Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing        

June 29, 2016

June 30th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is 
Day 9 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries 
for June 30th
are
Glorious.

 

July 5th -
18th Anniversary
of being in Clearwater
Please come to Clearwater
July 5th – 6:20pm
Procession around the building.
 


Mary by day
July 5, 2000

by night
July 5, 2000

 

Please pray for Cole.
   

Pray for special intentions.
  

Pray for Dan & Melanie, Mary W, Jimmy,
Fr. Joe, Mary, Catherine, Blue Book 17.

Please pray for funds & grace.

Pray for Father's Day Mailing,
Fr. Joe's new book, a special
couple, Sanja's trip.

    

 Give the gift that Counts.

Blow Out Sale for Reprinting of Blue Book 1, 2 & 3

While Supplies Last

Blue Book 1   -  $4 each plus postage
Blue Book 2   -  $4 each plus postage
Blue Book 3   -  $3 each plus postage

Call 1-888-211-3041 for Doris

   

 

 

  Blue Book 16 is available.

 

                June 29, 2016 - In the Month of the Sacred Heart

                Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

                R. Jesus tells us the parable of the mustard seed –
                it is the smallest seed, but when it is grown
                it becomes the largest of plants.

                    Can we not compare ourselves to seeds that
                are planted? There must be fertile soil and the
                right conditions for seeds to grow.

                    We were meant to love and to do God's will.
                We are wonderfully made by God for this. God
                wants us in heaven with Him eternally, but
                we must listen to God and obey Him.

                    God calls us to discipline ourselves.
                We are forming our character by how we
                follow God and do what He wants of us – How we
                love God. We must control our thoughts – not give
                into bitterness, thoughts of envy and anger,
                jealousy – not be prideful and lustful or
                gluttonness.

                    We must seek to be faithful – to have habits
                of kindness toward others. Our disposition
                becomes one of selflessness and one of being loving –
                "other focused", not selfish and focusing
                on darkness.

                    Our constant efforts are to be to avoid
                evil and to serve and love God by
                doing all we do for the honor and glory of God.

                    The Babylonian Captivity in 587 BC

 

Jeremiah 14: 17-22

‘So say this word to them: 
May my eyes shed tears 
night and day, unceasingly, 
since the daughter of my people 
    has sustained a fearsome wound, 
a crippling injury. 
If I go into the countryside, 
there lie those killed by the sword; 
if I go into the city, 
I see people tortured with hunger; 
even prophets and priests 
roam the country at their wits’ end.’ 

Have you rejected Judah altogether? 
Does your very soul revolt at Zion? 
Why have you struck us down 
    without hope of cure? 
We were hoping for peace—
    no good came of it! 
For the moment of cure—
    nothing but terror! 
Yahweh, we acknowledge our wickedness 
and our ancestors’ guilt: 
we have indeed sinned against you. 
For your name’s sake do not reject us, 
do not dishonour the throne of your glory. 
Remember us; 
    do not break your covenant with us. 
Can any of the nations’ Futile Ones 
    make it rain? 
Can the heavens of their own accord 
    give showers? 
Are you not the one, Yahweh our God? 
In you is our hope, 
since you make all these things.

 

Matthew 13: 35-46

This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet:    

I will speak to you in parables,
 unfold what has been hidden
 since the foundation of the world.

The parable of the darnel explained

Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the field.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!

‘The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. ‘Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

 

                R. We should do all of our work for the honor
                and glory of God. Do what we are asked to do
                the best way we can – We must respect
                those in authority over us – In yesterday's
                message we see that God says that we
                should see Him watching all that we do and
                not act like He doesn't see what we do.

                    We know that God expects order in our lives.
                God operates in structure. A man of God can
                control himself – he does not give into temptation
                by satan to try to get him to give into being depressed
                and disobedient to God. We should not procrastinate
                and waste time when we know God is
                telling us to do something.

                    God has asked us to have wholesome
                family movies for the summer for the
                pilgrims coming to the Florida site.
                What we watch, what we think, what
                we fill our minds with effects us.

