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| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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August 3, 2013
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August 4th Holy Spirit
Novena |
The Novena Rosary
Mysteries |
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From Blue Book 11
April 22, 1996
Jesus: I have spoken to you on the 22nd of the month concerning the Center and the Shepherds of Christ Movement. The Center will light up the darkened world. I ask you to spread the messages of My love in God's Blue Book. I am a burning fire filled with such love for men. My light will shine when hearts are joined in deepest love with My Heart. You will unite in one mind and one heart when all are consecrated in their hearts and are fervently loving My Heart and My Mother's heart.
Jesus gave me a message:
I want Blue Book 10 published and the
Parents and Children's Rosary Book reprinted.
The Blue Book 10 and the
Parents and Children's Book
should be presented together as a unit
because they are from January 1st, 1996 to March 31, 1996.
I would like the Parents and Children's Book
in Spanish printed with the Imprimatur.
Pray for Special Intentions
Pray for Funds
Dan called and gave the report to me, when I hung up I saw this rainbow and took a picture for him.
Given August 2, 2013
R. Jesus communicates in the heart.
The devil wants people to be focused
on the exterior –
focused on what people think –
focused on ways in the world to seek happiness
When we sleep we go from this waking existence
to sleeping –
When I receive messages from God, I have
to go from this waking existence, to
this sensitive level where
He communicates to me.
There is a place in our heart when we
are filled with His grace and
can resist the distractions
that come in that deep interior
union with Him –
Life in Him –
Dwelling in His Heart –
A place of deep interior union with God –
Our lives should be a pure interior
offering –
Excerpt from Response in Christ - The Sacraments and the Mass by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
1) Interior Oblation
The first duty of man is to surrender himself to God out of love. This fact flows from the truth that God is the Creator and man is His creature. Man, if he is ideally to fulfill his creaturely role must respond as perfectly as possible to the loving demands of His Creator. God asks that man give himself completely to Himself. This is only proper since everything that man has, whether of the natural or supernatural order, has been given to him by God. Man, in turn, perfects himself by developing these various gifts according to God's will or, in other words, by giving himself completely to God. Man's gift of self to God is centered in loving conformity to the divine will. Consequently, one can understand why the will with its decision-making capacity is the crucial faculty in man, a point emphasized by contemporary thought.
Man directs himself to God by the virtue of religion. This is not to say that this particular virtue ranks above the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. These are the most excellent, since they unite man directly to God. We are merely stating that the virtue of religion directs all man's actions to the honor of God.6
This virtue consists especially in acts of adoration, thanksgiving, petition and reparation. These interior acts can manifest themselves in many ways, but they are especially expressed through sacrifice. Here, then, we have the first constituent element of sacrifice: man's interior offering of himself to God. This giving takes place chiefly in man's will, under the guidance of the virtue of religion. This first element of sacrifice is of prime importance, for it deals with interior dispositions. This importance can be recognized concretely in the history of religion. For example, the Jewish people were convinced that the principal value of sacrifice was centered in the dispositions of the people.7
2) Exterior OfferingMan is not a pure spirit. He is a rational animal, composed of body and soul. Consequently, he desires to manifest exteriorly and concretely the interior offering of himself which has been made to God in the first movement of sacrifice. He does this by the exterior offering to God of some material gift. Such a gift symbolizes the interior offering of man himself. St. Augustine says: "A visible sacrifice, therefore, is a sacrament or sacred sign of an invisible sacrifice."8
Justification of this exterior oblation is also found in the fact that man is not only in part a corporeal being, but also a social being. It is fitting therefore that man exteriorize his interior gift of self in order that he may give worship to God in a social manner. For his exteriorization enables many to partake in the sacrificial ritual.
This exteriorization of his inner offering also helps man to deepen his interior acts. Precisely because man is a composite being, his various exterior acts of worship can profoundly influence, among others, his interior acts of love, adoration, thanksgiving, reparation and petition.
Here, then, we have the second constituent element of sacrifice: the external, ritual giving to God of some material gift which symbolizes man's interior offering of himself.. . .
1) The Interior offering of Our Lord
The sacrifice which Christ offered for the redemption of the world was first and foremost an interior moral act. Christ's life possessed its great value because of His interior dispositions. His entire life was a constant gift of Himself in love to the Father and to mankind, and Calvary was the supreme expression of this gift. This gift of self was regulated by a perfect conformity to His Father's will.
Christ not only was constantly living out this interior disposition of sacrifice, but He strove to inculcate the necessity of it in the Jews of His time. He constantly opposed a false and legalistic concentration on the mere externals of Jewish purifications, for such an attitude tended to diminish the necessary internal dispositions. The synoptic theology of sacrifice stresses this attitude of Christ. Bernard Cooke states: "This insistence of Jesus on internal dispositions characterizes the Synoptic theology of sacrifice, which continues and completes the prophetic emphasis on the moral and individual aspect of sacrifice. . . . One must be careful, however, not to exaggerate the opposition (either in the prophets or in the Synoptic Gospels) between cult and internal dispositions of soul."13
2) Ritual Oblation
As we have said, man, because of his corporeal and social nature, has always desired to express the interior oblation of sacrifice in an external, ritual oblation. So it was with Christ. Unlike the dualists, who maintain that Christ's interior offering was sufficiently exteriorized during the passion itself, the unicists maintain that the only place where we can locate a ritual oblation is at the Last Supper. This ritual oblation cannot be found in any other phase of Christ's sacrifice – from the Garden to the Cross – despite the efforts of some to do so. Notice, too, that in the case of Christ's sacrifice, the ritual oblation of the Last Supper is of a victim-to-be-immolated rather than of a victim already immolated.
6. St. Thomas Aquinas, S.T., II-II, q. 81, a. 4, ad 1.
7. Cf. S. Lyonnet, "La Sotériologie Paulinienne" in Robert and Feuillet, Introduction à la Bible, Vol. II (Tournai, Belgium: Desclée, 1959), p. 874.
