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Shepherds of Christ |
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April 13, 2011
April 14th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 4 Period I.The Novena Rosary Mysteries
for April 14th are Glorious.
April 13th begins 12 noon
April 13th - Mass 4:00pm
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April 13, 2011
Jesus: I come with the sweet air to
refresh you — When the waters
come and rain falls I give
you refreshment — I am in the
gifts all around you — The sounds
that surround you are far better
than any surround sound — the
chirping of the birds, the wind
the sweet softness of nature —
So you hear a clock ticking
and you are right to know every
tick brings you closer to the
day you can pass out of this
world to Me — the day for which I
wanted you to go after your
journey here to Me —
I never leave you, you know
the moments I spend with you
now like moments of reality —
the unseen, but so very real to you
for I have imparted to you more and
more clear vision — the years go
by to show you a greater clarity
in this reality — you know on
faith —
Your children grow, your body
ages, your friends have come
and some gone, your family
goes through their days of life and
grows larger as you live, little
babies turn into moms and dads
and their children grow to special
persons of their own —
Life and its realities — secrets
I impart to you more and more
about loving and forgiving and
relationship —
Holding on to My truth as you
go — as if you were able
to actually see it, but only in
the unseen do you really grasp
its meaning as you watch it
played out by people struggling
as in a play to know a script and
not really reading the lines to be
played as they were intended by
the Creator —
How is your performance in
the play of your life — Have you
grasped the author of life is
God and the Father wrote the
Plan for you to follow —
Have you changed the lines
and the director says "No" "No"
that is not the real truth and
you rebel against him, hoping
to change the play as you write
the script your way and other
actors try to write it their way
and there is dissonance in the
orchestra that shows the
underlying current of your
disharmony —
The Father created an orderly,
harmonious, world and He gifted
men with all they needed for
happiness on earth and they
fell because of pride and disobedience —
Now with your woundedness
I watch you play — so disharmoniously
and like a woodland concert
you miss the order because you
write your own rules —
A man wanted to play golf and
a young lad didn't want to
exert the effort to learn anything
because it took discipline and
he wanted it with no effort —
He wanted it infused with no
effort —
You may have guessed his
free strokes — his freedom
was a mess, his efforts
to make points were only of
his own willfulness with
discipline and he wasn't doing
well at all —
Now the pope is the vicar of the
Church and he speaks for Me
and tells you great things —
The pope guides the Church in
truth and the Church helps
strengthen the whole world
if they follow the truth
given there —
I am the author of love —
I created the rules for you
to live harmoniously, in order
in love —
The 10 commandments given
on a tablet, but the rules
I give should be steeped in your
hearts in love —
A man went out to cut his
grass one day and in the grass
one had sown such weeds his
grass was being choked out at its
roots — The roots of the weeds had
taken over and his grass was
little grass at all and mostly
weeds —
Another man came to start a
golf course and he said — Oh
this turf is weeds — how
could a man play golf on the
weeds?
I rule the earth and the weeds
are many — I write My rule of
love on the hearts of those who
follow Me and their light and
love of their hearts goes beyond
what men see with their eyes —
It is in the love reverberating
in the heart of the man that
is known in love as ripples
on a pond —
You hear birds if you listen —
and they sing sweetly and in
a tone that does not interfere
with anything, what a gift
to make noise that is truly
there, but is sweet and adds
as if almost a melody hidden
to your enjoyment of life and
yet this melody is there and you
hear it, if you focus on it
and listen —
Do they, the birds, sing a tune —
Oh no — you say — they don't sing
a tune, but its pretty — a pretty
tone, no music notes written,
being available for enjoyment
if you want it, chirping
whistling in the tune you
desire — no music — no volume
controls — automatic power
like a dimmer switch not there,
a song sung without notes,
a presence of the woodland
creatures —
And what about the sea,
the creatures there, the balance
of it all, the beauty of the
coral, the different fish —
the tiniest to the very large —
What about their life — so
many are not even aware of —
Jesus: I come to you to bring you
life — So you will have it to the
full in heaven
I want you to focus on this
time in your life —
Close your eyes
Stop and listen to the noise —
Do you look at what went before
you and see your life as
a journey that brought
you here today —
Know in China in the Church
I am Jesus, truly present
in My Divinity and humanity
in the Eucharist —
I am the Son of God —
You see the host you know
I'm here to love and care
for you —
Sing: I Love You Jesus
Jesus: Awake now —
As if waking from a long sleep
to the awareness — you
know I am truly with you —
You are content to know you
don't have to fear —
just let go to Me —
Let go, Let go, Let go
Sing: Little Child —
Jesus: The world went before you —
long before you arrived a little
baby — formed from cells —
a little baby growing in
your mother's womb —
Let go now —
Let go — you didn't run the universe
before you —
It will go on after you go —
Why you fear —
Why do you act as if you should
put disorder into the
world and not order and love —
What is your contribution from
this day until you die —
Breathe in peace
Breathe in and say JESUS
Again — breathe —
Let go —
Pray to be empty of dirt —
unforgiveness —
your shoulders are up —
your teeth tight —
your body tense —
Will you relax?