                God is Just –         

                Song: I Am a God of Justice


 

               

Jeremiah 18: 1-6

The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh as follows, 'Get up and make your way down to the potter's house, and there I shall tell you what I have to say.' So I went down to the potter's house; and there he was, working at the wheel. But the vessel he was making came out wrong, as may happen with clay when a potter is at work. So he began again and shaped it into another vessel, as he thought fit. Then the word of Yahweh came to me as follows, 'House of Israel, can I not do to you what this potter does? Yahweh demands. Yes, like clay in the potter's hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.

 

                R. We must fill our minds with good images
                and good thoughts, Good shows we watch –
                We should keep trying to learn about God,
                who loves us so much.

 

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - June 22, 2008

INTRODUCTION: The prophet, Jeremiah lived in Israel about 600 years before Christ. The Babylonian destruction of Israel was immanent. The Babylonians came from modern day Iraq. Their capital, Babylon, was located just 100 miles south of Baghdad. Jeremiah was warning God’s people that they could avoid the destruction that was on its way if they started living according to God’s laws (most of which were being flagrantly ignored or violated. The people didn’t like the message, so they decided to kill Jeremiah. His words in today’s first reading reflect the pain and misery he experienced for being faithful to his mission. We should not be shocked when we hear him pray that God take vengeance on his persecutors. After all, he was human and not as perfect as Jesus who was able to pray for those who crucified him.

Our first reading leads into the gospel. As we heard last Sunday, Jesus had just chosen his twelve apostles. In today’s gospel he prepares to send them out as missionaries. He is warning them their message will not always be well received, they may even suffer and die for it, but they must preach with courage and not be afraid of what might happen to them if they meet rejection.

 

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 31, 2008 

INTRODUCTION – (Jeremiah 20, 7-9) Our first reading from the prophet Jeremiah goes back to 600 B.C. It sounds as if Jeremiah expected people would be grateful to him for speaking God’s word to them. But they only hated him for it. The people ridiculed him, threw him in jail and even tried to kill him by throwing him in a well. We hear him complaining to God, “You duped me! You tricked me, God!”

Jesus’ faithfulness to his mission would bring him suffering too, but Jesus did not feel tricked. He was well aware of what was going to happen. In today’s gospel, we hear him warning his disciples ahead of time.

 

                R. Matthew tells us about the lack of faith
                    when Jesus went to His native place –

                He could not work many miracles because of
                    their lack of faith.

                Do we think about desolation? St. Ignatius tells us
                    about desolation and we must discern
                    the spirits.
                    When we are in desolation we should
                        not make decisions.
                    We can pray more during desolation,
                        not pray less –
                    We need God's help.

 

Jeremiah 26: 11-16, 24

The priests and prophets then said to the chief men and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.’ Jeremiah, however, replied to all the chief men and all the people as follows, ‘Yahweh himself sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city all the things you have heard. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and Yahweh will relent about the disaster that he has decreed for you. For myself, I am, as you see, in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its inhabitants, since Yahweh has truly sent me to you to say all this for you to hear.’ The chief men and all the people then said to the priests and prophets, ‘This man does not deserve to die: he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.’

 But Jeremiah had a protector in Ahikam son of Shaphan, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

  

                R. We have been talking about the prophets in the
                Old Testament and how they suffered for doing what
                God called them to do – tell them what they were doing
                wrong and repent.

                    We remember John the Baptist who lost
                his head because he told Herod what he was
                doing wrong.

                    God calls us to unite and to go out and
                to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.

                    At the time of Jeremiah, the King
                would not listen to him – He prophesized
                and the false prophet was listened to and Jeremiah
                was thrown in a pit –

                    But the King really did suffer –

 

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 19, 2009

HOMILY: There was a man who worked in a museum whose job it was to explain the different exhibits. On one occasion he pointed to the bones of a dinosaur saying the bones were 100 million and 9 years old. Someone asked how they could date those bones so accurately. He said “well, when I started working here, I was told these bones were 100 million years old and I’ve worked here for nine years.”