8. St. Augustine, City of God (New York: Fathers of the Church, 1954), Vol. 14, p. 123.
13. Bernard Cooke, "Synoptic Presentation of the Eucharist as Covenant Sacrifice" in Theological Studies, Vol. 21 (1960), p. 12.
end of excerpt
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
Excerpt from Response in Christ - The Sacraments and the Mass by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
c) The Sacrifice of the Mass
Some contemporary authors, while not necessarily de-emphasizing the sacrificial nature of the Mass, are giving a renewed emphasis to the concept of the Mass as banquet or meal. This is all to the good, as long as the sacrificial structure is not allowed to recede to the background. In this regard it is well for us to recall the mind of the early Church. Jungmann says: "The first centuries of Christianity, which had built the framework for the celebration of the Eucharist which is still followed today, had laid down two basic thoughts: The Mass is the memorial of the Lord, and it is the sacrifice of the Church. These two thoughts are expressed just as clearly and simply today: '. . . calling to mind the blessed passion – we offer to your sovereign majesty – this pure sacrifice.' "17
We should always unite the concepts of the Mass as sacrifice and the Mass as meal by realizing that the eucharistic meal is an integral part of the sacrifice. It is its conclusion.
We should also be aware that the Mass is a covenant sacrifice. It is the sacramental renewal of Christ's covenant sacrifice. The Mass is the central act of our covenant life in Christ, and therefore it embraces the four great dimensions of covenant love. In Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit, we open ourselves in a special manner during the eucharistic liturgy to the Father's love and we respond to that love. In Christ and His Spirit we also pledge ourselves at Mass to go out in a deeper love to the members of the People of God and to all men. We also commit ourselves anew to be open in receiving the love of others. According to these various perspectives, the Mass above all is an action of love.
1) Interior Oblation of the MassThe chief priest and victim of the Mass is the same as the priest and victim of the Last Supper and Calvary, Christ Himself. Christ makes this interior offering of Himself in the Mass for the same ends as were present in His own unique sacrifice – adoration, thanksgiving, petition and satisfaction.
However, Christ is not the only priest at the Mass as He was at the Last Supper and upon Calvary. All the members of the Mystical Body are priests along with Christ. To be sure, there is a difference between the hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests and the universal priesthood of the faithful. This difference is one of essence and not merely degree. The point we wish to stress, however, is that the universal priesthood is a real participation in Christ's priesthood given through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.
This concept of the priesthood of all the Church's members is being stressed today in a special manner.18 Jungmann, the outstanding liturgical theologian, gives us reasons why this concept of universal priesthood became relatively obscure for so many years. He states that the concept of the Mass as the Church's sacrifice faded into the background as a result of the Reformation. The Reformers maintained that there was only one sacrifice, the one which Christ offered upon Calvary. To counteract this heresy the Council of Trent and the theology consequent to it had to clarify that the Mass is a true sacrifice, but not an absolutely independent one. It is a sacrifice relative to the absolute one of Calvary and a representation of it. It was emphasized that the priest of Calvary is also the chief priest of the Mass. Because of such doctrinal controversies, the concept that Christ offers the Mass was alone considered important. The concept that the Mass is also the sacrifice of the Church practically disappeared. Finally, Jungmann notes that today we are returning to the balanced view which meaningfully recognizes that the Mass is not only the sacrifice of Christ, but also that of the Church.19 This stress on the Church's part in the Mass is logically connected with the contemporary emphasis on the priesthood of all the members of the People of God.
As Christ is not the only priest of the Mass, neither is He the only victim. Again, all the members of the Church are victims along with Christ. Various Church documents attest to this. For instance, Pope Paul VI officially calls attention to this: "It is a pleasure to add another point particularly conducive to shed light on the mystery of the Church, that it is the whole Church which, in union with Christ functioning as Priest and Victim, offers the Sacrifice of the Mass and is offered in it."20 Therefore, the members of the People of God, united as priests to Christ the high priest, offer a combined victim to the Father: Christ and themselves. Such then in all its deep meaning and beauty is the first sacrificial element of the Mass.
2) Ritual Oblation of the MassJust as Christ's interior offering of Himself was externalized in a ritual oblation at the Last Supper, so is there an external, liturgical rite of the Mass. The importance of this many-faceted exteriorization is brought out by Vatican II's Constitution on the Liturgy.
As mentioned before, this exteriorization of the internal oblation is according to man's social and corporeal nature. That it is in harmony with the social part of man is evident from the fact that the external rite assembles the People of God to worship together as a community. The individual members are consequently enabled to help one another to achieve the proper worship of God. The Constitution gives stress to this social aspect of the liturgy. It states that the very nature of the liturgy demands that all the faithful be led to a full and active liturgical participation. Such is in keeping with their vocation as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation" (1 P 2:9). The Constitution emphatically states that such full and active participation on the part of all the people is the chief aim of the liturgical renewal.21
As also previously observed, the external rite is likewise according to man's bodily nature. In the case of the Mass (and the sacraments also) we observe that the very validity of the sacrifice depends on having the proper materials for the offering – bread and wine – and on the use of the proper form of consecration. The external, the ritual, the sensible, are indeed indispensable.
In all this we note the great law of incarnation. The Incarnation established a set pattern for the redemption of the world, redemption taken both objectively and subjectively. Christ redeemed the world through His sacred humanity. This humanity is, then, the gateway to the divinity, to eternal life.
As Christ's created humanity was indispensable for accomplishing the sacrifice of the objective redemption, so are created things necessary for the eucharistic sacrifice of the subjective redemption. This fact calls to mind the thought of Teilhard de Chardin. Teilhard holds a world concept in which all things, natural and supernatural, spiritual and material, are united in a single and organic unity. The pole of this unity is the person of the Incarnate Word, towards whom the whole of creation converges.22 In such a concept the law of incarnation is developed to the utmost, a fact brought out by the following words of Teilhard: "Let us remember that the supernatural nourishes itself on everything."23
At various times in the history of Christian spirituality, the Church has been plagued with an exaggerated spiritualism rising out of various sources. Such a spiritualism, looking upon material things as more of a hindrance than a help, is foreign to the true Christian spirit. A true theology of the Incarnation, a theology which the Church so well concretizes in her liturgy, can lead to no other conclusion.
It is no accident that a meaningful incarnation spirituality is developing concomitant with the liturgical renewal. Although we would not want to say that the incarnational element outweighs the transcendent element in the Church's portrayal of the Christian life, yet she is leading the faithful of all vocations to a deeper incarnationalism. The Church is accomplishing this through a variety of ways. She is achieving this incarnationalism, for instance, through the great social encyclicals, through the documents of Vatican II, and, in reference to our present topic, through a revived liturgy.
There is a deep significance, and a rich world of thought connected with the second sacrificial element of the Mass: the ritual oblation which incarnates the interior oblation.
