Shepherds of Christ  
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February 19, 2010

February 20th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 9 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for February 20th are Luminous.

  
    

Prayer Service 6:20 p.m.

Friday

February 19, 2010

 

 

February 19, 2010

                    My God Your gift of the Mass is
                so great — We want to live our lives so one with
                the Mass — so all we do is so holy — a sacrifice of love —
                Oh God help us to live holy lives — That all we do is
                a sacrifice of our life to You —

                    Oh God come to me and love me — help me to be holy —
                Help me to do the simple things with much love —
                Agnus Dei — We are sorry for our sins
                Oh God help us to be holy — living every moment
                    of our lives for You — Agnus Dei —

                God hear our prayer — Let our cry come unto You —
                Oh God we love You so very much —
                God have mercy on us —

                Oh my Jesus — I believe You are truly present in
                    the Blessed Sacrament — I long to receive Thee
                    at Mass today — Oh Jesus I want to know
                    Your presence right now —
                    Deep within me, Jesus —
                    I love You so much —
                    Oh God have mercy on me —
                    Oh God help me to be holy —
                    Oh God — I love You - so much —

                Feet take us everywhere —
                Let our Feet Follow Jesus —

                Let our hearts be holy — Oh God help me, please to
                    be holy —

                Thank You God, for the Mass —

                Sing: And Holy Is His Name

  

 

Morning Offering (for Shepherds of Christ Members)

My dear Father, I offer You this day all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings, my every breath, my every heartbeat, my every thought, all my actions, in union with Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in the Holy Spirit. I pray the Holy Spirit is with me every second today, enlightening me to do the will of the Father and filling me with the fire of God's love.

I ask Jesus and Mary to be one in me in all that I do and I unite with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory to pray continually to the Father for these intercessions, in this prayer, for this day.

For myself, I pray for grace-abundant grace, to know and love God more and more and to follow the will of the Father. I pray to the Holy Spirit to transform me in the heart of Mary to be more and more like Jesus. I pray that I can forever dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. I pray for conversion of all those I hold dear who need conversion. I pray for each member of my family that they will be filled with Your abundant grace to grow in their knowledge and love of God.

I pray for all my friends that they will receive abundant grace to carry out the great plan of the Father, that they will grow forever closer to Jesus' Heart through Mary's heart, that we will all be led by the Holy Spirit to do His work, that we will, together, carry out the plan of the Father as He intends us to, to spread the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary's heart to this world.

Jesus, I pray for myself so the Holy Spirit descends upon me and opens my heart to Your love so I will grow more and more deeply in union with You. I pray that I do not worry what other people think but try always to please the Father and do His will. I pray that I may help lead many to Your burning love.

I pray for the following people in particular that they will be filled with the Spirit and grow deeply in their union with You, that they will receive abundant graces to know, love and serve You more. (Include special friends by name...)

I pray for priests the world over, for the success of the Priestly Newsletter, the Chapters and for the finances needed for the Newsletter. I pray for the circulation of the Blue Book messages, rosary meditations and tapes. I pray for all those involved in the publication of these messages.

I pray that You will shower Your abundant graces onto the priests reading the Newsletter the people reading and hearing the Blue Book messages and Rosary Meditations and all of Fr. Carter's publications.

We pray for the intentions we hold deep within our hearts, for our families and friends, for those requesting our prayers. We pray for children the world over and for the souls in purgatory. We ask God to shower His abundant grace on us and the members of our Shepherds of Christ chapter so that we may grow more and more in our knowledge and love of God.

We consecrate ourselves to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We pray for Father Carter, for Father Smith, for Rita Ring, and for John Weickert, for all leaders and helpers in the Shepherds of Christ Movement, for Shepherds of Christ Ministries, and Our Lady of Light Ministry. We pray for all those who are working in these ministries.

We bind ourselves and our children and our friends to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We place the precious blood of Jesus on ourselves, and all we touch, so that we will be protected from the evil one. We pray to St. Michael to cast the devil into hell.

