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| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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July 19, 2015
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July 20th Holy Spirit Novena |
The Novena Rosary
Mysteries |
Pray for special intentions.
Pray for Dan & Melanie, Jimmy,
Fr. Joe, Sonny & family, Blue Book 15,
We need funds to print Blue Book 15.
Please pray for funds & grace.
July 19, 2015
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 23: 1-6‘Disaster for the shepherds who lose and scatter the sheep of my pasture, Yahweh declares. This, therefore, is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people, "You have scattered my flock, you have driven them away and have not taken care of them. Right, I shall take care of you for your misdeeds, Yahweh declares! But the remnant of my flock I myself shall gather from all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; they will be fruitful and increase in numbers. For them I shall raise up shepherds to shepherd them and pasture them. No fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost, Yahweh declares!
Look, the days are coming,
Yahweh declares,
when I shall raise an upright Branch
for David;
he will reign as king and be wise,
doing what is just and upright
in the country.
In his days Judah will triumph
and Israel live in safety.
And this is the name he will be called,
‘Yahweh–is–our–Saving–Justice.’ "
Psalm 23: 1-6
Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits his name.Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger, for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.You prepare a table for me
under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.Kindness and faithful love pursue me
every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
Ephesians 2: 13-18
But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far off have been brought close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one entity and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, by destroying in his own person the hostility, that is, the Law of commandments with its decrees. His purpose in this was, by restoring peace, to create a single New Man out of the two of them, and through the cross, to reconcile them both to God in one Body; in his own person he killed the hostility. He came to bring the good news of peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. Through him, then, we both in the one Spirit have free access to the Father.
Mark 6: 30-34
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat. So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 22, 2012
INTRODUCTION –
(Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ephesians, 2:13-18; Mk. 6:30-34) Our first reading is from Jeremiah the prophet who lived about 600 years before Christ. As I explain the reading, I’ll begin by explaining the second half. Jeremiah pronounces a solemn promise from God that begins with the words: “The days are coming says the Lord” The promise that follows these words is a promise meant to give hope to God’s people who had been scattered by the Babylonian invasion. It would be many days before God’s promise would be fulfilled – 50 years before the people could return to their homeland from Babylon and almost 600 years before the king whom God promises would arrive. We know the promised king was Jesus the Christ, an offspring of David who ruled God’s people with wisdom, establishing justice and security in the land. We still wait and pray for the promise of justice and security to be fulfilled. The first part of our reading uses an image that goes back almost 4000 years where the king was referred to as shepherd of his people. In the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the king was considered to be the shepherd of God’s people. Most of the time the kings of Israel and Judah did not rule according to God’s laws. The gospel applies the same image of shepherd to Jesus who will faithfully lead God’s people as God desires.HOMILY –
Last week’s gospel ended with Jesus sending his apostles out to preach repentance, drive out demons and heal the sick. In today’s gospel, they return to Jesus to report how their mission went. Jesus recognized they all had a need for some rest and some quiet time. They were no doubt looking forward to just having him to themselves for a little while, but that did not happen. Jesus and his apostles had stirred up a great spiritual hunger and hope in many people and they came looking for their hunger to be satisfied. We notice that when the people found Jesus, he was not annoyed or too busy to for them. He was moved with compassion for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus, first of all, satisfies their spiritual hunger by teaching them, giving them directions on how to live, how to love God and one another, encouraging them, perhaps helping them to understand the meaning of their lives. Today’s gospel is also preparing us for what is to follow, where we will hear in the next few weeks how Jesus satisfied their physical hunger in the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.Two ideas struck me as worthy of our reflection. Think how privileged the apostles were to have Jesus with them all the time. We have Jesus with us all the time too. But as St. Augustine famously said in his book, the Confessions, when he came to know Jesus: “You were with me, but I was not with you.” Like the apostles, we need to take time off just to be alone with him. We are doing that right now but going to Mass on the weekend is a minimum. I believe we also need to take time during the week. Without spending some quality time with Jesus during the week, the weekend Mass may not be so meaningful for us. Besides my daily Mass and the saying of the Divine Office, I usually try to spend an hour a day in some form of quiet prayer such as the rosary, or studying the Scriptures or just sitting quietly in Church. This is a great privilege for me and having this opportunity has been a great blessing for me.
