May 4, 2002 - First Saturday

  
Messenger:    (if possible, we can try to pray a short prayer on the
                            hour and be united in our hearts)

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 message

Excerpt from the
Parents and Children's Rosary Book

one

Fatima: The Setting

    On October 13, 1917, there were more than 70,000 people gathered in the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal. They had come to observe a miracle which had been foretold by the Blessed Virgin to three young visionaries: Lucia dos Santos, and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. (1) Shortly after noon, Our Lady appeared to the three visionaries:

    As the Lady was about to leave, she pointed to the sun. Lucy excitedly repeated the gesture, and the people looked into the sky. The rain had ceased, the clouds parted, and the sun shone forth, but not in its usual brilliance. Instead, it appeared like a silver disc, pale as the moon, at which all could gaze without straining their eyes. Suddenly, impelled by some mysterious force, the disc began to whirl in the sky, casting off great shafts of multicolored light. Red, green, blue, yellow, violet--the enormous rays shot across the sky at all angles, lighting up the entire countryside for many miles around, but particularly the upturned faces of those 70,000 spellbound people.

    After a few moments the wonder stopped, but resumed again a second and a third time--three times in all--within about 12 minutes. It seemed that the whole world was on fire, with the sun spinning at a greater speed each time.

    Then a gasp of terror rose from the crowd, for the sun seemed to tear itself from the heavens and come crashing down upon the horrified multitude.... Just when it seemed that the ball of fire would fall upon and destroy them, the miracle ceased, and the sun resumed its normal place in the sky, shining forth as peacefully as ever.

    When the people arose from the ground, cries of astonishment were heard on all sides. Their clothes, which had been soaking wet and muddy, now were clean and dry. Many of the sick and crippled had been cured of their afflictions. (2)

    The above describes the great miracle which brought to conclusion the series of apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima which took place six times, from May to October 1917. The Miracle of the Sun was the sign God gave to the world in proof of the authenticity of the apparitions. The event was reported in newspapers around the world.

    With one exception, Mary always appeared on the 13^th of the month, above an holm oak tree in the valley named Cova da Iria. The only deviation from the 13th was the August apparition. During this particular month, Mary appeared to the children near the village of Valinhos on August 19. The children were in jail on the 13^th of that particular month. The mayor, in an attempt to stop the events, had had the young visionaries kidnapped and imprisoned, but fearing violence on the part of the people, he soon released them.

    Since the apparitions of 1917, millions of pilgrims have come to Fatima. Fatima is a small, rural town about 90 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal. It is situated within hilly terrain which is lined with numerous cedar trees. The Cova da Iria--grazing ground at the time of the apparitions--now appears as a huge, paved area which lies in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima. About 50 yards in front of the Basilica, and to the left as one faces the Basilica, is the Chapel of Apparitions. Here, within the sanctuary, is a glass-enclosed statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The statue is situated on the spot of the holm oak tree over which Our Lady appeared to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco.

    In the middle of the great square, one sees a large statue of the Sacred Heart. The arms of Christ are outstretched, welcoming all to come to the refuge of His Heart. Above the entrance of the Basilica is a statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These two statues vividly remind us of the alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. As we shall soon see, this union of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart forms the very core of the Fatima message.

    As is to be expected, the largest crowds of pilgrims gather on the 13th of the month from May through October.

    I was privileged to be present at Fatima on a very special day, October 13, 1992. This date marked the 75^th anniversary of the final apparition. It was, indeed, a most memorable occasion. On the evening of the 12th, there was the usual Rosary procession. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were present on this brisk October night. Pilgrims holding lighted candles, the praying of the Rosary, the procession with the Our Lady of Fatima statue--all this made for a very impressive and moving occasion.

    The next day, the 13th, was obviously a very, very special time. The day was bright and sunny with an almost completely blue sky. It seemed no accident. It was a gift of Our Lady, the Woman Clothed with the Sun: Now a great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown (Rev. 12:1). We see, then, how fitting it was that the great miracle of Fatima described above was one involving the sun.

