February 24, 2003

February 24, 2003

February 24, 2003
    

It is all set to get the picture machine
but we need funds to put down.

If anyone could help us with
donations, it would help to
spread Mary's Image to the world.

Come to Clearwater, Florida
March 5, 2003

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are available
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about 1 mile north of 275
  

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(513) 777-3720

February 24, 2003 

Jesus speaks:        My Heart cries out to you to pray
                                    for My beloved souls.

                                Many souls do not even know how
                                    imperfectly they act — they
                                    do not pray for grace to see
                                    the light.

                                They do not pray for Wisdom.

Sirah 1: 1-10  

All wisdom comes from the Lord, 
    she is with him for ever. 
The sands of the sea, the drops of rain, 
    the days of eternity—who can count them? 
The height of the sky, the breadth of the earth, 
    the depth of the abyss—who can explore them? 
Wisdom was created before everything, 
    prudent understanding subsists from remotest ages. 
For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered? 
    Her resourceful ways, who knows them? 
One only is wise, terrible indeed, 
    seated on his throne, the Lord. 
It was he who created, inspected and weighed her up, 
    and then poured her out on all his works— 
as much to each living creature as he chose—
    bestowing her on those who love him.

Jesus speaks:        Some are too prideful to pray allowing
                                    God's grace to work in them, they
                                    think they do everything right, they
                                    continue acting the way they
                                    are accustomed to and try
                                    to change all around them.

                                Control is a problem.

                                Many control for the sake of control.

                                You must pray for grace to know what
                                    is right.

                                While you give into satan with your
                                    pride, much work is not
                                    being done.

                                Oh My beloved people I have all
                                    the power.

                                Do not let your pride take
                                    you over.

                                Some will lie, just to seem right.

                                What is important to them is that they
                                    are always above others,
                                    that they see themselves
                                    always having the right
                                    answer.

                                What is important is that you
                                    pray for wisdom and truth.

                                What is important that when directing
                                    others, you must pray for wisdom
                                    to do so correctly.

                                Do you pray, or are you telling yourself
                                    you are right and then want God
                                    to prove it to others?

                                I want you to read the Story in the
                                    beginning of the Bible —
  
   

Genesis Chapter 3

 The Fall

   Now, the snake was the most subtle of all the wild animals that Yahweh God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the snake, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, "You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death." ’ Then the snake said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig–leaves together to make themselves loin–cloths.

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

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

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

     To the woman he said:

     I shall give you intense pain
        in childbearing,
     you will give birth to your children
        in pain.
     Your yearning will be for your husband,
      and he will dominate you.

   To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

     Accursed be the soil because of you!
     Painfully will you get your food from it
     as long as you live.
   It will yield you brambles and thistles,
     as you eat the produce of the land.
   By the sweat of your face
     will you earn your food,
     until you return to the ground,
     as you were taken from it.
     For dust you are
     and to dust you shall return.’

   The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. Yahweh God made tunics of skins for the man and his wife and clothed them. Then Yahweh God said, ‘Now that the man has become like one of us in knowing good from evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and live for ever!’ So Yahweh God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the great winged creatures and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

    

Jesus speaks:        I want you to meditate on light.

                                Think of St. Paul and what he was
                                    doing and then he saw the light.

                                Oh pride blinds the man — you must
                                    pray to not be guilty of the
                                    sin of pride, but pray for
                                    grace to do God's will.

                                Many want Me to do what they want,
                                
                                I am God.

                                Many are so prideful in their prayers.

                                Some are so confused that they
                                    change black and white
                                    statements into statements
                                    they interpret to their liking.

                                Pray for wisdom.

                                Pray to not be full of pride.

                                Pray to see as God wants you to see.

Messenger:            The light shown on my face and
                                    I saw differently than before.

Jesus speaks:        Some are hurting so much from
                                    past relationships they do not
                                    know how they are blaming others
                                    today for their pain with others.

                                They need to look at the hidden pain
                                    within from all their relationships.

                                Some do not even realize what they do.

                                A person was very wounded, they
                                    kept saying things to hurt
                                    another to explain their
                                    pain, they never realized
                                    how they drove the other
                                    away. They made the other
                                    person in their relationship,
                                    now, responsible for all the
                                    pain that had been done to 
                                    them. They never looked at
                                    all the disappointments, wounds
                                    and sufferings of the past, - they pick
                                    a surrogate person and act out
                                    all their pain on them, emotionally
                                    controlling and hurting - using the
                                    job, the situation for their own
                                    control.