We love You, God, we love You, we love You. We beg that we may receive the grace to love You more and more deeply. We adore You, we praise You, our beloved Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

end of morning offering

   

                In the Old Testament the bridegroom represents God —
                Israel is the bride of God —

                Fasting — remember people who are hungry —
                    Fast from feeling sorry for ourselves
                    Fast from being nasty

                Lent is for getting closer to God
                Fasting for that hunger for God

                Our whole life is how we make mistakes
                Start over and
                Get up again —

 

                Readings from Today's Mass

Isaiah 58: 1-9a

Fasting pleasing to God

Shout for all you are worth,
   do not hold back,
raise your voice like a trumpet.
To my people
   proclaim their rebellious acts,
to the House of Jacob, their sins.
They seek for me day after day,
they long to know my ways,
like a nation that has acted uprightly
and not forsaken the law of its God.
They ask me for laws that are upright,
they long to be near God:
'Why have we fasted, if you do not see,
why mortify ourselves if you never notice?’
Look, you seek your own pleasure
   on your fastdays
and you exploit all your workmen;
look, the only purpose of your fasting
   is to quarrel and squabble
and strike viciously with your fist.
Fasting like yours today
will never make your voice heard on high.
Is that the sort of fast that pleases me,
a day when a person
   inflicts pain on himself?
Hanging your head like a reed,
spreading out sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call fasting,
a day acceptable to Yahweh?
Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me:
to break unjust fetters,
to undo the thongs of the yoke.
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break all yokes?
Is it not sharing your food with the hungry,
and sheltering the homeless poor;
if you see someone lacking clothes,
   to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own kin?
Then your light will blaze out
   like the dawn
and your wound be quickly healed over.
Saving justice will go ahead of you
and Yahweh’s glory come behind you.
Then you will cry for help
   and Yahweh will answer;
you will call and he will say, ‘I am here.’
If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist and malicious words,

  

Psalm 51: 1-2, 3-4, 16-17

A prayer of contrition

Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love,
in your great tenderness wipe away my offences;
wash me clean from my guilt,
purify me from my sin.

For I am well aware of my offences,
my sin is constantly in mind.
Against you, you alone, I have sinned,
I have done what you see to be wrong.

Sacrifice gives you no pleasure,
burnt offering you do not desire.
Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit,
a broken, contrite heart you never scorn.

 

Matthew 9: 14-15

A discussion on fasting

Then John’s disciples came to him and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is still with them? but the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

 

                We ask God to guide our penance during Lent —
                We will be judged on how we loved God and loved others —
                What will lead to this love of God and love of others —
                We are to internally fast from anything that takes us from doing God's will
                We are to love — as God commands us — do everything with much love and
                    kindness for His holy purpose — we are to have a contrite spirit.

                We are all sinners — We must admit our sins and beg for God's forgiveness —
                God help us to be holy, not to sin, we are weak — We beg You to help
                    us make You the King and center of our hearts —

 

Isaiah 58: 9-14

Then you will cry for help
    and Yahweh will answer;
you will call and he will say, 'I am here.'
If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist and malicious words,
if you deprive yourself for the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
your light will rise in the darkness,
and your darkest hour will be like noon.
Yahweh will always guide you,
will satisfy your needs
    in the scorched land;
he will give strength to your bones
and you will be like a watered garden,
like a flowing spring
whose waters never run dry.
Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt;
you will build on age — old foundations.
You will be called 'Breach-mender',
'Restorer of streets to be lived in'.

If you refrain
    from breaking the Sabbath,
from taking your own pleasure
    on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath 'Delightful',
and the day sacred to Yahweh
    'Honourable',
if you honour it
    by abstaining from travel,
from seeking your own pleasure
    and from too much talk,
then you will find true happiness
    in Yahweh,
and I shall lead you in triumph
    over the heights of the land.
I shall feed you on the heritage
    of your father Jacob,
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

 

Psalm 86: 1-6

Listen to me, Yahweh, answer me,
for I am poor and needy. 
Guard me, for I am faithful, 
save your servant who relies on you. 