3) Immolation of the VictimChrist, the chief victim of the Mass, has been immolated once and for all in the offering of His own unique sacrifice. And yet, since the Mass is a true sacrifice in its own right, we logically look for an unbloody immolation of Christ the victim. Where do we find this immolation? Traditionally it has been seen to be present in the double consecration of bread and wine. This double consecration symbolizes the separation of Christ's blood from His body, and, consequently, symbolizes His death. Pius XII's encyclical, Mediator Dei, states: "Thus the commemorative representation of His death, which actually took place on Calvary, is repeated in every Sacrifice of the altar, seeing that Jesus Christ is symbolically shown by separate symbols to be in a state of victimhood."24 Jungmann reminds us of the importance of this sacramental immolation of Christ. While admitting and even stressing the importance of giving the "meal symbolism" its proper place in the Mass, Jungmann calls for a priority of sacrificial symbolism: "It is quite another question whether or not it is necessary or even correct to regard the meal symbolism as the decisive and fundamental thing in the outward transaction of the Mass. If the Mass is a sacrifice then this must find appropriate expression in the outward picture too; for sacrifice is essentially a demonstrative action, the symbolic representation of inward readiness to give oneself."25
Durrwell, a biblical theologian, also highlights the importance of the Mass's immolation. He seems to say that Christ's immolation is symbolized by the very words of consecration. He says that the Last Supper and its commemoration, the Mass, are sacrificial meals. Consequently, ". . . Christ appears in the victim state. He gives them to drink "the blood of the new covenant, shed for many' (Matt, Mark), blood of sacrifice as the establishment of the old covenant required (Exod xxiv, 8) shed at the moment of drinking."26
However, as we have said, Christ is not the only victim of the eucharistic sacrifice. The members of His Body, the Church, are also victims along with Christ. Those members must also be in a state of victimhood. As with Christ, they cannot undergo a bloody immolation. Their immolation must also be a mystical one. How is this accomplished? We can look to two passages of the encyclical Mediator Dei for thoughts on such a mystical immolation. In one passage we read that pride, anger, impurity and all evil desires are to be mystically slain. As the Christian stands before the altar, he should bring with him a transformed heart, purified as much as possible from all trace of sin.27 Positively considered, such a transformation means that the Christian is striving to grow in the supernatural life by all possible means, so as to present himself always as an acceptable victim to the heavenly Father.
In another passage of the same encyclical this mystical immolation of Christ's members is further developed. To be a victim with Christ means that the Christian must follow the gospel teaching concerning self-denial, that he detest his sins and make satisfaction for them. In brief, the Christian's victimhood means that he experiences a mystical crucifixion so as to make applicable to his own life the words of St. Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ. . ." (Ga 2:19).28
Jungmann has a beautiful passage concerning the Christian's eucharistic immolation. He states: "Every sacrament serves to develop in us the image of Christ according to a specified pattern which the sacramental sign indicates. Here the pattern is plainly shown in the double formation of the Eucharist; we are to take part in His dying, and through His dying are to merit a share in His life. What we here find anchored fast in the deepest center of the Mass-sacrifice is nothing else than the ideal of moral conduct to which the teaching of Christ in the Gospel soars; the challenge to an imitation of Him that does not shrink at sight of the Cross; a following after Him that is ready to lose its life in order to win it; the challenge to follow Him even, if need be, in His agony of suffering and His path of death, which are here in this mystery so manifestly set before us."29
Summarily, then, we become victims with Christ by lovingly conforming our wills to the Father's will in all things. Such conformity was the essence of Christ's sacrifice, of His victimhood, and of His immolation. A similar conformity must be in the victimhood and the immolation of Christ's members. This mystical immolation is a lifelong process. The ideal is that each Mass participated in by the Christian should mark a growth in his victimhood. The true Christian desires to die more and more to all which is not according to God's will so that he may become an ever more perfect victim with Christ.
4) The Father's Acceptance of the Eucharistic SacrificeIt has been observed that if sacrifice is to have its desired effect, it must be accepted by God. That the Father always accepts the eucharistic sacrifice is certain. For the principal priest and victim is Christ Himself, always supremely acceptable to the Father. As for the subordinate priests and victims, they are, taken together, the People of God, the Church herself.
There is always an acceptance on the Father's part even as regards this subordinate priesthood and victimhood of the Mass. For even though the Mass may be offered through the sacrilegious hands of an unworthy priest, there is always a basic holiness in the Church pleasing to God. Because of such holiness the Father always accepts the Church's sacrificial offering, for the Mass is the sacrifice of the whole Church, and cannot be fundamentally vitiated by the unworthiness of any particular member or members, even if that member be the officiating priest.
What do we say concerning the Father's acceptance of the sacrificial offering of the individual Christian? Such an offering will be acceptable in proportion to the Christian's loving conformity of will to the Father's will. Speaking of the Christian's participation in the Mass, Jungmann says: "It follows that an interior immolation is required of the participants, at least to the extent of readiness to obey the law of God in its seriously obligatory commandments, unless this participation is to be nothing more than an outward appearance."30
Having considered in successive sections the immolation and acceptance elements of the Mass, we should consider the vital link between these two. For just as the two are inseparably connected in Christ's sacrifice, so are they also united in the Church's sacrifice of the Mass.
In Christ we equated the immolation of His sacrifice with His passion-death, and the acceptance element with His Resurrection. Uniting these two mysteries of death-resurrection, we spoke of Christ's paschal mystery. We have seen that this mystery had been prefigured by the Jewish pasch and exodus, component parts of the Jewish people's transition to a new and more perfect life. In the case of Christ, we considered His pasch – His passover – to be a transition from the limitations of His mortal life to the state of resurrected glory. We speak of Christ's mortal humanity as having exercised limitations upon Him in this sense, that, although He Himself was completely free from sin, He had exposed Himself to the conditions of a sin-laden world through His human nature. In His death-resurrection He changed all this as He conquered sin, as He redeemed us, as He passed to the state of glory with His Father.
What happened in Christ also occurs in His Mystical Body, the Church. The Church and Her members experience their own transition from death to resurrection. The entire Church and the individual Christian express, through the Mass, a willingness to grow in the participation in Christ's death. The Father accepts this willingness and gives an increase in the grace-life, a greater share in Christ's Resurrection. This process happened within a short span of time in Christ's life. In the life of the Church it continually takes place until Christ's second coming. The Church, with her grace-life of holiness, has already partially achieved her resurrection, but not completely, even though she continues to grow in grace. St. Paul bears witness to this: ". . . but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free." (Rm 8:23).