Today I want to give everyone a little history lesson. I’m not going back to the dinosaurs, but I am going back pretty far – to King David, 1000 years before Christ. When I was in school, I hated history. It wasn’t until we studied the history of the Old Testament in the seminary that I began to appreciate it. I cannot cram 1000 years of history into a couple of minutes. I just want to touch on the parts of Jewish history that are mentioned in today’s reading. If you want to learn more, read everything in the Old Testament, but be sure you have a commentary to help you. Otherwise, you’ll give up in despair because you won’t know what it’s all about - especially the prophets and the historical books.

When David was king 1000 years before Christ, David wanted to build a house for God, since there was no Temple for God at that time. God did not give David permission to do so, however God promised David through the prophet Nathan that he would bless him and build David a house in the sense that David’s kingdom would continue forever and one of his descendants would always rule. This blessing lasted through the reign of David’s son, Solomon; but we humans somehow have the ability to sabotage God’s blessings. Solomon turned to pagan gods and over-extended the country financially by elaborate building projects and exorbitant taxes, so when Solomon died there was a rebellion and most of Israel broke away from Solomon’s successor, David’s grandson, Rehoboam. Rehoboam continued to rule over the southern part of Israel, the area we know as Judaea . For 400 years (and this is amazing) the kings of Judaea were descendants of King David. The northern kingdom that rebelled against David’s successors suffered under a succession of kings and rebellions. In less than 300 years the northern kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians, people from northern Iraq. About 100 years after that, the Babylonians from southern Iraq conquered the Assyrians and took control of the entire Middle East. The conquest of the Babylonians brings us up to Jeremiah whom we heard in today’s first reading. At the time of Jeremiah, here was the situation: the northern kingdom no longer existed. The southern kingdom, Judaea, was still being ruled by David’s descendants but they were not loyal to God or to God’s laws. Jeremiah spoke to these kings as they came into power, the last four being: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoikin and Zedekiah. Zedikiah, the last reigning king, died in disgrace. After the Babylonians captured him, his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, he was then blinded and led off to Babylon in chains where he presumably died. You can read how Jeremiah spoke with them in great detail in the book of Jeremiah. He told them exactly what they needed to do to survive the invading forces of Babylon. His messages were ignored. He blames them and their leadership for the destruction that came upon God’s people. As we heard in today’s first reading, God speaks through Jeremiah: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.” God said he would take over shepherding his people; he would bring them back from exile; he would appoint leaders over them who would serve them well and lead them to peace and security. It took 600 years before God thought the world was ready for this king who would reign and govern wisely, who would do what is just and right in the land.

But then he came, through the announcement of an angel to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel said to her “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

In last week’s gospel, Jesus sent his apostles out to heal and cast out demons and to call people to repentance. In today’s gospel we are told of their return, excited over their experience and tired. Jesus wanted to some time off, but he couldn’t. The mission of Jesus and his apostles apparently was so successful that a great crowd caught up with them before they had chance to catch their breath. Mark describes Jesus taking compassion on them (his heart was moved with deep sympathy for them would probably be a better translation). He saw them as sheep without a shepherd, - people without leadership, and he began to teach them.

One of the important messages in today’s readings is that in love our Lord leads us, by teaching us and appointing others to teach us. But we need to listen, and we need to keep on listening. We’ll never be finished listening and learning as long as our world suffers from injustice, poverty, hunger, discrimination, war, hatred and killing of innocent people. Christ would be put to death before he would stop teaching. It is to our own great loss when we stop listening. That’s one of the reasons we are here each weekend, to listen and to learn. We call ourselves disciples. The word disciple means learner. When we’ve quit learning, we’ve quit being a disciple.

 

                R. We can't ignore God. God gives us laws to follow –
                Jesus loves us so much –

                We see He gives us a sharing in His life in baptism
                    and He feeds this life with Himself.

                Jeremiah told them of national punishment
                    before the Babylonian Exile – that
                    made them mad and they punished Jeremiah.

