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 8, 2004

       Retreat in China, Indiana

There will be priests there everyday saying Mass.

June 13, 2004 to June 19, 2004

June 8, 2004

Messenger:        It is so important for us to go to the
                                Nursing Homes.

Jesus speaks:    The plan that I have for the Nursing
                                Homes is that it is a community
                                endeavor.

                            The messages that were given for the
                                Nursing Homes were given almost
                                10 years ago.

                            Because of excuses one or another,
                                servants, handmaids and
                                apostles in the Movement have
                                not gone.

                            I use apostles, loosely, because if
                                a person has a job in the
                                Movement that is vital like
                                Jean F. or Sue Hicks as sub-center
                                leader, typing assistant etc. I
                                do not want them going overboard
                                going to the Nursing Homes and
                                ignoring their special duties,
                                special functions in the Shepherds of Christ
                                Movement.

                            But it is important to Mary and to Me
                                that you take the videos to the
                                Nursing Homes and show them
                                that Mary appeared there for over
                                7 years and she wants them to
                                pray together with the image
                                on the video.

                            There really is no excuse to not
                                try to go for the little bit of
                                time that is required.

                            If you feel a Nursing Home is
                                not open to the program, you
                                could go anyway for 20 minutes
                                to half an hour weekly (hopefully)
                                to visit your mother, aunt,
                                neighbor, father, whoever
                                is elderly and needing this
                                special present from Me.

                                Oh the days creep on in petty pace
                            and you say tomorrow God, tomorrow,
                            tomorrow, tomorrow. And I ask so
                            little.

                                I do not wish you under the Shepherds of Christ
                            title to go to the Nursing Home and
                            speak as you believe the spirit is
                            leading you.

                                If you go under the Shepherds of Christ
                            name you must use the discerned
                            materials for the purity of the
                            Movement must be maintained.

                                With the upcoming focus on the
                            Priestly Newsletter there is no need
                            for you to take on the role as
                            spokesman.

                                The personal contact concerning
                            the messages has been limited
                            to one spokesperson — My messenger
                            that absolute purity is maintained.

                                This is a Shepherds of Christ program.
                            It was designed to lead the people
                            to great prayer as intercessors, to
                            greater intimacy with Me, deeper
                            consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and
                            Mary and the rosary.

                                The mission of the Shepherds of Christ
                            is to send the Priestly Newsletter
                            to the priests, begin prayer chapters
                            to pray for the priests, the Church
                            and the world and the other
                            ministries — Nursing Home
                            Ministry being one, School Rosary
                            Program being another, Apostles
                            of the Eucharistic Heart another,
                            foreign ministry another, and many
                            more.

                                This Movement reaches all the
                            different levels, young to old,
                            priest, sister, brother (religious)
                            married, single, students, whatever
                            the present vocation. It is widespread.

                                Let Me tell you a little story:
                            On a cool winter night Agatha and
                            Elmer were in a little cabin in the
                            woods. They had little money,
                            they were poor, they were alone.

                                They had not been blessed
                            with children even though
                            they desired them. They both suffered
                            greatly because of the poverty.

                                They prayed much and Elmer
                            tried to do odd jobs in town
                            for the little money they had,
                            for he was not a skilled laborer
                            and had little education.

                                They were loving and respectful
                            to one another, they attended
                            weekly Mass for their car was
                            very old and barely ran when
                            Elmer went to town. But they
                            had peace, love, joy.

                                They felt a deep connection with
                            the souls of the earth, they united
                            in their prayers with the Holy Sacrifice
                            of the Mass being offered around
                            the world. And they said the
                            Morning Offering everyday.

                                This one I give to you:

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:         At night they prayed the
                            Shepherds of Christ prayers and
                            made rosaries for school children
                            from kits given to them for this
                            purpose.

                                Mr. Albers was a retired business
                            man who was a millionaire many
                            times over. He was still quite
                            young in his late 50's.

                                He had given his 2 children
                            large sums of money so they would
                            be established. They had gone to
                            Yale and Vanderbilt. They were now
                            very well off, living in the North-eastern
                            states.

                                Mr. Albers and his wife moved to
                            southern Florida close to the tip of
                            that state shaped like a foot. Their
                            home was a home well into the
                            millions.

                                They lived on a very prestigious
                            inlet and had a magnificent
                            yacht. They belonged to a very
                            prominent club.

                                When they weren't golfing, traveling
                            to exotic places or lands
                            far away, they were indulging
                            daily at the club, going to concerts,
                            boating on the yacht.

                                They prayed little the rest of
                            the week, they gave little to
                            charities. They spent little time with
                            their children and their main focus
                            was to impress the people they came
                            in contact with, with their wealth
                            and good name.

                                On September 11, 2001 their son
                            then a successful business man
                            in the twin towers would meet his
                            death and soon be buried beneath
                            the rubble of the disaster.

                                Life goes on, but what is life
                            to you. If life to you depends on
                            the quality of life here below — focused
                            on earthly pleasures and fame, good
                            name etc., what will happen
                            when the stock market crashes
                            or the son-in-law you left in charge
                            of the business became greedy and
                            moved too fast to leave you penny-
                            less after he had to use your
                            millions to bail him out.

                                Mary Lou was born a darling
                            child June 13th, 1925. Her parents
                            were so proud of her. She was the
                            3rd. She had an older brother
                            and an older sister and soon would have
                            4 other sisters and brothers
                            under her.

                                Mary Lou was baptized into
                            the Catholic Church that year. It
                            was a special day on her parent's
                            anniversary. The priest at the
                            church talked about the great
                            gift of Baptism and that great
                            sharing in divine Life from the
                            sacrament.

                                Mary Lou was just a little baby
                            then. She was clothed with that white
                            wrap at Baptism, such a gift for
                            her soul, the capacity to love and know
                            better.

                                Mary Lou's younger sisters and brothers
                            soon came and likewise they were baptized
                            with great jubilation.

                                Mary Lou's mom and dad and her
                            brothers and sisters prayed the rosary
                            everyday. Her mom and dad believed
                            firmly in Fatima.

                                There were pictures of My Sacred
                            Heart and My Mother's Immaculate
                            Heart in every room of the house.

                                In the 30's Mary Lou received
                            her first communion. She was dressed
                            in a beautiful white dress and had
                            a little headband of pink and blue
                            flowers attached to her communion
                            veil. She looked like a little bride
                            adorned for Me.

                                Soon she would be confirmed
                            and Mary Lou remembered how
                            strengthened she felt to know about
                            Confirmation and the Holy Spirit being
                            with her now in a deeper way.

                                Mary Lou graduated from grade
                            school and high school top of her
                            class. She went to proms with boys
                            but did not get too involved. She
                            had to work some at the local
                            grocery store while in high school
                            and helped out in college in the
                            library.

                                She was one of the fortunate
                            ones that was able to complete
                            her college, 4 years, in preparation
                            to be a doctor.

                                She went onward and received
                            her M.D. focusing on cardiovascular
                            physiology.

                                She never married. She spent
                            her life working on the human
                            heart.

                                In the last years before her death,
                            Mary Lou had this to say:

                                "I went to Our Lady of Clearwater in
                            Florida and saw how she appeared and
                            on the sign was the waves of a heart
                            beating."