Vatican II's Constitution on the Church beautifully portrays this fused state of death-resurrection which the Church in her members experiences here below as she awaits the fullness of the resurrection in the world to come: "For this reason we, who have been made to conform with him, who have died with him and risen with him, are taken up into the mysteries of his life, until we will reign together with him. . . While still pilgrims on earth, tracing in trial and in oppression the paths he trod, we are anointed with his sufferings as the body is with the head, suffering with him, that with him we may be glorified. . ."31
5) Partaking of the Eucharistic MealThe cycle of the eucharistic sacrifice is completed as the priest and faithful partake of Christ the paschal lamb. The People of God have given Christ to the Father. Now the Father gives Christ to the Church's members in the eucharistic meal. Although the priest alone must communicate to assure the integrity of the sacrifice, it is highly desirable, of course, that all present partake of the eucharist.
In the sacrifices of old, the victim of the sacrificial banquet was considered in some sense divine by the fact that it had been offered to the divinity. In the sacrifice of the new covenant we receive divinity itself through the sacred humanity. With such a marvelous conclusion to the eucharistic sacrifice, the fruits of Christ's sacrifice of Calvary are continually experienced.
There are other truths to be considered under the paschal meal aspect of the Mass. One of these is the concept of the eucharist as sign and cause of unity. Von Hildebrand comments on this: "All receive the one body of the Lord, all are assimilated into the one Lord. Even if we leave aside the supreme ontological supernatural unity which is realized here, the very act of undergoing this experience represents an incomparable communion-forming power."32
Through the sharing of the one paschal lamb, the Christian assembly has thus been vividly reminded of their oneness in Christ. Yet this is a oneness in plurality. For each Christian is a member of the one Body of Christ in his own unique way. He has been called upon to assimilate Christ according to his own personality, vocation and graces. Consequently, just as the members of the People of God are reminded of their unity at Mass, so are they made aware of their own uniqueness as they depart from the eucharistic assembly, each carrying Christ to his own particular environment according to his own individual personality.
We have considered the Church's eucharistic sharing in the mystery of Christ according to a sacrificial structure. With the general structure of the Mass established, we will now enlarge upon the concept of the participation of the individual.
d) The Christian's Participation in the Mass
God has created man a social being. This fact has relevance as regards man's salvation and perfection. Man does not go to God alone, but rather is saved and perfected with and through others. This is evident in the study of salvation history as one observes God communicating Himself to man in the framework of community. As we have seen, this social dimension is also readily evident in the liturgy.
As we now discuss the individual's participation in the liturgy, we in no way intend to underestimate the communal aspect of the eucharistic sacrifice. We constantly presuppose it and its importance. Liturgy as communal is the indispensable framework and background for any discussion of the individual's liturgical participation.
Granted all this, it is still useful and necessary to speak of the individual's participation in the Mass.33 Ultimately it is the individual as individual who accepts or rejects God's offer of salvation and sanctification. Therefore, to speak of the individual's response to God in the liturgy is highly significant. Despite all the communal helps the individual receives in the liturgy, despite the fact that the individual must always be deeply aware that he is a member of the community, the People of God, it is still true to say that it is within the depths of his own mysterious, individual personality that the Christian either becomes a mature Christian through the liturgy or fails to do so. With such preliminary ideas established, let us now consider the Christian and his role in the Mass.
17. J. Jungmann, "Eucharistic Piety" in Worship, Vol. 35 (1961), p. 416.
end of excerpt
Excerpt from Response in Christ - Chapter 5 - Incarnationalism and Transcendence by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
1. Bodily Values
In the course of her history the Church has been exposed to various influences which deprecate man's body. For example, Manichaeism considers all matter, and, consequently, man's body, to be positively evil. Neoplatonism, which has had considerable influence upon Christian thought, looks upon the body as a hindrance to man in his quest for contemplative union with the divinity. Officially, of course, the Church has always repudiated all schools of thought which in one way or other look upon man's body as being less than good. But the concrete practice of Christian spirituality has often, to a lesser or greater degree, been influenced by these erroneous attitudes.
Today, we are happily witnessing a disappearance of this false view of man's body. The incarnational thrust of present-day Christianity is assigning bodily values their proper role in the exercise of Christian holiness. The Christian is looked upon as a composite being, it is true, but his union of body and soul is being looked upon as just that – a union. Man is not a falsely dichotomized creature whose bodily interests are always at variance with those of his spirit.
The Christian, then, is essentially one. His soul, informing the body, makes him an incarnate spirit. On the other hand, we cannot so emphasize man's unity that we do away with his fundamental duality. His soul is not his body. If we do not remain practically aware of this irreducible duality in man, we open ourselves up to all sorts of errors in the spiritual life.
We do, then, want to emphasize the profound union of the Christian's soul and body, while at the same time realistically realizing the duality involved. This profound union of body and soul can be considered from the standpoint of the body being at the service of the soul. Man's incarnational aspect, his body, serves his transcendent aspect, his soul. Jean Mouroux says succinctly: "The body is therefore made for the soul. . . But the soul is made for God, and the body is associated with the soul even to this point: it was made to aid our communion with God."3
In this example we see a fundamental principle; namely, the incarnational is ultimately intended to serve the transcendent. This is the hierarchy found in Christ Himself, the prime analogate of incarnationalism-transcendence. Although Christ was not a human person. He did possess a complete human nature, and therefore He was fully human in this sense, a point stressed in all its implications by contemporary Christology. Yet the human in Christ – the incarnational – always perfectly served the divine person – the transcendent in Christ. This is the structure which must always be followed as the Christian blends the incarnational and the transcendent.
The Christian's body, itself graced, aids in so many ways his graced spirit. For instance, the body allows for the incarnation of the Christian's supernatural life which is rooted in the depths of his soul. Our bodies allow for the sacramental aspect (visible manifestation) of our grace-life. Just as Christ's life of grace tended towards epiphany – towards manifestation, towards sacramentality – so does ours. Our bodies make this possible.
There are various examples which show us this. The graced love of the Christian mother incarnates itself in the warm embrace with which she grasps her child. This incarnate love means so much to the child that he can be harmed if he does not receive sufficient externalized love. The love between the Christian husband and wife, elevated by the sacrament of marriage, is also meant to be incarnated through the body; not only through the marital act, but also through the kind word, the warm embrace, and the tender kiss. If there is not a sufficient degree of externalized love manifested between man and wife, their love for one another can become less than ideal. More examples could be cited, but I think the point has been made. Yes, our bodies allow us to incarnate our grace-life. They permit us to "breathe out" this life.
Our bodies also permit us to "breathe in" supernaturally. Our Christ-life must be nourished in so many ways from the exterior. We hear a particularly inspiring homily. Such an experience can significantly influence our life of grace. Through our bodies we experience the love which a friend shows us. This buoys us up, and gives us the courage to give ourselves in Christian love more perfectly to others. We walk along the seashore, our senses vibrate with the freshness of God's creation, and our hearts swell with gratitude to God for our being alive.