Will you let go?
Sing: Little Child
Sing: A Song from Jesus
Jesus: I give you My Word —
I give you My truth —
I remain with you, truly present
and you fear —
Song: Why do We Hurt the Ones we Love
Jesus: Let go now
Let go now
Sing: Live This Day
Hebrews 1: 1-2
At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages.
Jesus: Some have come into this world
learning little of this
human drama —
Some died who grasped little
of life's meaning —
You were born in the human
family —
How have you served to make
this world a better place?
I give you this Movement —
I have called you Myself —
Can you not pray to make a stronger
commitment to God's Plan?
You who know just so little
of life's real meaning?
Listen to the birds, they are
telling you their story —
Pray to love God,
Pray to love the souls of the earth,
Pray for the souls in purgatory
From the Spirituality Handbook by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
2
Chapter Guidelines for Shepherds of Christ Associates
A primary purpose of the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates is to pray for all priests throughout the world in all their needs. A coequal purpose is to provide a spiritual way of life for members of the chapters. The chapters are to pray in a special way for the spiritual success of the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ. Prayer for the acquisition of monetary funds to publish the letter is also in order. The chapters are to meet on a regular basis, with the members of each chapter to determine the exact frequency of meetings. All chapters are encouraged to meet on a weekly basis. If for various other reasons certain chapters cannot meet weekly, they should meet at least once a month.
All persons--lay persons, diocesan clergy, and priests, brothers, and sisters in religious life--are invited to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. Those who are already committed to a certain way of spiritual life may adapt the spirituality of Shepherds of Christ Associates to their own particular spirituality.
In addition to the purpose of the chapters as put forth above, the members of each chapter are encouraged to help raise money to defray some of the newsletter publication costs and some of the financial needs of the Shepherds of Christ Associates movement. One way for chapters to financially aid the newsletter is to pledge to pay for a certain number of newsletters each year. Our Lord has asked that the newsletter be sent to the priests free of charge, although donations may be requested in the newsletter itself.
A further purpose of the chapters is to undertake those activities which Jesus, through the Spiritual Director, further reveals to be His will.
The formation of as many chapters as is reasonably possible is to be encouraged. Multiple chapters may exist in the same city or area. Each chapter is to have its own local coordinator, and each country its own national coordinator.
A periodic newsletter for associates will be published to help establish the desired bond or union between all chapters and all members.
Members of Shepherds of Christ Associates pledge their loyal support to the Holy Father, the Pope, and to the teaching authority of the Church.
Shepherds of Christ Associates exists under Church law as provided in canons 298 and 299.
The existence and activity of all chapters is to be placed under the special protection and guidance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Chapters exist so that they may, according to the mission of Shepherds of Christ Associates, help to establish the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. All chapter members are strongly encouraged to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
end of excerpt
Act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
"Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock, I consecrate myself to Your most Sacred Heart. From Your pierced Heart the Church was born, the Church You have called me, as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, to serve in a most special way. You reveal Your Heart as a symbol of Your love in all its aspects, including Your most special love for me, whom You have chosen as Your companion in this most important work. Help me to always love You in return. Help me to give myself entirely to You. Help me always to pour out my life in love of God and neighbor! Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You!
"Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, I consecrate myself to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, this Heart which is symbol of your life of love. You are the Mother of my Savior. You are also my Mother. You love me with a most special love as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, a movement created by your Son as a powerful instrument for the renewal of the Church and the world. In a return of love, I give myself entirely to your motherly love and protection. You followed Jesus perfectly. You are His first and perfect disciple. Teach me to imitate you in the putting on of Christ. Be my motherly intercessor so that, through your Immaculate Heart, I may be guided to an ever closer union with the pierced Heart of Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock."
From the Spirituality Handbook by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
Summary
We have given a proposed way of spiritual life for members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. All aspects of this way of life center in the living out of the act of consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Making and living out this consecration is our return of love to Jesus and Mary and, through them, our return of love to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, our consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is also consecration to the Father and the Holy Spirit. We should always remember that our consecration to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart is the way according to which Jesus and Mary invite us to live out our baptismal consecration, the consecration which originally made us belong to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us always remember that we go to the Father through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, with Mary our Mother at our side.
We strongly encourage members of Shepherds of Christ Associates to reread regularly all of the above in a prayerful manner. This will provide an ongoing aid to help members grow in their consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Relationship with Others and the World-at-large
The true Christian is imbued with a proper consciousness of others. That is to say, the true Christian is keenly aware that a great part of God's plan for us tells us that we must, according to His will, relate in various ways to our fellow human beings. Indeed, the Christian imperative tells us that we are to walk life's path, not in isolation, but hand in hand with our brothers and sisters of the human family.
To relate to others according to God's will, we must be properly aware of who they really are. We must, in short, be able to go beneath surface appearances, which may or may not be appealing to us, and contact others in their core existence. When we are truly in touch with others at the core of their beings, we are aware of their awesome dignity. We are conscious that these persons are created and redeemed by God's love. We are conscious that our merciful and loving Jesus shed His last drop of blood for each of them, that His Heart was pierced on the cross because He loved each of them without measure! We are conscious that this magnificent, pierced Heart, now in Its glorified state, still beats with the most special love for each individual upon this earth. Realizing all this, and doing so consistently, gives us the basis and the motivation to try to relate to all--both those we directly contact and those billions we never physically meet--with the greatest love.
In order to be in touch with the inner self of others, we must be aware of, or in touch with, our own true self. This awareness is a realization that our self is likewise made in the image of God, that we have been redeemed by Christ, and that we can only find true happiness through the constant effort to grow in love of God and neighbor. Here, then, we can see the profound interaction among the three awarenesses and loves--awareness and love of God, neighbor, and self. As Christians, consequently, we should have a maturing sense of how our existence is, in varied ways, profoundly linked with the existence of others. Again, this feeling of union with others is not limited to those we directly meet, but, in various ways, is directed to all members of the human family.
The world in which we live is an amazing mixture of that which is good and beautiful and brilliant and that which is sinful and ugly and dreadful. We have the privilege and responsibility of shaping this contemporary world according to its Christological imprint. Jesus put this image of Himself upon the world order by the way He lived and died and rose. We have to help in directing our fellow humans and their values along the path which has been made by the footprints of Jesus of Nazareth--a task that is not always easy. There are so many forces in today's world that work against Christ, His message, and the order He came to establish! But are we going to allow the forces of evil to discourage us from doing all we possibly can to make this a better world according to the designs of Christ? Jesus paid a terrible price to redeem the world. His Heart, which was pierced on the cross for our redemption, cries out to us in His great love for us. He asks us to do our part in helping make the world better reflect His image. In response to the great love which the Heart of Jesus has for each of us, let us, in union with Mary our Mother, often ask ourselves, "What have I done for Christ, what am I now doing for Christ, what am I going to do for Christ?"
The Cross Leads to Life
Our incorporation into Christ at Baptism, and the gradual nurturing in that life, is centered in the pattern of death-resurrection. Indeed, the theme of death-resurrection is at the heart of salvation history. Let us briefly consider its place in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in our own lives, always remembering that any form of death--that is, any form of suffering--is meant to lead to greater life, greater peace, greater happiness.