                                Those underneath others in families
                                    and businesses can use passive-
                                    aggressive ways to get control
                                    and attention. They are silent
                                    and yet their silence hurts everyone
                                    when they are an authority. They
                                    have control of the situation and
                                    that is their goal to emotionally
                                    control those around them to
                                    punish someone for their deep —
                                    seated wounds.

                                People who have suffered terrible
                                    betrayal can punish innocent
                                    people their whole life until
                                    they look at their own bitterness.
                                    Some need to cry and express the
                                    feelings and work through the
                                    process of forgiving and loving
                                    the person who has offended
                                    them.

                                Others may be given special grace
                                    to heal. I have given special
                                    grace at the Virgin Mary building
                                    the building of the Two Hearts for
                                    this changing of one's heart
                                    and seeing the situation in the light.
                                    Some are so prideful, they stuff
                                    their feelings telling themselves they
                                    are above needing any kind of
                                    help dealing with their bitterness
                                    and they heap resentment, hatred,
                                    unforgiveness as in a big box
                                    within ready to explode and
                                    punish any victim they can
                                    consistently control emotionally.

                                When the job is clear and there is
                                    "a bunch of baggage" to get to
                                    the execution of that job - then you
                                    are not doing the job for the 
                                    end product.

                                Some people spend their whole lives
                                    rescuing others.

                                They go into a room and are looking
                                    for the person to help so they
                                    can be master and above them.

                                Oh look at that poor person, they think,
                                    "I will help them" then I will
                                    feel power and satisfaction of
                                    being above them.

                                You do not see the pride in your own
                                    actions, many times.

                                You do not see your own woundedness.

                                Some project their own problems on
                                    others constantly.

                                Others have had traumatic suffering
                                    in relationships and instead of
                                    admitting they must truthfully
                                    try to recover — They close themselves
                                    up like a hard box, thinking they are
                                    so holy they don't need to face their
                                    own pain, then they project their
                                    pain on others trying to control
                                    them and emotionally punish
                                    others for their hidden pain they
                                    have locked away like hungry
                                    dogs in a basement.

                                Who will penetrate the heart of
                                    one who is prideful and punishing —
                                    their own prayers and willingness
                                    to beg for grace can help them.

                                A person unwilling to change does
                                    not want to change, they will try
                                    to manipulate everything so
                                    they will never have to change.

                                It takes grace to look at life-long
                                    behavior patterns and change them.

                                It takes willingness to always beg
                                    that one lives in the truth.

                                One little lie, stretching of the
                                    truth is a doorway to
                                    let other lies in.

                                Is your pride more important
                                    than the truth to you?

                                Do you interpret things so you
                                    will always do things your
                                    way?

                                I am giving directions to complete
                                    this mailing to the priests
                                    in the United States.

                                It is easy to follow.

                                It takes lots of prayers to accomplish
                                    it.

                                A person in need of recovery can
                                    punish others until they
                                    deal with the truth and recognize
                                    the fact they try to emotionally
                                    control others.

                                My ways are direct and steadfast.

                                Two people sat next to each other
                                    in a mailing — they worked
                                    and got the job done.

                                A person full of wounds and
                                    pride is constantly thinking
                                    of all kinds of problems
                                    they have with others — little
                                    work is accomplished, they
                                    have all these issues to settle
                                    being next to someone.

                                Two people working to accomplish
                                    a task - go to work.

                                A person with all kinds of problems
                                    in wounding relationships
                                    spends all his time and
                                    energy seeing who is in
                                    control, how are they acting,
                                    what side of the corner of their
                                    mouth are they smiling out
                                    of, etc.

                                My people while you give into satan
                                    fighting your brothers you need
                                    to work with — all My work
                                    stops and the world is growing
                                    in deeper evilness because
                                    you are not helping.

                                Do you want to help your children?

                                Get off your high-horse, you
                                    think you can control it —

                                Oh My beloved one — you live in
                                    the world and so do your
                                    children — in 2 years your
                                    influence will be so little
                                    and the world is getting worse
                                    and worse.

                                The world will be the teachers
                                    of your children soon and soon —

                                You do not live in a vacuum
                                    you better pray as I have
                                    directed for the priests, the
                                    Church and the WORLD.

                                Are you in My army or

                                    has satan taken you out — controlling
                                    your wounded heart, blaming
                                    others for wounds they did not
                                    give you.

                                You must pray for healing for yourself —
                                    the quickest way is to follow
                                    My directions here —

                                    quit reading everything into
                                        it — so you can control it —

                                    quit telling others of your
                                        wounded ways by people
                                        who didn't even hurt you.

                                    You give into satan because of
                                        what is inside of you.