In so many ways, then, our bodies, sharing in the holiness of Christ's body, are involved with our life of grace. They are meant to serve this supernatural life. But here a caution must be given. Our bodies do not automatically remain docile to our intellects and wills. The body has strong tendencies which have to be controlled and directed by man's spirit. If they are not, far from nobly serving our Christ-life, they will weaken or even destroy this life. This fact points up the necessity of a prudent Christian asceticism. This asceticism, in its various ramifications, will be treated in a later chapter.
2. Involvement with the World
Man's corporeal nature situates him in this world of time and space with its various terrestrial values. Any man by his very nature, therefore, has a responsibility toward this world. The Christian has a greater responsibility. He is in a special manner united to Christ who, through His humanity, has inserted Himself irrevocably into man's world.
Through His human enfleshment Christ has uplifted and transformed both man and the creation which surrounds man. In the words of Mouroux, "Christ came, and the whole world was redeemed. By His Incarnation – in which God took a human soul and body and became man like to ourselves – He entered into union with all the most spiritual, but also with all the most carnal elements of the universe. As sin had thrown everything out of joint, so the coming of God in the flesh brought everything renewal and healing. God's benediction, made present and active in Christ, restored the divine face of men and things, and grave them back their spiritual meaning."4
In his own way Mouroux is repeating the recapitulation theology of St. Paul: "Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act upon when the times had run their course to the end: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth." (Ep 1:3-10). Still speaking of the Son, Paul says in Colossians, "He is the image of the unseen God and the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and every thing invisible . . . all things were created through him and for him. Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity. Now the Church is his body, he is its head. As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way; because God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the cross." (Col 1:15-20).
3. Jean Mouroux, The Meaning of Man (New
York: Sheed & Ward, 1961), pp. 62-63.
4. Ibid., p. 36.
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.
R. God is other and transcendent
and we can't touch
Him, know Him as our
hearts want to, but He
gives us this sharing in
His knowing and loving
capacity in baptism.
Come to me Lord and possess my soul –
Other and transcendent –
The ultimate mystery –
Not seeking God makes us frustrated –
Our hearts were made to be satisfied by
God –
Our hearts were made to eagerly wait Him and
the fullness of life in heaven.
Happiness is in God –
We can seek false gods that will
never satisfy us –
Our world shows us God exists
with its beauty –
Mary's message about America –
rolling hills
beautiful waters
fish
animals
trees
mountains
little children at play –
Sea scapes
Ocean fronts
We can see the infinite perfection of
God in things –
We see His order
We see His Plan
Those focused on the world, secularism,
do not deeply experience
what the man rooted in
God does –
Blind men –
Stiff-necked –
Jesus: Anyone opposing the Father's Plan
is a fool.
R. We know the order of how the
world operates –
day, night etc. –
the existence of the planets and
things moving in the sky –
Mysterious –
The veins and blood and heart - beat
of the body – WOW
Man can be closed-in on himself –
miss the wide scope of
things in the mind and eye
of the Divine –
the Divine plan –
the birds that live –
Think of our body movements –
I can write and play the piano and
sing –
I am dependent on God –
God allows me to have a
free will –
I move on the surface of the
earth –
The Mystery of Life
We see the seasons of the year –
Summer, Spring, Fall and Winter
We see people born babies and
die old –
Life beginning and ending –
Jesus born in Bethlehem –
Jesus died in the Crucifixion
To be all that God wanted us
to be –
The ideal self –
The world, the Church, the
individual Christian in the
state of becoming –
We cannot see the vast ocean
and where it ends –
We live in a lighted tunnel
when we are rooted in Him
even when we don't know
what is coming, we
remain in the light –
God gives us this capability
to know and love –
We receive a sharing in
His life in baptism.
Look at one organ in a man –
the human ear –
the baby being formed –
the order in creation –
Colossians 1: 15-20
He is the image of the unseen God,
the first–born of all creation,
for in him were created all things
in heaven and on earth:
everything visible
and everything invisible,
thrones, ruling forces,
sovereignties, powers—
all things were created through him
and for him.
He exists before all things
and in him all things hold together,
and he is the Head of the Body,
that is, the Church.He is the Beginning,
the first–born from the dead,
so that he should be supreme in every way;
because God wanted all fullness
to be found in him
and through him
to reconcile all things to him,
everything in heaven
and everything on earth,
by making peace through his death
on the cross.
R. God is omnipotent
God is almighty
God is hidden
God is other and transcendent
God is all powerful
God is all knowing
God is all wise
God is all good
God is all beautiful –
God is all merciful
God is all faithful
God is all just
God is all holy
God possesses all perfections
God is supreme!!
God is Truth!
He can neither deceive
nor be deceived!
God shows us His attributes
in scripture –
God made a covenant with
Abraham.
God made a covenant with Moses
God shows us about love in
Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers.
The lost sheep
The prodigal son –
God is love –
God is all perfect –
God is without limitation
Words do not even exist to
describe God –
Words with His grace gives
us insight into the
hidden mysteries.
The images of God are imperfect.
The closer we are to God, the
more perfect we become –
the incarnation goes on in us.
Jesus is the way, the truth and
the life –
Genesis 1: 26-27
God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.’
God created man in the image of himself,
in the image of God he created him,
male and female he created them.
R. Seeing Our Lady of Clearwater –
helps us believe in the
unseen God –
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All 5ths -
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 November 5, 2003 |
 December 5, 2003 |
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R. God gives us grace –
Because of baptism we can understand
insight into the hidden mysteries.
The Trinity
God is infinite Truth –
Holy - Holy - Holy – (3)
Worship the Godhead
Luke 1: 35 – the Trinity in
the Annunciation
The Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus
John 14: 16-17
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Paraclete
to be with you for ever,
John 14: 26
but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Matthew 28: 19
Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
1 Peter 1: 2
in the foresight of God the Father, to be made holy by the Spirit, obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
2 Corinthians 13: 13
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Excerpt from Response in Christ by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
Through Baptism therefore the Christian is incorporated into Christ's death-resurrection. Baptism pledges the Christian to die to sin and ideally to all that is not in accordance with God's will, even though sin is not involved. Baptism also pledges the Christian to live vitally his new life in Christ, his share in Christ's Resurrection. As he is incorporated into Christ through baptism, the Christian is also made a member of the Church. Awareness of this simultaneous incorporation into both Christ and the Church emphasizes for the Christian the fact that his life of holiness in Christ is to be lived out in community. In other words, the Christian lives in Christ within the People of God, within the Church. This stress of contemporary spirituality upon the communal aspect of Christian holiness is firmly rooted in God's revealed truth. Throughout salvation history God has lovingly communicated Himself to man within the covenant framework with its communal dimension. He has also asked for man's response in love within this same covenant framework.
end of excerpt
Romans 6: 2-4
Out of the question! We have died to sin; how could we go on living in it? You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death. So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glorious power, we too should begin living a new life.
