
Resurrection —
The pascal mystery
death-resurrection.
People are taught today by the media that
their bodies should be their gods —
People can be taught by the media to
avoid pain —
We must work on relationships as God wills
us to have them —
In this lies the mystery of love according
to God's will —
Loving by God's rules —
Loving brother, sister, mom, dad —
spouse, people at Church —
people at work —
loving always as God wills —
The tendency can be to have slavishly
dependent relationships — this can throw
a relationship in a family in another
bizarre direction — everything must be
as God wills.
Pain is not handled by latching on to
another to cover up the pain — pain is
handled by going to God the Divine healer —
so we can recognize it and get healed by His
grace and become "other" focused — not
live our lives being reactors to hidden —
unhealed-pain-inside.
Life is to be lived in going out — in
enjoying life as God wills — in being soldiers to help build
the kingdom of God. A person with unhealed
pain is one wrapped in burial cloths and
sitting in a cave in the dark.
Jesus came to set the captives free.
What does He teach us about pain —
In the death (suffering) when lived according to
God's will — there is the resurrection.
Pain is a part of life —
Jesus shows us about pain and love —
Jesus gives us this greatest act of love
in the Mass.
Jesus gives us the pascal mystery —
death/resurrection —
In the dying to the enslavement, we may
have, because of our sins or the
sins of others, is the victory —
Jesus came to set the captives free —
Drop the burial cloths of hidden wounds —
quit blaming innocent others —
raise the curtain
Let the sun-light in —
Study the mystery of the resurrection —
Jesus came to Save us
Sing: Save us Oh Lord
A person can have cancer and think — oh
it will go away —
If untreated the cancer may grow and
grow and get so big it takes over
the whole body and then they can die —
Unforgiveness — deep wounds can be like
this — we can decide to never face the
truth about our pain and keep trying to
do everything, but deal with it — hurting
others while we control and manipulate —
But the bottom line is — is to be really free —
we give ourselves to God and we ask to die
to our imperfection to become more
perfected as our heavenly Father is
perfect —
God is love and in Him there is no darkness —
Children are to be born into houses of
love, but many children have big problems to handle
when parents don't get along and the marriage
breaks up.
God wants us to live our lives not as reactors to the pain,
but live in the truth.
Jesus showed us no matter what happened
He did the Father's will.
We follow God's plan for us for the
world.
John 1: 1-18
In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came into being,
not one thing came into being
except through Him.
What has come into being in Him was life,
life that was the light of men;
and light shines in darkness,
and darkness could not overpower it.
A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
to bear witness to the light,
so that everyone might believe
through him.
He was not the light,
he was to bear witness to the light.The Word was the real light
that gives light to everyone;
he was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had come into being through him,
and the world did not recognise him.
He came to his own
and his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believed in his name
who were born not from human stock
or human desire
or human will
but from God himself.
The Word became flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that he has from the Father
as only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.John witnesses to him. He proclaims:
'This is the one of whom I said:
He who comes after me
has passed ahead of me
because he existed before me.'Indeed, from his fullness we have,
all of us, received—
one gift replacing another,
for the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come
through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God;
it is the only Son,
who is close to the Father's heart,
who has made him known.
Ephesians 1: 3-23
Blessed be God
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us
with all the spiritual blessings of heaven
in Christ.
Thus he chose us in Christ
before the world was made
to be holy and faultless
before him in love,
marking us out for himself beforehand,
to be adopted sons,
through Jesus Christ.
Such was his purpose and good pleasure,
to the praise of the glory of his grace,
his free gift to us in the Beloved,
in whom, through his blood,
we gain our freedom,
the forgiveness of our sins.
Such is the richness of the grace
which he has showered on us
in all wisdom and insight.
He has let us know
the mystery of his purpose,
according to his good pleasure
which he determined beforehand
in Christ,
for him to act upon
when the times had run their course:
that he would bring everything together
under Christ, as head,
everything in the heavens
and everything on earth.
And it is in him
that we have received our heritage,
marked out beforehand as we were,
under the plan of the One
who guides all things
as he decides by his own will,
chosen to be,
for the praise of his glory,
the people who
would put their hopes in Christ
before he came.
Now you too, in him,
have heard the message of the truth
and the gospel of your salvation,
and having put your trust in it
you have been stamped with the seal
of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,
who is the pledge of our inheritance,
for the freedom of the people
whom God has taken for his own,
for the praise of his glory.That is why I, having once heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love for all God’s holy people, have never failed to thank God for you and to remember you in my prayers. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, how rich is the glory of the heritage he offers among his holy people, and how extraordinarily great is the power that he has exercised for us believers; this accords with the strength of his power at work in Christ, the power which he exercised in raising him from the dead and enthroning him at his right hand, in heaven, far above every principality, ruling force, power or sovereignty, or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as he is above all things, the head of the Church which is his Body, the fullness of him who is filled, all in all.
Colossians 1: 15-20
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.
December 31, 2006 message continues
Messenger:
So what is God asking of us — to model
our community after the love of the Trinity.
We die to the imperfections that we can
be more united in greater oneness.
What is oneness?
There are Three Persons in One God.
I can deeply unite to the Persons of the
Trinity — I know the Father deeply, I know
Jesus deeply and I know the Holy Spirit
deeply. I know the embrace of the Divine
God — I know rapture, It is spiritual —
It is usually when I am in Church before
the Blessed Sacrament, at Mass, after
communion, but I can go to this place
of refuge if God gives me a grace and deeply
know God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwelling
within my graced soul. I know peace,
I exist in Him, I know truth.
Purity — greater purity —
Let's look at the Holy Family —
Mary: Mother of Jesus
Jesus, the Son of God
Joseph, the Foster Father.
December 31, 2006 message continues
Messenger: But look at the Mission God has given
us —
to lead the poor banished children
of Adam and Eve to dwell in the
sinless Hearts of Jesus and Mary
I look at this picture of Jesus —
The perfect baby —
The Son of God —
The beauty of Mary, Jesus' Mother
There must be a problem in the human
nature or why would all these people
be unable to get along — especially
when little children's lives are so
effected if the parents separate or
divorce.
I think what Jesus told me —
that wounded children grow up to be wounded
adults is very profound.
In dealing with this mission where God calls us
to be one — one in families
— one in churches
— one in schools
— one as a family the human race
The problem is this
IMPERFECTION
PRIDE
LACK OF LOVE
NOT RECOGNIZING GOD AS ABOVE US
NOT OBEYING GOD'S COMMANDMENTS
FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
RELATIONSHIP <—> ACCORDING TO
GOD'S WILL
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
JESUS AND MARY
JESUS' RESURRECTION