The theme of death-resurrection is at the heart of Old Testament history. The Jewish people, under the leadership of Moses, experienced death-resurrection as they were formed into the people of the covenant, God's people. In the great Exodus event, they escaped Egyptian slavery, went on to Mt. Sinai where the covenant was ratified, and then progressed to the Promised Land. As members of the Mosaic covenant, as God's people, the Jews experienced religious transition. They passed over to a higher level of religious existence, to a more intimate union with God.
This religious transition contained death-resurrection. For the Jews to become people of the covenant, to remain so, and to grow in the life of the covenant, it was necessary that they undergo a mystical or spiritual death. In short, the Jewish people had to be willing to bear that which was difficult in covenant life. They had to be willing to die to that which was not according to God's will. This mystical death, however, had a very positive purpose. It was directed at life in the covenant and at growth in that life. This spiritual death, in other words, was aimed at resurrection.
Christ perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament theme of death-resurrection. In doing so, He, too, was experiencing a religious transition. He was passing over--gradually at first, then definitively in His death--to a new kind of existence, to the life of His resurrection, which He achieved not only for Himself, but for the entire human race. To achieve this newness of life, Jesus was willing to pay the price. Jesus was willing to suffer, even unto death. That it had to be that way, that the only way Christ could have achieved resurrection was through suffering and death, was pointed out by Jesus Himself to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His Glory?" (Lk 24: 25-26).
Christ has structured the Christian life by the way He lived, died, and rose from the dead. It is obvious, then, that the pattern of death-resurrection must be at the heart of the Church's life. Individually and collectively, we continually die with Christ so that we may continually rise with Him. Thus we pass over, in a process of continued religious transition, to a greater participation in Jesus' resurrection. It is true that our participation in Jesus' resurrection will reach its completion only in eternal life. Nevertheless, we begin the life of resurrection here on earth, in the here and now of human life, in the midst of joy and pain, in the experience of success and failure, in the sweat of our brow, in the enjoyment of all of God's gifts. As Christians, we should have a sense of growth concerning our here-and-now life of resurrection. Some seem to have a rather static view of the Christian life. They do not seem to have a vital and efficacious realization that the spiritual life, centered in death-resurrection, should become more conscious, more experiential, more dynamically relative to daily existence.
We cannot maintain the life of resurrection--our newness of life in Christ--without a willingness to suffer, a willingness to follow Jesus in the carrying of the cross. This does not mean that we need to feel overwhelmed and heavily burdened by the suffering in our lives. The greater portion of suffering for most Christians seems to be an accumulation of ordinary hardships, difficulties, and pains. At times, however, deep suffering, even suffering of agonizing proportions, can enter one's life. Whether our sufferings are of either the ordinary variety or the extreme and rare type, we must convince ourselves that to properly relate to the cross is to grow in resurrection. And to grow in resurrection ourselves means that we have an increased capacity to help give resurrection to others.
The pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary are the great symbols reminding us that to love God and neighbor requires a willingness to suffer. How much Jesus and Mary suffered for love of you and me! Our consecration to Their Hearts includes a willingness to carry the cross, not as an end in itself, but as a means to greater life. As we bear the cross in loving conformity to the Father's will, we grow in the Christ-life. With Mary at our side we come closer to Christ. Jesus, in turn, leads us closer to the Father in the Holy Spirit. And as we ourselves grow in the Christ-life, we become more apt instruments in helping to channel this life to others. Yes, the cross of Christ always points to life!
end of excerpt
Excerpt from the rosary of August 19, 1997
Jesus: Come away with Me, My young ones. Come into the field and taste of the beauty of the air and the
beauty of this day with the most beautiful flowers that I have created for you. Do you see the beauty in each petal of the flower, or are your eyes covered with mud that you do not see? I have lifted the veil for you today and I have showed you My way. My way is the way of trust and faith and I told you in the message on Sunday that you must have faith and endurance, for I took you to the darkest night to the pointiest tunnel, to the place where you thought that you would never return and at that point I opened up through a little hole the light of day and it came streaming in and you perceived and you felt My presence, which is greater than all the things of this earth.