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:         There was only one priest who
                            recognized this and expressed it
                            to the Shepherds of Christ people. He said
                            look at the EKG pattern in
                            which Mary appears. At the
                            same time that pattern was
                            present on the sign in the
                            parking lot of the building.

                                What a profound connection.
                            Look at what remains when
                            Mary's head was removed.

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:         Mary Lou said this:

                                The human heart will only beat
                            for so long, despite all my research and
                            my life given, the life is not found
                            in the body nor the heart pumping
                            blood, life is found in the soul.

                                They robed me in white as a baby
                            and I was baptized, receiving a
                            special sharing in his divine life —
                            my whole life given to the heart in
                            trying to maintain it's life here on earth
                            can be summed up in this — at
                            some point, it stops beating.

                                Why do you think Mary appears
                            like this with these patterns when
                            God could have chosen numerous
                            other ways?

                                Is it a reminder to all of the quote
                            of Genesis after the flood, the promise
                            of the rainbow, the covenant God
                            Yahweh made with you —

Genesis 9: 12-16

    And this’, God said, ‘is the sign of the covenant which I now make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come:  I now set my bow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I shall recall the covenant between myself and you and every living creature, in a word all living things, and never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all living things. When the bow is in the clouds I shall see it and call to mind the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth, that is, all living things.’

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:          The promise God made to the people —

Genesis 9: 11

And I shall maintain my covenant with you: that never again shall all living things be destroyed by the waters of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood to devastate the earth.’

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:      Mary Lou said —                           

                                In the end no matter what
                            medicine you take, how you eat,
                            how you exercise, and what you do,
                            the heart will stop beating.
    

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:      Mary Lou wrote:

                                God is life. The soul will go on
                            forever. The body is mortal.

1 Corinthians 15: 20-58

In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first-fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all. 

    Otherwise, what are people up to who have themselves baptised on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, what is the point of being baptised on their behalf? And what about us? Why should we endanger ourselves every hour of our lives? I swear by the pride that I take in you, in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I face death every day. If I fought wild animals at Ephesus in a purely human perspective, what had I to gain by it? If the dead are not going to be raised, then Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall be dead. So do not let anyone lead you astray, ‘Bad company corrupts good ways.’ Wake up from your stupor as you should and leave sin alone; some of you have no understanding of God; I tell you this to instil some shame in you.

Someone may ask: How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come? How foolish! What you sow must die before it is given new life; and what you sow is not the body that is to be, but only a bare grain, of wheat I dare say, or some other kind; it is God who gives it the sort of body that he has chosen for it, and for each kind of seed its own kind of body. 

    Not all flesh is the same flesh: there is human flesh; animals have another kind of flesh, birds another and fish yet another. Then there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; the heavenly have a splendour of their own, and the earthly a different splendour. The sun has its own splendour, the moon another splendour, and the stars yet another splendour; and the stars differ among themselves in splendour. It is the same too with the resurrection of the dead: what is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is powerful; what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body. 

    If there is a natural body, there is a spiritual body too. So the first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; and the last Adam has become a life–giving spirit. But first came the natural body, not the spiritual one; that came only afterwards. The first man, being made of earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. The earthly man is the pattern for earthly people, the heavenly man for heavenly ones. And as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so we shall bear the likeness of the heavenly one. 

    What I am saying, brothers, is that mere human nature cannot inherit the kingdom of God: what is perishable cannot inherit what is imperishable. Now I am going to tell you a mystery: we are not all going to fall asleep, but we are all going to be changed, instantly, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet is going to sound, and then the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed, because this perishable nature of ours must put on imperishability, this mortal nature must put on immortality.

And after this perishable nature has put on imperishability and this mortal nature has put on immortality, then will the words of scripture come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin comes from the Law. Thank God, then, for giving us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

    So, my dear brothers, keep firm and immovable, always abounding in energy for the Lord’s work, being sure that in the Lord none of your labours is wasted.

    
  

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:          The first thing the priest writing
                            the priestly newsletter said when he 
                            saw Mary's image on the window in 
                            Clearwater, Florida was to
                            recognize this pattern of a heart
                            beating on Mary's window.

December 14, 2000
4 days before Fr. Carter died 

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:          While the Movement was formed
                            the priest writing the newsletter was
                            doing his dissertation for 10 years
                            which will help to lead the church
                            and the world into this great era
                            of peace and love in which the
                            Sacred Heart of Jesus will reign
                            and the Immaculate Heart of
                            Mary will triumph.

                                Fr. Carter's Priestly Newsletter
                            Book II went to over 85,000 priests,
                            cardinals, bishops, and the pope.

                                We received letters higher than
                            4 inches from the hierarchy in the
                            church.

  

Dear Rev. Father,

I would like to thank you for sending me the volume
"Shepherds of Christ - Spirituality Newsletters",
containing selected writings on spirituality
I think with the publication of this small volume
you have given a big help for many people - not
only for priests - for growth in their spiritual life.
May the Lord bless your efforts and those of your
collaborators.

                                In union of prayer

                                A. Card. ______

Rome, February 3, 2004

 

 

Dear Brother in Christ,

                                  Greetings from
Assam-India.

I have received Your Magazine:
                   2000 Issue 4..

Congratulations for the beautiful matter
that You give us.

You have written that
NEWSLETTERS NOW AVAILABLE in BOOK FORM..
NEWSLETTERS NOW AVAILABLE IN CASSETTE FORM,

I am a missionary in India since last 62
years...now I am 84, still working...full
time...I would appreciate very much if I
could get a copy of each..in return I
promise to pray for You...that Jesus may
render Your Apostolate fruitful.

           THANK YOU SO MUCH.

           I wish You a Holy Season of Lent.
                           In union of prayers,
                                       Fr. Mario.
                                       3-3-2001

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:         This is the plan that Fr. Carter
                            set forth.

Excerpt from the Spirituality Handbook
by Father Carter

    2

Chapter Guidelines for Shepherds of Christ Associates

1. A primary purpose of the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates is to pray for all priests throughout the world in all their needs. A coequal purpose is to provide a spiritual way of life for members of the chapters. The chapters are to pray in a special way for the spiritual success of the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ. Prayer for the acquisition of monetary funds to publish the letter is also in order. The chapters are to meet on a regular basis, with the members of each chapter to determine the exact frequency of meetings. All chapters are encouraged to meet on a weekly basis. If for various other reasons certain chapters cannot meet weekly, they should meet at least once a month.
     
2. All persons--lay persons, diocesan clergy, and priests, brothers, and sisters in religious life--are invited to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. Those who are already committed to a certain way of spiritual life may adapt the spirituality of Shepherds of Christ Associates to their own particular spirituality.
     
3. In addition to the purpose of the chapters as put forth above, the members of each chapter are encouraged to help raise money to defray some of the newsletter publication costs and some of the financial needs of the Shepherds of Christ Associates movement. One way for chapters to financially aid the newsletter is to pledge to pay for a certain number of newsletters each year. Our Lord has asked that the newsletter be sent to the priests free of charge, although donations may be requested in the newsletter itself.
    
4. A further purpose of the chapters is to undertake those activities which Jesus, through the Spiritual Director, further reveals to be His will.
    