                                    What is in your heart —

                                        is it pride
                                            jealousy
                                            the need to control —
                                            untruthfulness
                                            bitterness

Matthew 15: 17-20

Can’t you see that whatever goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is discharged into the sewer? But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and it is this that makes someone unclean. For from the heart come evil intentions: murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, slander. These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating with unwashed hands does not make anyone unclean.’

Jesus speaks:         While you are playing your
                                        games, my work isn't
                                        being accomplished and

                                    Your own children and grandchildren
                                        are suffering from the world.

                                What a soldier you are!

                                    You have been laid in a bunker
                                        when the barrel is at your
                                        head because your feelings
                                        are hurt and you need to control.

                                    Believe Me they will shoot your
                                        head and kill your children.

                                    Satan wants souls.

                                    He is evil.

                                    He wants to take them to hell.

                                    You worry about your
                                        body and souls are
                                        dropping into hell
                                        like rain.

                                    Satan is laughing —

                                    Oh the children —

                                    Oh the children

                                No one can tell you, you
                                    are wrong because of your
                                    pride and your need to
                                    control.

                                When I asked you to help Me
                                    you said no to Me
                                    and continued your
                                    stubborn, imperfect ways.

                                You don't even tell yourself
                                    the truth when you
                                    are disappointed —
                                    you blame someone
                                    else and try to get
                                    your power in ways against
                                    My will.

                                A good mother and father loves their 
                                    children.

                                Because the child has swayed from
                                    doing what they should — a good
                                    parent loves the child and
                                    prays for them.

                                The good parent is not looking for
                                    their own selfish gain with
                                    a child —

                                Some parents think their children
                                    should fill their unmet needs
                                    of loving —

                                    Can you see the ill effects
                                    on the children?

                                A healthy good parent prays for the
                                    children no matter what they
                                    have done, they love them and
                                    want the child to have their eternal
                                    reward.

                                How are your relationships with
                                    your children? Do they exist
                                    to fill your needs?

                                A mother once said when the children
                                    were "up and grown" and seemed
                                    so busy with their own lives —

                                I love them so deeply — no matter
                                    what they are doing — it isn't
                                    I love one more than another
                                    because of what they have
                                    done for me —

                                I love them all so very deeply —

                                I just love them —

                                I want so much for them to go
                                    to heaven —

                                Oh My people

                                    How pure is your love?

                                    Do  your relationships exist
                                        to fill your wounds and
                                        do you emotionally control
                                        others?

                                I have called you in My army to
                                    help Me.

                                Depending on your maturity and
                                    how you yourself, live
                                    truthfully is how you will 
                                    serve Me.

                                How pure is your love for souls —

                                Or was your relationship with
                                    Shepherds of Christ because
                                    you wanted a family to fill
                                    your needs and blame your 
                                    old wounds on.

                                I have called you in My army —
                                    your arms are your hearts
                                    filled with My love —

                                    Some are babies —

                                        they wanted the milk from
                                            the bottle or breast they
                                            never got —

                                        Some wanted the love they
                                            never got from a failed
                                            marriage —

                                I called you to serve Me —

                                I outpoured My love to you in

                                        God's Blue Book —

                                I took you deeply into My heart —

                                    Some came and learned and gave
                                        very little back and
                                        gave very little to other souls and
                                        then they started criticizing
                                        My Movement after I gave
                                        them so much —

                                the folly of it is —

                                    is - you do not see the work of satan
                                    in your inactive, bitter life,
                                    Some have a pressure cooker
                                    filled with bitterness and anger
                                    from past relationships and they
                                    want to be held like babies,

                                they want a wife to tell them they
                                    are #1 and they are loved
                                    every second of every day —
  

                         I love you every moment of every day
                              and more and

                                I love My precious souls this way —

                                Your children are being given poison
                                    in the world —

                                    Soon the grandbabies will be given
                                    the same diet and

                                are you the mother that says —

                                    "I love them no matter what"

                                or the

                                    bitter mother that wants the
                                        birthday present and mother's day
                                        card or she will not talk to them —

                                How is your heart —

                                Evil comes from within —

                                        malice

                                        envy

                                        selfishness

                                        jealousy

                                        contemplation of ill deeds

                                        anger —

                                LOOK AT YOUR HEART
  
                                have you grown in My image

                                    and likeness —

 Jesus speaks:                           I gave the last drop of My Blood — 
 

                                    your anger and bitterness is eating
                                    you away more than the ill deeds
                                    of your fellows you blame
 
                                    and robbing your heart of
                                    happiness to know Me -
                                    and know you are helping this
                                    troubled world.