Wipe the grin off your face you silly earth, for you have ran after so many foolish things, when I stood there adorned in white before you, in the most glorious robes and you did not perceive that the Almighty God was alive and so I have called and I have told you and I have allowed you, My shepherds, to suffer, but the days ahead will be days of great victory, for I come to you clothed in white and adorned in a gold veil and you see that God lives and you will carry the white flag across this earth. You My shepherds, have won and the victory is yours.
Did you fall in the mud and did you skin your knees, did you feel your head ache as Mine ached in the garden, did you feel the thorns poke deeply into your skull, and did you feel the ripping of your flesh as the sword went into your skin?
I am Jesus, I am God, I will not be undone. I am Almighty and all powerful to the ends of the earth. You will know My might and you will not be afraid, but you will not know this if you do not trust, for I have told you the secrets in My messages, but you do not read as if you believe, you read half heartedly. You must believe with all your heart that I speak to you to be heard, for you truly are the shepherds that will go across this earth and carry the white flag, but you do not have this conviction within your heart, so therefore you do not do all that I have asked you to do, your belief is wishy-washy and you do not believe with a conviction of a strong heart.
I am calling you My shepherds this night to renew your faith and your endurance to realize that I am God and I have spoken here to you this evening. I am alive, I am alive, I am alive and I am with you, I am your God.
You wanted the light all the time and the light was not in the plan of the Father. It comes in light and it comes in darkness, it comes in death and it comes in victory, it comes in death and it comes in Resurrection, it comes in pain, and it comes in joy, but this world tells you today to look for only the joy and when you do not find it to do everything that you can to fill your selfish pleasurish whims that you have within you.
I tell you that you must fall to your knees, that your knees will be scuffed and that you will suffer and your flesh will be torn and your head will be crowned with thorns, but you will come forth from the tomb with a veil of white across your face and you will say this is the victory that we have won because we have lived in Him.
Jesus:
Your Movement will spread forth to the far ends of the earth, but it is faith that I am calling you to My beloved ones, you must have faith in your hearts, for this is a sign that I give to you this day. If you do not believe, you will not be able to continue ahead, for you must move ahead in faith. It is the only way that you must operate. You cannot operate trying to logically think your way across this world. It is only in believing and obeying the messages that the job will get done. It is My might that will lead this Movement to the far corners of the earth. Open your pockets and let us see your money. Do you have the money to do the things that I have asked you to do? It is in prayer, hourly prayer and begging for the funds, realizing that it is in your prayer, that it is in your endurance, that it is in your faith and your sacrifices that your prayers will be answered. You must pray hourly the Novena to the Infant of Prague and I will answer your prayers, and you My beloved ones will know the results when you pray.Song:
This is Holy GroundJesus:
I have given to you the greatest gift this day. I am Jesus, and I have come to you and I have asked you to open wide your heart and to thank Me for the gift I have given, for if the answer would have been different how would your hearts be this night, and how was it with the lepers, when I gave to them the great gift and they did not come and say thanks, but you are My holy ones that I am sending into this world and your hearts must be filled with joy. I have asked you over and over again to sing to Me with a heart that is filled with joy. I have given to you songs that I wrote Myself for you to sing of the love of My Heart. I am Jesus, the Son of God and you are the apostles of this new era. As you go out into the dark night the light will shine behind you and many will know the light of My Heart. Do not be discouraged, for the very hairs of your head are numbered and I am with you at this very moment, guarding and watching you, give Me your heart My shepherds. I have given to you a great gift this day, give Me your thanks and continue to pray. It is through prayer that you will accomplish all that the Father intends you to accomplish.I am Jesus, the Son of God. I have chosen you, I have called you and you will accomplish the work that the Father intends you to through prayer. Do not be discouraged, but encouraged for I am God and I am with you. Think of how it was before, when you did not share your love with so many others, but I have given you each other and I have bound your hearts in one heart and you come here because your hearts are filled with great joy. The more you love and the more the Movement spreads, the more will be the blessings, for as the love expounds and gets larger, the love is more full, for your love is rooted in Me and the more you love deeply the more full the love you will have. This is how it will be, one body in Me, and you will love many and you will know them deeply in your heart and your heart is full My shepherds, because I have taught you My ways of love and given you each other. You are My holy family and I love you. I have called you and so you say “why me?”, and I say to you “why this Saint, or that Saint or why the Blessed Mother, why were you called?”. You were called because I love you and I have given to you a great grace to be My shepherd in the Shepherds of Christ Movement.
