Mary has requested that the daily message be given each day to the world. It is read nightly at the prayer service from her Image Building in Clearwater, Florida, U.S.A. This is according to her request. All attempts will be made to publish this daily message to the world at 11 p.m. Eastern time, U.S.A.We acknowledge that the final authority regarding these messages rests with the Holy See of Rome. |
June 21, 2004
June 22nd Holy Spirit Novena |
The Novena Rosary Mysteries |
June 21, 2004
June 21, 2004
Jesus speaks: My dear
Texas people, Massachusetts people,
Pennsylvania, Sidney, Toledo, Kansas, Iowa,
New York, Jasper, California, Colorado, Utah,
Washington and all other Shepherds of Christ Centers
I call you to unite deeply in prayer
to pray for the Priestly Newsletter and all
of its needs.
This is a time of great importance
for your world.
Unless a sufficient number of people
have given their heart to Me and your
Mother, there will not be peace in the
world.
Pray for the special intention for
the Priestly Newsletter and all its needs.
Prayer for the spiritual and financial success
of the priestly newsletter."Father, we ask Your special blessings upon the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ. We ask that You open the priest-readers to the graces You wish to give them through this chosen instrument of Your Son. We also ask that You provide for the financial needs of the newsletter and the Shepherds of Christ Associates. We make our prayer through Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, with Mary at our side. Amen"
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks:
You are a body I have called
and have formed —
like a little duckling, I have held
you close to My Heart and formed you
in the ways of My Heart.
I am the Head. John the Baptist
was beheaded. He was to prepare the way
for the Lord.
My Mother appeared to lead you to
Me to My burning Heart on-fire for
love of you.
My Mother's head was knocked off.
I am the Head. Families and
churches must recognize that I am the
Head. All institutions must recognize
their Father in Heaven. I am the
Head. You are My body.
I am the Head, I am the Head, I am the Head,
I am the Head...
February 5, 2001
April 5, 2004
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks:
Sing this song: Come Unto Me All
Who Are Weary
A woman had a statue and the
head fell off.
May 13, 1997 I spoke to you of
consecration of My Heart and My
Mother.
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks: At
the end of the rosary, a big
wind came up and the statues
were blown over.
February 5, 2004
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks: The
first rosary was done on Tom's
Farm June 25, 1996. What continued
there were very important times for the
Shepherds of Christ.
Your work in the Shepherds of Christ
is not completed.
The Shepherds of Christ Movement
is in its infancy stages. The work
of My Newsletter is far but complete.
Mary appeared for 7 years as Our Lady
of Clearwater. This was not recognized
by many. This should show you how
little devotion is given to Mary when
such a sign is given from Heaven
and how it was treated by the
earth.
Amen, Amen I say to you, Mary
is Mother of the Church. Priests
must be concerned about their holiness
and their Priestly Ministry.
A great gift I give to you in the
priests.
Until a sufficient number of people
consecrate their hearts to My Heart
and My Mother's Heart you will not
have peace in the world.
I am your God — Harken to Me.
Messenger:
I give my heart to Jesus, oh God
forgive us our sins.
Oh God the Father we come to the Mass,
we love You so much.
Oh God the Father we love You, we
love You, we love You, we lift our
hearts to You.
We have sinned against the Lord, we
have venerated other gods.
2 Kings 17: 5-8, 13-15a, 16
The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah on the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
This happened because the Israelites had sinned against Yahweh their God who had brought them out of Egypt, out of the grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods, they followed the practices of the nations which Yahweh had dispossessed for them.
And yet through all the prophets and the seers, Yahweh had given Israel and Judah this warning, ‘Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and my laws in accordance with the entire Law which I laid down for your fathers and delivered to them through my servants the prophets.’ But they would not listen, they were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had no faith in Yahweh their God. They despised his laws and the covenant which he had made with their ancestors and the warnings which he had given them.
