Daily Writing
| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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May 28, 2009
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May 29th Holy Spirit
Novena |
The Novena Rosary
Mysteries |
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May 28, 2009
Jesus had enemies
Matthew 24: 9
Then you will be handed over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name.
Matthew 24: 10
And then many will fall away; people will betray one another and hate one another.
Peter suffered humiliations and
yet Jesus picked him as
His Vicar
Matthew 16: 18
So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.
God has a way of getting our attention
God knocked Saul to the ground —
Discernment of Spirits
Jesus was perfect goodness
Jesus' enemies hated Him
Jesus only did good
They tried to kill Jesus
Jesus was rejected
God is rejected by humanity
Matthew 24: 9
Then you will be handed over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name.
Matthew 24: 13
but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.
We need a change of heart —
Our mission is to get down to the
core of our heart —
St. Peter denied Jesus — he was worried
about what others were thinking of
him — So he denied Jesus after all
Jesus did for Peter — all the miracles,
all the teachings —
But it was a bad habit probably
for Peter being focused on what people
think, rather than doing God's will —
I remember a very holy handmaid
that died — she called me one night
shortly before her death and said
she was worried about what somebody
would think in their family — she was
going to take off her wedding ring
married to Jesus as a Handmaid of
the Good Shepherd and take off her
outfit because of what her family
would think when she died —
I said to her _______ - you are
married to Jesus, what about what
Jesus wants — He is your husband —
She thanked me until she died and told
me how much she loved me.
She wanted to die a Handmaid of
the Good Shepherd and be buried
in China, Indiana.
You say how could Peter deny Jesus,
when Jesus was about to be crucified.
How can people who have been so
blessed and called by Jesus
deny Jesus and His calling —
God the Father has a Plan for
us — living our vocation as God
intends according to the calling
God has given us brings us the
greatest joy —
Jesus had enemies — it even says
that in the scriptures —
They wanted to be in power —
so they moved to destroy Jesus —
The men wanted people following
them, not Jesus and His miracles —
The devil tempted Jesus in
the desert after Jesus fasted —
The devil is real —
Excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. P.60-61
136. THE FOURTH DAY
A MEDITATION ON TWO STANDARDS
The one of Christ, our supreme leader and lord,
the other of Lucifer, the deadly enemy of our
human naturePRAYER. The usual preparatory prayer.
window at a former Jesuit Seminary
137. FIRST PRELUDE. This is the history. Here it will be that Christ calls and wants all beneath His standard, and Lucifer, on the other hand, wants all under his.
138. SECOND PRELUDE. This is a mental representation of the place. It will be here to see a great plain, comprising the whole region about Jerusalem, where the sovereign Commander-in-Chief of all the good is Christ our Lord; and another plain about the region of Babylon, where the chief of the enemy is Lucifer.
139. THIRD PRELUDE. This is to ask for what I desire. Here it will be to ask for a knowledge of the deceits of the rebel chief and help to guard myself against them; and also to ask for a knowledge of the true life exemplified in the sovereign and true Commander, and the grace to imitate Him.
FIRST PART
THE STANDARD OF SATAN
140. FIRST POINT. Imagine you see the chief of all the enemy in the vast plain about Babylon, seated on a great throne of fire and smoke, his appearance inspiring horror and terror.
141. SECOND POINT. Consider how he summons innumerable demons, and scatters them, some to one city and some to another, throughout the whole world, so that no province, no place, no state of life, no individual is overlooked.
142. THIRD POINT. Consider the address he makes to them, how he goads them on to lay snares for men and bind them with chains. First they are to tempt them to covet riches (as Satan himself is accustomed to do in most cases) that they may the more easily attain the empty honors of this world, and then come to overweening pride.
The first step, then, will be riches, the second honor, the third pride. From these three steps the evil one leads to all other vices.