You are my God, take pity on me, Lord, 
for to you I cry all the day. 
Fill your servant’s heart with joy, Lord, 
for to you I raise up my heart. 

Lord, you are kind and forgiving, 
rich in faithful love for all who call upon you. 
Yahweh, hear my prayer, 
listen to the sound of my pleading. 

   

                God wants us to change our hearts —
                Someone made a bed for someone — the usual way —
                Another came in, starched the sheets, put a rubber mattress pad
                    so the bed would be uncomfortable —

                Where one was giving love to help the person sleep —
                Another came and sowed hatred —

                What is in the heart — God calls us to serve Him — to be a
                    handmaid of the Lord —

                Where one acts like Mary — their burden is light — they serve to be
                    doing things for God — they do all things for His honor and glory —

                A person who practices living according to God's will in love — grows
                    more loving — lives more a virtuous life — is peaceful —
                    has eyes open seeing through the Father's eyes — of love —
                    of purity — of discipline — of order

   

Romans 7: 14-19

We are well aware that the Law is spiritual: but I am a creature of flesh and blood sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand my own behaviour; I do not act as I mean to, but I do things that I hate. While I am acting as I do not want to, I still acknowledge the Law as good, so it is not myself acting, but the sin which lives in me. And really, I know of nothing good living in me-in my natural self, that is-for though the will to do what is good is in me, the power to do it is not: the good thing I want to do, I never do; the evil thing which I do not want-that is what I do.

 

                A person acting in impurities acting unloving become more and
                    more unloving and then hateful — how dark is their
                    hatefulness and punishment of others —

                    They see not through the eyes of God the Father, Jesus His Son,
                        the Holy Spirit and love, but the wicked see through
                        eyes of jealousy, hatred, possessiveness, slothfulness,
                        lethargy, argumentation, seeking dominance for
                        dominance sake, selfishness —

                    Unloving ways grow to greater and greater hate —
                        vices — habits of never being helpful — withholding
                        needed information as a habit and not doing God's
                        will — being a rival to obedience, a rival to
                        being a team player — this becomes a habit — how they act —
                        stubborn — willful — hurtful

                    Their ways can be premeditated

                When I saw Jesus dying on the cross January 21, 2008, I saw
                    Him appear in the greatest light — A light shown
                    from heaven and He came out from the cross — lifted forward —

                In my soul — the words
                    "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him"
                    I knew God the Father gave this vision that we would model ourselves
                        after Jesus, His Son.

                But to the left the black was black behind and to the left of Jesus and
                    as I had seen Jesus brighter and brighter in the most
                    brilliant light —
                    The black became so visibly blacker — when I thought
                    the blackness could not get any blacker — it was blacker and
                    yet blacker to my amazement and the vision was real —
                    black became blacker and blacker

 

Deuteronomy 30: 19-20

Today, I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of Yahweh your God, obeying his voice, holding fast to him; for in this your life consists, and on this depends the length of time that you stay in the country which Yahweh swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give them.’

 

                Lent is like a big retreat — to take our spiritual pulse — to
                    live more in the light — to see Jesus who was beaten
                    for our sins — lies about the truth when we hurt others and
                    are unloving and the black gets blacker —

                It can be 40 years lived in more darkness, stumbling — growing
                    more hateful —

                It can be just one who is getting unloving in the past 10 years,
                    past year

                Acting out childish ways on others, expecting others to come running
                    to us and tell us how wonderful we are —

                Did you see a baby — they cry to know someone will pick them
                    up and be there, they are learning about security — they are
                    learning about love and trust —

                An adult that is lethargic — that gets in an intimate relationship
                    and provokes others in hateful ways expecting the other to
                    come running and take more of the same of their evil
                    ways — needs to change — it is blacker and blacker —

                Jesus taught us how He gave His blood for us — He gave His body
                    for us — In walking in His footprints of obedience —
                    doing God's will — loving and giving we have peace —
                    we are actors — following Jesus, not someone
                    manipulating others in hatred, anger, old wounds —
                    using the blessings God gives to punish —