They rejected all the commandments of Yahweh their God and cast themselves metal idols, two calves; they made themselves sacred poles, they worshipped the whole array of heaven, and they served Baal.
Psalm 60: 3-5, 12-13
You have forced your people to drink a bitter draught,
forced us to drink a wine that made us reel.
You gave a signal to those who fear you
to let them escape out of range of the bow. PauseTo rescue those you love,
save with your right hand and answer us.With God we shall do deeds of valour,
he will trample down our enemies.
June 21, 2004 message continues
Messenger: Dear Holy Spirit help us to be holy
help us not to judge
Matthew 7: 1-5
‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the standard you use will be the standard used for you. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the great log in your own? And how dare you say to your brother, "Let me take that splinter out of your eye," when, look, there is a great log in your own? Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks: I
call you to love.
You are not like Me if you are unloving.
Oh My people bring the children
to Me.
People who are at church must
be a light.
Rules may "bog" you down until
you are just like a man
with a ball and chain.
Rules are put in place to help you —
how are you if you do not love and
you become a mean person
enforcing the law.
I appear in Clearwater to tell the
world of My love.
I appear in Clearwater to lead
men to My Heart.
A man worried how he would do
everything, he was irritable, he
was concerned with events —
when people saw him he was
angry and not at peace — nor
did he have joy inside over
his love of God.
He did not operate in love —
love of God —
love for others —
He was blind — he was prideful —
he did not see the splinter in
his own eye —
He judged his neighbors —
He was angry —
Let Me tell you something —
the devil can tempt people and
tempt them and many give in.
Mike went to work at a Church
daily. Mike was over many in
the parish. Mike prayed very
much and tried to be like Jesus.
Carol was a woman in her
30's she heard promptings
all the time that led her in
the wrong direction. She never
discerned the spirits. She was
prideful believing all she did
was right. She hurt others constantly,
she was unloving, harsh and
did what she heard in these
promptings inside without even
thinking where is this prompting
coming from.
She hurt the parish, the people,
the whole institution. She controlled
things by causing disharmony, she
was selfish. She did not think
of others and how they felt — she as
totally focused on herself.
It is important to discern the spirits.
Promptings can come from the good Spirit,
the evil one or thoughts from the person.
The thoughts from the person can be good or bad —
according to God's will or not according to God's will.
The spiritual exercises have two very
good sections on discernment of spirits.
The problem can come in communities,
families, parishes where a person believes
that all their inner promptings come
from God and then they act on them.
In the Blue Book messages the
distinction is clearly made how satan
talks in the head and I speak in the
heart.
A person that is unloving, that is
cruel to others for the sense of one's own
vain promotion is not acting as I
would act. I am Love, but I give
you the ten commandments to follow,
I work in structure. In the message given
"I want Both Feet Off the Ground" I was
speaking to My messenger who was working
closely with someone who was discerning
these messages.
It is clear that a person who acts on
every thought or prompting can get themselves
and others into trouble.
I do not contradict Myself in
telling you to follow the promptings of your
heart and not to listen to satan speaking
in your head, but I warn you there is
much pride in the person who acts on
those promptings they receive in their heads
and then they have hurt others and
been told by a spiritual director to stop
it, that they are being led by the wrong
spirit, it is because the devil wishes
to continue to use them that they tell
themselves they are right and others are
wrong.
The devil works in giving many false
messages to people.
I have showed you in the daily messages
through many stories and writings the
workings of satan. I have unveiled to you
many of satan's tactics that you would
not fall into a pit.
Likewise I have revealed to you the
most intimate secrets of My Heart,
unveiling insight into the hidden
mysteries.
You are a fool if you do not discern
the spirits and act "willy-nilly".
Lets go back to the case of Mike and
Carol. Mike was to lead the parish and
the parish council to peace and harmony,
working with the diverse personalities,
all of the different ideas and arriving
at, with the help of council and the
priest, the best action for the parish.