end of excerpt
Cling to Me
May 13, 1993
Jesus: My dear child, if you stay close to Me, then I live in you and you live in Me. I am He Who created you and I love you with such an intensity that you will never know. My words are your truth. You must abide in My heart in all things. There is no room for doubt. My ways are steadfast, direct, and without error.
You must stay rooted in Me to ward off the power of the evil one. His grip is paralyzing and crippling. His power is stronger every day.
When you live in Me, I am in your heart and he has no power over Me. I am your God. I am your true lover. I want to protect you. I want to guard you from this force. Stay rooted firmly in Me and he will have no power.
I am He Who comforts you. My hand is upon you. Hold tight to Me, My child. My eyes are fixed right on you. You are My most precious child. I love you as no other can. My arms are about you. My tenderness surrounds you. My love is in your heart. You go not alone. I walk with you.
I share every aspect of your life with you. Cling to Me, feel My presence. It is warm and secure within your chest. There is no room for fear, for I cast out fear and bring you comfort and joy.
end of May 13, 1993
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)
October 13, 1994
The Birth of the Full Ministries of the Shepherds of Christ
"I wish to share with you part of a message which Jesus gave us on October 13, 1994. The message tells us about the expansion of the Shepherds of Christ movement:
'My beloved priest-companion, today I come to you with another mission. I am asking you to establish Shepherds of Christ Ministries. At My request you have already begun the priestly newsletter, "Shepherds of Christ", and the prayer chapters, Shepherds of Christ Associates...
'I am giving you this message on this day, the 77th Anniversary of the Great Apparition at Fatima, because of the close connection between the Shepherds of Christ movement and the Fatima message. The Fatima message is centered in devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart, especially in consecration to Our Hearts. Shepherds of Christ Ministries is also centered in devotion to Our Hearts. I will use Shepherds of Christ Ministries as a great instrument in helping to bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. When this occurs, My Church and the world will be experiencing the great era of peace promised by My Mother at Fatima.
'Today, then, October 13, 1994, the 77th Anniversary of the Great Apparition at Fatima, marks the birth of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. I pour forth the great love of My Sacred Heart to all. I am Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock.'
"Jesus has told us that Shepherds of Christ Ministries includes: the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, Shepherds of Christ Associates prayer chapters, various publications, including books, whatever else Our Lord directs us to undertake.
"As members of Shepherds of Christ Associates, you are an extremely important part of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. You have given great joy to the Heart of Jesus by responding to His invitation to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. As He draws you closer to His Heart and to His Mother's Heart as Associates members, He will fill you with an ever-increasing experience of His love, peace, and joy."
- From In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Newsletter of Shepherds of Christ Associates
by Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J., Volume 1, No. 1, 1995. p. 2.
Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
My dear fellow Associate Members,
Jesus is calling special apostles to join a new division of the Shepherds of Christ Movement. Here is a message from Jesus given to Father Carter:
My beloved priest-companion, I am requesting that a new prayer movement be started under the direction of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. I am asking for volunteers who are willing to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for one hour, twice-weekly. Members of the Shepherds of Christ prayer chapters, as well as others, are to be invited to join this movement.
These apostles are to pray for the intentions I am giving you. For part of the hour they are to use the prayers of the Shepherds of Christ Associates Handbook. They may spend the rest of the hour as they so choose.
I will use this new prayer movement within My Shepherds of Christ Ministries in a powerful way to help in the renewal of My Church and the world. I will give great graces to those who join this movement. The name, Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, is to be given to this movement.
I am inviting My beloved Rita Ring to be coordinator for this activity.