5. The formation of as many chapters as is reasonably possible is to be encouraged. Multiple chapters may exist in the same city or area. Each chapter is to have its own local coordinator, and each country its own national coordinator.
    
6. A periodic newsletter for associates will be published to help establish the desired bond or union between all chapters and all members.
    
7. Members of Shepherds of Christ Associates pledge their loyal support to the Holy Father, the Pope, and to the teaching authority of the Church.
    
8. Shepherds of Christ Associates exists under Church law as provided in canons 298 and 299.
    
9. The existence and activity of all chapters is to be placed under the special protection and guidance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Chapters exist so that they may, according to the mission of Shepherds of Christ Associates, help to establish the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. All chapter members are strongly encouraged to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

  

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:          This is the prayer we pray at
                            least daily that Fr. Carter received
                            from Jesus.

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 8, 2004 message continues

Messenger:            Please help us to circulate this
                            Newsletter edited by a Jesuit doctor
                            priest to the 75,000 - 85,000 priests
                            in the world, to help to bring about
                            the reign of the Sacred Heart and
                            the triumph of the Immaculate
                            Heart.                                

Jesus speaks:          Mary Lou soon died after
                            seeing the image.

                                Despite her life given to help
                            prolong the life of the human heart,
                            her own heart died.

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:      Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer ...
                            Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer

                            Fr. Carter died at Colombiere

  
Rita with the Rainbow Clearwater blanket
on her head at Father's funeral.

 Margaret's funeral 

June 8, 2004 message continues

Jesus speaks:      This is Fr. Carter's last Newsletter he
                                    edited before he died —

                                    Newsletter 33

                                    he asked for money

                                    he intended the Newsletter to
                                        go on.

Shepherds of Christ

A Spirituality Newsletter for Priests
and Others Interested in the Spiritual Life

2000 - ISSUE FOUR

CAN YOU HELP US?

As you know, we distribute the Newsletter free of charge. We have been publishing the Newsletter for six years. Although the fine print on the last page of each Newsletter says that donations are always welcome, we have, to this date, only made one major appeal for donations.

Now we come to you again and ask for your financial assistance. It is considerably expensive to print the Newsletter and to mail it here in the U.S.A. and to other countries around the world. With our English and Spanish editions, we send the Newsletter to readers in about 90 countries. We soon hope to add a French edition.

With the help of God’s grace, the Newsletter seems to be accomplishing much good. The numerous letters we receive from around the world regarding the Newsletter’s helpfulness are one indication of this.

If you share with us our belief that the Newsletter is a very worthwhile ministry, we urgently ask you to seriously consider sending us a donation. We are always struggling to obtain the funds to continue publication of the Newsletter.

If you are financially able, we would be extremely grateful to receive your donation -- whether it is small, large, or medium-sized! We thank all of you who have previously sent donations.

Some of you may know of possible benefactors who would be interested in helping a worthy cause. And we firmly believe that a ministry which offers an aid for spiritual growth to priests especially, but to others also, is a most worthy endeavor.

For your convenience, we have enclosed a self-addressed donation envelope.

Very importantly, we also ask for your prayers that we may obtain the funds necessary to continue publication of the Newsletter and that the Newsletter will be spiritually beneficial to its readers. We hope to continue to publish it four to six times a year. The number of issues will depend upon various factors. Thank you very much for your attention to our urgent plea.

---

WE ARE EXPANDING OUR READERSHIP!

We are expanding our circulation by explicitly inviting to our readership those who are not priests, but who are interested in the spiritual life.

The Newsletter will still be written for priests in a special way. Yet we feel much of the material will also be of interest to those who are not priests.

---

CONTENTS

• The Value of Work
• Jesus
• The Father's Love for Us
• Devotion to the Holy Spirit
• Mary
• The Eucharist
• Priesthood
• Henri Nouwen on Prayer
• Words from Mother Teresa
• Avery Dulles and the Theological Thought of John Paul II
• The Christian and the World
• Act of Consecration
• Prayer for Priests
• Letters
• Notes
• Masthead

---

Chief Shepherd of the Flock

The Value of Work

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and runs away, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; he runs away because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. (Jn 10:11-15¹)

• In his encyclical, On Human Work, Pope John Paul II observes: "The Church is convinced that work is a fundamental dimension of man’s existence on earth. She is confirmed in this conviction by considering the whole heritage of the many sciences devoted to man: anthropology, paleontology, history, sociology, psychology, and so on; they all seem to bear witness to this reality in an irrefutable way. But the source of the Church’s conviction is above all the revealed word of God, and therefore what is a conviction of the intellect is also a conviction of faith. The reason is that the Church -- and it is worthwhile stating it at this point -- believes in man: she thinks of man and addresses herself to him not only in the light of scientific knowledge, but in the first place in the light of the revealed word of the living God. Relating herself to man, she seeks to express the eternal designs and transcendent destiny which the living God, the creator and redeemer, has linked with him.

"The Church finds in the very first pages of the Book of Genesis the source of her conviction that work is a fundamental dimension of human existence on earth..."²

• Again, let us listen to the words of Pope John Paul II: "The Church considers it her duty to speak out on work from the viewpoint of its human value and of the moral order to which it belongs, and she sees this as one of her important tasks within the service that she renders to the evangelical message as a whole.

"At the same time she sees it as her particular duty to form a spirituality of work which will help all people to come closer, through work, to God, the creator and redeemer, to participate in his salvific plan for man and the world and to deepen their friendship with Christ in their lives by accepting, through faith, a living participation in his threefold mission as priest, prophet and king, as the Second Vatican Council so eloquently teaches."³

• Vatican II also speaks to us about human labor: "Human labor which is expended in the production and exchange of goods or in the performance of economic services is superior to the other elements of economic life. For the latter have only the nature of tools.

"Whether it is engaged in independently or paid for by someone else, this labor comes immediately from the person. In a sense, the person stamps the things of nature with his seal and subdues them to his will. It is ordinarily by his labor that a man supports himself and his family, is joined to his fellow men and serves them, and is enabled to exercise genuine charity and be a partner in the work of bringing God’s creation to perfection. Indeed, we hold that by offering his labor to God a man becomes associated with the redemptive work itself of Jesus Christ, who conferred an eminent dignity on labor when at Nazareth He worked with His own hands.

"From all these considerations there arise every man’s duty to labor faithfully and also his right to work. It is the duty of society, moreover, according to the circumstances prevailing in it, and in keeping with its proper role, to help its citizens find opportunities for adequate employment. Finally, payment for labor must be such as to furnish a man with the means to cultivate his own material, social, cultural, and spiritual life worthily, and that of his dependents. What this payment should be will vary according to each man’s assignment and productivity, the conditions of his place of employment, and the common good."⁴

• Fr. Edward Leen, C.S.Sp., speaks to us about Jesus and His work as a carpenter at Nazareth: "Not even after Joseph’s death did the existence of Our Lord undergo much change, unless that it became more laborious. For the support of the family and its care of the poor devolved, then, entirely on His shoulders. He had to work hard in order to keep Himself and His Mother and to have something to give to others less favoured than themselves. Unremitting toil became His lot, and the soft hands of the boy became roughened and hardened with the constant pressure of the tools of His trade. Work could not have been plentiful in the confines of that narrow village and it is likely that He had, often, to go abroad to look for employment. He had to face rebuffs from those who needed not His services, and discourtesy and rudeness from those who employed Him. The Nazarenes were not a polite people. As He handed over to His grumbling clients the accomplished tasks, He had to hold forth His hand to receive His wages...There is something inexpressibly touching in this picture of God receiving from His creatures the wages He earned in their employment!...