Stations of the Cross

FEBRUARY 22, 1995

The First Station JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH Jesus: My dear child, with angry hearts and hatred on their faces, they poked at Me and condemned Me to death. I stood so silent, My hands tied, in perfect peace, because I knew the Father's love. I knew the Father's Will. You too will stand your trials in perfect peace, the more you realize the immense love the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have for you. Pray to the Spirit to transform you more and more into My image and, through this transformation, you will be led ever closer to the Father. Oh, how I love you!

The Second Station THEY GIVE JESUS THE CROSS Jesus: They gave Me a heavy cross, laden with the sins of the world. They placed it on My shoulder. It was so heavy I felt as if My shoulder would break. I ask you to carry little crosses, to experience little pains. I could not remove this cross from My shoulder. The weight was unbearable. It is through My suffering and death that you receive new life. It is through your sufferings this day that you will grow in your life with Me. Oh, child, I loved you so much that I took up the cross of salvation. I love you. Please realize that I am talking to you here. To My death I loved you. Oh, how I love you!

The Third Station JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME Jesus: The cross was so heavy I could hardly walk. I held on to My cross for greatest love of you and in compliance with the Will of My Father. It became so hard to walk! The cross was so heavy! I fell. I fell and the cross fell on Me. They poked at Me, they struck Me, they demanded I get up. The pain from the instruments they used to poke Me and strike Me was so great! I somehow managed to get up. When you fall under the weight of your cross, come to My Eucharistic Heart. I am no less present in the tabernacle and in the Eucharist than on the day I carried My cross. I wait with the same love that I had for you when I carried this cross and suffered such agony. Oh, how I love you!

The Fourth Station JESUS AND MARY MEET Jesus: I saw the face of My beautiful Mother. She was weak, her face reddened and full of tears. I saw her tender heart, her love, her anguish, her pain. I saw My dear Mother Mary. My Heart was comforted by the sight of her, but torn by her suffering. Mary: As I looked into the eyes of my beloved Son, I saw His love. His head, bleeding and wounded. His body weak. His clothes covered with blood. I looked into His eyes and I saw His love for you. I call out to you today. I appear today with a face full of anguish and tears. I appear to call you back to the love of my Son. See through my eyes, as I peer into His eyes, the love He has for you this day to give of Himself for you. Oh, He loves you so much, my little children. See through my eyes the love of my Son. Oh, how He loves you!

The Fifth Station SIMON OF CYRENE IS FORCED TO HELP JESUS CARRY HIS CROSS Jesus: The cross was so heavy I could not move. My persecutors became angry and forced a man to help Me. The cross was so heavy the two of us could barely move it. How is your cross today? Does it seem so heavy you cannot go on? I am forever watching you. When you are suffering the greatest, I am very close to you. It is in immense suffering that you realize My great love for you. Pray for grace to do always the Father's Will. Pray for grace to grow in your knowledge and love of Me.

The Sixth Station VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS Jesus: My face was covered with blood. From the crowd Veronica came forward with a cloth to wipe My face. On the cloth I gave to you an imprint of My bloodied face. This, My children, remains with you this day as a sign of My immense love for you. But more than any cloth, look beyond the visible consecrated host. I, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, remain with you, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist this day, waiting and longing to be with you. Oh, how I love you!

The Seventh Station JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME Jesus: Oh, dear ones, the road became harder and harder to walk. The cross was becoming heavier, My body weaker and weaker. My shoulders and arms hurt so much! My head throbbed as I walked. The blood came from My body, from My head to My feet. I was covered with open wounds. I could not go any farther. I stumbled and fell. Again they poked at Me, only harder, and with such hatred they kicked Me. Such vileness in the hearts of men! My greatest agony was not the agonies of My body, but the agonies of My heart for the love I have for all My precious souls. I loved them so dearly. I loved those who persecuted Me. Oh, how I love you!

The Eighth Station JESUS MEETS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM Jesus: The women came to Me with their children, their tender hearts crying and wanting to comfort Me. I saw their love, their care. I saw the coldness of men's hearts for all time, the hatred, the anger, the sins, all the souls that, despite all of My sufferings and death, would be condemned to eternal damnation. I told the women to weep not for Me, but for themselves and their children. My greatest agonies were the agonies of My Most Sacred Heart. Oh, how I love you!