Carol was argumentative, competitive,
wounded from other relationships in other places
before she got there. She felt inside herself she
was never accepted. She was not concerned
with the work at hand or the good of
the parish. Her whole actions were geared
to resolve the unsolved crisis
relationship problems of her past life
(to validate herself as competent and accepted).
In her own family, which was
alcoholic, she was the scapegoat.
She was trying to report to others
she was capable, in charge, and
needed. Her intention was to make
herself be finally accepted and
looked up to by all. Her main focus
was herself — always. She could not get
out of that focus. As soon as she
walked in the room she was ready to
fight for her place.
My people, the devil wants division,
he is a snarling lion. He works in
institutions. He works to divide.
A woman was given a key to a
church and told not to give it to
anyone else by the head priest.
Another woman was very forceful
and
wanted to get in the church ahead
of time. She went to the woman
entrusted with the key and "badgered"
her, she was argumentative, forceful
and would not take "no" for an
answer. The woman entrusted with
the key gave the second woman the
key to the church against her will
and upset to do so. The 2nd woman
now with the key went to the church
with 5 other people, let them all in
and she said they all had visions that
would not have happened if she
had not been given the key.
She may have had visions, all of them too,
but it stands to reason these visions
may have been from the evil one.
God works in structure. We must obey those
over us.
The person entrusted with the key
should not have given into the forceful
person wanting the key unless she
had asked the priest's permission.
This is a simple case but it can
be used to show many instances
where disobedience against the structure
flowing from God is not right. I work
in structure. I am the Head. I
work through the Church. I work
through the priest. Satan attacks
the structure. Satan wants to discredit
the authority in religious institutions.
Satan wants to discredit the head.
You know how satan has attacked
parental authority to weaken the family
structure, to help the children to rise
up over their parents. This is not to
say that some parents have acted
wrongly and hurt their children. In
these instances there may need to be
action taken against the parents.
I work in My Church, I work
in structure. Satan has tried to
discredit the priests. Like the parents
that have hurt their children
because of misconduct, some priests
have hurt many people through their
misconduct and their actions must
be attended to. But, satan tries to
discredit the good authority, the ones
connected to Me.
Sin entered the world. The devil
is real.
Genesis Chapter 3
Now, the snake was the most subtle of all the wild animals that Yahweh God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the snake, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, "You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death." ’ Then the snake said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig–leaves together to make themselves loin–cloths.
The man and his wife heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. But Yahweh God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden,’ he replied. ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked. ‘Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Then Yahweh God said to the woman, ‘Why did you do that?’ The woman replied, ‘The snake tempted me and I ate.’
Then Yahweh God said to the snake, ‘Because you have done this,
Accursed be you of
all animals wild and tame!
On your belly you will go
and on dust you will feed
as long as you live.
I shall put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
it will bruise your head
and you will strike its heel.’To the woman he said:
I shall give you intense pain
in childbearing,
you will give birth to your children
in pain.
Your yearning will be for your husband,
and he will dominate you.To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
Accursed be the soil because of you!
Painfully will you get your food from it
as long as you live.
It will yield you brambles and thistles,
as you eat the produce of the land.
By the sweat of your face
will you earn your food,
until you return to the ground,
as you were taken from it.
For dust you are
and to dust you shall return.’The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. Yahweh God made tunics of skins for the man and his wife and clothed them. Then Yahweh God said, ‘Now that the man has become like one of us in knowing good from evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and live for ever!’ So Yahweh God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the great winged creatures and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 4: 1-10
The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. ‘I have acquired a man with the help of Yahweh,’ she said. She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil. Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for Yahweh, while Abel for his part brought the first–born of his flock and some of their fat as well. Yahweh looked with favour on Abel and his offering. But he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast. Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are doing right, surely you ought to hold your head high! But if you are not doing right, Sin is crouching at the door hungry to get you. You can still master him.’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out’; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.
Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I do not know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’ ‘What have you done?’ Yahweh asked. ‘Listen! Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.