The second idea worthy of our reflection is expressed in the last words of today’s gospel: the people were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them. Seeing Jesus as the good shepherd is one of the most popular ways to imagine him and one of the earliest ways Jesus was portrayed in Christian art. Psalm 23, “the Lord is my Shepherd,” is the best known and best loved of all the 150 psalms. Having Jesus as our shepherd presupposes we allow him to lead us; in other words, we allow him to teach us and continue to teach us. We are never finished learning from him. Many, many people in our culture went to Catholic schools. Some continue to stay active in their faith and others have put it in a drawer with their diploma and forgotten about it. This group feels as if they know all they need to know about religion. They are like some of the students I taught when I taught high school religion. Often students would complain, “why are we studying this stuff, we learned this in grade school.” It’s as if you can come to know all you need to know about Jesus with a few little lessons. We’re never finished learning. I love this quote from St. John of the Cross: “We must dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.”
For myself, I continue to be fascinated with the scriptures and continue to learn from them, even after studying them for over 50 years. You could say that I’m just a slow learner – and that may be true – but it’s also true that we can never exhaust the riches we can discover as we come to know our Lord more and more deeply.
Jesus teaches us in many different ways, not just through the Scriptures. He teaches us in our daily prayers and meditation, in the Mass, in our interaction with others, in the saints, through the teachings of the Church, through spiritual books, even through the difficult challenges that life brings us. We call ourselves disciples. The word disciple means learner. When we’ve quit learning, we’ve quit being a disciple. The last line in today’s gospel tells me: if we want to have Jesus as our shepherd, then we must allow him to be our teacher. Jesus saw the people like sheep without a shepherd – so how did he shepherd them – “he began to teach them many things.”
R. We can fly in a plane and realize there
is a lot of space up there, used to get
us around —
R. Think of seeing below the clouds
think of seeing above the clouds
When we are down here we can't see the
clouds like this.
Seeing is a big thing —
Seeing the vision of God —
But the more we give into sin, the
more distorted our vision —
We need God's grace to know more and
more about Him. We have to
seek this to know more and pray for the
grace to love like God more and more — we
can't do this on our own —
God gives us the gift of His grace to
love like Him — more and more and
we must thank Him for this and
cooperate with this grace which
is such a gift.
God shows us signs, but they
are signs — under this is the
unseen, the hidden reality
of God.
We need to pray to the Holy Spirit for His
gifts. God is the gift-giver.
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Holy Spirit Novena
Daily Novena Prayers
Opening Prayer
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus, in union with Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the Holy Spirit. We come to You united to the Child Jesus of Good Health and the Infant of Prague. We come to You in the perfect, sinless heart of Our Mother Mary, asking her powerful intercession, uniting ourselves to her holy tears. We come to You united to all the angels and saints, and the souls in purgatory.
Prayer for Holy Spirit
We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us, to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, that He will descend mightily on us as He did on the Apostles at Pentecost. That the Holy Spirit will transform us from fear to fearlessness and that He will give us courage to do all the Father is asking of us to help bring about the Reign of the Sacred Heart and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart. We pray for the Holy Spirit to descend mightily on the Jesuits and the Poor Clares on the Shepherds of Christ leaders and members and on the whole Body of Christ and the world.
Protection by the Blood of Jesus
We pray that the Blood of Jesus will be spread on us, everyone in our families, and the Shepherds of Christ Movement, that we will be able to move steadfastly ahead and be protected from the evil one.
Healing
We pray for healing in body, mind, and soul and generational healing in ourselves, in all members in our families, and in all members of the Shepherds of Christ Movement, the Jesuit Community, the Poor Clares, the Body of Christ, and the world.
Prayer for Strength and Light
We adore You, oh Holy Spirit. Give us strength, give us light, console us. We give ourselves entirely to You. Oh Spirit of light and grace, we want to only do the will of the Father. Enlighten us that we may live always in the Father's will.
Eternal Spirit fill us with Your Divine Wisdom that we may comprehend more fully insight into Your Divine Mysteries.
Give us lights, Oh Holy Spirit that we may know God. Work within the heart, the spiritual womb of the Virgin Mary, to form us more and more into the image of Jesus.
Prayer to Be One with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We long for You, Oh Spirit of Light, we long to know God, we want to be one with Him, our Divine God. We want to be one with the Father, know Him as a Person most intimately. We want to know the beloved One, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and live and dwell in Him at all times, every moment of our lives. We want to be one with You, Oh Spirit of Light, that You move in us in our every breath.