The Ninth Station JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME Jesus Falls the Third Time Jesus: I fell hard the third time. I was so weakened I could not go on. My body collapsed under the cross from such exhaustion! My child, My child, My greatest agonies were not the wounds to the body. They were the wounds I experienced to My heart. Do you know a little more now how I love you? It is in meditating on My Passion and death that you will realize My immense love for you. When you fall, when you struggle, I give you the grace to get up. I never give you more than you can handle. Your strength will come from Me. Come to My Eucharistic Heart. I am waiting for you this day. Oh, how I love you!

The Tenth Station JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS Jesus: They took Me to the hill to crucify Me. They angrily stripped Me of My garments. They took off My clothes to whip Me. They had covered My bloody wounds with a dirty purple robe. Now, total surrender-they took off My clothes. I showed you the way to surrender, always complying with the Will of the Father. It is in living in His Will that you will have peace and joy, and life eternal some day. Oh, how I love you!

The Eleventh Station THEY NAIL JESUS TO THE CROSS Messenger: See Mary as she holds the little Baby Jesus. See her as she washes His tender hands and feet. See her now as she watches as they pound into those same hands and feet the gigantic nails that fix Jesus to the cross. Mary: Oh, my dear ones, my heart was torn in my chest as they nailed His hands and feet to the cross. I ask you this day to walk the Passion with me and see through my eyes the love He has for you. He truly was nailed to the cross. Jesus: They pounded the nails into My first hand, then they stretched My body and nailed My other hand. The blood poured from these wounds that went totally through My hands. My pain was so immense, but then they nailed My feet! You do not know what pain I suffered, My child. My children, My children, for each one of you I suffered this pain. Oh, how I loved you!

The Twelfth Station JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS (Silence.) Messenger: He hung for three agonizing hours on the cross against the darkened sky. His greatest agonies were not the agonies of His body, but those of His Heart for the great love He has for each and every soul. Jesus: I gave Myself to you, My dear ones. I gave My all. I hung with My arms spread in total surrender. My head was punctured; My hands and feet were nailed to the cross. I gave Myself to you. I give Myself to you this day in the Eucharist. I give Myself to you. I, God, give you Myself! What more do you want? Song: Oh, burning Heart, oh, Love divine, etc. Messenger: They pierced His Heart with a lance and what flowed forth was blood and water, the sacramental life of the Church, water for Baptism and blood for the Eucharist. His life, death and resurrection live on in the Church this day.

The Thirteenth Station JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND PLACED IN THE ARMS OF HIS MOTHER Messenger: His totally lifeless body was placed in the arms of His most loving Mother. As she had held the little baby body in her arms, she now received His bloodied, bruised body in her arms. This is how He obeyed the Father's Will. Jesus gave His life for us. The Father gave His only Son because He loves us so much. Mary, His Mother, our Mother and the Mother of the Church, is forever by His side. See Jesus in the arms of His loving Mother under the cross. This is love. Mary: I held His lifeless body in my arms. See through my eyes the love He has for you this day. He gives Himself to you today in the Eucharist. He loves you so much!

The Fourteenth Station JESUS IS LOCKED IN THE TOMB Messenger: His enemies rolled the stone up to the tomb and were pleased to have buried Jesus. Mary, outside the tomb, wept bitterly. The cold reality that He was dead! But death has no power over Jesus for on the third day He rose, triumphant, from the tomb! We are partakers in His divine life. Death has no power over Jesus. He is with us this day. He comes to bring us life to the full. He loves us so much!

Talk by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
given to the Apostles in the 
Shepherds of Christ Movement
   

February 1, 1998
   

    Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen all of you at once in the same place. It’s a tremendous treat for me. So praise be the Lord. Let’s start with the Holy Spirit Prayer.

    Come, Holy Spirit, almighty Sanctifier, God of love, who filled the Virgin Mary with grace, who wonderfully changed the hearts of the apostles, who endowed all Your martyrs with miraculous courage, come and sanctify us. Enlighten our minds, strengthen our wills, purify our consciences, rectify our judgment, set our hearts on fire, and preserve us from the misfortunes of resisting Your inspirations. Amen.

    ...So after I talk here I will have to depart and leave the praying to you at this place. I’ll be praying with you as I drive away...  

    ...I’m spending much more time on the newsletter now. Our Lord had been calling me to do that for months but it was when I was fully active it was very, very hard to get the time to really spread it around the world like He wanted to, although we had been working with the English edition trying to get that in more and more countries. We are in about eighty or more countries with the English edition... 

    And in cases where it needs translation, for instance, the Spanish edition we translate that up here, we print it up here and we bulk mail it.