R. The Trillium Lily has
3 petals
3 sepals
3 leaves
A beautiful reflection
of the Trinity
God is 3 Persons in one God –
Luke 1: 35
The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.
R. Jesus is our Redeemer
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven; and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
R. Creed on Sunday at Mass
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Excerpt from The Spirituality of Fatima
by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
(3)Before receiving the six apparitions of Our Lady, May through October of 1917, the three Fatima visionaries were visited by an angel on three different occasions during the preceding year. He appeared to them in the spring, summer, and fall. Lucia (now Sr. Lucia) describes the springtime apparition of the angel:
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."
Then, rising he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."
His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them
During the summer of 1916, the angel again appeared to the three visionaries. He said to them:
(4)Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way.... I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you.
In the fall of the same year, the angel visited the visionaries a final time:
(5)The angel came...bearing a golden chalice in one hand and a Host above it in the other. The amazed children noticed that drops of blood were falling from the Host into the chalice. Presently, the angel left both suspended in mid-air and prostrated himself on the ground, saying this beautiful prayer: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners."
Sr. Lucia relates how the angel gave them Communion:
Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hand. He gave the Sacred Host to me and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:
(6)"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."
Reflecting upon these messages of the angel, we see how much they contain for our spiritual instruction.
NOTES:
3.
Louis Kondar, SVD, editor, Fatima in Lucia's
Own Words (Fatima: Postulation Center,
1976), p.62. Distributed in the U.S.A. by the
Ravengate Press, Cambridge, MA.
4. Our Lady's Peace Plan,
op cit.,
pp.1-2.
5. Ibid., p.2 (The words in brackets are
my own-added for clarification).
6. Fatima in Lucia's Own Words,
op
cit., pp.64-65.
R. The Heart of Christ –
The Heart is the Flesh of Jesus
Who loves us
With a human Heart
Christ makes a Covenant
Commitment
Consecration
Adoration
Our lives committed in love to Christ
Our lives committed in love to our neighbor
We love sinners
We make reparation to God
to Christ
to our brothers
On fire to make reparation!!
God is offended –
The retreats from Florida and China –
The song
The Adoration
Jesus is God-made-Man who
loves us so much
Love of God
Love of Holy Spirit
Love of Trinity
Love of Eucharist
Intimacy with Jesus
Love for all men
Unity of the Church
We are one as Human Race –
We see ourselves offending God
We make reparation
We have a personal love for God
Christ was crucified for us and
for the world –
Our hope lies in our beloved
Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart
A personal love
A real love
Blue Book I -- I am a Person
Christ died on the cross
From His pierced Heart the
Church was born
Man is reconciled to God
through the death of Jesus
on the cross –
The Mass is the sacrifice of Jesus
sacramentally made present!
The center of the cross is
the pierced Heart of Jesus –
The Trinity is infinite Love
God is love
Christ emptied Himself and
died on the cross –
Christ surrendered –
ultimate surrender
on the cross –
We embrace the mystery
of God's love –
God infinitely loves us –
Love beyond what we
can know here
on earth –
Thus the Blue Books –
Love Pouring out to us –
The cross is important in Florida
The mystery of love –
God loving us: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
The Miracle of the Incarnation!
John 3: 16
For this is how God loved the world:
he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish
but may have eternal life.
Hebrews 12: 13
make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb will not be maimed, it will get better instead.
R. Jesus did the will of the Father
Obedience to the Father –
Man shows God he is
obedient to authority.
Obedience in all orders –
Obedience pleases God –
Adam and Eve disobeyed
Disobedience of the world –
Man is so much like Christ
in obedience to
authority –
Obedience to authority pleases
God –
Religious orders living by
vows most pleasing to God.
Come and drink from the
fountain of His life!
Drink and our thirst will
be quenched.
Yeah – the pierced
Heart of Christ –
Christ is Mediator –
Christ mediates to the Father
to the hearts of men.
Christ died for us –
Song: A Song from Jesus
Jesus is the Savior
Jesus had a real,
physical, flesh
Heart –
Jesus gave His flesh
for our sins –
We die –
We give our flesh –
We die as Christ died –
Through His pierced Heart
the Church was born –
The mystery of the Incarnation
of Jesus
The mystery of the
Redemption of the world.
From the side of Adam came Eve –
The Church comes from
the side of Christ –
The Church is His bride –
The Church is His bride –
Blood and water came forth
from His Heart –
The Church is the Mystical
Body of Christ –
We receive baptism – the
water symbolizes and
We are nourished by the Eucharist –
the Blood symbolizes the
Eucharist –
The Church bears and
raises children –
The Church is the bride –
Thus religious are serving
the children of the Church.
Religious are the brides
of Christ –
From His pierced Heart the
Church was born –
From the Church we see
the 7 sacraments
Channels of grace flow
as a stream from
the pierced Heart of Christ.
Mary Mediatrix of all
Grace –
Mary the new Eve –
Jesus wants her heart venerated
next to His
Adoration to His Enfleshed Heart
Reparation for sins
The Mass – the sacrifice of Calvary
sacramentally made present
From His pierced Heart the
Church was born
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Rita Ring |
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Mass Book,
by Rita Ring: Many of the entries in the Priestly Newsletter
Volume II from a spiritual journal came from this book.