                God wants us loving — Jesus gave us the letters in the Blue Books
                    letters from His burning Heart of love —

                Jesus wants people to live by the Blue Books — to love as He
                    tells us in the Blue Books —

                Blue Book I about God's love and power; Blue Book II about His Heart on fire
                for us - surrender — Blue Book III about anger and division with our
                brothers — Blue Book IV about the love of Jesus for Mary, Mary for Jesus and
                The love of the 2 Hearts for us — Blue Book V — the bridegroom loves
                us so much, He is the bridegroom, we the bride, Blue Book VI —
                the rosary, meditating on the lives of Jesus and Mary — the New Adam and
                New Eve

 

John 3: 16

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

   

                These days of prayer are to sing to God — as He deserves — sing the
                    Psalms — love God in prayer — unite as team players —
                    as one body — unite before the exposed Eucharist —
                    Pray in the Church in China for the priests, the Church and
                        the world —

                Pray for the priestly mailing and grace for those receiving
                    the mailing — pray for the prayer chapters —
                    Love for the Church, love for the priests — love for the
                    world — Love first and foremost for God

                Love, love, love for God — Love for one's vocation —

                We can be stubborn like the fallen angels and say "I will not serve"

                If God calls us to adore and worship Him and love Him — 'come to Me'
                    He says 'and love Me' and the devil says — NOBODY tells you
                    what to do —

                We are under God — people at work obey bosses — how can
                    somebody get so set in their ways they try to control
                    everything —

                A mother cannot control a one year old — some one year olds
                    if you take something away — lay on the floor —
                    scream — throw a temper tantrum — hurt their
                    head doing so —

                Who can hold down any job in a company doing this —
                Who can hold onto any relationship or marriage

                A person going in this direction — soon isolates more and more and
                    where others are living to do God's will in love — they have
                    isolated and their purpose is more control, manipulation,
                    isolation from others —

                It's like saying
                    "I can only work with myself and don't anybody get
                        in my way"

                The way God wants and created us to be is dependent on each other —
                    like a 'body' like a family — under authority — living
                    to do God's will in love — being a team player —
                    A person called by God in any vocation — Gives themselves
                        to the vocation in loyalty — self discipline, love —

  

Psalm 86: 1-6

Listen to me, Yahweh, answer me,
for I am poor and needy. 
Guard me, for I am faithful, 
save your servant who relies on you. 

You are my God, take pity on me, Lord, 
for to you I cry all the day. 
Fill your servant’s heart with joy, Lord, 
for to you I raise up my heart. 

Lord, you are kind and forgiving, 
rich in faithful love for all who call upon you. 
Yahweh, hear my prayer, 
listen to the sound of my pleading. 

    

                We are given the Bread of Life to nourish us — The Bread of
                    Life is we eat His Body, we drink His Blood —
                    We are fed by the Word —

                This gives us life — in Him — we become, not selfish, but
                    selfless — walking in the footsteps of Jesus

                We love God and love others — God is first in our lives —
                Not seeing through impure eyes more and more —

 

Romans 13: 12

The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to the darkness and equip ourselves for the light.

      

Psalm 51: 12, 14

Give me back the joy of your salvation, 
sustain in me a generous spirit. 

Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, 
and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice. 

  

Psalm 95: 8

Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, 
as at the time of Massah in the desert, 

 

Psalm 130: 5, 7

I rely, my whole being relies, 
    Yahweh, on your promise. 

    let Israel hope in Yahweh. 

For with Yahweh is faithful love, 
    with him generous ransom; 

 

Ezekiel 18: 31

Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel?

 

Ezekiel 33: 11

Say to them, "As I live — declares the Lord Yahweh — I do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but in the conversion of the wicked who changes his ways and saves his life. Repent, turn back from your evil ways. Why die, House of Israel?"

 

Joel 2: 12-13

'But now — declares Yahweh —
come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning.'
Tear your hearts and not your clothes,
and come back to Yahweh your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in faithful love,
and he relents about inflicting disaster.