"A monotonous life, one would say, but this would be a very superficial judgment; monotony consists in the dull repetition of acts, uninteresting, devoid of significance and all stamped with the character of sameness. But there is no monotony in the soul’s relations with God. Each act in which it expresses its love for its Creator is fresh with the freshness of novelty; each communication of the love of the Creator to the creature comes with all the charm of a new revelation. Each step forward in the knowledge of God makes it seem to us as if we had never known Him before. And the external material acts which proceed from the soul enjoying this intimacy with the Lord partake of this quality of freshness and novelty. Although to the senses each little task of the day resembles in all respects that of the day before, yet, in reality, these tasks that recur are not the same. The newness and freshness given by a greater love in the doing far surpasses the newness given by a material change in the occupation. The love of God is never stationary. It grows with each act done in the fullness of actual charity possessed by the soul. Hence for the saint the task of today, which materially resembles the task of yesterday, is clothed with all the charm of novelty, for it is transmuted and transfigured by a greater love. All men naturally desire to be great. To achieve greatness it is not necessary to seek it afar or to ascend into the heights in its pursuit. It lies at our door and is within the reach of all. It is found by bringing a great love of God to bear on the doing of the most ordinary of life’s tasks. Our Lord in His hidden life has shown how we may attain to greatness and perfection in the accomplishment of the humblest of life’s duties."⁵

• As important as work is, it still is just a means to an end. In the Christian perspective, it is an expression of our love of God and neighbor.

Upon reflection, we can see the consequences of this. When work, for whatever reason, is interfering with our relationship with God and others, something is obviously wrong. For example, an upward-moving professional becomes so absorbed in his work, so taken with the idea of promotion and salary increase, that he becomes extremely narrow-minded. Concern for God and others is relegated to the far recesses of consciousness where it has little effect upon the person’s thoughts and activities.

Even though we claim such an extreme situation does not describe our own, we nevertheless can fall prey to lesser faults. For instance, we diminish the time we should rightfully be spending with family members and friends. Perhaps we become so absorbed with our work that we claim we have little time for prayer. If we find ourselves in such circumstances, we must make an effort to confront ourselves with this question, "What is the God-given purpose of work?" Surely, if we are honest, we must say that our work should first be done for the love of God. If we work from this proper motive, we are acting for our own benefit also, for what is done for God and others promotes our own good also. And work done for God must be accomplished according to His will.

Much of our contemporary society places great emphasis on external success, the recognition of one’s work, and the earning of more and more money -- and all of this, in a very secularistic manner with little regard for God and neighbor. In such an atmosphere, it is not easy to maintain the Christian perspective of work. In many ways we must go counter-culture. If we do so, we will be following One Who Himself was not afraid to go against certain cultural aspects of His own times. His name is Jesus.

• Thomas Merton observes: "All Christian life is meant to be at the same time profoundly contemplative and rich in active work. This must not be mistaken for a kind of semipelagian productivism which is obsessed with visible results and enamoured of technological prowess. It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more exalted task: that of creating our own lives. In doing this, we act as co-workers with God. We take our place in the great work of mankind, since in effect the creation of our own destiny, in God, is impossible in pure isolation. Each one of us works out his own destiny in inseparable union with all those others with whom God has willed us to live. We share with one another the creative work of living in the world. And it is through our struggle with material reality, with nature, that we help one another create at the same time our own destiny and a new world for our descendants. This work of man, which is his peculiar and inescapable vocation, is a prolongation of the creative work of God Himself. Failure to measure up to this challenge and to meet this creative responsibility is to fail in that response to life which is required of us by the will of our Father and Creator."⁶

• His answer to them was, ‘My Father still goes on working, and I am at work, too.’ (Jn 5: 17)

• Here are words of St. Paul: We urged you when we were with you not to let anyone eat who refused to work. Now we hear that there are some of you who are living lives without any discipline, doing no work themselves but interfering with other people’s. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat. (2 Th. 3: 10-11)

• St. Paul himself was no stranger to hard work: You remember, brothers, with what unsparing energy we used to work, slaving night and day so as not to be a burden on any one of you while we were proclaiming the gospel of God to you. (1 Th 2: 9)

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Jesus

• Cardinal Newman tells us: "Christ Himself vouchsafes to repeat in each of us in figure and mystery all that He did and suffered in the flesh. He is formed in us, born in us, suffers in us, rises again in us, lives in us; and this not by a succession of events, but all at once."⁷

• The following words emphasize the profound union that is meant to exist between Jesus and the Christian: "The mysteries of the life of Jesus are not dead, static, historical happenings that have been. They are living and dynamic. They have been lived for the members of Christ. All the states that the Saviour traversed, all the human experiences that He willed to go through, have for their purpose the sanctification of all that enters into a man’s deliberate life. These mysteries of His have accumulated vast reservoirs of merit in order to communicate this human-divine quality to the Christian’s doings and sufferings...The events of the New Testament give us life. Into these latter has passed the vitality of the Incarnation. That vitality is ever ready to communicate itself to all parts of the Mystical Body, vivifying them with the divine life of Christ.

"That this divinizing process take place, there is required a willed contact between the individual and Christ. This contact is effected by the activity of the virtue of faith. It is perfected by sympathy and love. The Christian who wills to have the life of Christ develop in himself, must consent to ‘steep’ mind, imagination and heart in the earthly career of Jesus. He must aim at a sympathy with the Saviour in all that He went through. He must strive to identify himself with the Divine Master, to think with Him, to feel with Him, to judge with Him, to see with His eyes and to speak with His tongue. He must will to be as the Saviour was in all these incidents."⁸

• Romano Guardini speaks about Jesus. "Love proceeded from Him everywhere. We encounter love all about Him. But we want to seek it out in the flaming, radiant center. Love is what He shows toward the delicate blossoming of His Father’s creation, when He speaks of the lilies of the field, and how God has clothed them more magnificently than Solomon in all his glory. He shows love toward all things...

"...Love is what seizes Our Lord when He sees the obscure, abandoned masses of the people, and takes pity on them...There is something heroic, strong, in this love for people forsaken, in distress... It is love again when He receives the sick; when He lets that great sea of misery wash up to Him; when He lifts up, strengthens, heals... Oh, this tremendous Lover and the might and majesty of His heart taking up arms against the massive world-force of sorrow, magnificently sure of His inexhaustible power to comfort, to strengthen, to bless!"⁹

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The Father's Love for Us

St. Alphonsus Ligouri, Doctor of the Church, speaks to us concerning the Father’s love for us manifested in the gift of His Son to us: "All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ our God, who is our redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the love of God to acquire and to nurture all the virtues which make a man perfect.

"Has not God in fact won for himself a claim on all of our love? From all eternity he has loved us. And it is in this vein that he speaks to us: ‘Oh man, consider carefully that I first loved you. You had not yet appeared in the light of day, nor did the world yet exist, but already I loved you. From all eternity I have loved you.’