    [Note: He talks about the spread of the Newsletter to priests and bishops in Central, South America in Spanish, Africa, India, French speaking, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia]

    ...It is Our Lord’s wish along with the prayer chapters that this be considered our primary ministry, the Newsletter. So please, please, please, please pray for it’s continued success and expansion. It is so extremely important because as you know, if you can change the heart of one priest, he is in a position to do so, so much good with even thousands of people. And we have received extremely encouraging letters over the years that the newsletters been published from priests, how it’s helped them out on their own spiritual life but in their ministries, giving them homilies and so forth. And from bishops which are highly encouraging commending us on the quality and the worthwhileness of the newsletter.

        

• Dear Father Carter,
  
      For years I have received Shepherds of Christ Newsletter; I do not know who put me on your mailing list, but I’m grateful to you both. Since I first began to receive the newsletter I have been assigned as the Director of Formation Advising for the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
  
      I would like to know if it would be possible to make a bulk order so that our seminarians could benefit from the newsletter as well. I will make sure they are distributed to our seminarians. At present we have about 200 seminarians and student priests on our campus, all eager for good spiritual reading!
  
      Please let me know if we can make an arrangement for the delivery of the newsletter here at the college.
  
      Please keep our faculty and seminarians in your prayers.
  
  Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. J. Mark Williams
Director of Formation Advising
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State

     

[He then talks about funds for the Newsletter.]

    I think I came to speak to you today because I think we’re at a very, very significant point of the Shepherds of Christ Movement as it marches into the new era of which was promised by Our Lady of Fatima. And I think the Movement is basically strong, basically healthy but I think we need a recommitment of ourselves to the Movement precisely because much more is being asked of us. We have three centers to staff not only with people but with materials.

    So as we go on in what Our Lord wants us to do, we just need a deeper commitment to the Movement just like the spiritual life in general. You never stand still on the spiritual journey. I mean spiritual masters have always told us this, you either go back or you go forward.

    And so it is with the Movement, we just don’t stand still. We have to keep on deepening our commitment to the Movement individually and collectively or it’s not going to move forward obviously. So I guess you can say that’s the main reason I thought it was very important that I come here today to speak to you to ask you to renew your commitment to Our Lord in the Movement. And to put some thoughts before (you) which hopefully will help you to renew your commitment.

    I’ll begin by reminding all of us of the great, great privilege it is to have been called to this Movement. I’ve said this before, I say it now even with deeper conviction, I really believe that this will go down in history as one of the great Movements in the history of the Church. And if you reflect upon what we’ve been called to do, I don’t think it’s hard to come to that conclusion. I don’t know of any just taking our ministry to the priests with the newsletter and with the prayer chapters whose primary duty is to pray for the priests as well as the whole human race. But I am unaware of any other Movement in the history of the Church which has tried to reach all priests the world over with the newsletter and the prayer chapters to the extent that we are trying to do so. So just those two ministries in themselves I think point to the greatness of this Movement. Then our many other ministries: the rosaries, the consecration of the schools, the nursing home, prison ministries are all our various publications. So much wonderful literature, rosary in the homes, one of our newest ministries, the couples rosary and the spirituality which comes out of that and we hope to work more and more nationally to strengthen marriage and family life through working with couples as couples.

    So if you look at what we are doing with the tremendous amount of materials which are being distributed from the Florida site and through orders from this site and through other sites.  

    So again I think this is one of the great, great Movements in the history of the Church. And we have to pinch ourselves every once in awhile and nudge ourselves and realize the great calling we have been given to work in this Movement. I think there has been a certain, despite all the great work which is being done, I think there is a certain stagnation which has set in to a certain degree and we have to jolt ourselves out of that and recommit ourselves.

    St. John of the Cross in one of his writings says—of course he is one of the greatest mystical theologians in the history of the Church and in one of his writings he says, “What does it profit you to give God one thing if He wishes for another? Consider what it is God wants and then do it.”

    Let’s read that again together “What does it profit you to give God one thing if He wishes for another? Consider what it is God wants and then do it.”

    [Father Carter is speaking to Servants and Handmaids of the Good Shepherd—]

  

  

    [Apostles who dedicate themselves completely to the Shepherds of Christ Ministries—]

  

   

  

   

    Applying that to our calling to Shepherds of Christ—there’s more work to this Movement than any of us, individually or all put together can ever attend to properly. What I am getting at, if you really feel you’ve been called to this Movement and especially to the apostle's level, I am suggesting to you very fervently and hopefully, persuasively, the Shepherds of Christ Ministries can use all the spare time, all the ministerial time you have to give to the work of the Kingdom. You don’t have to go around looking for other ministries to contribute your time to. You are free to do that, you are free to leave the Movement at any time. We are not forcing anyone to stay, we hope everybody stays but we have had people leave.

