Shepherds of Christ  
       Daily Writing        
 

August 11, 2008

August 12th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 1 Period I.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for August 12th are Sorrowful.

 

China Retreat

August 10, 11, 12, 13

  

There will be Mass in China
on the 11th, 12th & 13th
Aug 12th - 12:00 noon
Aug 13th - 1:30 pm

 

Exposed Eucharist

Please come and pray.

 

 

 

August 11, 2008

                    I am talking about heaven and
                how to get there —

                    We should be fools for Christ —
                    Wanting Christ with all our hearts and
                        souls —

                    Our wills are transformed to do
                        God's will

                    God knows each and everyone of
                        us personally and by name —

                    God knows all our secret thoughts
                    God knows the disposition of our
                        hearts —

                    We will be judged by how we loved —
                    Hiding impurities from God is
                        impossible —

                    He knows how the disposition of
                        our hearts are —
                        how purely we act for love
                            of Him and others

                    This is His command to us
                        to love God and love others

                God wants to be in us
                God wants to dwell in us —
                He wants our actions to be pure —
                Our actions to be loving — out
                    of love of God and others —

                We do all things for the honor and
                    glory of God

                God is the center of our lives —

                We don't judge what we do by
                    how others act — if a person
                    is mean to us — we do not be mean back —

                Christ lives in us
                Christ is the center of our actions —
                Christ is to be at the heart of
                    all our actions

                    To be as Christ wants in this
                        world

                    The more we obey the will of
                        God — the more powerfully
                        God can work in us

                    God uses our human nature,
                        our human nature is tainted,
                        and so we strive to act purely —

                    We want our human natures to be
                        more and more like Mary —

                    We want to be more and more in the
                        image and likeness of God —

                    We don't judge how we act by
                        how others treat us —

                    We choose the will of God —

                    We are living as instruments
                        God can use to teach the world
                        about Him

                The more impurely we act — like
                    Adam and Eve — acting out of
                    our tainted human nature —
                    acting in pride, jealousy — seeking
                    dominance for dominance sake —
                    envy — lust — greed —

                The more we act impurely — the more
                    we hurt others and ourselves —
                    we spread darkness in the world —

                We beg to be pure
                We beg for the grace to do the holy
                    thing not rebel against God's
                    will as Adam and Eve did

                    God does not want us to see Him
                from afar — He wants us to empty
                our hearts, so He can dwell in our
                hearts — so we are pure and honest —

                He comes in us
                He transforms us
                He is using us in the world —
                We are His instrument

                We are not afraid — we are praying
                    to the Holy Spirit so we are
                    fearless like the Apostles

                    We are all sinners
                    Jesus paid for our sins
                    We cannot hide the impurities
                        of our intentions —

                It comes to this

                Doing God's will — for giving honor
                    and glory to God — not for vain
                    glory — not for acceptance of
                    others, recognition

                When we are weak — we are strong in
                    Him

  

 

 

Shepherds of Christ

Priestly Newsletter 2000 Issue 1
  

Christ is Our Strength

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 and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; this is 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)

St. Paul tells us: It is, then, about my weaknesses that I am happiest of all to boast, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me; and that is why I am glad of weaknesses, insults, constraints, persecutions and distress for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-10)

This brief passage contains one of the greatest lessons of the spiritual life. As we progress along our spiritual journey, we become increasingly aware of how weak we are in ourselves, but how strong we are in Christ.

To experience our weakness involves suffering. The degree and kind of suffering can vary. The suffering can include the experience of the classical dark night of the spirit as described by St. John of the Cross.

One of the main purposes of the dark night is to make a person keenly aware of his or her helplessness without God. This is a most necessary point that mystics must pass through if the spiritual marriage, or transforming union with God in Christ, is to occur. In this transforming union, there is a profound exchange between God and the mystic. God’s self-communication to the mystic is most profound, and the mystic makes a profound gift of self to God. In this state the mystic is supremely aware of living by the life of God, and without experiencing one’s helplessness without God, this lived awareness does not occur.