"Since God knew that man is enticed by favors, he wished to bind him to his love by means of his gifts: ‘I want to catch men with the snares, those chains of love in which they allow themselves to be entrapped, so that they will love me.’ And all the gifts which he bestowed on man were given to this end. He gave him a soul, made in his likeness, and endowed with memory, intellect and will; he gave him a body equipped with the senses; it was for him that he created heaven and earth and such an abundance of things. He made all these things out of love for man, so that all creation might serve man, and man in turn might love God out of gratitude for so many gifts.

"But he did not wish to give us only beautiful creatures; the truth is that to win for himself our love, he went so far as to bestow upon us the fullness of himself. The eternal Father went so far as to give us his only Son. When he saw that we were all dead through sin and deprived of his grace, what did he do? Compelled, as the apostle says, by the superabundance of his love for us, he sent his beloved Son to make reparation for us and to call us back to a sinless life.

"By giving us his Son, whom he did not spare precisely so that he might spare us, he bestowed on us at once every good..."¹⁰

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Devotion to the Holy Spirit

Archbishop Luis M. Martinez instructs us: "Consecration to the Holy Spirit must be total: nothing must draw us away from His loving possession. Undoubtedly vacillations and deficiencies are part of our imperfection, but even so, our love must not be extinguished. Rather, it must lift its divine flame toward infinite love in the midst of all human vicissitudes.

"True devotion to the Holy Spirit, therefore, is not something superficial and intermittent, but something profound and constant, like Christian life itself; it is the love of the soul that corresponds to the love of God, the gift of the creature who tries to be grateful for the divine Gift, the human cooperation that receives the loving and efficacious action of God. As divine love is eternal, its gift without repentance and its action constant, it is our part to have our heart always open to love, ready to receive the unspeakable gift, and to keep all our powers docile to the divine movement."¹¹

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Mary

Here are inspiring words concerning Mary from Fr. Joseph Dean, SCJ:

Blessed Virgin Mary,
by faith and the power of the Spirit,
you bore God for our salvation.
In your days on earth,
you pointed to Jesus, your Son, and said:
"Do whatever he tells you."
With your Son’s beloved disciple,
you stood at the foot of the cross.
You believed in the midst of the night.
You loved with a pierced soul.

Mary, my mother,
pray for me today.
May I follow Jesus as you did,
welcoming the Holy Spirit,
responding to your Son’s love,
living in communion with his love for the Father,
     cooperating with his work of redemption in the
     midst of the world.
In this way, may my heart be joined with yours.
May I follow your example of faith and love
bringing the Heart of your Son to the
heart of the world.

Amen.

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The Eucharist

• At the Last Supper, on the night He was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us. (Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, No. 17) ¹²

• The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators. On the contrary, through a proper appreciation of the rites and prayers they should participate knowingly, devoutly, and actively. They should be instructed by God’s word and be refreshed at the table of the Lord’s body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn to offer themselves too. Through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever closer union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all. (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, No. 48) ¹³

• Through the Eucharistic Sacrifice Christ the Lord desired to set before us in a very special way this remarkable union whereby we are united one with another and with our divine Head, a union that no word of praise can ever sufficiently express. For in this sacrifice the sacred ministers act not only as the representative of our Saviour, but as the representative of the whole Mystical Body and of each one of the faithful. Again, in this act of sacrifice, the faithful of Christ, united by the common bond of devotion and prayer, offer to the eternal Father through the hands of the priest, whose prayer alone has made it present on the altar, the Immaculate Lamb, the most acceptable victim of praise and propitiation for the Church’s universal need. Moreover, just as the divine Redeemer, while dying on the Cross, offered Himself to the eternal Father as Head of the whole human race, so now, ‘in this clean oblation’ He not only offers Himself as Head of the Church to His heavenly Father but in Himself His mystical members as well. He embraces them all, yes, even the weaker and more ailing members, with the deepest love of His Heart. (Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis AAS. XXXV, 232-233) ¹⁴

• The Sacrifice of Calvary is sacramentally made present in the Mass. When we pray the Morning Offering Prayer, united to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we act as intercessors, pleading to God that great graces be released all day through our prayerful actions as we act in love according to the Father’s will. Whether we are eating, taking care of a sick parent, enjoying time spent with a friend, working at our job, we can help bring down great graces for the world.

When we pray the Morning Offering Prayer we offer our lives to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, with the prayerful assistance of Mary, our Mother. Let us pray together united in our hearts in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There follows a Morning Offering Prayer.

"My dear Father, I offer You this day all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings in union with Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the Holy Spirit.

"I unite with our Mother, Mary, all the angels and saints, and all the souls in purgatory to pray to the Father for myself, for each member of my family, for my friends, for all the people throughout the world, for all the souls in purgatory, and for all other intentions of the Sacred Heart.

"I love You, Jesus, and I give You my heart. I love you, Mary, and I give you my heart. Amen."

• From a spiritual journal we are given these words: "When a priest is filled with the love of Jesus, he unites more deeply with Christ in the great sacrifice being offered to the Father. The faithful more easily see Jesus, through the priest, offering sacrifice to the Father. They more easily experience, at this great sacrifice, the presence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

"At the Mass we unite in offering sacrifice to the Father. We all unite as one and give ourselves in such oneness with Jesus, in such love to the Father, in the Holy Spirit. We desire to die to all the things that are not of God and join in the great miracle taking place. The Father looks down and He sees the sacrifice of His Son being offered through His priest. Heaven unites to earth. Earth cries out in such jubilation at the great gift of the Almighty God, and we unite as creatures giving ourselves as a sacrifice to our beloved Creator. Do we experience the presence of God as His power flows through His priest, who takes bread and wine, and changes them into the Body and Blood of our Lord? Do we hear Jesus speak, as He did at the Last Supper, with the intensity in His voice reflecting the knowledge of the upcoming events of His passion and death?

"Do we hear the priest say the words of consecration with the emotion of Jesus about to give His life for His beloved ones? And the earth stands still. There is, at that moment, the sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally made present through the words of the priest. Oh, that God so loved the world to give His only Son as a sacrifice, and that God wants us in this deep oneness with Him! I give You myself, my Savior, my beloved Jesus, as You so willingly gave Yourself to me on Calvary. I want to die and rise more and more with You in the deepest possible love for You and for those for whom You died a brutal, bloody death on the cross, and for whom You rose gloriously from the dead!"

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Priesthood

• The Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests tells us: "The command of the Lord: go to all the nations (Mt 28: 18-20) definitively expresses the place of the priest in front of the Church. Sent -- missus -- by the Father by means of Christ, the priest pertains in ‘an immediate’ way to the universal Church...

"The spiritual gift received by priests in Ordination prepares them for a wide and universal mission of salvation. In fact, through Orders and the ministry received, all priests are associated with the Episcopal Body and, in hierarchical communion with it, according to their vocation and grace, they serve the good of the entire Church. Therefore, the membership to a particular church, through incardination, must not enclose the priest in a restricted and particularistic mentality, but rather should open him to the service of other churches, because each church is the particular realization of the only Church of Jesus Christ, such that the universal Church lives and fulfills her mission in and from the particular churches in effective communion with her. Thus, all the priests must have a missionary heart and mind and be open to the needs of the Church and the world."¹⁵

• Pope John Paul II speaks to his brother priests: "The priest always, and in an unchangeable way, finds the source of his identity in Christ the Priest. It is not the world which determines his status, as though it depended on changing needs or ideas about social roles. The priest is marked with the seal of the Priesthood of Christ, in order to share in his function as the one Mediator and Redeemer.