    So there should always be that, that sense of freedom if you want to lessen off your commitment or hopefully it would never happen, but if you would chose to leave the commitment, Jesus respects your freewill.

    But looking at it again positively I’m suggesting to you—there is so much work to be done in the Movement. So this first day of February which happened to be the month of the feast of St. Claude de la Columbiere, February the 15th, who has been one of the greatest apostles to the devotion to the Heart of Jesus in the history of the Church, so in a certain sense it’s a type of month of the Sacred Heart because of his feast, so I ask that all of us renew our commitment to the Movement. And again realize the great privilege, that’s one of the first ways to persevere in the Movement and to grow in the Movement, everyday to thank God for the great graces He has given you in the Movement.

    And I ask you just briefly to look back over your lives, now compared to when you joined the Movement. Has not Our Lord through Our Lady drawn you so, so, so much closer to Them. And He in turn has led you so much closer to the Father and the Spirit. The chairman of our theology department, the first departmental meeting when he took over, he said Xavier has been very good to me, now I feel it’s payback time and I think I should serve the University being chair of the Theology department. Being chair of a department, it’s really a pain of any department. But those words stick in my mind, he says now it is payback time. I should payback Xavier for all the good Xavier has done to me. I suggest we keep that in mind in reference to Jesus in His Movement. It’s always payback time. He does not give us graces and gifts in the Movement just for ourselves. Every gift of Jesus has a social dimension, it’s meant not only for my own spiritual growth, but for growth of the Kingdom. And so if we find ourselves becoming somewhat complacent in our gifts received through the Movement and not properly using them at least to the full extent that we could and helping to spread the Movement, helping to spread the Kingdom, then let us resolve here and now to do better.

    Perseverance in the Movement—all vocations, all callings need perseverance. I pray for perseverance as a Jesuit every day of my life. I pray for perseverance. I’m suggesting to all of us that we pray for perseverance in the Movement and not just a status quo type of perseverance, but pray for a perseverance which will allow us to dynamically grow and be greater apostles in the Movement. And we have to take the means to persevere.

    First of all, of course, is Mass and communion, then our visit to the Blessed Sacrament, saying the rosary and listening to at least five minutes a day to a live rosary which Rita receives, praying the hourly prayers without feeling overburdened. If you begin to feel overburdened by the hourly novena just make a 30 second prayer, say Jesus, say the three invocations, “Lord ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, through the intercession of Mary, thy most holy mother I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted” and just say we pray for all needs of the Shepherds of Christ Movement and the other two invocations. You can do that in about 30 seconds. And then at times of course when you have the time and you feel moved bring in the specific intentions. But that hourly prayer has great power to keep our motivation up but it should not on the other hand feel burdensome to you. If it feels burdensome to you for any length of time, just use the short form for quite a while.

    [Note: servants and handmaids and apostles of the Good Shepherd of the Shepherds of Christ Movement go to daily Mass and spend one hour before the tabernacle and pray hourly for the priests, the Church and the world.]

    Reading the Blue Book messages, at least just a few minutes a day, can do wonders to help us persevere in the Movement. Renew your love and commitment to the Movement. Included in that renewed love and commitment I think should be a resolution that we don’t bad mouth the Movement, certainly not to those outside the Movement, certainly not even to those within the Movement. We have problems, we always have had some, we always will, the universal Church has monumental problems. But we have to learn how to handle the problems responsibly. If you have a significant problem please contact John or Rita, talk it over with them, with me if you feel so called. They usually report problems to me. I’m in constant contact with them. Currently I talk to them each day about the Movement, what’s going on, strong points, weak points and so forth. If you have problems with the Movement, don’t spread your problem with the problems to somebody else who starts to think negatively also.

    I mean go to Jesus, of course, first of all, but then bring your problem to somebody who has the authority in the Movement to handle it. That’s very, very important, 'cause our loyalty and love for the Movement, I think are significantly harmed when we don’t take that approach. Obedience in the Movement is going to become more and more important as the Movement grows. Any organization needs a certain structure, a hierarchy of command, obedience to legitimate authority. When John asks you to do something, please try to answer his request. If you can’t, just tell him I can’t do it now. When he directs you to do something, which is stronger than a request, don’t give him a hard time. Jesus wants obedience in the Movement. No Movement can survive or progress without obedience, without a structure of command. John has a terrifically difficult job. Don’t make it more difficult for him by, as I say, giving him a hard time or by never answering his request for help.