    There were about a million people gathered in the huge square for this 75th anniversary occasion. The center of attraction was the Mass at the outdoor altar situated on the Basilica steps. Before and after the Mass, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was marched in procession. The pilgrims waved their white handkerchiefs at the statue, a time-honored custom at Fatima. The entire ceremony took over three hours, yet there was a pervasive silence throughout the gathering of pilgrims, which numbered about one million. Their deep devotion was obvious. It was one of the most impressive and moving scenes I have ever witnessed.

    During a stay at Fatima, one can always observe pilgrims visiting the Apparitions Chapel for Masses and adoration visits. Leading down to the Chapel is a special walkway which stretches back about 100 yards into the great square. This path is used by many pilgrims who, in an act of sacrifice, walk on their knees the length of the walkway, ending their journey at the Chapel itself. The atmosphere at the Chapel is one of deep peace and devotion, a common trait at Marian shrines.

    Pilgrims are also constantly entering the Basilica for Masses and visits. At the front of the Basilica lie the remains of two of the Fatima visionaries. Jacinta's crypt is to the left, and Francisco's is to the right. Pilgrims stop briefly and pray at the crypts in a spirit of deep devotion. As one prays at these crypts, it is easy to recall the words of Jesus: I bless you, Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children (Matt. 11:25).

    Central to the pilgrimage activities at Fatima are the many Masses which take place at the Chapel of Apparitions and the Basilica church. This, again, is a common occurrence at Marian shrines. Mary always leads to the Eucharistic Christ.

two

    Before receiving the six apparitions of Our Lady, May through October of 1917, the three Fatima visionaries were visited by an angel on three different occasions during the preceding year. He appeared to them in the spring, summer, and fall. Lucia (now Sr. Lucia) describes the springtime apparition of the angel:

    On reaching us, he said: "Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."

    Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead touched the ground and made us repeat these words three times: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."

    Then, rising he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."

    His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them (3)

    During the summer of 1916, the angel again appeared to the three visionaries. He said to them:

    Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way.... I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you. (4)

    In the fall of the same year, the angel visited the visionaries a final time:

    The angel came...bearing a golden chalice in one hand and a Host above it in the other. The amazed children noticed that drops of blood were falling from the Host into the chalice. Presently, the angel left both suspended in mid-air and prostrated himself on the ground, saying this beautiful prayer: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners." (5)

    Sr. Lucia relates how the angel gave them Communion:

    Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hand. He gave the Sacred Host to me and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:

"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God." (6)

    Reflecting upon these messages of the angel, we see how much they contain for our spiritual instruction.

    First of all, we notice the distinctive Trinitarian nature of the messages. We are instructed that, in our Christian existence, we must express the greatest reverence for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as we serve them through the virtues of faith, hope, and love. These three virtues are at the heart of our life of grace.

    We are reminded of the ugly reality of sin and of our duty to make reparation for it. We are reminded that reparation is due Christ in His Eucharistic presence. And, as we shall soon see, Our Lady calls for a specific act of reparation--the five first Saturdays. Reparation is a foundation of the Fatima messages.

    The angel also tells us that we must not only love God; we must also love our neighbor. We are to pray and make sacrifices for others.

    In telling us to "Pray a great deal," and "Make everything you do a sacrifice," the angel reminds us that we are to live a deep spirituality. We are to be united with God throughout the day in as conscious a manner as possible. Regarding the angel's call to prayer, we shall soon hear of Mary's special request concerning the daily Rosary. It is a request that reminds us that God has sent Our Blessed Mother to call us back to Jesus, and to a closer union with Him. The Fatima message indeed reminds us that Mary is our spiritual Mother, that she is our mediatrix with Christ.

    The angel specified a need to help others by our sacrifices, and to accept the sufferings God sends. It is a confirmation of Christ's paschal mystery of death-resurrection. The cross leads to life. We live the cross for the purpose of growing in grace ourselves, and in order to help channel grace to others.