"So, because of this fundamental bond, there opens before the priest the immense field of the service of souls, for their salvation in Christ and in the Church.

"This service must be completely inspired by love of souls in imitation of Christ who gives his life for them. It is God’s wish that all people should be saved, and that none of the little ones should be lost...

"The priest is for the laity: he animates them and supports them in the exercise of the common Priesthood of the baptized -- so well illustrated by the Second Vatican Council -- which consists in their making their lives a spiritual offering, in witnessing to the Christian spirit in the family, in taking charge of the temporal sphere and sharing in the evangelization of their brethren. But the service of the priest belongs to another order. He is ordained to act in the name of Christ the Head, to bring people into the new life made accessible by Christ, to dispense to them -- the Word, forgiveness, the Bread of Life -- to gather them into his Body, to help them to form themselves from within, to live and to act according to the saving plan of God. In a word, our identity as priests is manifested in the ‘creative’ exercise of the love for souls communicated by Christ Jesus.

"Attempts to make the priest more like the laity are damaging to the Church. This does not mean in any way that the priest can remain remote from the human concerns of the laity: he must be very near to them, as John Mary Vianney was, but as a priest, always in a perspective which is that of their salvation and of the progress of the Kingdom of God. He is the witness and dispenser of a life other than earthly life. It is essential to the Church that the identity of the priest be safeguarded, with its vertical dimension. The life and personality of the Curé of Ars are a particularly enlightening and vigorous illustration of this."¹⁶

• Fr. Jean Galot, S.J., gives us these words: "By tracing our steps back to the origin of the priestly ministry, we can find in the very words of Christ a principle of unity by reference to which all the priestly functions can be grasped as a unity. This is the quality of the shepherd. Jesus defines himself as a shepherd, thus suggesting what constitutes the ministry of his own priesthood. Since his priesthood is a new and original creation, and loftier than the Jewish priesthood, it is the shepherd’s quality that best epitomizes the priestly functions.

"Christ the shepherd leads the flock by the word he speaks and guarantees the truth of his teaching by the supreme testimony which is the gift of his own self. He offers himself in sacrifice in order to impart to his sheep a bountiful life, especially through the Eucharist. By leading the flock, he makes it one. The three functions -- preaching, worship, and leadership -- become the expression of the shepherd’s love, and from that love they draw their inspiration."¹⁷

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Henri Nouwen on Prayer

• Henri Nouwen, one of the most popular spiritual writers of our times, observes: "Prayer is often considered a weakness, a support system, which is used when we can no longer help ourselves. But this is only true when the God of our prayers is created in our image and adapted to our own needs and concerns. When, however, prayer makes us reach out to God, not on our own but on his terms, then prayer pulls us away from self-preoccupation, encourages us to enter into a new world which cannot be contained within the narrow boundaries of our mind and heart. Prayer, therefore, is a great adventure because the God with whom we enter into a new relationship is greater than we are and defies all our calculations and predictions. The movement from illusion to prayer is hard to make since it leads from false certainties to true uncertainties, from an easy support system to ... surrender, and from the many ‘safe’ gods to the God whose love has no limits."¹⁸

• Nouwen spent a number of months in a Trappist monastery. During his stay in the monastery, he derived this insight concerning the life of contemplation, a life all are called to share according to their state of life and particular occupation: "Contemplative life is a human response to the fundamental fact that the central things in life, although spiritually perceptible, remain invisible in large measure and can easily be overlooked by the inattentive, busy, distracted person that each of us can so readily become. The contemplative looks, not so much around things, but through them into their center."¹⁹

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Words from Mother Teresa

• Mother Teresa tells us a story which warms the heart: "One day a young couple came to our house and asked for me. They gave me a large amount of money.

"I asked them, ‘Where did you get so much money?’

"They answered, ‘We got married two days ago. Before we got married we had decided not to celebrate the wedding, not to buy wedding clothes, not to have a reception or a honeymoon. We wanted to give you the money we saved.’

"I know what such a decision meant, especially for a Hindu family.

"That is why I asked them, ‘But how did you think of such a thing?’

" ‘We love each other so much,’ they answered, ‘that we wanted to share the joy of our love with those you serve.’

"To share: what a beautiful thing!"²⁰

• And here are further words from Mother Teresa: "To die in peace with God is the culmination of any human life.

"Of those who have died in our houses, I have never seen anyone die in despair or cursing. They have all died serenely.

"I took a man I had picked up from the street to our House for the Dying in Calcutta.

"When I was leaving, he told me, ‘I have lived like an animal on the streets, but I am going to die like an angel. I will die smiling.’

"He did die smiling, because he felt loved and surrounded by care.

"That is the greatness of our poor!"²¹

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Avery Dulles and the Theological Thought of John Paul II

The well-known and respected theologian, Avery Dulles, S.J., has rendered a distinct service to us all in summarizing much of Pope John Paul II’s theological thought in his book, The Splendor of Faith: The Theological Vision of Pope John Paul II. Dulles points out the great importance for our times of John Paul II as theologian: "Among the Catholic theologians of the second half of this century, John Paul II holds a place of special eminence. Perhaps more than any other single individual he has succeeded in comprehensively restating the contours of Catholic faith in the light of Vatican II and in relation to post-conciliar developments in the Church and in the world. With his keen interest in contemporary culture, philosophy, economics, and international affairs, he has been able to give fresh relevance to the Catholic tradition. Avoiding the pitfalls of compromise and polemics, he has offered a serene and balanced presentation of what Catholics may and should believe on a multitude of questions. No private theologian, however brilliant, speaks with comparable authority."²²

In his concluding words to the book, Dulles says: "This final summary, which restates themes more fully explained in the preceding chapters, may be warranted because of the breadth and complexity of the teaching of John Paul II. He has written so voluminously on so many topics that it is easy to lose sight of the unity and coherence of his thought. His theological vision reaches back to the origins of revealed religion and outward to the furthest reaches of human communication. While making himself the faithful guardian of the deposit of faith, this pope shows an astonishing openness to dialogue with other churches, other religions, and the secular worlds of science and technology. Guided by his philosophical studies and his experience of the Second Vatican Council, he has forged a Christocentric humanism and a dynamic personalism capable of encountering and respectfully challenging all opposing ideologies and spiritual movements. The Catholic Church and, I submit, the world at large have been greatly blessed by the intellectual leadership of this brilliant, energetic, and prayerful successor of Peter."²³

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The Christian and the World

Pope John Paul II tells us: "Love for others, and in the first place love for the poor, in whom the Church sees Christ himself, is made concrete in the promotion of justice. Justice will never be fully attained unless people see in the poor person, who is asking for help in order to survive, not an annoyance or a burden, but an opportunity for showing kindness and a chance for greater enrichment. Only such an awareness can give the courage needed to face the risk and the change involved in every authentic attempt to come to the aid of another. It is not merely a matter of ‘giving from one’s surplus,’ but of helping entire peoples which are presently excluded or marginalized to enter into the sphere of economic and human development. For this to happen, it is not enough to draw on the surplus goods which in fact our world abundantly produces; it requires above all a change of lifestyles, of models of production and consumption, and of the established structures of power which today govern societies. Nor is it a matter of eliminating instruments of social organization which have proved useful, but rather of orienting them according to an adequate notion of the common good in relation to the whole human family."²⁴

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Act of Consecration (new)

"Jesus, You show us Your Heart as symbol of Your life of love in all its aspects, including Your most special love for each of us as unique individuals. Out of Your great love for us, You died a brutal death, nailed to the wood of the cross. Out of Your great love for us, You rose gloriously from the dead.