I pour out the great love of My Sacred Heart to all. I am Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock.
This is indeed a special calling for us to unite in one heart with His Eucharistic Heart and pray for the following intentions:
1. For the spread of the devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary culminating in the reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart.
2. For the Pope.
3. For all bishops of the world.
4. For all priests.
5. For all sisters and brothers in the religious life.
6. For all members of the Shepherds of Christ Movement, and for the spread of this movement to the world.
7. For all members of the Catholic Church.
8. For all members of the human family.
9. For all souls in purgatory.
end of Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart
From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
Work to Make Your World Better
Jesus: "My beloved companion, remind My people of their responsibility toward the world. They have a duty to try to make this a better world for all to live in.
"Today there is much which is wrong with the world. Sin covers the face of the earth. Sins of all kinds blemish the goodness of My Father's creation.
"However, My Mother and I are increasingly gathering our forces for the battle against Satan and his followers. We are more and more forming Our followers to wage the battle to win back that part of the world dominated by Satan's influence. We are forming our followers in the ways of love. We are forming Our followers with the grace which flows from the bosom of My Father, through My Heart, given in the Holy Spirit, and distributed through the intercession of the maternal and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
"We are forming Our followers to give themselves in the greatest love for God and neighbor. We are bringing them ever more closely to Our Hearts so that they may draw from the flames of love of My Heart and Mary's Heart! The more My followers dwell in Mary's Heart and My Heart, the more they are enlightened and strengthened to give themselves for the salvation of the world.
"I am Lord and Master. I ask all to follow Me and My Mother to help us bring forth the great age of love and peace for the world. This age will emerge after the phase of purification has been completed. This age will be characterized by the triumph of Mary's immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. In this great new age, soon to come, My people will love and praise My Father, with Mary and through Me and in the Holy Spirit, as never before!
"I love My people with a tremendous, burning love, and in this love I give them this message!"
Reflection: The world belongs to Christ. St. Paul tells us about this:
As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way, because God wanted all perfection to be found in him, and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the cross (Colossians 1:18-20).
Since the world belongs to Christ, we, who are His followers, must have a great love for the world as created and redeemed by God. We must labor through our participation in the Mass and through all our other prayers and good works to more and more help the Christic image of the world to shine forth in ever greater splendor. This is our duty and our privilege. Out of love for God and neighbor, let's resolve to get on with the task!
Age of the Two Hearts
Jesus: "My beloved priest-companion, I have allowed you to experience in extraordinary fashion the riches contained in My Heart and My Mother's Heart. I desire that you tell all My people about these riches. I desire that My people consecrate themselves to My Sacred Heart and to Mary's Immaculate Heart. My people are living in the beginnings of the age of the Two Hearts.
"After the time of the purification is completed, this new era of the Church and the world will become firmly established. This era will be characterized by the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. All those who consecrate themselves to My Heart and to My Mother's Heart will help to establish this glorious new age. I am Lord and Master. Please listen to My urgent request. Within Our Hearts you will experience the love and security, the peace and the joy, which you all desire. I love My people with a tremendous love, and in My love I give them this message!"
end of excerpts
Excerpt from Response to God's Love by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
... In reference to Christianity, God himself is the ultimate mystery. Radically, God is completely other and transcendent, hidden from man in his inner life, unless he chooses to reveal himself. Let us briefly look at this inner life of God.
The Father, in a perfect act of self-expression, in a perfect act of knowing, generates his son. The Son, the Word, is, then, the immanent expression of God's fullness, the reflection of the Father. Likewise, from all eternity, the Father and the Son bring forth the Holy Spirit in a perfect act of loving.
At the destined moment in human history, God's self-expression, the Word, immersed himself into man's world. God's inner self-expression now had also become God's outer self-expression. Consequently, the mystery of God becomes the mystery of Christ. In Christ, God tells us about himself, about his inner life, about his plan of creation and redemption. He tells us how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to dwell within us in the most intimate fashion, how they wish to share with us their own life through grace. All this he has accomplished and does accomplish through Christ.