    The Angel also reminded us that the Eucharist is at the center of the Church's life. And, very importantly, in each of his three messages, the Angel drew attention to the critical role which the Hearts of Jesus and Mary play in our Christian lives:

    Another remarkable fact is that in each of the three apparitions, the Angel already mentions the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, as though linked to one another by an indissoluble union. The account of the first apparition even presents a striking phrase which seems to have been hardly noticed. After having taught this completely God-centered prayer, "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love you," the Angel added: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications." We pray to God, and it is the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary that hear and answer our prayers! How could it better express the truth that we can only go to God and please Him by this unique and universal mediation?

    Similarly, in the summer of 1916, when the Angel announces to the three seers their future vocations, it is the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary that appear in the foreground as the inseparable mediators of the "Father of Mercies." "The Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary," he tells them, "have designs of mercy on you."

    Finally, the third time, in the prayer of Eucharistic offering, it is by "the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary," that the Angel begs "the conversion of poor sinners" of the Trinity.

    With this constant thought of the mediation of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we are already at the very center of the Message of Fatima. (7)

    The Angel's three messages contain an amazing spiritual doctrine. The Angel gives the outline of the spiritual life within the framework of devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Behold, the spirituality of Fatima!

    The Angel's instruction to the three children admirably prepared them for Our Lady's apparitions. Mary's messages presume, and build upon, the spiritual doctrine which the Angel gave to the three young visionaries--and to us.

    May 13, 1917, marks the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. On this occasion, she said to the visionaries:

    Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm..... I am from Heaven.

    I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at the same hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want

    Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners?

    Pray the Rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war. (8)

    To the end of each decade of the Rosary, she added the Fatima prayer, "0 my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy. " (9)

    In Mary's first message, we immediately see two aspects of the Fatima message--prayer (especially the Rosary) and reparation.

    On June 13, the Blessed Virgin again appeared to the three children:

    There were about 70 people present, though only the children could see the apparition. She told the youngsters that many souls go to Hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them. She said Francisco and Jacinta would soon leave the world for Heaven. Holding out her heart, surrounded by thorns which pierced it from all sides, Our Lady told Lucy: "God wishes you to remain in the world for some time because He wants to use you to establish in the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by myself to adorn His throne." (10)

    This shows how devotion to the Immaculate Heart is central to the Fatima message. Subsequent events reemphasize the importance of Our Lady teaching this devotion at Fatima.

    In her July apparition, Our Lady further revealed her plan to the children and to the world:

    During her appearance in July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucia's plea, promised that in October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: "0 my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." (11)

    During this same July apparition, Mary showed the three children a vision of Hell. She told them:

    You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.

    The war (World War I, then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius XI. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown light [January 2, 1938], know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. (12)

    To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. if not, she will scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed....

    But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world. (13)

    In the above, Mary speaks of the five first Saturdays. Here is what the practice involves:

1. Go to confession, which may be done from eight days before to eight days after the first Saturday. Of course, if a person is in the state of serious sin, the confession must be made before receiving communion.
2. Receive Holy Communion.
3. Recite five decades of the Rosary.
4. Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.

    All of the above (except confession) must be done on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart. For those who make the five first Saturdays, Our Lady of Fatima has promised to assist them at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation. (14)

    Because of the excitement caused by the apparitions, the civil authorities were so alarmed that they kidnapped the three young visionaries and put them in jail. The incarceration period included the day of August 13. Consequently, Our Lady did not appear to the children on this particular 13th.

    The authorities, fearing reaction on the part of the people, quickly released the children. Mary appeared to them on August 19 near Valinhos:

    She told them she was greatly displeased by the action of the mayor. As a result, the miracle promised for October would not be as impressive as originally planned. (15)

    Next came the September appearance of Our Lady:

    More than 30,000 people were present in September, and saw a shower of mysterious white petals fall to within 10 feet of the ground before dissolving into the air. Many also saw the globe of light bearing the Lady come to rest atop the tree, and the branches bend as though someone were standing on them. Later, they saw the cloud depart into the east, from whence it had come.(16)

    The October 13 vision was accompanied by the great Miracle of the Sun described in the previous chapter. In her message that day, Our Blessed Mother told the children:

    I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day.(17)

    While the people in attendance were beholding the great Miracle of the Sun, the three young visionaries, and they alone, were privileged to see striking visions in the heavens:

    As Our Lady had promised, St. Joseph had come with the Holy Family and had blessed the world. Then, Our Lady appeared as the Mother of Sorrows, accompanied by her Divine Son, Who also blessed the world. Finally, Lucy had seen the Blessed Virgin, dressed in the brown robes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth, holding a brown Scapular in her hand, with her infant Son upon her knee. However, in none of these visions had any of the figures spoken to the children. (18)

    Besides the messages associated with the major Fatima apparitions, there were other revelations given by Our Lady. Before Jacinta died, she told of other messages given her (during her illness) by Mary:

    More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.

    Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much.

    Many marriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God.

    Priests must be pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything except what concerns the Church and souls. The disobedience of priests, to their superiors and to the Holy Father, is very displeasing to Our Lord.

    I can no longer restrain the hand of my Divine Son from striking the world with just punishments for its many crimes.

    If the government of a country leaves the Church in peace and gives liberty to our Holy Religion, it will be blessed by God.

    Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her. (19)

    This last message offers us an excellent opportunity to summarize the Fatima message. It tells us "that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

    At the center of the veneration for which Our Lord calls is the act of consecration to His Sacred Heart and to Mary's Immaculate Heart. As we shall see in Part II of this book, this consecration calls for a total gift of ourselves to Jesus and Mary. Such a gift, obviously, includes a willingness to incorporate into our lives the other Fatima teachings and requests. As such, consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary summarizes the Fatima message.

    Some seem to think the message of Fatima is no longer relevant to today's world. The words of Pope John Paul II tell us how wrong they are. Referring to a pilgrimage he made in 1982, he says:

    Last week, I myself went on pilgrimage to Portugal, especially to Fatima, in order to give thanks that the mercy of God and the protection of the Mother of Christ had saved my life last year. The message of Fatima is a call to conversion and penance, the first and most basic call of the Gospel. Today, it is more urgent than ever, when evil is threatening us through errors based on denial of God. The message of Fatima puts us on our guard. It also invites us to approach anew the Fountain of Mercy by an act of consecration. Mary wishes us to draw near it: each one of us, each nation, and the whole world. (20)

  

Notes

May 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:        The following occurred where Mary appeared
                        at the old seminary where the corner fell off
                        on Lucia's birthday

May 4, 2002 message continues

Messenger:      and the Shepherds of Christ Movement was 
                            born from this old seminary.

    Mary appeared as Our Lady of Fatima for one hour and 15 minutes. Mary appeared in the Sorrowful Mother statue at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center.

    I was at Our Lady's House for the Junior Shepherds of Christ meeting. I cannot remember any great apparition of Mary in the Sorrowful Mother statue since August 12 and 13, 1996. She appeared all night and two times on August 13, 1996, once right before I went to the rosary at Tom's farm about 5:30 p.m. (the night John was there and St. Michael came out of the water). Mary comes when you least expect her.

    Tonight I went to the Holy Spirit Center for the rosary with the Junior Shepherds of Christ. We could not pray in the Rosary chapel because Fr. Smith was going to say Mass. We could not pray in the Sorrowful Mother's chapel because the pews were draped with work clothes. We could not pray in the social hall because the band was playing. The only place left was in the hall on the other side of the wall from the band. The youth in the Shepherds of Christ chapter decided this was the place and moved pews in front of the statue.

    As we began the rosary I began to see Mary, covered with a mist. Then I saw light around her. She got bigger than the statue, her face softened to that of the most beautiful woman—the same as the picture I took on Mother's Day 1995 when she told me to buy film and take her picture. She was all adorned in light. She changed, around her head and she became a young, beautiful girl. She then changed into a lady of immense light, all white, beautiful and young. I wanted to cry in awe looking at her. I wanted to stop the rosary and just see the apparition, but I continued to speak as she spoke through me.

    The whole rosary was on Our Lady of Fatima. She turned into Our Lady of Fatima, so white, so beautiful, young in her face. I have seen many statues of Our Lady of Fatima. I have seen her all white and adorned in light before—Our Lady of Light, that is what she called herself.

    On October 5, 1996 I saw her at Immaculata in the grotto. She had told me earlier that day she was Our Lady of the Rosary and gave a very strong message.