"From Your pierced Heart the Church with her life-giving Sacraments was born. In the Eucharist, Crown and Center of the Church’s life, You continue to give Yourself to us with the deepest, most tender, most on-fire, most complete love.

"Jesus, since in Your great love You give Yourself so completely to us, it is only fitting that we make a gift to You in return. It is entirely fitting that we give ourselves completely to You. Yes, we consecrate ourselves to Your most loving Heart. Each of us says to You, O Lord, our Savior and our Friend: ‘Jesus, take me wholly, take me completely to Your magnificent Heart. Out of love I give myself to You. Live in and through me. In love You give Yourself completely to me. In love and in a spirit of reparation, I want to give myself, with the help of Your grace, entirely to You. Take me, Jesus, to an ever closer union with the Father, in the Holy Spirit, with Mary my Mother at my side. Pierced, Glorified, Eucharistic Heart of Jesus I place my trust in You.’ "

"Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, I consecrate myself to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, this Heart which is symbol of your life of love, including your most special love for me as this unique individual. You are the Mother of my Savior. You are also my Mother. In a return of love, I give myself entirely to your motherly love and protection. You followed Jesus perfectly. You are His first and perfect disciple. Teach me to imitate you in the putting on of Christ. Be my motherly intercessor so that, through your Immaculate Heart, I may be guided to an ever closer union with the Pierced, Glorified, Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock."

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A Prayer for Priests

Many of the laity pray for us priests, and consistently so. Is it not also fitting that we priests pray for all our brothers in the priesthood, and consistently so? There follows a prayer that can aid us in this endeavor.

"Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the Flock, we pray that in the great love and mercy of Your Sacred Heart that You attend to all the needs of Your priest-shepherds throughout the world. We ask that You draw back to Your Heart all those priests who have seriously strayed from Your path, that You rekindle the desire for holiness in the hearts of those priests who have become lukewarm, and that You continue to give Your fervent priests the desire for the highest holiness. United with Your Heart and Mary’s Heart, we ask that You take this petition to Your heavenly Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen".

The above prayer is taken from the prayer manual of Shepherds of Christ Associates, a facet of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. The associates are members of prayer groups which meet regularly to pray for all the needs of the entire human family, but most especially for priests. If you would like a copy, or copies, of this prayer manual, and further, if you would like information on how to begin a Shepherds of Christ prayer chapter, contact us at:

Shepherds of Christ
P.O. Box 193
Morrow, Ohio 45152-0193 U.S.A.
Phone (toll free): 1-888-211-3041,
Phone: 1-513-932-4451
Fax: 1-513-932-6791

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Letters

• Dear Ed,

The latest special issue of Shepherds of Christ is very good (Issue 3, 2000). I like the idea that you are expanding it so that although aimed for the needs of priests it is an available resource for lay people as well. It will keep it more viable in the long run. But the choice of articles and topics in the issue are an excellent thematic list of the major spiritual topics of today.

My best,

Lawrence Boadt, CSP
Paulist Press
Mahwah, NJ

• Dear Father Carter,

Please let me tell you how much I am grateful for your "Shepherds of Christ" newsletter. I received the Issue 3, 2000, manual from a long-time family friend and monk who handed it along to my family. The articles are interesting and inspirational!

I am a 20-year old college student and I attend a private, secular school. The prayers and articles in "Shepherds of Christ" help me understand the Eucharist and live a life focused on Jesus. I especially like the Act of Consecration prayer. It is so beautiful! I say it daily.

Thank you again and may God bless all those involved in the "Shepherds of Christ" ministry.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Deignan
Farmingdale, New Jersey

• Dear Fr. Carter,

I just finished reading the Special Issue "Overview of the Spiritual Life" Excellent! Please send me the book form of the 1st 12 issues.

Thank you.

In Christ

Fr. Gerald Sherer
Hermosa, SD

• Reverend and dear Fr. Ed,

Mabuhay! Greetings from the Philippines! Please allow me to congratulate you for the expansion of your readership. It is indeed true that even the laity would benefit from your spiritual publication. As for my case, I am not yet a priest yet I found your notes to be helpful in my personal spiritual journey. Thus, I am asking for a personal copy of Shepherds of Christ. The ones that I had been reading were given by a fellow seminarian. May I also request the audiocasette recording of your previous issues. Thank you very much for your dedication. May Mary’s protection never leave you in your life.

In Christ

Sem. Nono Acompanado
Holy Rosary Major Seminary
Concepcion Heights, Naga City
Philippines

• Dear Father Carter,

Greetings in the name of the Risen Lord! I hope you had a good Lent and a joyful celebration of Easter. Here at St. Anne the Vigil and the Easter Sunday celebrations were memorable.

Father, since the time I started receiving these spiritual newsletters through my Vicar General Mons. Joseph Kimu of St. John the Baptist Major Seminary in the diocese of Mangochi here in Malawi, I feel my spiritual life has been enriched tremendously.

On the other side, I would like to welcome most gratefully the idea of extending the readership to the laity. I think there could be some food for them too. We as priests, and they as the flock need each other’s assistance.

Sincerely in the Risen Christ

Rev. Fr. Lucious Kamwana
St. Anne Catholic Parish
Balaka - Malawi - AFRICA

• Dear Father Ed,

I have been receiving your newsletters for over a year now and have enjoyed it immensely. Every issue I read from front to back. I am now 48 years ordained and each newsletter renews me spiritually.

Enclosed is a little donation. I enjoy each issue very much.

Yours in Christ and Mary,

Father John Graham, C. SS. R
St. Cecilia’s Rectory
New York, NY

---

NOTES:

1. Scripture quotations are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday.

2. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter. On Human Work, United States Catholic Conference, No. 4.

3. Ibid., No. 24.

4. The Documents of Vatican II, "The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World", No. 68. America Press edition.

5. Edward Leen, C.S. Sp., In the Likeness of Christ, Sheed and Ward, pp. 126-128.

6. Thomas Merton, Love and Living, Harcourt Brace and Company, pp. 177-178.

7. John Henry Cardinal Newman, "Parochial and Plain Sermons", v, pp 139-40, as in The Heart of Newman, A Synthesis Arranged by Erich Przywara, S.J., Ignatius Press, pp. 171- 172.

8. Edward Leen, C. S. Sp., The True Vine and Its Branches, P. J. Kenedy & Sons, pp. 25-26.

9. Romano Guardini, Jesus Christ, Henry Regnery Publ., as in Daily Readings in Catholic Classics, edited by Rawley Myers, Ignatius Press, p. 85.