If not all on the spiritual journey experience the classic dark night, all must undergo a proportionate purification which includes increased awareness of personal weakness. In this process one more and more abandons the self to Christ and increasingly lives by His life, by His strength. Again St. Paul speaks to us: I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me. The life that I am now living, subject to the limitation of human nature, I am living in faith, faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:19-20)

Our sense of weakness is not a paralyzing one. It does not hinder our performance of duty. On occasion, athletes and other performers may, for various reasons, feel very inadequate regarding the exercise of their particular skill. The sense of inadequacy, in turn, can detract from performance. In the spiritual life, however, our sense of weakness does not impair our capacity to function as Christians. On the contrary. If, sensing our helplessness, we increasingly abandon ourselves to Christ, we act with greater spiritual vitality. We do this with a basic peace of which the world knows not. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, one of the greatest apostles of devotion to the Heart of Christ, speaks about this peace and its connection with surrender to Christ and His strength. In one of her letters she says: "Try especially to preserve peace of heart... The way to preserve this peace is not to have a will of our own any more, but to put the will of the Sacred Heart in the place of ours, and let Him will for us whatever gives Him the most glory, being content to submit and abandon ourselves. In a word, this loving Heart will supply whatever is wanting in you. He will love God for you, and you will love God in Him and through Him." 2

Indeed, to those who are unspiritual, the concept of striving to grow through the sense of our weakness is complete folly, utter craziness. To those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, however, being properly aware of one’s weakness is strength and peace and consolation.

Jesus is our Savior. When we are tired and weary, let us go to the Heart of Christ. Let us not worry about anything. Let us not fret. Our work for Christ is the work of God. Do we not trust that God will take care of His own work?

To be able to say in the midst of adversity and struggle, "Jesus’ hand is here and He knows what is happening, I will let go of my anxiety and be at peace," is to have reached a great plateau of trust in Christ. Yes, let us trust in Jesus in all our trials. Let us refuse to worry. What good does worry accomplish? Let us convert the energy put into worrying into the energy of trusting in Our Lord.

Jesus spread His arms on the cross in the greatest love for each of us. He knew each of us by name. If He endured such agonizing suffering for love of each of us, why do we not have the greatest trust that He wants to be so close to us, attending to all our needs — if only we allow Him?

The more we place our trust in Jesus, the more we experience His peace. Again, let us refuse to worry. Let us place all cares in the hands of Jesus and trust that He will tend to them. He is present to us, loving us, guarding us, asking for our love, asking for our surrender.

We end these reflections concerning how we find our strength in Christ with another quotation from St. Paul: As for me, I am full of joy in the Lord, now that at last your consideration for me has blossomed again; though I recognise that you really did have consideration before, but had no opportunity to show it. I do not say this because I have lacked anything; I have learnt to manage with whatever I have. I know how to live modestly, and I know how to live luxuriously too: in every way now I have mastered the secret of all conditions: full stomach and empty stomach, plenty and poverty. There is nothing I cannot do in the One who strengthens me. (Phil 4:10-13)

1. Scripture quotations are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday.
2. The Letters of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, translated by Clarence Herbst, S.J., Henry Regnery Company, p. 186.

   

                How can someone kill another you
                    say —

                How can we be commissioned in
                    baptism —
                    calling ourselves Christians —
                    and then act the way we do
                        when we spread darkness
                        and do not act like Christ at
                        all

                Wearing a religious habit means I call
                    attention to myself - saying —
                    I live for Christ
                    I am His instrument
                    I model my life after Him

                Wearing His ring - means —
                    I live for Christ - seriously —
                    so much — I am married to Him —
                    I have chosen Him above any
                        other partner

                We are yoked together

                I am one with Christ my Master —

                    So we dress to say —
                    He is my bride —
                    My actions are centered on Christ

 

Galatians 2: 19-20

...I have been crucified with Christ and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me.

   

Prayer for Union with Jesus

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

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

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

    When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.