    I do not recall seeing her in an apparition in the Sorrowful Mother's statue since August 13, 1996.

    She was clearly, clearly, "Our Lady of Fatima" - LIVE. I saw her. I am in awe and wanted more, it was so beautiful!

    She may have appeared as Our Lady of Fatima the first time. She was covered with the greatest light—a light as from a fire and all white, but on July 5, 1994 when she first appeared,

    I did not know what Our Lady of Fatima looked like.

    I know tonight she was like every statue I have ever seen of Our Lady of Fatima, glistening, and all white. She had beads or embroidery around her cloak. I know she looked like the Lady of Fatima statues but LIVE.

    Every time we sang A Song From Jesus she would shine with the brightest light and her face would fill with the greatest joy.

    Even in a lighted hall, Mary would appear to me.

    There was no place for Jesus to be born—He was born the Light of the World in a stable in Bethlehem and the brightest star shone above His bed.

    This rosary on Fatima needs to circulate to the youth. Mary appeared to tell us to tell the youth this rosary. It does not have any message from Mary, only information from her for the youth.

    Mary's message for the youth: a rosary on Fatima—as she appeared to deliver it.

    This is a great comfort to me. She appeared, Our Lady of Fatima, to tell us that this is truly a major part of the completion of the Fatima message.

    The youth told me they could not hear the rosary, only the loud music of the band. I did not hear the band at all—but was in awe with Mary's appearing and the rosary!

    At one point I saw a little blond hair sticking out from under her veil at the top of her head.

    At least three times I saw this immense Lady of Light turn into Our Lady of Fatima. It was as if she was transformed from the Lady of Light into the Lady of Fatima.

    The room was a brightly lighted hallway with big balls of light that came down from the ceiling.

    She was adorned in light, brighter than the hallway, light as bright as seven suns, the Lady of Light.

    It is in her womb we see the light, the light of knowing God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

end of March 20, 1997 vision

The Annunciation

1. Our heavenly Mother Mary, gave messages associated with the major Fatima apparitions. She told Jacinta, one of the three visionaries at Fatima...

        "'Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her.'²⁷
        "This last message offers us an excellent opportunity to summarize the Fatima message. It tells us "that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
        "At the center of the veneration for which Our Lord calls is the act of consecration to His Sacred Heart and to Mary's Immaculate Heart." ²⁸

2. You should not be afraid, for Jesus and Mary are with us. They are watching us, and they are helping us in everything that we do. God is in charge.
3. So we come to this rosary to gather and to pray as the Junior Shepherds of Christ Associates. It is in this rosary that we will receive help to not be afraid, to help to take the light to the dark world.
4. It is in going through our Mother Mary that we will be formed more and more into the image and the likeness of Jesus.
5. The Child Jesus was formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we go to the heart of Mary, the spiritual womb, we are transformed more and more to be children of light.
6. How Mary loves the children of this world. She guards them and mothers them more than any earthly mother. Mary guards us with her motherly care, and watches over us, and wants to lead us to the Heart of her Son, Jesus.
7. Christ showed us. He was born of the Virgin Mary. He came into this world in the Virgin Mary. We too must go to the Virgin Mary in order to have this close union with God. Mary is the gateway into the Heart of Jesus.
8. At Fatima, Mary spoke to the children and she called them her children. We must realize that she is calling us, her children, to the Heart of her Son, Jesus.
9. What of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary? The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are our refuge in this life. They are the Hearts of true love. It is in giving our hearts to Jesus and to Mary that we will have hearts filled with holy love.
10. So much of this world has turned to hearts that are cold. Jesus wants love, burning love, from the children of this world, and He is given a cold heart.