SECOND PART
THE STANDARD OF CHRIST
143. In a similar way, we are to picture to ourselves the sovereign and true Commander, Christ our Lord.
144. FIRST POINT. Consider Christ our Lord, standing in a lowly place in a great plain about the region of Jerusalem, His appearance beautiful and attractive.
145. SECOND POINT. Consider how the Lord of all the world chooses so many persons, apostles, disciples, etc., and sends them throughout the whole world to spread His sacred doctrine among all men, no matter what their state or condition.
146. THIRD POINT. . . .
end of excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Are we doing God's will
operating under the Standard
of God or
are we operating under the
Standard of satan?
1 Corinthians 15: 20-28
In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first–fruits of all who have fallen asleep. As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first–fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
Jesus was disfigured for us —
Jesus was whipped for our sins —
Some can be so self-focused
all they care about is being right —
They make being right their god —
They literally fight to never be
wrong — even when
they are wrong
Prayer of St Ignatius
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Permit me not to be separated from Thee
From the wicked foe defend me
at the hour of my death call me
and bid me come to Thee
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee
For ever and ever. Amen.
by St. Ignatius LoyolaLord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil and not to seek for rest;
To labor and not to ask for any reward,
Save that of knowing
that I am doing your will.
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Holy Spirit Novena
DAILY NOVENA PRAYERS
Opening Prayer
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus, in union with Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the Holy Spirit. We come to You united to the Child Jesus of Good Health and the Infant of Prague. We come to You in the perfect, sinless heart of Our Mother Mary, asking her powerful intercession, uniting ourselves to her holy tears. We come to You united to all the angels and saints, and the souls in purgatory.
Prayer for Holy Spirit
We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us, to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, that He will descend mightily on us as He did on the Apostles at Pentecost. That the Holy Spirit will transform us from fear to fearlessness and that He will give us courage to do all the Father is asking of us to help bring about the Reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart. We pray for the Holy Spirit to descend mightily on the Jesuits and the Poor Clares on the Shepherds of Christ leaders and members and on the whole Body of Christ and the world.
Protection by the Blood of Jesus
We pray that the Blood of Jesus will be spread on us, everyone in our families, and the Shepherds of Christ Movement, that we will be able to move steadfastly ahead and be protected from the evil one.
Healing
We pray for healing in body, mind, and soul and generational healing in ourselves, in all members in our families, and in all members of the Shepherds of Christ Movement, the Jesuit Community, the Poor Clares, the Body of Christ, and the world.
Prayer for Strength and Light
We adore You, oh Holy Spirit. Give us strength, give us light, console us. We give ourselves entirely to You. Oh Spirit of light and grace, we want to only do the will of the Father. Enlighten us that we may live always in the Father's will.
Eternal Spirit fill us with Your Divine Wisdom that we may comprehend more fully insight into Your Divine Mysteries.
Give us lights, Oh Holy Spirit that we may know God. Work within the heart, the spiritual womb of the Virgin Mary, to form us more and more into the image of Jesus.
Prayer to Be One with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We long for You, Oh Spirit of Light, we long to know God, we want to be one with Him, our Divine God. We want to be one with the Father, know Him as a Person most intimately. We want to know the beloved One, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and live and dwell in Him at all times, every moment of our lives. We want to be one with You, Oh Spirit of Light, that You move in us in our every breath.
Prayer to Be One in Jesus
Let us experience life in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so we can say as Saint Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me...." Let us live, united to the Mass, all through the day being one in Him. Let us be able to love and know in this elevated state of oneness with our God. We long for Thee, oh beauteous God, we love You, we love You, we love You. We praise You, worship You, honor You, adore You, and thank You, our beloved God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Prayer to Dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
We seek to be one in God, to live and dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, our little heaven on earth, to experience life in the all perfect, pure, sinless heart of our Mother. We want the Holy Spirit to move in us and to be united to Jesus as the Bridegroom of our souls and be a most perfect sacrifice offered to the Father at every moment as we unite in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass around the world to help in the salvation of souls.