    I understand that the level of volunteerism here at the center has gradually slackened off over recent months, and it is very difficult to get people together to do our mailings. We can’t keep depending on just a few people all the time. Here again it’s payback time. I mean everyday is payback time. You can never fully repay Jesus for what He has done for us or what He continues to do for us. Now we have to use Christian prudence in all this, we’ve got family duties; we’ve got other duties that’s God’s will for us. We have to take care of those. But granting all those other calls on our time and our energy, if Jesus has called you to this Movement, He’s called each and every one of you, then He expects you to live up to your commitment. And if it’s always looked upon, if you feel it’s always more of a burden than a privilege, then I think a person has to consider, 'Shall I stay in the Movement?' Jesus loves a cheerful giver. Suffering is involved, is it not? Any following of Christ involves suffering. Any non following of Christ brings suffering, and a greater suffering—those who don’t believe, who don’t have any religious faith or conviction. They end up suffering much more than we who suffer in the following of Christ.

    I would like to read you something that I’ve written on suffering that will appear in the next newsletter—

   

FATHER CARTER'S VOICE WAS VERY SAD
and VERY LOVING.

      

        Excerpt from Priestly Newsletter 1998 Issue 1

Suffering

To follow Jesus entails a willingness to suffer for Him and His cause. The furthering of any worthwhile cause demands a spirit of sacrifice, a willingness to endure a variety of hardships and difficulties. We cannot expect it to be otherwise regarding the cause of Christ. To help further the process of ongoing redemption demands a price.

There is an almost endless variety of pains, sufferings, and difficulties which can arise in following Jesus and promoting His cause. At times seeing few, if any, visible results of our labors, feeling unappreciated, experiencing opposition, sometimes comprehending that we are being hated precisely by some of those whom we are striving to help, at times being laughed at and ridiculed—these are some of the ways we experience the sufferings of an apostle.

The suffering involved in contributing to the process of ongoing redemption is not, however, the complete picture. The happiness resulting from commitment to Christ and His mission far outweighs the hardships. To be aware that one is so intimately loved by Jesus, to experience the satisfaction that one is contributing to a cause that cannot fail, to play a role in helping to bring to others the love and peace of Jesus—all of this makes for a life that has no equal. The committed follower of Christ, experiencing what it means to be closely associated with Jesus, realizes why St. Peter said, Lord,…it is wonderful for us to be here. (Mt. 17:4). 

  

Father Carter's talk continues

    So in God’s plan in the following of Christ, suffering is always meant to lead to greater life here and hereafter, not only greater life for us as we grow in Jesus through the proper handling of suffering, but also greater life in the sense that we become more apt instruments for channeling His life to others, as we are purified by His suffering, so that we may more and more allow Him to live in and through and for us. One of the greatest Apostles of all times of suffering showing us the place of suffering in the Christian dispensation is St. Paul. He brings out this theme of death-resurrection of Jesus and our participation in it in various places in his writing. I think one of the most dramatic of those places is in

   

2 Corinthians 4: 7-11

         The hardships and hopes of the apostolate

But we hold this treasure in pots of earthenware, so that the immensity of the power is God’s and not our own. We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our body. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are continually being handed over to death, for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our mortal flesh.

    

Father Carter's talk continues

    So we suffer with Jesus, so that here below and in eternity, so that we may live more with Him, and that we may become more fit instruments for helping to channel His life to others. We have a particular way of doing that, a magnificent way within the Shepherds of Christ Movement. He hung upon a cross on a hill called Calvary. He had already suffered so much, had He not? He had been brutally scourged at the pillar, crowned with thorns, laughed at, ridiculed, without sleep. He had to carry the heavy cross up the hill, upon reaching the hill He was mercilessly nailed to the cross. He hung there in that agonizing suffering until death came. His side was pierced and from His pierced Heart flowed blood and water, symbols of sacramental life in the Church, Baptism and the Eucharist. And as He hung on that cross nearing death in that brutalized suffering, St. Francis de Sales, who was a Doctor of the Church—a Doctor of the Church means that the Church recognizes not only the great holiness of the person, but the great learning, the great wisdom—in one of his classic works, St. Francis de Sales, his work Treatise on God's Divine Love, he says, “As Jesus hung upon the cross there in that brutal suffering each of us was present to Him. He knew each of us intimately and the perfect one gave His last drop of blood for you and for me.” So if we ever have problems with our motivation in the Movement, I suggest that we come to the foot of the cross and we realize what Jesus has done for me and continues to do. It is payback time. St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, has left us this beautiful prayer, “Lord teach me to be generous, teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward save that of knowing that I do your will.”  

      

    Now I will give the blessing. May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain forever. Amen.

end of Father Carter's talk February 1, 1998