The Visitation

1. We carry Jesus within our hearts.
2. When we visit others we bring the Jesus that lives within us to the other person. We embrace Jesus when we embrace each other in love.
3. Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. The Child Jesus was within Mary's womb. We carry Jesus within ourselves. We receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. When we go to Communion, we go to our pews, and we have the Son of God within our hearts. He is as present in our hearts as He was when He was carried in the womb of Mary, when she went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth.
4. We do not even realize the great gifts God has given to us when He gives Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist. Think of what it would be like if He took away the gift of the Holy Eucharist, if He took away the Mass.
5. We must be strong. We are the youth that are being sent to go into a world that has turned sinful. Some have turned their backs on God. We must realize, that we must be strong. It is hard in this world, but we must go to Jesus. We must spend time with Him everyday.
6. Jesus is the Son of Mary. Jesus and Mary are with us.
7. Hail Mary...
8. We must listen to the words of scripture, the words that we are given as teachings. We must pray to the Holy Spirit that we will comprehend the word of God, for God is speaking to us in His word. The Holy Spirit gives us understanding into these words that we will know God and love Him.
9. Mary brought forth an infant child. She watched Him. She cared for Him. All through His life, she stayed close to Him. All through our lives our Mother Mary is forever by our sides.
10. We must be strong, for we are being called by God. It is not a myth. He is calling each one of us to be leaders to help to lead the other youth to God.

The Birth of Jesus

1. The heavenly Father allowed Mary to appear at Fatima, and she told us what we must do. She told us that in order to have peace in the world we must give our hearts to her and give our hearts to her Son, Jesus.
2. She said that if we did not pay attention to her there would be a great war. Man ignored the pleading of Our Lady at Fatima, and there was World War II. Many, many, many people were killed. They suffered a brutal death.
3. At Fatima, she showed the three young children the fires of hell. They were very young, and they said they would have died of fright had Our Lady not assured them that they would not go to hell.
4. Why would Our Lady appear to children and show children the souls suffering in the fires in hell?
5. Mary appears at Fatima, and she is ignored. To this very day we do not do what Mary told us to do at Fatima. At Fatima she promised in the end the Sacred Heart of Jesus will reign, and her heart will triumph.
6. Jesus Christ came into the world in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He came as the Light of the World. He will be, in this great era of peace to come, the King and the center of all hearts.
7. He came in poverty. He was born in a stable. He came to show us that the great riches are not found in the riches of the world, that they are found in Him. He is the King, but He comes into this world in poverty.
8. The greatest riches are found in the Heart of Christ.
9. It is so simple. Why do we not love God, why do we not love one another?
10. Why does man think that he can ignore God, that he is in control, that he can do his own will?

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

1. The old man Simeon said in the Temple that "Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed-" (Lk. 2:34)
2. And he said to Mary, "and a sword will pierce your soul too-so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare." (Lk. 2:35)
3. Mary is the Mother of all the children of the world, and look how she is treated by so many of her children. Many abuse her name. They abuse her images. They do not love her. She is their Mother, and they do not love her.
4. Mary told us at Fatima what we must do in order to have peace in this world. The fourth commandment tells us we must obey our earthly mother. What makes us think that we do not have to obey our heavenly Mother?
5. She said that man was sinful and that he was offending God. She said to Jacinta before she died, "I can no longer restrain the hand of my Divine Son from striking the world with just punishment for its many crimes." ²⁹
6. Here it is 80 years after Fatima and we have disobeyed our heavenly Mother and the wishes that she gave to us when she appeared at Fatima. After World War II you would think that everyone would have heeded her message of Fatima.
7. Satan goes about the earth as a roaring lion, searching for souls to devour. When Mary showed the children at Fatima the fires of hell, she was telling them that hell was a reality and that we must go about the world and try to lead others to her Son.
8. What if you were one of the children at Fatima and our Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to you, in her light, and in her beauty? What if she said, "You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go...If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed..." ³⁰ What if she showed you the fires of hell and the souls suffering? Would you help?
9. Would your life change if Mary appeared to you and told you these things? Would you go and spend your life trying to tell others about the vision that she gave to you? Would you take this with the utmost urgency? If Mary was appearing to you, would you do something to heed her warnings?
10. Remember Noah and the Ark? The people were sinning up to the time that Noah entered the Ark.