 

Amos 5: 14

Seek good and not evil so that you may survive, and Yahweh, God Sabaoth, be with you as you claim he is.

  

                God is teaching us in His Word — God gives us the seed —

  

Psalm 122: 2-3

At last our feet are standing 
    at your gates, Jerusalem! 

Jerusalem, built as a city, 
    in one united whole, 
 

                Jesus is our Savior — we must focus on Him —

                God the Father sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, to
                    teach us the way of God —

                God wants us holy —

 

The Ten Commandments

  1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
  3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
  4. Honor your father and your mother.
  5. You shall not kill.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.
  7. You shall not steal.
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
  10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

 

Matthew 25: 31-46

The Last Judgement

‘When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me." Then the upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?" And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." Then he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink, I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me." Then it will be their turn to ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?" Then he will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me." And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.’

 

 

 

                Jesus says: I want you to spread My Prayers I gave Fr. Carter —

 

 

July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

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

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

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

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

  

Mary by day
July 5, 2000

by night
July 5, 2000

     

                Mary's image appeared like this for 7 1/2 years in Clearwater, Florida
                    December 17, 1996
                We pray there every day all day for the priests, the Church and the world —

                On March 1, 2004 a youth, it is believed, used a sling shot to knock off
                    the image head —

                On March 1, 2010 I will do an evening prayer service from
                    Clearwater — then the Lenten Retreat March 2nd - 5th —

                Please come or tune in on the internet —

 

Matthew 25: 40, 34

And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." 

Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

    

Isaiah 55: 10-11

For, as the rain and the snow
    come down from the sky
and do not return
    before having watered the earth,
fertilising it and making it germinate
to provide seed for the sower
    and food to eat,
so it is with the word
    that goes from my mouth:
it will not return to me unfulfilled
or before having carried out
    my good pleasure
and having achieved
     what it was sent to do. 

   

                We discipline ourselves to grow more in our understanding
                    the mystery of God's love for us — for deeper intimacy with
                    us — God wants this loving union —
                    which is why He gave me the Blue Books — letters of His love —

                We want to live more deeply Jesus' life, death and resurrection
                    in our lives —

                We need to repent — to be accountable — responsible for recognizing
                    unloving ways and how it hurts God and others —

                We have been given confession as a sacrament —

                The Old Testament tells us about Jonah and the word the Lord gave to
                    Jonah — The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh

   

Jonah 3: 1-10  

The word of Yahweh was addressed to Jonah a second time. 'Up!' he said, 'Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it as I shall tell you.' Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare; to cross it took three days. Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city and then proclaimed, 'Only forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown.' And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. He then had it proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles, as follows: ‘No person or animal, herd or flock, may eat anything; they may not graze, they may not drink any water. All must put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil ways and violent behaviour. Who knows? Perhaps God will change his mind and relent and renounce his burning wrath, so that we shall not perish.’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil ways. And God relented about the disaster which he had threatened to bring on them, and did not bring it.

 

                    Jonah was, in the belly of the whale —
                    Christ would be in the belly of the earth   

 

October 12, 2009

Homily by Fr. Barth

 

Luke 11: 29-32

The crowds got even bigger and he addressed them, ‘This is an evil generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign to this generation. On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will stand up against the people of this generation and be their condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, look, there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and, look, there is something greater than Jonah here.

 

    Two things from the Gospel today. The first is a matter of a generation that is evil, and Jesus is very clear why the generation is evil — because they seek a sign. In other words, they want God to reveal God's self as they want God to reveal God's self. They want God to, if you will, bend God's will to their will. They want God to be the God like they want God to be, instead of God being God. And the generation, which is called evil, to be indeed subservant to God's will.