-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994

   

                Mary came at Fatima to tell us
                    we have offended God —

                We don't have that sense of
                    reparation
                    telling God we are sorry —
                    making reparation for sin —

                In the Mass we make reparation to God —
                When we pray in these retreats — we
                    do what Mary asked for at
                    Fatima to make reparation —

                Our mission in Shepherds of Christ to help to
                    bring to completion the mission
                    Mary began at Fatima

                That is helping to make reparation
                    to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

                    Sacrifice —

                    The Old Testament

                    The idea of offering sacrifice —

                We sin and we as members of the
                    body of Christ are united to the
                    Holy Sacrifice of the Mass going
                    on around the world —

                We offer our lives to God — united to the
                    Mass — as a sacrifice for our
                    sins and the sins of the world —

                We are to make acts of reparation —

                God has given us confession —

                We are to recognize our sinfulness and
                    tell God — we love Him and want
                    to make reparation for the
                    offenses against Him

                We are under the judgment of God —

                What about all the abortions in
                    America —

                We are under the judgment of God —

                Mary said if we didn't listen at
                    Fatima there would be this
                    terrible disaster World War II
                    and there was —

                Why have we lost this sense of
                    making reparation to God —

                Mary asked for reparation on the
                    5 first Saturdays and
                    many churches don't have
                    morning Mass on Saturday

                Mary promised to those who make the
                    5 first Saturdays — they would
                    never see the fires of hell —

                What a promise from Mary —
                    our spiritual mother

    

Excerpt from of Mother at Our Side  (pg. 22)

Five First Saturdays

. . .The practice of the five first Saturdays involves: 1) Going to confession, which may be done from 8 days before to 8 days after the first Saturday. Of course, if a person is in the state of serious sin, the confession must be made before receiving communion. 2) Receiving Holy Communion. 3) Recitation of 5 decades of the rosary. 4) Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the rosary. All of the above (except confession) must be done on the first Saturday of 5 consecutive months with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart. For those who make the five first Saturdays, Our Lady of Fatima has promised to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation.

    

                We must have faith in Christ —

                The Church is the body of Christ

                Christ is the center of life

                We commit our intellect, our body
                    our will to God —

                We believe in Jesus

                We give Him ourselves

                Purity of intention

                We cannot hide the selfish intentions
                    of our hearts from Christ —

                Christ knows how we seek dominance for
                    dominance sake —

                Christ knows when we want to hurt others
                    and make them suffer —
                    He commanded us to love others —

                We think we are free because no one
                    knows we provoked someone and
                    others suffered —

                God knows our every thought and deed and
                    our impure and pure intentions

                God reads our hearts —

                God wants us to be pure —

                God wants to come in our hearts and make
                    a home there —

                We don't see God on the outside —

                We are to be transformed more and more in
                    His image and likeness

                We are to live in love —

                We are to know that the more we follow
                    His will the more we
                    bring order to our lives —
                order to the lives of the people we
                    deal with —

                We become Christ's instrument

                Christ lives in us —
                    acting through us in the world —

                We are possessed more and more by God

 

Prayer for Union with Jesus

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

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

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

    When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.

-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994

               
                   
                   
                   

 

Jiffy Sheet: 108 day Novena beginning August 12, 2008 to November 27, 2008

You will need:           1. This sheet
                                2. Holy Spirit Novena Book
                                3. Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual

I. Begin at 6:20 p.m. by singing, "Come Holy Ghost" (verse 1).

  1. Say, "I want to make a Spiritual Communion." 

  2. "I give my heart to Jesus and Mary with you in love." (This will unite us in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.) 

  3. Cast out Satan: "We cast Satan into the fires of hell, far from us, our families, our Movement, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, the Church and the world in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Holy Spirit Novena and Rosary Novena Chart

Day:

1  

2

4  

5  

7  

Period I

Aug 12 - J

13 - L

14 - S

15 - G

16 - J

17 - L

18 - S

19 - G

20 - J

II

21 - L

22 - S

23 - G

24 - J

25 - L

26 - S

27 - G

28- J

29 - L

Period I

30 - S

31 - G

Sep 1 - J

2 - L

3 - S

4 - G

5- J

6 - L

7 - S

II

8 - G

9 - J

10 - L

11 - S

12 - G

13 - J

14 - L

15 - S

16 - G

Period I

17 - J

18 - L

19 - S

20 - G

21 - J

22 - L

23 - S 

24 - G

25 - J

II

26 - L

27 - S

28 - G

29 - J

30 - L

Oct 1 - S

2 - G

3 - J

4 - L

Period I

5 - S

6 - G

7 - J

8 - L

9 - S

10 - G 

11 - J

12 - L

13 - S

II

14 - G

15 - J

16 - L

17 - S

18 - G

19 - J

20 - L

21 - S

22 - G

Period I

23 - J

24 - L

25 - S

26 - G

27 - J

28 - L

29 - S

30 - G

31 - J

II

Nov 1 - L

2 - S

3 - G

4 - J

5 - L

6 - S

7 - G

8 - J

9 - L

Period I

10 - S

11 - G

12 - J

13 - L

14 - S

15 - G

16 - J

17 - L

18 - S

II

19 - G

20 - J

21 - L

22 - S

23 - G

24 - J

25 - L

26 - S

27 - G

  1. Pray the Holy Spirit Novena using the Holy Spirit Novena Booklet.

  2. After the novena, read the appropriate meditation. For example: period 1, day 1; period 1, day 2; etc. This will continue until further indicated.

    • It is enormously important that you feel as a body praying together, asking for the special coming of the Holy Spirit.

  3. After the meditation say: "We consecrate the Movement, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, the Church and the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

  4. Ask that the Blood of Jesus be spread on the Movement, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, the Church and the world.

  5. Begin the 6:30 p.m. prayer service as usual.

II. Begin the 6:30 prayer service

  1. Begin praying:  Dear Father in the name of Your Son Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, through the powerful intercession of the Virgin Mary, with all the angels and the saints and the souls in purgatory, we join in one mind and one heart and ask the Holy Spirit to come to all the world in a special way, especially to our priests. We pray all prayers for the priests and the renewal of the Church and the world and for the Shepherds of Christ intentions. By the precious Body and Blood of Jesus we cast out Satan far from this place, our families, the Shepherds of Christ Movement, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, the Church and the world. We ask the Blood of Jesus be spread on us, the Shepherds of Christ Movement, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, the Church and the world. We beg for grace and mercy for the world and wish to make reparation to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We give our hearts to Jesus and Mary with all gathered here in love. We wish to be forgiven for offending one another. We love You God, help us.

  2. Sing A Song from Jesus.   Refrain:  "I come to you with greatest love, I am your loving Savior.  I am your God, I died for you, I come to you this day."

  3. Then begin the prayers of the Good Shepherd (Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual).

  4. Sing The Rosary song   Refrain:  "Oh the rosary, the rosary is the love of Their two Hearts,   Oh the rosary, the rosary is the love of Their two Hearts."
          1) Ave Maria, Ave Maria.
          2) Jesus we love You, Mary we love you.
          3) This is her peace plan, Children must pray it.
          4) We turn to Mary, She is the Queen of Peace.
          5) Oh Sacred Heart Divine, Oh Heart of Mary pure, Ave Maria, We love to pray it!

  5. Begin the rosary. Please use the Rosary Books and the Rosary Aves.  The important thing is to pray the prayers and the rosary at 6:30 p.m., if possible. (Rosary mysteries need to be according to the Rosary Novena.)

  6. Read the Ten Commandments.

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

  7. Pray A Prayer of Thanksgiving then read the Daily Message for the day.

 

 

 

Fr. Carter's Books
 

Priestly Newsletter Book I

12 Newsletters
July 1994 - June 1996

$12.00


Priestly Newsletter Book 2

17 Newsletters
1996 - 1999

$12.00
 

Priestly Newsletter Book 3

4 Newsletters & Prayers
2000

$12.00


Synopsis of the Spiritual Life

Spirituality Handbook
$3.00


Messages given
by Jesus and Mary 1994

Tell My People
$10.00
 


The Pain and the Joy

$10.00

Tell My People

Spirituality Handbook

 


Priestly Newsletter on CD
2000 - Issue 1

$10.00


Priestly Newsletter on CD
2000 - Issue 2

$10.00

 

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fax - 1-812-273-3182
web: www.sofc.org
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