Numbers 12: 1-10
Miriam, and Aaron too, criticised Moses over the Cushite woman he had married. He had indeed married a Cushite woman. They said, ‘Is Moses the only one through whom Yahweh has spoken? Has he not spoken through us too?’ Yahweh heard this. Now Moses was extremely humble, the humblest man on earth.
Suddenly Yahweh said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, ‘Come out, all three of you, to the Tent of Meeting.’ They went, all three of them, and Yahweh descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam and they both came forward. Yahweh said:
Listen to my words!
if there is a prophet among you,
I reveal myself to him in a vision,
I speak to him in a dream.
Not so with my servant Moses;
to him my whole household
is entrusted;
to him I speak face to face,
plainly and not in riddles,
and he sees Yahweh’s form.
How, then, could you dare
to criticise my servant Moses?Yahweh’s anger was aroused by them. He went away, and as soon as the cloud left the Tent, there was Miriam covered with a virulent skin–disease, white as snow! Aaron turned to look at her and saw that she had contracted a virulent skin–disease.
Genesis 18: 9-15
‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘She is in the tent,’ he replied. Then his guest said, ‘I shall come back to you next year, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthly periods. So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ‘Now that I am past the age of childbearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?’ But Yahweh asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?" Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shall come back to you at the same time next year and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah said, ‘I did not laugh,’ lying because she was afraid. But he replied, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks: Satan is the father of lies.
Revelation 14: 4-5
These are the sons who have kept their virginity and not been defiled with women they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they, out of all people, have been redeemed to be the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths and no fault can be found in them.
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks:
My dear priests, I want you to hear
the voice of the Good Shepherd in these
messages and prayers to pray for the
priests, the Church and the world, to
help to lead the priest and the people
deeper into consecration of Our two Hearts.
From Mary's peace plan"Until a sufficient number of people have consecrated their hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we will not have peace in the world."
Excerpt from December 6, 1996
The present condition of the world
Peace will come when hearts are hearts of love. The scales must shift. It will happen through the consecration. Mary's peace plan: until a sufficient amount of people consecrate their hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we will not have peace.
The Father looks to the earth; He sees much darkness.
The Father looks to the earth. There are few hearts fervently in love with God. The hearts of love light up the earth. It is as lights on a Christmas tree. It is sparsely lighted by a few hearts. Therefore, the tree looks dark.
As the Shepherds of Christ Movement spreads (as well as other movements focused on spreading consecration to Their Hearts) the tree is covered with more hearts and the earth becomes more lighted.
The tree is covered with hearts consecrated to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The tree is illuminated.
As the Shepherds of Christ apostles spread the consecration to the Church, the family, and the school, the tree is covered with lights and the earth is covered with the fire of His love.
End of excerpt from December 6, 1996
June 21, 2004 message continues
Jesus speaks:
Ten days later Mary appeared on
the building in Clearwater in rainbow
color, the Lady clothed with the sun.
This is a major part of the Fatima
mission.
Harken to Me, I am the Head,
Mary is the reflection.
A city set on a hill will shine its
light to the rest of the world. You will
be that city. I want you to feed My
people. There are top of the mountain
experiences and there are bottom of
the mountain problems that can
drag you from the top of the mountain
every day.
Satan wants to keep you bound up
in problems at the bottom of the
mountain all day. I called a particular
place and My Mother appeared over
and over again. People were divided
continually, seeking their own vain
glory. Division of this sort tears the
place apart. There was a discernment
board that were leaders that manipulated
events for their own purpose of pride
and glory. I was not the Head, but
they were and a person sat on My
throne, gave directions and manipulated
events for their own power. There were
two places that because of the division
and power seekers that structure folded.
A person must look at their actions,
discern the spirits, and see if their
actions are from God, the evil one, or
actions from their own thoughts, which
are according to God's will or against
God's will.
When Mike talked to Carol it
was impossible for him to handle
anything because she believed
anyone that corrected her in any way
was attacking her and it was
always a battle of wills — she made
a decision to herself she would never
be under anyone again because
she was a scapegoat so long.