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

1. They were warned. They were warned over and over again of their sinfulness. They were told that they must change, but they would not obey and so God told Noah to build an Ark.
2. And all men were destroyed, but those men on Noah's Ark.
3. Mary searched for the Child Jesus in the Temple. Today, there are many searching for those things that will make them happy. We will not be happy if our lives are not rooted in God.
4. We must go to Mary in order to be close to God. As Noah went into the Ark for his refuge, we to must go to the heart of Mary. She is the Ark that will lead us to the Heart of her Son.
5. So many this day are sinning. They must go to the temple. Mary is the temple that we go to, in order to find God. We go to her spiritual womb, to her heart, and we find God. We must do as Our Lady told us at Fatima, and give Mary our hearts. All through the day we give Mary our hearts and Jesus our hearts.
6. This is our job, to spread the Fatima message, to do what Mary has told us to do at Fatima, to give Jesus our hearts, and to tell all the other youth that we must do what Mary said at Fatima. We must give Mary and Jesus our hearts, pray the rosary, go to church on first Saturday, and tell Jesus and Mary we are sorry for the sins in this world.
7. Mary's peace plan is so simple to follow. We have disobeyed our heavenly Mother at Fatima. Mary appeared on July 13, 1917 to the three children. Mary showed the three children a vision of hell. She told them,

"You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace."³¹

We must obey Mary. The plan is the same plan today. We must reach the youth of this world with the consecration We must tell them to give their hearts to Jesus and Mary.

8. Mary is the temple. We will find Jesus if we go to Mary.

Song: "Oh Holy Dwelling Place of God..."

9. We have been given great gifts from Our Lord and from Our Lady. We want to be leaders, to lead other young people to Jesus and to Mary. We must thank them for the gifts we are given, for what we do with our lives will make the difference to so many souls. She showed the children the souls in hell. Visualize this as clearly as possible in your mind. What you do to help to spread the message of His love will make the difference to so many souls.
10. Can we truly look at our Mother, Mary? See her before us, adorned in the greatest light. See her glistening? Look into her beautiful face, into her eyes. Tell her we must help to lead her children to the Heart of her Son, that you will help her to help others so they will not be lost to the fires of hell forever.

---

NOTES:

27. Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven [Rockford: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983], pp. 9-10.
28. Rev. Edward Carter, S.J., Spirituality of Fatima and Medjugorje, [Milford: Faith Publishing Co., 1994], p. 18.
29. Our Lady's Peace Plan, op. cit., pp. 9-10.
30. Ibid., pp. 4-5.
31. Ibid., p. 4.
  

end of March 20, 1997 rosary meditations

Prayer for Union with Jesus

    Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.

    I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.

    I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.

May 4, 2002 message continues

May 4, 2002 message continues

Novena to the Infant of Prague

pray hourly for
the priests, the Church and the world.

Excerpt from February 15, 2002 message

Jesus speaks:      Make a list of things that are needed so people
                                can help if they so desire.

Messenger:           A small list is this
  
                            1) Priestly Newsletter Book II Foreign Mailing Postage

                            2) Mass Book II  

                            3) Rosary Meditations for Little People and Elderly

                            4) Blue Book I  printing (we have no Blue Book I's)

                            5) Blue Book III  printing (we have no Blue Book III's)

                            6) Prayer Manuals printing  

                            7) Holy Spirit Novena Booklet printing 

                            8) Rosary beads 

                            9) Image rosaries to sell

                            10) Pictures (photo's) to make available

                           11) Blankets of Mary's image

                           12) Videos for nursing  home program

                           13) Little People's Mass Book

                           14) Little People's Coloring Book of the Mass

February 15, 2002 message continues

end of excerpt from February 15, 2002

         

---

 

   

February 7, 2002

  

To whom it may concern,
  

    We circulate the Priestly Newsletter that goes to 75,000 priests in the world. This has been circulated since 1994 at the direction of Fr. Edward Carter, S.J. who had a doctorate in Theology and taught at Xavier University for over thirty years and author of eighteen books on the spiritual life and many other various publications.

    Our primary purpose is to circulate this Newsletter. We are now sending three years of Newsletters in a book of 342 pages to 75,000 priests in the United States and 90 foreign countries. A special Newsletter is enclosed with Father Carter's powerful writing on Grace (2001 issue 1). This writing is also available on tape and on disc.