These entries |
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Rosary Meditations
for Parents and Children,
by Rita Ring, Short Meditations for both
parents and children to be used when
praying the |
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God's Blue Book I by Rita Ring. Open Anywhere — This book will change your life. These are beautiful love letters to us from Jesus. A million books have been printed and circulated. Jesus loves us so much — He wants a personal relationship with us — He wants us to go to the Eucharist and be with Him before the tabernacle. $10 |
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God's Blue Book II by Rita Ring. Letters from Jesus about His on fire love — Jesus wants this great intimacy with us — On fire love — Personal love letters from Jesus about the love of His Heart — A book on surrender Fr. Carter said! $10 |
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God's Blue Book III by Rita Ring. Fr. Carter's favorite book — It is about loving and forgiving each other — Being pure in heart — A book for unity in family, community, in life!! $10 |
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God's Blue Book IV by Rita Ring. This book is about the love Jesus has for Mary and Mary has for Jesus and Jesus and Mary have for us — It is truly the Love of the Two Hearts. Mary appeared every day at the Holy Spirit Center — Fr. Carter was there. Mary's first apparition July 5, 1994. $5 |
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God's Blue Book V by Rita Ring. Jesus wants to be the bridegroom of our soul — He is our beloved — Jesus tells us about pure love — how we are to be pure of heart and love God and love others. It is a must, to hear about love from Jesus — Jesus is love — $5 |
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God's Blue Book 6A by Rita Ring. Rosaries from Their Hearts during apparitions. Jesus and Mary appeared every day and I received rosaries from Them and They were transcribed from a tape. Also messages of love from Jesus on days of January, 1995 — About Baptism — writings from Fr. Carter and the Scriptures. $10 |
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God's Blue Book 6B by Rita Ring. Jesus and Mary appeared every day in February, 1995 — So beautiful — transcribed from a tape — the Stations, 7 Sorrows, prayers in the Prayer Manual, the Holy Spirit Novena Book and the Song Book. Pure love — loving and forgiving — a book about Jesus' love, baptism, grace and Fr. Carter's Newsletter. $10 |
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Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Book 1. Mary appeared in Clearwater December 17, 1996 in rainbow color and these rosaries left the printer the same day from Apparitions of Jesus and Mary — transcribed from a tape. $10 |
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Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Book 2. This is a book of so many rosaries - transcribed from a tape. So many beautiful rosaries. pages $12 |
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Short Rosary Meditations for the Elderly, Ill and Homebound. This book is so important with pictures they can open it and lay it on their laps and pray the rosary. $10 |
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Messages From Jesus
$ 10.00 plus postage |
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Messages for the Elderly, Ill and Homebound. This is a big book of loving messages for nursing home people and homebound from Jesus and Mary — Their lives are so important — united to the Mass offering up their suffering, their lives for the souls of this earth. $10 |
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Daily Messages from Heaven. First book of Daily Messages. $10 |
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Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary. Volumes 1 through 7. Coloring books and meditations for grade school children and others on the mysteries of the rosary - really good. $5 each. |
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Coloring the Lives of Jesus and Mary Books 6 and 7
Mysteries of Light
$ 5.00 each plus postageColor the Lives of Jesus and Mary. Volumes 6 through 7. Coloring books and meditations for grade school children and others on the mysteries of the rosary - really good. $5 each.
God's Blue Book I on CD, Disk #1
God's Blue Book I, Disk #1 Read by author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00 plus postage
Mysteries of Light Rosary Book
Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume I
$ 5.00 plus postage
Mysteries of Light Rosary Book
Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume II
$ 5.00 plus postage
Apostle's Manual
Shepherds of Christ Overview: Very carefully discerned by Fr. Edward J. Carter S. J.
$ 20.00Apostles Manual. About the Movement - the structure of the Movement — All Ministries - from the time 3 months before Mary appeared in Clearwater and 3 months after. Rosaries of the 13ths, Fr. Carter's Newsletters. Messages from God the Father — Reaching the priests, the Church, the schools and the world. $20
Songs From Jesus
Given by Jesus to His Messenger Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 3.00Songs from Jesus Songbook. These loving songs were given from Jesus. So beautiful — Love Songs from Jesus of His love - helping us have pure and loving hearts. $3
Shepherds of Christ Holy Spirit Novena
Holy Spirit Novena by: Rita Ring
$ 1.00 plus postageHoly Spirit Novena Booklet. In four languages with the Imprimatur with 18 scripture readings for two complete novenas – this very powerful Holy Spirit Novena has prayers for prayers for Protection by the Blood of Jesus, Healing, Strength and Light, To Be One with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One with Jesus, To Dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Prayer for the Holy Spirit and His Gifts, and the Word Alive in Our Hearts. All these prayers take about 10 minutes daily recited out loud. $1
Shepherds of Christ Holy Spirit Novena CD
Holy Spirit Novena Read by: Rita Ring
$ 10.00 plus postage
Holy Spirit Novena CD. Prayers and scripture readings from the Holy Spirit Novena Booklet read by Rita Ring. $10
Colorea 1 thru 5
las vidas de Jesús y María (recibido el Imprimátur)
$ 5.00 each plus postage
Para Comprender Mejor La Santa Misa
Una Jornada Hacia el Corazón de Jesús
$ 10.00
Meditaciones del Rosario
para Pequenos y Ancianos
$ 10.00
Fr. Joe Robinson
Guiding Light
- Reflect on the Word
Guiding Light homily series - Reflect on the Word - Cycle
B — The Word leaves an impression on our souls. In my thoughts and
reflections are born a more tangible understanding of these eternal
concepts presented in the Gospels and the readings. Anyone can read a
sentence, but not anyone can absorb it's true meaning. Truth, in this
day and age, is almost a matter of opinion or individual entitlement. We
believe that Christ's truth is our Roman Catholic Church. We, as
priests, champion it's teachings; we are ambassadors for the Pope and
Christ to those faces looking at us. We are the light by which our
congregation reads to reflect upon real truth and we do it hand in hand.
$15
Inspiring Homilist & Author
Fr. Joseph Robinson has dedicated his
life to serving Christ and the Church
for over 40 years.
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle B of the
Liturgical Year
$ 15.00
plus postage
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Guiding Light homily series - Steadfast to the Son - Cycle A — The sunflower is a great example of how we should be steadfastly guided by light. What a powerful thought that this exceptional plant is not stuck in one pose day in and day out, yet adaptable and magnetized to the sun. We feel the same about our Son. Our heads turns to face Christ as each day presents its challenges to find light. We join together like plants in a field and soak up the Son through the pulpit. We are a warm circle of strength using the wind of our breath to carry our priests' words, Christ's words, to new rich soil. $15 | ||
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Guiding Light - Feed My Soul - Cycle C — In a world rapidly advancing and encouraging personal gain, we are faced with modern problems. There is a challenge to find time in our busy schedules for Sunday Mass or a family meal. We are able to research, shop, bank and even work without hearing one human voice. It is no wonder that we may often feel disconnected and famished at our week's end. In Fr. Joe's third book of homilies from Cycle C, we are reminded of the charity that Christ intended us to show each other. We have a calling to turn the other cheek and be the Good Samaritan to others. We are rewarded with the Father's kingdom and love when we are not worthy. We are not left alone or hungry. $15 |
Guiding Light - Focusing on the Word - Cycle B — At times we may feel that our path to Christ is a bit "out of focus". Like the disciples in the Book of Mark, this ordinary life clouds our vision of Christ's Divinity. We may doubt the practicality or possibility of applying His teachings and example to our modern life. Cycle B's homilies are a "guiding light" to help us realize Jesus' Messianic greatness and His promise of better things to come. $15 |
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Guiding Light - The Word Alive in Our Hearts. - Cycle A (partial) — Homilies by the Reverend Joe Robinson given at St. Boniface Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a tremendous honor Fr. Joe has allowed us to share these great gifts with you – for greater holiness and knowing more and more about God. $10 |
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Fr. Edward J. Carter |
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Special 27" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
27" Statue with crown
$ 450.00 plus shipping
Special 18" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
$ 250.00 plus shipping
Special 15" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
White gown with gold trim around mantel
$ 200.00 plus shipping
Special 12" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
White gown with gold trim around mantel
$ 160.00 plus shipping
Special 18" Our Lady of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
Blue and Pink gown with a rosary over her hand.