Whenever she dealt with Mike
she threatened to take him to the
priest, the bishop, she saw herself
as over him.
Her disharmony affected the
dealings in the church, it was
hidden, and not understood
because of the sneakiness with
which she acted in the lack of recognition
of how satan worked in the actions
of people in that parish.
Discernment of Spirits — where
actions come from are vital.
Melissa was a DRE in another
parish. Melissa knew the power of
the rosary and prayed it continually,
she had a very mature spiritual life,
but she did not attend to the problems
in the parish that she needed to. She
put problems under the rug that she
needed to address and said, "God will
handle it." If someone carried off a
piece of furniture and they worked
there, it needed to be handled.
George was the DRE in his parish.
He stuck to the rules to a "tee". Many
times he would get promptings for
actions that needed to be discerned.
He ran in like a "bull in a china
shop" and reprimanded the people
working in the parish because he
was taunted by satan and he
acted as if he acted in the line of
justice. His manners were not loving,
his correction was not needed at that
time and he needed prayer to act
justly and according to the way the
Holy Spirit would act, not the way
he did. After he was forceful, unloving
and abusive, he did not recognize his
bad behavior and soon the people left
that parish because of his lack of love
and his pride in giving into the
evil one prompting his actions.
You must discern the spirits and
see if satan is talking in your head,
telling you to do some "bizarre" thing.
Then pride keeps the person stuck —
where they can act very unloving,
boisterously loud and work out
past problems in relationships
with others that are not ways of
acting as I desire.
Argumentation is a way the
devil works to take control.
But others in positions under authority
may take control by argumentation with
leaders. Obedience to leaders is vital.
Excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. pp. 141-146313. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
IRules for understanding to some extent the different movements produced in the soul and for recognizing those that are good to admit them, and those that are bad, to reject them. These rules are more suited to the first week
314. I. In the case of those who go from one mortal sin to another, the enemy is ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures. He fills their imagination with sensual delights and gratifications, the more readily to keep them in their vices and increase the number of their sins.
With such persons the good spirit uses a method which is the reverse of the above. Making use of the light of reason, he will rouse the sting of conscience and fill them with remorse.
315. 2. In the case of those who go on earnestly striving to cleanse their souls from sin and who seek to rise in the service of God our Lord to greater perfection, the method pursued is the opposite of that mentioned in the first rule.
Then it is characteristic of the evil spirit to harass with anxiety, to afflict with sadness, to raise obstacles backed by fallacious reasonings that disturb the soul. Thus he seeks to prevent the soul from advancing.
It is characteristic of the good spirit, however, to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and peace. This He does by making all easy, by removing all obstacles so that the soul goes forward in doing good.
316. 3. SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. I call it consolation when an interior movement is aroused in the soul, by which it is inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and as a consequence, can love no creature on the face of the earth for its own sake, but only in the Creator of them all. It is likewise consolation when one sheds tears that move to the love of God, whether it be because of sorrow for sins, or because of the sufferings of Christ our Lord, or for any other reason that is immediately directed to the praise and service of God. Finally, I call consolation every increase of faith, hope, and love, and all interior joy that invites and attracts to what is heavenly and to the salvation of one's soul by filling it with peace and quiet in its Creator and Lord.
317. 4. SPIRITUAL DESOLATION. I call desolation what is entirely the opposite of what is described in the third rule, as darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is low and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love. The soul is wholly slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is the opposite of desolation, so the thoughts that spring from consolation are the opposite of those that spring from desolation.
318. 5. In time of desolation we should never make any change, but remain firm and constant in the resolution and decision which guided us the day before the desolation, or in the decision to which we adhered in the preceding consolation. For just as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us, so in desolation the evil spirit guides and counsels. Following his counsels we can never find the way to a right decision.