    And I think we can recognize that in our own era. And not just beyond these walls, because even for ourselves who are gathered here, we must recognize that we also at times, are unfaithful, that we want God to give us a sign, that we want God to be the kind of God that we want God to be, and sometimes we don't submit ourselves to God's own will. Isn't that true? And so we gather here to seek God's mercy and God's forgiveness, and to be more in sync with God's will, so that we might be what we are called to be as Christians in the world — salts, lights and leaven. But Jesus responds to — the evil age wanting to see a sign, wanting to see God's action as they want it, with a response.

    The response is just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign to this age. Jonah spent 3 days in the belly of the whale, the Son of Man spent 3 days in the belly of the earth and then rose. And this sign, the sign of the Son of Man rising from the dead, having given His life for sinners, is present to us at this Mass - this one. The sign is Jesus Himself. And He's most especially present in the Eucharist, that we will be celebrating. And in the Eucharist what is presented to us, again, in an unbloody way, is that very sacrifice of Christ and His triumph over sin and death. His crucifixion and His resurrection happen at this very altar at the hands of a priest, so that it might become part of our own lived reality — the sign of Jonah given to us.

    This is the other thing then that will answer the evil age, is a matter of those, like the Ninevites, hearing the Word of God. Jonah went to Nineveh to preach the Word of God that he had received — but what we have here, as Jesus says, is greater. It's not just the Word of God that has been received, that is then preached, but is the Word of God Himself present among us here and now. We believe that at the Mass, Jesus Himself, who is the Word of God, is present to us, in one another, for He promised where two or more are gathered in His Name, He is in their midst. Are we believing? And if we do, then we know that He is here present among us, for we have gathered in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

    He works through the hands and actions of the minister. He is present among us in the sacred minister. I act in Persona Christi for the salvation of the world, not because of who I am, but by the grace of God. He is present in the Word that is proclaimed because He is the Word. You can't separate them. And He is preeminently present in the sacrament that we are about to celebrate and share. Yes, we say His Body and His Blood, but what does that mean ultimately? It means His very presence is given to us as real food and drink — His vivifying life given to us a real food and real drink.

    There is indeed something greater than Jonah here. It is the Lord Himself, but that takes place because there is a priest who is present. Once again, this is not about me trying to say, "Look how special I am." It's not about me. It's about the love of God acting through those who have been called by Him, and by ordination have been graced and transformed so that they can act in the person of Christ. And this is only possible because priests, yes are called, but also are supported through prayer and dedication, their own, and also the people of God, and you all, as the Shepherds of Christ.

    It is your ministry, the core of what you do, to pray for priests, that they might be faithful, and that they might be the instruments of God, that God wants them to be. And through that action, a priest, salvation is given because Christ Himself is given, most especially in the sacraments, and preeminently in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Your ministry is important and pivotal for the Church, for the salvation of the world. You're participating in the salvific act of Christ. And you also then pray for vocations, that others will yield themselves to the call of Christ, and then come to celebrate the sacraments, come to act in the person of Christ, for us and for our salvation.

    The importance of this work can not be over estimated. It is beyond our imaginings because in it the action of Christ continues, by God's grace. And so in these retreat days, consider anew the core of your ministry, praying for priests and praying for vocations, praying that the salvation of the world might be procured through the action of Christ, which is continued through the hands, of those who act in the person of Christ, the sacerdotes, the priests and bishops throughout the world.

    And pray that the world will be open to hear that message, that they will come to know the wonder of salvation, that God has in story for us, not just a return to the proverbial garden of Eden, where human beings walked and talked to Christ, that they were friends. But something greater that was wrought by Christ, a restoration - yes; but also a sanctification that leads to a deification, because in the redemption what happens for God's faithful people, is that we get to participate in God's own life, not just walking aside and conversing as friends, but being taken up in God's own life — participating in God's own life — so that we might have everlasting life. And this is given to us most especially through the sacraments of the Church, and preeminently in the Eucharist. Let us pray indeed that God will continue to allow the sign of Jonah to radiate out into the world, by giving us and sustaining for us, good and holy priests.