    Our coequal purpose is to circulate prayer manuals Father Carter compiled for prayer chapters praying for the priests, the Church and
the world.

    All of our printing and postage costs so much money.

    We operate from the Virgin Mary building in Clearwater, Florida, pictures are enclosed. We use the building to spread materials and rosaries
to encourage people to pray for the priests, the Church and the world.

    We also have a church we received from the diocese in China, Indiana where we distribute our materials and pray before the Blessed Sacrament hourly and about two hours or more at 6:20 every day. Monthly adoration before the exposed Eucharist is held for our members for 48 hours on the 12th of each month to the 14th.

    We have a third center in Morrow, Ohio which is our communication center and mailing address.

    We circulate rosaries handmade to Catholic schools all over the United States and meditation sheets and consecration cards. We try to send scapulars too when we have them. We supply many beads to our rosary makers for this.

    We had difficulty all last summer securing funds for beads for our rosary makers. We were not able to send the 100,000 or more rosaries we usually send in October and May because of funds.

    We need $10,000 every month for the loan on the Virgin Mary building. We pray nightly there usually for about two hours or more at 6:20. We pray all through the day there, hourly, many times before the image. A big prayer meeting is held on the 5th of the month. Prayers are prayed for about 4 hours for the priests, the Church and the world. We broadcast to at least 8 states and all join in the prayers, including Morrow and China.

    We have a nursing home ministry and a prison ministry. We supply coloring books of the rosary mysteries and the Mass to children.

    We desperately need funds for the printing and the rosary making operation and all the postage. Bishops from foreign countries beg for rosaries and prayer sheets with the Shepherds of Christ Prayers.

    Now we are struggling with the monthly rent on the building and the postage for the foreign mailing of the Priestly Newsletter Book II.

    We always need money for the rosary beads for the schools and the Virgin Mary building.

    We also do a Holy Spirit Novena, but the little book has been out of print for some time because of lack of funds. Teachers like to use it for confirmation. We have prayer chapters using it daily all over the world.

    We want to circulate pictures of the crucifix and Mary's image on the building, we are unable to do this because of lack of funds. Enclosed are pictures of the crucifix and the Virgin Mary building.

    A very important part of our Movement is trying to get people to say the Morning Offering. Here is a card we distribute extensively, especially to Nursing Homes and school children.
   

  
    Here is a short form of consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary that we circulate extensively.
  

   
    Can you help us. It is a real shame to not even have rent on the building Mary appears on.

    We need to tell the world about the Mass. This is another important aspect of our ministry. We have so many writings about the Mass. Mass Book I with the Imprimatur—and all Fr. Carter's writings and many other writings discerned by Fr Carter before his death. 

    It is a shame with all the money in the world not to be able to get the rosary beads to the rosary makers for school children who want them to pray the rosary.

    Our movement is trying to do what Our Lady told us to do at Fatima for peace in the world.

    Can you help us?
  

                            Rita Ring
                            Shepherds of Christ Ministries

    

      

---

  

Messenger:  Jesus wishes that we give our hearts to Him and Mary. 

The following Valentine can be given to Jesus and Mary any day of the year. It is an act of love that would greatly please Him.

Use the following Valentine to fill in your name and the date you gave it to Him.
  

MY VALENTINE FOR JESUS AND MARY AND THE WORLD I _________________ give my heart to You Jesus and Mary on this day _________________ I promise to help spread the devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

    

---

  

      

The Story of the Crucifix Video

If you have a good dialup connection, you should be able to watch the movie live.

Click Here for help with Videos

click here to download The Story of the Crucifix video

               

---

    

Nursing Home Mass Video

We updated the Nursing videos so that if you have a good dialup 
connection, you should be able to watch the movie live.

Click Here for help with Videos

click here to download the Nursing Home and Homebound Mass video (12.3 MB)

                

---

               

This cannot be altered in anyway.

   

  PDF file of Advertisement #1

Please allow a couple of minutes to download, thank you.

      

---

         

Messenger:  A shorter ad may be as follows.

This cannot be altered in anyway.

  PDF file of Advertisement #2

      

---

      
This cannot be altered in anyway.

  PDF file of Advertisement #3