 

 

                R. We see their lack of faith –
                 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 20, 2013

HOMILY – ... This changed bread and wine that becomes Jesus’ body and blood will change us. We will become more like him and grow closer to him. Our faith is not a static thing, it is dynamic because the power of Jesus is at work. Later on in John’s gospel he tells us, “I came that they may have life, and have it to the full.” I think this is one of the most powerful lines in the gospel. If we believe in him and if we let him, Jesus will keep changing us until we come to the fullness of life. Amen

 

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 18, 2013

INTRODUCTION – (Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53) Suffering and turmoil have been part of everyday life in the Middle East for centuries. Our first reading goes back 600 years before Christ when the land we now know as Iraq was known as Babylon. It was during that time that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was successfully conquering all the nations that surrounded Babylon. The events we will hear in our first reading took place as the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem. Jeremiah, one of the greatest prophets of all time, kept telling the Jewish leaders as well as anyone who would listen to him that it was useless for them to defend themselves; they should just surrender to the Babylonians or Jerusalem would be destroyed. Such talk was viewed as unpatriotic and Jeremiah was called a traitor. Many of the Jewish leaders decided to kill Jeremiah and they persuaded their king, Zedekiah, to get rid of the prophet. Zedekiah gave permission for Jeremiah to be thrown into a cistern to die. Later, Ebed-Melech, a Cushite (which means an Ethiopian), one of Jeremiah’s friends, persuaded the king to change his mind.

HOMILY – Today’s readings are not cheerful. First we heard of Jeremiah who was faithful to God in every way and who spoke God’s message to God’s people. He was rewarded by being thrown down a cistern and left to die. I’m sure some of us feel like Jeremiah at times. By the way, Jeremiah was correct. Because of the resistance of the Jews, the Babylonians completely destroyed Jerusalem and that led to the Babylonian Exile.

    In the gospel we hear of Jesus, THE greatest prophet ever. Luke tells us Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem knowing fully well what was ahead for him. Jesus described this in three ways: as a fire he wished to cast upon the earth, as a baptism he was to receive, and that he would be a cause of division. The fire and baptism he spoke of are vague: (1) fire can symbolize judgment, purification or discernment. It also could symbolize the fire of the Holy Spirit that came upon the apostles at Pentecost. What Jesus meant by fire is unclear. (2) Jesus also spoke of a baptism he would undergo. This is a strange symbol for Jesus to use, especially since he had already received the baptism of John the Baptist. The baptism he was to receive might be clearer if we recall that once Jesus referred to his suffering and death as a baptism when he asked James and John, two apostles who wanted the highest places of honor in God’s kingdom, “can you drink the cup that I am to drink or be baptized with the baptism that I shall undergo?” If baptism and fire are difficult to understand, we have no difficulty understanding Jesus when he talks about (3) the division that he would create. “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” This word foretold the sufferings and even the martyrdom some of his followers would experience. Here Jesus focused specifically on division within families for family bonds were one of the strongest and most sacred bonds in the society of Jesus’ time. The example of division that Jesus chose illustrates that membership in God’s kingdom was even more important than family ties.

    Didn’t Jesus come to bring peace? Certainly! At his birth the angels sang “glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people of good will.” When Jesus sent his disciples out on mission, they were instructed that when they entered a person’s house they were to say: “Peace to this house.” At the Last Supper he promised his disciples a “peace which the world cannot give.” After his resurrection, his first words to the disciples when he appeared to them were: “Peace be with you.” The greatest source of peace in my life is my relationship with God. Peace is more than just the absence of war, it is a figure for the many blessings that he and his ministry would bring to human beings. (Fitzmyer, Anchor Bible, pg 225) So when Jesus speaks of division, he is speaking of the ongoing battle between good and evil, between those who believe and follow him and those who reject him. It is Jesus’ intention to offer God’s forgiveness and love to all who would accept it. Division results from the fact that there will always be those who resist Jesus’ offer.

    This battle can go on even within our own selves – with part of us wanting to love God and follow his ways and a part of us wanting to go in the opposite direction. The second reading today from Hebrews encourages us to persevere in running the race and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus for he is the true source of a peace that will have no end.