Prayer for the Holy Spirit and His Gifts
Come Holy Spirit, come, come into our hearts, inflame all people with the fire of Your love.
Leader: Send forth Your Spirit and all will be reborn.
All: And You will renew the face of the earth.We pray for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we ask for perfection in our souls to make us holy, holy souls likened to God.
Dear Holy Spirit, we give ourselves to You soul and body. We ask You to give us the Spirit of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
Prayer for the Word Alive in Our Hearts
We know, dear Holy Spirit, the Word in His human nature was brought forth within the womb of the woman. We pray that His word will be brought forth in our hearts as He lives and dwells in us. We want the incarnation to go on in our lives. Dear Holy Spirit, work in us.
Little Prayers to the Holy Spirit
Dear Holy Spirit, help us not to be ignorant or indifferent or weak, help us to be strong with the love of God.
Dear Holy Spirit, please pray for our needs for us.
Dear Holy Spirit, help us to respect God and to avoid sin. Help us to live in the Father's will.
Dear Holy Spirit, help us to keep Your commandments and to respect authority. Help us to love all things as You will us to love them. Help us to want to pray and always serve God with the greatest love. Help us to know the truth. Help us to have the gift of faith, hope, and love. Help us to know what is right and what is wrong.
A Prayer for Intimacy with the Lamb, the Bridegroom of the Soul
Oh Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, come and act on my soul most intimately. I surrender myself, as I ask for the grace to let go, to just be as I exist in You and You act most intimately on my soul. You are the Initiator. I am the soul waiting Your favors as You act in me. I love You. I adore You. I worship You. Come and possess my soul with Your Divine Grace, as I experience You most intimately.
First Period
Meditations Nine Days
Romans 8:14-17
All who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God; for what you received was not the spirit of slavery to bring you back into fear; you received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out, 'Abba, Father!' The Spirit himself joins with our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God. And if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, provided that we share his suffering, so as to share his glory.Romans 8:5-9
Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things. And human nature has nothing to look forward to but death, while the Spirit looks forward to life and peace, because the outlook of disordered human nature is opposed to God, since it does not submit to God's Law, and indeed it cannot, and those who live by their natural inclinations can never be pleasing to God. You, however, live not by your natural inclinations, but by the Spirit, since the Spirit of God has made a home in you. Indeed, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.1 John 4:12-16
No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love one another God remains in us and his love comes to its perfection in us. This is the proof that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us a share in his Spirit. We ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world. Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have recognised for ourselves, and put our faith in, the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.1 John 4:17-21
Love comes to its perfection in us when we can face the Day of Judgement fearlessly, because even in this world we have become as he is. In love there is no room for fear, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear implies punishment and no one who is afraid has come to perfection in love. Let us love, then, because he first loved us. Anyone who says 'I love God' and hates his brother, is a liar, since whoever does not love the brother whom he can see cannot love God whom he has not seen. Indeed this is the commandment we have received from him, that whoever loves God, must also love his brother.1 John 4:7-11
My dear friends, let us love one another, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love. This is the revelation of God's love for us, that God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him. Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to expiate our sins. My dear friends, if God loved us so much, we too should love one another.Acts of the Apostles 1:1-5
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. 'It is', he had said, 'what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'Acts of the Apostles 1:6-9
Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?' He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earth's remotest end.'
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14
So from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, they went back to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a Sabbath walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James. With one heart all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.
Second Period
Meditations Nine Days
John 14:21-31
Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.'