 

Available on disc

 

                Those who had committed a big public sin were
                    often excluded from the Eucharistic services —

                There is the need for penance —

                God has taught in the Shepherds of Christ to pray —  

 

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 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

  

  

          

         

          

       

     


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

       

      

     

     

      

         

 

 

 

 

 

Psalm 138: 1-3, 7-8

I thank you, Yahweh, with all my heart,
for you have listened to the cry I uttered.
In the presence of angels I sing to you,
I bow down before your holy Temple.

I praise your name for your faithful love and your constancy;
your promises surpass even your fame.
You heard me on the day when I called,
and you gave new strength to my heart.

Though I live surrounded by trouble
you give me life — to my enemies' fury!
You stretch out your right hand and save me,
Yahweh will do all things for me.
Yahweh, your faithful love endures for ever,
do not abandon what you have made.

     

                We should treat others as we wish to be treated —
                We do not eat meat on Friday's during Lent — we fast 2 days
                We are to be in unity with God and with our brothers

  

Matthew 22: 36-40

'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?' Jesus said to him, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.'

 

Ezekiel 18: 21-28

    'If the wicked, however, renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and upright, he will most certainly live; he will not die. None of the crimes he committed will be remembered against him from then on; he will most certainly live because of his upright actions.  Would I take pleasure in the death of the wicked — declares the Lord Yahweh — and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live? 

    'But if the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices of the wicked, is he to live? All his upright actions will be forgotten from then on; for the infidelity of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, he will most certainly die.

    ‘Now, you say, "What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law–abiding and upright, he saves his own life. Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most certainly live: he will not die.

 

                We are to be reconciled with our brothers before going
                    to the altar of God

   

Matthew 5: 20-26

‘For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.

    ‘You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill; and if anyone  does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you, anyone who is  angry with a brother will answer for it before the court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool"  will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

   

                We are to be reconciled to God and others —
                We are to have unity in our hearts to God and others

                Our spiritual life is to be rooted in love of God and others —

                We are to make amends for our sins —

                We see those who lie to themselves about their faults
                    have a troubled conscience —
                    Macbeth — guilt deep inside — a soul full of uneasiness —
                    lack of peace — lying to oneself about their sins

                We must forgive one another to have peace —
                    not harbor hate and unforgiveness 

 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."

 

                Learn how to really forgive — one continuing to sin hurting
                    the family must be admonished —

 

  

  

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18"

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18"

$300  
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18"

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18"

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18"

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18" $300  
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12"

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11"

$150  

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Fr. Joe's Homily Books  

Guiding Light - Cycle A
The Word Alive in Our Hearts

$10.00


Guiding Light - Cycle B
Focusing on the Word

$10.00
 

Guiding Light - Cycle C
Feed My Soul

$10.00

 

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Priestly Newsletter Book I

12 Newsletters
July 1994 - June 1996

$12.00


Priestly Newsletter Book 2

17 Newsletters
1996 - 1999

$12.00
 

Priestly Newsletter Book 3

4 Newsletters & Prayers
2000

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Response to God's Love



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Messages given
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Tell My People
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The Pain and the Joy

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Synopsis of the Spiritual Life

Spirituality Handbook
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Authenticity


 
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In Imitation of Two Hearts

For those suffering or
in Nursing Homes
 
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Light, Happiness and Peace

Journeying through traditional
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Medicine of Immortality

Prayers and Meditations - will assist the reader in growth toward a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist

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Ecce Fides - Pillar of Truth

Ideal for RCIA, Adult & Youth Bible Study, Homeschooling, Catholic
Identity Studies

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Shepherds of Christ Newsletters
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2006 - 2008

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DVDs and CDs by Fr. Pasquini
 


 

Authenticity DVD
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Consolation DVD

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Medicine of Immortality
Read by Rita Ring

2 CDs - $17.00

In Imitation of Two Hearts DVD

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Consolation CD
by Fr. John

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The Fire of His Love

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So Deep Is the Love of His Heart

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Love God, Love One Another

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He Calls Us to Action

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Coloring Book
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July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

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

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

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

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

 

  

 

  


 

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Jesus told us to repair it

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