319. 6. Though in desolation we must never change our former resolutions, it will be very advantageous to intensify our activity against the desolation. We can insist more upon prayer, upon meditation, and on much examination of ourselves. We can make an effort in a suitable way to do some penance.
320. 7. When one is in desolation, he should be mindful that God has left him to his natural powers to resist the different agitations and temptations of the enemy in order to try him. He can resist with the help of God, which always remains, though he may not clearly perceive it. For though God has taken from him the abundance of fervor and overflowing love and the intensity of His favors, nevertheless, he has sufficient grace for eternal salvation.
321. 8. When one is in desolation, he should strive to persevere in patience. This reacts against the vexations that have overtaken him. Let him consider, too, that consolation will soon return, and in the meantime, he must diligently use the means against desolation which have been given in the sixth rule.
322. 9. The principal reasons why we suffer from desolation are three:
The first is because we have been tepid and slothful or negligent in our exercises of piety, and so through our own fault spiritual consolation has been taken away from us.
The second reason is because God wishes to try us, to see how much we are worth, and how much we will advance in His service and praise when left without the generous reward of consolations and signal favors.
The third reason is because God wishes to give us a true knowledge and understanding of ourselves, so that we may have an intimate perception of the fact that it is not within our power to acquire and attain great devotion, intense love, tears, or any other spiritual consolation; but that all this is the gift and grace of God our Lord. God does not wish us to build on the property of another, to rise up in spirit in a certain pride and vainglory and attribute to ourselves the devotion and other effects of spiritual consolation.
323. 10. When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation, and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day.
324. 11. He who enjoys consolation should take care to humble himself and lower himself as much as possible. Let him recall how little he is able to do in time of desolation, when he is left without such grace or consolation.
On the other hand, one who suffers desolation should remember that by making use of the sufficient grace offered him, he can do much to withstand all his enemies. Let him find his strength in his Creator and Lord.
325. 12. The enemy conducts himself as a woman. He is a weakling before a show of strength, and a tyrant if he has his will. It is characteristic of a woman in a quarrel with a man to lose courage and take to flight if the man shows that he is determined and fearless. However, if the man loses courage and begins to flee, the anger, vindictiveness, and rage of the woman surge up and know no bounds. In the same way, the enemy becomes weak, loses courage, and turns to flight with his seductions as soon as one leading a spiritual life faces his temptations boldly, and does exactly the opposite of what he suggests. However, if one begins to be afraid and to lose courage in temptations, no wild animal on earth can be more fierce than the enemy of our human nature. He will carry out his perverse intentions with consummate malice.
326. 13. Our enemy may also be compared in his manner of acting to a false lover. He seeks to remain hidden and does not want to be discovered. If such a lover speaks with evil intention to the daughter of a good father, or to the wife of a good husband, and seeks to seduce them, he wants his words and solicitations kept secret. He is greatly displeased if his evil suggestions and depraved intentions are revealed by the daughter to her father, or by the wife to her husband. Then he readily sees he will not succeed in what he has begun. In the same way, when the enemy of our human nature tempts a just soul with his wiles and seductions, he earnestly desires that they be received secretly and kept secret. But if one manifests them to a confessor, or to some other spiritual person who understands his deceits and malicious designs, the evil one is very much vexed. For he knows that he cannot succeed in his evil undertaking, once his evident deceits have been revealed.
327. 14. The conduct of our enemy may also be compared to the tactics of a leader intent upon seizing and plundering a position he desires. A commander and leader of an army will encamp, explore the fortifications and defenses of the stronghold, and attack at the weakest point. In the same way, the enemy of our human nature investigates from every side all our virtues, theological, cardinal, and moral. Where he finds the defenses of eternal salvation weakest and most deficient, there he attacks and tries to take us by storm.
end of excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J.
328. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
II
Further rules for understanding the different movements produced in the soul. They serve for a more accurate discernment of spirits and are more suitable for the second week
329. I. It is characteristic of God and His Angels, when they act upon the soul, to give true happiness and spiritual joy, and to banish all the sadness and disturbances which are caused by the enemy.