    We come here today with our challenges, our worries and struggles, whether within ourselves, or with our relatives or our neighbors, or our politicians or the world at large. Typically, we work to achieve some peace and stability in our lives, but I suppose there will always be challenges. So we come to our Lord for strength and guidance, for his love and for his peace. Amen.

 

Matthew 15: 1-2, 10-14

Then Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, 'Why do your disciples break away from the tradition of the elders? They eat without washing their hands.'

He called the people to him and said, 'Listen, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make anyone unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes someone unclean.' He replied, 'Any plant my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind; and if one blind person leads another, both will fall into a pit.'

 

Jeremiah 31: 1-7

When that time comes, Yahweh declares, I shall be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.

   Yahweh says this:
   They have found pardon in the desert,
   those who have survived the sword.
   Israel is marching to his rest.
   Yahweh has appeared to me from afar;
   I have loved you with an everlasting love
   and so I still maintain
      my faithful love for you.
   I shall build you once more,
      yes, you will be rebuilt,
   Virgin of Israel!
   Once more in your best attire,
   and with your tambourines,
   you will go out dancing gaily.
   Once more you will plant vineyards
   on the mountains of Samaria
   (those who plant will themselves
      enjoy the fruit).
   Yes, a day will come
      when the watchmen shout
   on the mountains of Ephraim,
   ‘Up! Let us go up to Zion,
   to Yahweh our God!'

   For Yahweh says this:
   Shout with joy for Jacob!
   Hail the chief of nations!
   Proclaim! Praise! Shout,
   ‘Yahweh has saved his people,
   the remnant of Israel!’

 

                R. Jesus shows us He healed because of people's
                    faith.

 

Jeremiah 31: 31-34

‘Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah), but not like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, even though I was their Master, Yahweh declares. No, this is the covenant I shall make with the House of Israel when those days have come, Yahweh declares. Within them I shall plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my people. There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying, "Learn to know Yahweh!" No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind.’

                 

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)

   
 

Excerpts from The Spirituality of Fatima

by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

July 13, 1917

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

    "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)

 

 

November 4, 2013

 

                Mary: I am the Queen of Peace
                    I appeared Our Lady of Clearwater –
                    Come July 5, 2016
                    Pray in reparation for your sins.

                R. Christ showed us how He went out to others. He
                saw the people and had pity on them. When we
                become people for others – we have the spirit,
                the habit of thinking about others, of going
                out to help others, selflessness rather than
                selfishness – following Jesus. Jesus did the
                will of the Father – Jesus always did the will
                of the Father – Jesus served other, Jesus
                helped others, Jesus loved others.

                    A prophet speaks the words God wants
                them to speak to the people –

                    Ezekiel was a prophet for the Jews in exile.
                He was around 593 BC. The prophets we have heard
                from in the daily scriptures in the first reading,
                were from this period before Christ.

                    Jesus tells us we are to be like little children.
                We remember the scripture –
 

Matthew 11: 25

At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children.

                 

 

                R. We are to be child-like, humble, loving –
                not like selfish people, angry, jealous, prideful etc.
                God calls us to meekness, that means not combatal,
                ready to argue, prove a point. We say Most Sacred Heart
                of Jesus - meek and tender in Heart. God calls us
                to humility - not bragging for our own glory, but
                telling the truth to help build the Kingdom of God –

                    God calls us to be patient – we need to pray
                for patience – God teaches us in many trials
                we have to wait on the Lord. We pray – we wait
                on Him.

   

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.

 

                R. St. Paul tells us to get rid of malice, to be
                kind and to forgive each other – We are to be
                Christ to one another – love each other, help
                each other, not selfish, but selfless, servants
                of the Lord, handmaids of the Lord.

                    God tells us not to nurse anger, hold out,
                brood over things we think people did to us –
                life is too short to bring destruction down
                on our day, when God has asked us to be
                pure in heart and to serve Him.

 

Matthew 18: 15-20

Brotherly correction

'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.