Judas-not Judas Iscariot-said to him, 'Lord, what has happened, that you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?' Jesus replied:
Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make a home in him. Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say: I am going away and shall return. If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. I shall not talk to you much longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but the world must recognise that I love the Father and that I act just as the Father commanded. Come now, let us go.John 17:11-26
I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except one who was destined to be lost, and this was to fulfil the scriptures. But now I am coming to you and I say these things in the world to share my joy with them to the full. I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth. I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me. May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Upright One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.I Corinthians 15:20-28
In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first-fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.Revelation 3:1-3,12,16-19
'Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, "Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know about your behaviour: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; put some resolve into what little vigour you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in your behaviour that my God could possibly call perfect; remember how you first heard the message. Hold on to that. Repent! If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, and you will have no idea at what hour I shall come upon you.
Anyone who proves victorious I will make into a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and it will stay there for ever; I will inscribe on it the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which is coming down from my God in heaven, and my own new name as well.
'...but since you are neither hot nor cold, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say to yourself: I am rich, I have made a fortune and have everything I want, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too. I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you truly rich, and white robes to clothe you and hide your shameful nakedness, and ointment to put on your eyes to enable you to see. I reprove and train those whom I love: so repent in real earnest.'Revelation 5:9-14
They sang a new hymn: You are worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals, because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought people for God of every race, language, people and nation and made them a line of kings and priests for God, to rule the world.
In my vision, I heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the living creatures and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands, loudly chanting:
end of Holy Spirit Novena prayers
John 17: 20-26
I pray not only for these
but also for those
who through their teaching
will come to believe in me.
May they all be one,
just as, Father, you are in me
and I am in you,
so that they also may be in us,
so that the world may believe
it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory
you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so perfected in unity
that the world will recognise
that it was you who sent me
and that you have loved them
as you have loved me.Father,
I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see my glory
which you have given me
because you loved me
before the foundation of the world.
Father, Upright One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known
that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them a
nd will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me
may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.
The Family is to model itself
after the Trinity
The Community is to model
itself after the Trinity
We are to be likened to
God
We were created in His
image and likeness
God is love and in Him
there is no darkness
John 15: 9-17
I have loved you
just as the Father has loved me.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept
my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another,
as I have loved you.
No one can have greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall no longer call you servants,
because a servant does not know
the master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me,
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
so that the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
My command to you
is to love one another.
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2006
The issue in today’s first reading (Acts 10, 25-26,34-35,44-48) is how the Apostles should deal with Gentiles who heard about Jesus and started to believe in him. Should they have equal status with the Jews who were the original followers of Christ? Should they be required to follow all the Jewish laws, circumcision, strict dietary laws, and special feast days?INTRODUCTION:
God gave St. Peter the answer to this question in a most unusual way. While Peter was in prayer, God gave Peter a vision of many different birds and animals. Many of them were birds and animals the Jews were not allowed to eat, such as pork. God told Peter to eat them. Peter said he would never eat anything forbidden. God said to him: “What God has made clean, you are not to call unclean.” God had to say this three times to Peter, showing how difficult it was for Peter to grasp this idea. When the vision disappeared, God told Peter there were some men coming to see him and he was to go with them to the home of a Gentile named Cornelius, a Roman centurion. A strict Jew was not allowed to enter a Gentile’s house, but God told him to, so he did. When Peter got there he spoke to Cornelius and his relatives and friends about Jesus. As Peter finished speaking, Cornelius and all who were with him were filled with the Holy Spirit. This event is the background for today’s first reading. Peter’s entire speech is not included in the reading. The liturgy wants to get right to the point: that God’s love in Jesus is meant for all people. Peter had finally understood what God had told him in his vision and without requiring these pagans to be circumcised or requiring them to accept Jewish traditions and customs, he ordered them all to be baptized.