10. St. Alphonsus Ligouri, Tract, de praxi amanda Jesum Christum, edit. latina, Romae, 1909, pp. 9-14, as in the The Liturgy of the Hours, Catholic Book Publishing Co., Vol IV, pp. 1264-1265.

11. Archbishop Luis M. Martinez, The Sanctifier, Pauline Books & Media, p. 48

12. The Documents of Vatican II, "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy", America Press edition, No. 17.

13. Ibid., No. 48

14. Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Letter, Mystici Corporis, AAS, XXXV, 232-233.

15. Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, as in special supplement, Inside the Vatican, November 1994, No. 14.

16. Pope John Paul II, Holy Thursday Letters to My Brother Priests, edited by James P. Socias, Scepter Publishers and Midwest Theological Forum, pp. 147-148.

17. Jean Galot, S.J., Theology of the Priesthood, Ignatius Press, p. 137.

18. Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out, Doubleday, pp. 89-90.

19. Henri Nouwen, Genesee Diary, Doubleday, p. 361.

20. Mother Teresa, In My Own Words, Ligouri Publications, p. 19.

21. Ibid., p. 71.

22. Avery Dulles, S.J., The Splendor of Faith: The Theological Vision of Pope John Paul II, Crossroad Publishing Company, pp. 1-2.

23. Ibid., p. 196.

24. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, On the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, St. Paul Books & Media, No. 58.

end of Priestly Newsletter 2000 - Issue 4

Messenger:     Jesus wanted us to send this to you.

                         Jesus' face appears on the building as you see here April 5, 2004.

April 5, 2004

Messenger:      Crowds are off — we need you to tell people about Jesus' face and give
                             donations if you can.

                         WE WANT TO HONOR THE SACRED HEART and Our Lady.

                         Retreat in China is extended because of the month of the Sacred Heart.

                         Jesus wanted this. Official retreat opens Sunday June 13, 2004 with
                             Fr. Mike's Mass at 9:00 A.M. St. Al's Cincinnati — a little reading
                             is required before the retreat. This retreat will almost all
                             be live from China, Indiana on the web camera.

                         WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE PRIESTS, THE CHURCH AND THE
                             WORLD.

                              To participate in some of the retreat you may consult the
                             web page and ask Doris about the Spiritual Exercise
                             retreat before the retreat, but the retreat is better in China.

                         Some readings will be given Saturday June 12, 2004 in preparation for the
                             retreat.

                         Mass will be every day beginning Monday at 8:30 A.M. Tuesday God
                             willing 12:00 China time, Wednesday 12:00 China time, Thursday 11:00 China time,
                             Friday — Feast of the Sacred Heart — Crown Jesus with flowers
                                 Mass 12:00 noon China time a big prayer service all day, and all night
                             Saturday — Feast of the Immaculate Heart Mass Saturday
                                 afternoon closing of adoration — Sing Songs to Mary
                                 Crown Mary with flowers.

                              All night adoration Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night,
                                 Thursday night, Friday night.

                          COME TO THE NEW STORE IN CHINA

                              SEE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES TO CONSECRATE YOUR HOMES
                              CONSECRATION PACKETS TO CONSECRATE YOUR HOMES

                         THIS IS THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART —
                              CONSECRATE YOUR HOMES AND OUR FAMILIES

                         On May 29, 2004 Vigil of Pentecost a wonderful Jesuit priest, with a
                              doctors in theology accepted the post to edit the Priestly
                              Newsletter. On Thursday we received this picture at 6:20
                              as we began the Holy Spirit prayers.

June 1, 2004 message continues

Messenger:      We have prayed continually this prayer

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 1, 2004 message continues

Messenger:     The Newsletter is the #1 reason for the Movement and coequally
                              prayer chapters for the priests.
                              He will begin the newsletter immediately funds are needed for this.

                              Here is the original plan to Fr. Carter to finance the Newsletter from the
                                  Spiritual Handbook.

Excerpt from the Spirituality Handbook
by Father Carter

    2

Chapter Guidelines for Shepherds of Christ Associates

1. A primary purpose of the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates is to pray for all priests throughout the world in all their needs. A coequal purpose is to provide a spiritual way of life for members of the chapters. The chapters are to pray in a special way for the spiritual success of the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ. Prayer for the acquisition of monetary funds to publish the letter is also in order. The chapters are to meet on a regular basis, with the members of each chapter to determine the exact frequency of meetings. All chapters are encouraged to meet on a weekly basis. If for various other reasons certain chapters cannot meet weekly, they should meet at least once a month.
     
2. All persons--lay persons, diocesan clergy, and priests, brothers, and sisters in religious life--are invited to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. Those who are already committed to a certain way of spiritual life may adapt the spirituality of Shepherds of Christ Associates to their own particular spirituality.
     
3. In addition to the purpose of the chapters as put forth above, the members of each chapter are encouraged to help raise money to defray some of the newsletter publication costs and some of the financial needs of the Shepherds of Christ Associates movement. One way for chapters to financially aid the newsletter is to pledge to pay for a certain number of newsletters each year. Our Lord has asked that the newsletter be sent to the priests free of charge, although donations may be requested in the newsletter itself.
    
4. A further purpose of the chapters is to undertake those activities which Jesus, through the Spiritual Director, further reveals to be His will.
    
5. The formation of as many chapters as is reasonably possible is to be encouraged. Multiple chapters may exist in the same city or area. Each chapter is to have its own local coordinator, and each country its own national coordinator.
    
6. A periodic newsletter for associates will be published to help establish the desired bond or union between all chapters and all members.
    
7. Members of Shepherds of Christ Associates pledge their loyal support to the Holy Father, the Pope, and to the teaching authority of the Church.
    
8. Shepherds of Christ Associates exists under Church law as provided in canons 298 and 299.
    
9. The existence and activity of all chapters is to be placed under the special protection and guidance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Chapters exist so that they may, according to the mission of Shepherds of Christ Associates, help to establish the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. All chapter members are strongly encouraged to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Retreat in China, Indiana

Jesus speaks:          I desire all My Apostles
                            to commit on June 13, 2004. The schedule
                            for the retreat is as follows.

                            St. Ignatius/Shepherds of Christ Retreat June 12, 
                                6:20 usual opening of retreat

                            June 13, 2004 Feast of St. Anthony
                                9:00 Shepherd's Mass Cincinnati St. Al's Fr. Mike
                                Joyful Mysteries

                            June 14, 2004    Mysteries of Light

                            June 15, 2004    Sorrowful Mysteries

                            June 16, 2004    Glorious Mysteries —
                                                    Close of Ignatian Part of Retreat

                            June 17, 2004    Meditations on the 17th Meetings
                                                    February 17, 1994 to September 17, 1996
                                                    monthly

                            June 18, 2004    A Day with the Sacred Heart
                                                        Feast of Sacred Heart
                                                        Crowning Sacred Heart

                            June 19, 2004    A Day with the Immaculate Heart
                                                        Feast of Immaculate Heart
                                                        Songs Crowning of Mary

                            Close of retreat 3:00 pm China time

                            Call Doris for details or e-mail

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

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