'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Prayer in common

'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'

 

                R. Jesus is talking about one having authority and
                correcting those under Him. A person in authority
                has a responsibility before God to carry out the
                mission God asks of him. In the Church,
                the person in authority wearing a habit, being
                a priest must not give bad example before
                others – they are to be Christ-like and teach
                others – example is important, especially for
                religious. They cannot be scandalous or
                misrepresenting before others - that could in
                any way hurt the spiritual life of those they serve.

                    To call ourselves a Christian means to be Christ-like.
                We are to see Christ in others. We are to be rooted
                in Christ ourselves. A person like Christ does
                not give into the deadly sins of pride and anger
                and jealousy, envy, slothfulness, gluttony and
                lust – especially with a habit, a collar and
                before others.

                    Religious are to be impeccable about adoring
                the Blessed Sacrament and teaching others
                about reverence in Church and when
                praying – giving a good example before others,
                meek and tender in heart – like the Heart of Jesus.

                    We are to learn to forgive. It takes practice
                and grace to learn to forgive. We have a lifetime
                to learn to be Christ-like. We see that Christ
                forgives us and we are to make reparation for
                offenses we have caused.

                    We are to show others how to be Christians,
                how to be Christ-like – How we are harmonious
                in one mind and one heart – how we obey
                just authority – how we are just and loving
                in our dealings with our brothers.

                Sing: And they know we are Christians by Our Love

                Sing: All That We Have

                Sing: Service

                    Even in abortion we see the awfulness
                of what is called women's rights to choose –
                The commandments say "Thou shalt not kill".
                The baby in the womb has rights. God will
                judge us how we acted in our life.

 

The Ten Commandments

  1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
  3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
  4. Honor your father and your mother.
  5. You shall not kill.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.
  7. You shall not steal.
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
  10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

 

Matthew 11: 25

At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children.

 

Matthew 19: 3-12

    Some Pharisees approached him, and to put him to the test they said, 'Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?' He answered, 'Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh? They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.'

    They said to him, 'Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?' He said to them, 'It was because you were so hard-hearted, that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: anyone who divorces his wife-I am not speaking of an illicit marriage-and marries another, is guilty of adultery.'

The disciples said to him, 'If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry.' But he replied, 'It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born so from their mother's womb, there are eunuchs made so by human agency and there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.'

 

                R. When we are baptized we are commissioned to go out
                    and spread the Good News.
                    This is a responsibility we are given –
                    We pray for an increase of faith, hope
                        and love.
                    We are members of the mystical body of
                        Christ –
                        If one member suffers, we all suffer –
                        We are to pray for each other and
                        be holy ourselves –

 

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)

   
 

 


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Ezekiel 18: 1-10, 13, 30-32

The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows, 'Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: The parents have eaten unripe grapes; and the children's teeth are set on edge? 'As I live -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- you will have no further cause to repeat this proverb in Israel. Look, all life belongs to me; the father's life and the son's life, both alike belong to me. The one who has sinned is the one to die.

'But if a man is upright, his actions law-abiding and upright, and he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the foul idols of the House of Israel, does not defile his neighbour's wife or touch a woman during her periods, oppresses no one, returns the pledge on a debt, does not rob, gives his own food to the hungry, his clothes to those who lack clothing, does not lend for profit, does not charge interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgement between one person and another, keeps my laws and sincerely respects my judgements -- someone like this is truly upright and will live -- declares the Lord Yahweh. But if he has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, who commits one of these misdeeds-

So in future, House of Israel, I shall judge each of you by what that person does -- declares the Lord Yahweh. Repent, renounce all your crimes, avoid all occasions for guilt. Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- so repent and live!'

 
 

 

Matthew 19: 13-15

Then people brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples scolded them, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them from coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of Heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

 

From Rita Robinson Ring,
Co-founder of Shepherds of Christ

    God has chosen us, we are to turn to Christ with greater generosity, and as baptized Christians to grow in our knowing and loving capacity.

    God has put His handprint on us in baptism giving to us the virtues of faith, hope and love. These are theological virtues. We must pray to God for the increase in these virtues and we respond to the grace He outpours to us. In praying for the increase in faith we can see more and more the vision of the Heavenly Father. We can hope for our eternal salvation and help spread that hope in our lives to others and we can share more deeply in God’s loving activity – loving more supernaturally as we cooperate by responding to the gifts given by God of greater faith, hope and love.