$ 250.00 plus shipping
Special 11" Our Lady of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
Blue and Pink gown.
$ 150.00 plus shipping
Crucifix by Felix - Hand Carved
Crucifix with incredible detail!
$ 750.00 plus shipping
Imitation of Two Hearts
Giclee Art Print on Canvas
$ 150.00 plus shipping
Lucia's Vision
Giclee Art Print on Canvas by Harold Kellner
$ 150.00 plus shipping
Mary's Image 12 x 16
Giclee Art Print on Canvas of Mary's image with a sliver of glass and a little bottle of Jesus and Mary water. The glass will be fixed behind the back of the picture.
$ 200.00 plus shipping
Blue Crystal Rosary
Rosary with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
6mm - $ 30.00 plus shipping
8mm - $ 40.00 plus shipping
Red Crystal Rosary
Rosary with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
6mm - $ 30.00 plus shipping
8mm - $ 40.00 plus shipping
Clear Crystal Rosary
Rosary with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
6mm - $ 30.00 plus shipping
8mm - $ 40.00 plus shipping
Mug
Mug with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
$ 15.00 plus shipping
Call Rosie
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312
Statues
OL-Guadalupe
w/glass - 28
OL-Grace
w/glass - 24OL-Mt. Carmel
w/glass - 24
OL-Lourdes
w/glass - 24
IH-Mary
w/glass - 24
IH-Ivory
w/glass - 24
SH-Jesus
w/glass - 24SH-Blessing
w/glass - 24
Sorrow M
w/glass - 24
Inf.-Prague
w/glass - 24
OL-Lourdes
w/glass - 18
OL-Mt. Carmel
w/glass - 18I Heart
w/glass - 18
I Heart - Ivory
w/glass - 18
OL-Grace
w/glass - 18
SH-Jesus
w/glass - 18OL-Guadalupe
w/glass - 12
PV-Fatima
w/glass - 27
PV-Fatima
w/glass - 18
PV-Fatima
w/glass - 15
OL-Fatima
w/glass - 18
PV-Fatima
w/glass - 12
OL-Fatima
w/glass - 11
St. Padre Pio
St. Joseph
St. Therese
St. Francis
St. Anthony
St. Claire
Limpias
St. Jude
Divine Mercy
Holy Family
Angel
St. Philomena
Pieta - Marble
Pieta - Color
Holy Family 12
St. Anthony - 18
St. Francis - 18
St. Joseph - 18
St. Therese - 18
St. Rita - 18
St. Clare - 12
St. Rita - 12
St. Padre Pio - 12
Divine Mercy - 12
St. Michael - 11
Limpias - 8
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P. O. Box 627
China, IN 47250
Toll free - 1-888-211-3041
Local - 1-812-273-8405
fax - 1-812-273-3182
web: www.sofc.org
e-mail: info@sofc.org
Size
Price
Quantity
Holy Family
24"
$180
Limpias
24"
$125
St. Anthony
24"
$125
St. Claire
24"
$125
St. Francis
24"
$125
St. Joseph
24"
$125
St. Jude
24"
$125
St. Padre Pio
24"
$125
St. Therese
24"
$125
Divine Mercy 22" $125
Angel 22" $100
St. Philomena 20" $100
St. Philomena 16" $65
St. Joseph 18" $65
St. Francis 18" $65
St. Anthony 18" $65
St. Rita 18" $65
St. Therese 18" $65
Pieta - Color 15"
$125
Pieta - Marble 15"
$125
Holy Family 12" $75
St. Padre Pio - standing 12" $100
St. Padre Pio - sitting 9" $100
St. Michael 11" $40
St. Rita 12" $40
Divine Mercy
12" $50
St. Claire 12" $40
Pieta - Color 8"
$75
Pieta - Marble 8"
$75
Limpias 8" $25
Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass 28" $500
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass 24" $500
Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass
24"
$500
Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass
24"
$500
Infant of Prague w/glass
24"
$500
Our Lady of Grace w/glass
24"
$500
Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass
24"
$500
Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass 24"
$500
Sacred Heart -Blessing w/glass 24"
$500
Sorrowful Mother w/glass
24"
$500
Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass 18" $300
Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass 18" $300
Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass 18" $300
Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass 18" $300
Our Lady of Grace w/glass 18" $300
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass
18"
$300
Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass 12" $200
Fatima w/glass
11"
$150
Fatima w/glass
18"
$250
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 12"
$160
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 15"
$200
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 18"
$250
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 27" $450
Call for Shipping Price (1-888-211-3041)
Name
Sub-Total
Address
IN Tax (7%)
City
Shipping
State Zip
Donation
Telephone
Order Total
Call Rosie
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312
Copyright © 2012
Shepherds of Christ.
Rights for
non-commercial reproduction granted:
May be
copied in its entirety, but neither re-typed nor edited.
Translations
are welcome but they must be reviewed for moral and
theological
accuracy by a source approved by Shepherds of Christ Ministries
before any distribution takes place. Please contact us for more
information.
All scripture quotes are
from the New Jerusalem Bible, July 1990, published by Doubleday.
Revised: January 1, 2012
URL: http://www.sofc.org
Contact Information for
Shepherds of Christ
Email:
info@SofC.org
Shepherds of Christ
Ministries
P.O. Box 627
China, Indiana 47250
Telephone: (toll free) 1-888-211-3041 or (812) 273-8405
FAX:
(812) 273-3182
Statues,
Crucifixes, and
Religious
Artwork 