Excerpt from Response in Christ by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
e) Relationship with Members of the Church
There is but one true Church of Christ. Yet this one Church has three different states of existence. There is the pilgrim Church, the Church of this world, composed of members who have received the grace of Christ and strive for its development. They have not yet obtained the goal of their efforts, as have the members of the heavenly Church, who enjoy God in eternal happiness. The Church suffering is an intermediate state of existence necessary for those who had not achieved the required purification as members of the pilgrim Church. Although there are these three phases of the Church’s existence, there is a profound union existing between all the members. All these members possess the same basic life of grace in Christ, and this common life establishes the most intimate bonds of love. In our preceding chapter, we discussed the pilgrim Church. Let us now consider the Church suffering and the heavenly Church.
The members of the Church suffering are those who have departed from this life in an incomplete state of Christian development. Their development is incomplete in the sense that grace has not fully taken possession of them, and, as a result, they are yet closed in upon themselves to a greater or lesser degree. They as yet cannot open themselves out in complete love to the Triune God in the beatific vision. They must undergo a further purification, a purification which could have been achieved upon earth with merit. Now the purification must be achieved with no merit attached. The pain of this purification is mixed with the certain expectation of achieving the vision of God. We can hasten the advent of this vision for this people by the offering of prayers and other good works. Scripture itself refers to our action on behalf of those in purgatory in Chapter 12 of the Second Book of Maccabees beginning with verse 38.
The members of the heavenly Church are those in whom the life of grace has taken full possession and has reached its completion in the life of glory. Faith now is unnecessary, as the light of glory gives the human intellect a new strength and capacity for seeing God face-to-face. While the Christian was a wayfarer, he received the imprint of the indwelling Trinity as he shared in God’s own life. Now in heaven that grace-life and possession of God reaches its completion—the absolute completion is not achieved, however, until the resurrection of the body. The divine persons give Themselves to the beatified in a profound union far surpassing that of the indwelling of the Trinity experienced here below.
This life of heaven is still the Christ-life, for just as we possess a share in Trinitarian life here below as mediated by Christ, and exercise this grace-life as structured by Him, so also in heaven is the mediation of Christ present. In the words of Rahner, "One always sees the Father through Jesus. Just as immediately as this, for the directness of the vision of God is not a denial of the mediatorship of Christ as man."14 And not only does the humanity of Christ unite the blessed to God, but also, in some way, to the whole of creation. This is merely a completion of what is begun here below, namely, the union with Christ in His humanity establishing the Christian in a special relationship with God, with other men, and with the whole of creation. We have a glimpse, therefore, of the fullness of life which members of the heavenly Church possess.
The heavenly Church, as St. Thomas says, is the true Church.15 The Church of this earth and the Church of purgatory are, each in its own way, reaching out in loving hope for the heavenly Jerusalem. Vatican II puts it very simply: "The Church, to which we are called in Christ Jesus, and in which we acquire sanctity through the grace of God, will attain her full perfection only in the glory of heaven."16
The members of the heavenly Church can help us in living our life of grace until we too share its fullness with them. Their power of intercession on our behalf is but another ramification of the communal aspect of Christianity. We are meant to help others grow in Christ. We, in turn, are intended by God to receive aid from others—yes, from members of the heavenly Church, as well as from those with whom we dwell here below.
Not only can we be aided by the saints’ intercession, but the example of the canonized saints can also be of great value to us. They have concretely proved that full holiness is possible. Such an inspiration is of real worth when we are tempted to think that Christian sanctity in its higher degrees is impossible of attainment. Moreover, the canonized saints, in their diversity, teach us that there are many authentic versions of Christian holiness. They can be innovators in showing us that there are numerous possibilities in assimilating the mystery of Christ, although the basic assimilation remains the same for all Christians of all times. In the opinion of Rahner this is one of the chief roles the canonized saints exert in the life of the Church.17
NOTES:
14Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Vol. III (Baltimore: Helicon, 1967), p. 44.
15 Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, In Ad Ephes., c. 3, Lect. 3.
16Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church, No. 48.
17Cf. Karl Rahner, Op. cit., pp. 100-101.
February 1, 1998 - Talk by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
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