    God is with us, God wants us to spread the good news, to turn toward Him in loving union performing good acts according to His will.

    Fr. Joe’s book teaches us about love and life in God. Fr. Joe’s book teaches us about the gift of the Mass and the Church, and about salvation history. We live more every day according to the scriptures in peace, love and joy. We know Jesus, we love Him. He is operating in us.

    We all seek happiness – Happiness is found in God –

    In reading the weekly scriptures and reading Fr. Joe’s homily – God’s loving self-communication to us will grow in our lives – as we respond in love to Him.

    This book and the scripture come alive in our lives every Sunday after we read the scriptures and Fr. Joe’s homily before Mass.

    God communicates His own life through grace and man in return gives himself to God and his fellowman in loving service.

    Happiness comes to us in dying to those ways not likened to God and rising in the spiritual life in that image and likeness of Christ.

    We love Fr. Joe’s jokes that help us to clear our minds and laugh and listen.

    He told me of a little boy who was drawing a picture in art class and the teacher said “Who is this?” And the little boy said, “It is God.”

    The teacher said, “Nobody knows what God looks like.” The little boy said, “When I get done – they will know.”

    In baptism we have been given a sharing in God’s life with this elevated knowing and loving capacity.

    It is up to us to pray to God for the grace to grow to know and love Him more – to be more and more likened to God.

    In the pages of Fr. Joe’s homilies we learn more and more about God, about loving God and loving others as ourselves – God is love – God is the source of love – We are to Respond to God’s love.

Excerpt from Response to God’s Love by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

    “... In reference to Christianity, God himself is the ultimate mystery. Radically, God is completely other and transcendent, hidden from man in his inner life, unless he chooses to reveal himself. Let us briefly look at this inner life of God.

    The Father, in a perfect act of self-expression, in a perfect act of knowing, generates his son. The Son, the Word, is, then, the immanent expression of God’s fullness, the reflection of the Father. Likewise, from all eternity, the Father and the Son bring forth the Holy Spirit in a perfect act of loving.

    At the destined moment in human history, God’s self-expression, the Word, immersed himself into man’s world. God’s inner self-expression now had also become God’s outer self-expression. Consequently, the mystery of God becomes the mystery of Christ. In Christ, God tells us about himself, about his inner life, about his plan of creation and redemption. He tells us how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to dwell within us in the most intimate fashion, how they wish to share with us their own life through grace. All this he has accomplished and does accomplish through Christ. St. Paul tells us: “I became a minister of this Church through the commission God gave me to preach among you his word in its fullness, that mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now revealed to his holy ones. God has willed to make known to them the glory beyond price which this mystery brings to the Gentiles—the mystery of Christ in you, your hope of glory.m This is the Christ we proclaim while we admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ” (Col 1:25-28).”

Excerpts from Guiding Light – Feed My Soul

    p. 111 When Jesus said the two greatest commandments were about love: love of God and love of neighbor, the Jewish scholar asked Jesus another question: “And who is my neighbor?” You might recall that there was great animosity between Jews and Samaritans, so in introducing a Samaritan into the story, Jesus shows us “neighbor” could be anyone, even someone we despise.

    p. 51 The conversation Jesus had about tragic events at the beginning of today’s gospel was interesting. Sometimes people think when something bad happens to someone it is God’s punishment. Jesus said that’s not always true. He does not try to explain suffering here, but he is telling us not to be complacent, which we sometimes are. We can’t think “well, if nothing bad is happening to me, it must be because I am so good.” He tells us we all need to repent, i.e., to work to be better than we are.

    pp. 29-30 As we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, may we at the same time celebrate our own. May we rejoice in God’s gift of love and life given to us, and may we live up to the high dignity with which God has blessed us.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

Give to people in Nursing Homes!

  

Nursing Home Books

$15 each plus postage

  

Give the gift that keeps giving.