It is characteristic of the evil one to fight against such happiness and consolation by proposing fallacious reasonings, subtilties, and continual deceptions.330. 2. God alone can give consolation to the soul without any previous cause. It belongs solely to the Creator to come into a soul, to leave it, to act upon it, to draw it wholly to the love of His Divine Majesty. I said without previous cause, that is, without any preceding perception or knowledge of any subject by which a soul might be led to such a consolation through its own acts of intellect and will.
331. 3. If a cause precedes, both the good angel and the evil spirit can give consolation to a soul, but for a quite different purpose. The good angel consoles for the progress of the soul, that it may advance and rise to what is more perfect. The evil spirit consoles for purposes that are the contrary, and that afterwards he might draw the soul to his own perverse intentions and wickedness.
332. 4. It is a mark of the evil spirit to assume the appearance of an angel of light. He begins by suggesting thoughts that are suited to a devout soul, and ends by suggesting his own. For example, he will suggest holy and pious thoughts that are wholly in conformity with the sanctity of the soul. Afterwards, he will endeavor little by little to end by drawing the soul into his hidden snares and evil designs.
333. 5. We must carefully observe the whole course of our thoughts. If the beginning and middle and end of the course of thoughts are wholly good and directed to what is entirely right, it is a sign that they are from the good angel. But the course of thoughts suggested to us may terminate in something evil, or distracting, or less good than the soul had formerly proposed to do. Again, it may end in what weakens the soul, or disquiets it; or by destroying the peace, tranquility, and quiet which it had before, it may cause disturbance to the soul. These things are a clear sign that the thoughts are proceeding from the evil spirit, the enemy of our progress and eternal salvation.
334. 6. When the enemy of our human nature has been detected and recognized by the trail of evil marking his course and by the wicked end to which he leads us, it will be profitable for one who has been tempted to review immediately the whole course of the temptation. Let him consider the series of good thoughts, how they arose, how the evil one gradually attempted to make him step down from the state of spiritual delight and joy in which he was, till finally he drew him to his wicked designs. The purpose of this review is that once such an experience has been understood and carefully observed, we may guard ourselves for the future against the customary deceits of the enemy.
335. 7. In souls that are progressing to greater perfection, the action of the good angel is delicate, gentle, delightful. It may be compared to a drop of water penetrating a sponge.
The action of the evil spirit upon such souls is violent, noisy, and disturbing. It may be compared to a drop of water falling upon a stone.
In souls that are going from bad to worse, the action of the spirits mentioned above is just the reverse. The reason for this is to be sought in the opposition or similarity of these souls to the different kinds of spirits. When the disposition is contrary to that of the spirits, they enter with noise and commotion that are easily perceived. When the disposition is similar to that of the spirits, they enter silently, as one coming into his own house when the doors are open.336. 8. When consolation is without previous cause, as was said, there can be no deception in it, since it can proceed from God our Lord only. But a spiritual person who has received such a consolation must consider it very attentively, and must cautiously distinguish the actual time of the consolation from the period which follows it. At such a time the soul is still fervent and favored with the grace and aftereffects of the consolation which has passed. In this second period the soul frequently forms various resolutions and plans which are not granted directly by God our Lord. They may come from our own reasoning on the relations of our concepts and on the consequences of our judgments, or they may come from the good or evil spirit. Hence, they must be carefully examined before they are given full approval and put into execution.
end of excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
One time at the Holy Spirit Center
I saw tears on Mary's cheeks on the left side.
Click to see the China Church live
and all the candles burning
for your intentions.
Light a candle in China.
We will put your prayer intention
before the altar.
Call Morrow 1-888-211-3041
Suggested Donation: $5.00
Email for candles: info@sofc.org
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
PO Box 193
Morrow, Ohio 45152-0193
Telephone: (toll free) 1-888-211-3041 or (513) 932-4451
FAX: (513) 932-6791