Prayer to Be One in Jesus
Let us experience life in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so we can say as Saint Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me...." Let us live, united to the Mass, all through the day being one in Him. Let us be able to love and know in this elevated state of oneness with our God. We long for Thee, oh beauteous God, we love You, we love You, we love You. We praise You, worship You, honor You, adore You, and thank You, our beloved God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Prayer to Dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
We seek to be one in God, to live and dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, our little heaven on earth, to experience life in the all perfect, pure, sinless heart of our Mother. We want the Holy Spirit to move in us and to be united to Jesus as the Bridegroom of our souls and be a most perfect sacrifice offered to the Father at every moment as we unite in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass around the world to help in the salvation of souls.
Prayer for the Holy Spirit and His Gifts
Come Holy Spirit, come, come into our hearts, inflame all people with the fire of Your love.
Leader: Send forth Your Spirit and all will be reborn.
All: And You will renew the face of the earth.We pray for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we ask for perfection in our souls to make us holy, holy souls likened to God.
Dear Holy Spirit, we give ourselves to You soul and body. We ask You to give us the Spirit of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
Prayer for the Word Alive in Our Hearts
We know, dear Holy Spirit, the Word in His human nature was brought forth within the womb of the woman. We pray that His word will be brought forth in our hearts as He lives and dwells in us. We want the incarnation to go on in our lives. Dear Holy Spirit, work in us.
Little Prayers to the Holy Spirit
Dear Holy Spirit, help us not to be ignorant or indifferent or weak, help us to be strong with the love of God.
Dear Holy Spirit, please pray for our needs for us.
Dear Holy Spirit, help us to respect God and to avoid sin. Help us to live in the Father's will.
Dear Holy Spirit, help us to keep Your commandments and to respect authority. Help us to love all things as You will us to love them. Help us to want to pray and always serve God with the greatest love. Help us to know the truth. Help us to have the gift of faith, hope, and love. Help us to know what is right and what is wrong.
A Prayer for Intimacy with the Lamb, the Bridegroom of the Soul
Oh Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, come and act on my soul most intimately. I surrender myself, as I ask for the grace to let go, to just be as I exist in You and You act most intimately on my soul. You are the Initiator. I am the soul waiting Your favors as You act in me. I love You. I adore You. I worship You. Come and possess my soul with Your Divine Grace, as I experience You most intimately.
end of excerpt
R. When water is poured by the priest
in baptism and he says the
words we see the symbol —
the reality of sharing in God's
life in baptism —
of our knowing and loving capacity
being elevated —
is unseen —
When we go to confession we hear
the priest
"I absolve thee in the name
of the Father, of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit."
God gives us confession, to
take away our sins.
We only see fragments of things
now on earth —
We see hidden things, insight
into the hidden mysteries
because of the gifts of
the Holy Spirit —
God reveals to us supernatural truths
if He wants to — We see
insight into the hidden
mysteries —
God gives us insight into
knowing Him, preparing
us for heaven —
God is love —
God is good —
God is just
God is merciful —
God wants us to see our sins in
intense light —
not act like we don't sin
when we do —
We see the blind man and Jesus
healed him.
Jesus is the Light of the World —
John 15: 4-5
Remain in me, as I in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
unless it remains part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
R. We want to see in the mind and
Heart of Jesus —
God wants this loving relationship
with us — Jesus wants
a personal relationship with us.
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. 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).
R. O Lord of love, Our Divine Redeemer
we love Thee —
You are our strength —
You are the Light of the World —
Oh Most Sacred Heart of Jesus give us Your
blessings — outpour Your
blessings on the Church
Jesus is the gift — He gives us
Himself
R. Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus teach us to
be humble and obedient to
Your will —
Help us to be pure and
to be sorry for our sins!
Dear God, please hear our
prayer
Sing: Glory Be
I am ready Lord —
pour Your grace and love
and Your vision into my heart.
I thank You God for all
You have given me —
Sing: Glory Be
I am ready Lord —
please pour Your grace
of healing in us.
God is the joy of my soul —
Sing: Come Holy Ghost
Special
$10.00 plus shippingBlue Book 14
One of the following DVD
Prayer Brochure
Give the gift that keeps giving.
6 different Blue Books for $30.00 including postage
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Books available in limited supply for this sale.
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
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4 for $20 plus postage of $5.95
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 15 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
In Spanish with the Imprimatur
Also we are ready to print
5000 copies of the
Parents and Children's Rosary Book
in SPANISH.
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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
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Fr. Joe's Cycle A – Steadfast to the Sun – Starts in Advent
$5.00 plus postage
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Give to your priest.
Fr. Carter's Priestly Newsletters Book II
$6.00 plus postage
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bottle of Jesus and Mary water.
The glass will be fixed behind the
back of the picture.
$200.00 plus postage
Dan called and gave the report to me, when I hung up I saw this rainbow and took a picture for him.
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