Blue Book 1 & 2 – $4.00 each plus postage

 

 

Blue Books 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6A, B, C, 3 – 
$3.00 each plus postage

  

Blue Books 4 & 5 –$2.00 each plus postage

Blue Books 14, 15 & 16 –$5.00 each plus postage

   

The more you use the Blue Books and
    become one with Jesus – more
    intimate with Jesus –
    the more your lives are a blessing and
    everything you do in life can help
    to bring down great grace for the world
    because of your being so
    one with Jesus.

 

Guiding Light Homily Book Series

Fr. Joe’s Books


Cycle A –
Steadfast to the Son


Cycle B –
Focusing on the Word


Cycle C

Feed My Soul

 
Cycle A
 
Inspired to be Genuine

4 for $20 plus postage of $6.95 

 

These books can be given to:

1) All Priests

       2) Good for Music Ministers
       3) Good for DRE's
       4) Good for Deacons
       5) Good for Principals of Schools
       6) Good for Teachers
       7) Good for Mom and Dads

     


 

                Given March 21, 2014

                R. Pray for These Things

                1) Pray for the Pope & hierarchy to help us start prayer chapters.
                2) Pray for Dan, Sally Jo, Richard, Carol, Margaret, Sue,
                    Jack, Jean, Amanda, Matthew, Special intentions.
               
3) Pray for the priests, the Church and the world!
                4) Pray for the spread of prayer chapters,
                    also for the spread of priests doing prayer chapters.
                5) Pray for the spread of Blue Books.
                6) People going to Florida and China.
                7) Vocations to all 7 categories.
                8) Pray for spread of Consecration and Rosary.
                9) Pray for pope helping us.
               10) Pray for Jeff - sales & health. Pray for Nick.
               11) Blue Book 17 and cover and all involved.
                    For our Publisher and all involved
               12) All intentions on my list, Jerry's list.
               13) Priests getting Fr. Joe's book.
               14) Pray for Fr. Joe's new book, cover & funds for printing & postage.
               15) Donors and members and their families.
               16) Healing of the Family tree.
               17) Dan & Melanie, Catherine & mom, Gary, Mary Jo,
                    Jim & statues, Fr. Ken, Monsignor, Kerry, Tom & wife.
               18) All who asked us to pray for them.
               19) All we promised to pray for.
               20) Rita, John, Doris, Sheila, Jerry, Regina, Sanja,
                    Betty, Sophie, Lisa, Eileen, Fr. Mike, Louie, Laverne,
                    2 Dons, Mary Ellen, Fr. Joe, all priests helping us,
                    Ed, Jimmy, Steve, a special couple
, Rosie & all involved.
               21) 2 babies and moms.
               22) Funds and insurance.
               23) Jerry's garage.
               24) In thanksgiving for gifts, graces, & blessings received.
               25) Spread the Blood of Jesus on all of us here.
               26) Consecrate all hearts.
               27) Cast the devil out of all of us here and all in Movement.

 

 

 The Wedding Rosary 

Crystal Image Rosary

$40 plus shipping

 

Original Image Rosary

8mm glass beads
in a matching gift box

$40 plus shipping

 

  

Give the gift that counts.

                Give to your priests Fr. Carter's Books plus postage.

Tell My People                    $5.00
Response to God's Love    $8.00
Response in Christ              $8.00

      

 

Old Mass Books with the Imprimatur 
$2.00 plus postage


 

New Mass Book with Imprimatur   
$8.00 plus postage


 

New Parents & Children's Book with the Imprimatur
$8.00 plus postage


 

Fr. Joe's Cycle A – Steadfast to the Sun – Starts in Advent
$5.00 plus postage

Give the gift that keeps on giving!

Give to your priest.


Fr. Carter's Priestly Newsletters Book II
$6.00 plus postage

     

Get a canvas print of Mary's image
with a sliver of glass and a little
bottle of Jesus and Mary water.
The glass will be fixed behind the
back of the picture.
$200.00 plus postage

    

 


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P.O. Box 627  China, Indiana 47250

Telephone: (toll free) 1-888-211-3041 or (812) 273-8405  
FAX: (812) 273-3182

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