HOMILY: Today’s gospel (Jn 15, 9-17) has a great deal of meaning for me. When I was first ordained, I was teaching six hours a day at a high school and was assistant at one of the largest parishes in the city. Without trying to sound like a hero, I have to tell you I was a young priest, full of enthusiasm for my calling and I was busy all week except for a few hours I took off after school and parish duties on Friday evening. One day while I was praying, I heard in my heart our Lord speaking to me the words we just heard in the gospel: “I no longer call you slaves,…I have called you friends.” I immediately knew he was telling me he wanted me to spend more than a couple of minutes in quiet prayer with him every day. In asking this he was asking for a little more friendship, a little more love. It wasn’t a big deal he was asking of me, just that I work about 15 minutes less so I could spend 15 minutes more in prayer. I couldn’t refuse his request when he put it that way: “I no longer call you slaves… I have called you friends.” And so, I started spending a little more time in quiet prayer. And because I did that, and continue to do so, I have received so many blessings.
We know of course that real love shows itself more by what we do, than by what we say. But I’m sure we’ve seen situations where spouses or parents did lots of things for the family, but never had time to share themselves. I’ve known many a marriage that broke up just for that reason. They did things for each other but they never had time just to be with each other and share themselves with each other.
God could easily have created robots to do the things he wanted done. But he created people with hearts capable of love and he waits for us to love him. St. John tells us in today’s second reading: “in this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as an expiation for our sins.” (I Jn. 4, 7-10) And in his love he waits for our response. We are reminded of that love each time we come to Mass, each time we recall his death for us, each time he gives himself to us in the Eucharist.
Each time we come to the Eucharist we must remember that we are not only united with God in love, but we are united with one another. And so our Lord tells us twice in today’s gospel to love one another. He tells us this is a commandment. It’s interesting Jesus calls it a “commandment!” Many people today have a distorted notion of love. Too often we’ve seen people on TV or in the movies passionately saying to each other: “I love you.” We tend to think love means romance and passion. It’s something that flows out of us naturally and effortlessly. Now, I’m not against that kind of love. It’s wonderful – it’s even a preview of the love and joy we will experience in heaven. But if the divorce rate tells us anything, real love has to be more than passion. Love is not always dreamy and wonderful. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s less than exciting. Sometimes we have to be a loving person even when we don’t feel like it and so Jesus said it is a commandment. Love means staying up with a sick child at times, forgiving a spouse who may have been insensitive, not getting our way all the time, taking time to communicate, being grateful for small favors. I got up this morning. I didn’t feel like doing that. I would rather have stayed in bed. But I did it because of love, because I love God, I love you, the people I serve. Love isn’t always warm fuzzy feelings, anyone who is married more than a couple of years knows it is a sense of commitment and dedication. The warm fuzzy feelings come and go. As today’s gospel puts it, loving one another is a command, but Jesus gives us this command “so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.” You want more joy, ask the Lord to help you to lead you to greater love.
Our Lord, who is love itself as St. John tells us in today’s second reading, has tried to teach us what is important for a love that will last. And what he has taught us is we must remain in him, for he will lead us to a love that cannot fail and a joy that is eternal.
Betty is a handmaid who has prayed in the
China Church for 11 years. To get from her
house to the church she uses a walker and
must go over a creek and a little bridge.
We wanted a little place she could rest
by the Church. We need about $1,000 to
make this happen. Can you help us?
We are trying to get
Response to God's Love
and the Mass Book out.
Anybody who wants to help us
with a donation to get these 2 books
out in the Priestly/hierarchy mailing —
Please call Kathleen 1-888-211-3041
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)
The China Church is over 140 years old
and we pray in there 24 hours a day.
It needs stucco and so does
the community building.
Can you please help us?
Call Kathleen 1-888-211-3041
Likewise the priest house
is 150 years old.
Jesus told us to repair it
which we have been doing.
We need $13,000.00 for this work.
You can help put the Blue Book V
in the hands of 1,000 people
we need $1,200 postage for this
It is ready to go
Call Kathleen
1-888-211-3041
You can help put Fr. Joe's homily
book in the hands of
1,000 priests — it costs $1,100
This can help 1,000 parish priests
talk about Covenant for Lent
Please help us
It is ready to go
Call Kathleen 1-888-211-3041
Call Kathleen to Order any of the items below
1-888-211-3041
