Dan called and gave the report to me, when I hung up I saw
this rainbow and took a picture for him.
August 31, 2013
R. September 1, 1939
Nazi Germany invades Poland –
Starting World War II
Germany forces invaded Poland
on land and from the air –
I see the problems Britain had
by air and by sea with
invasions –
The invasion in Poland subsequently
started World War II
Dear God help us never to forget the devastation
of World War II
Mary appeared at Fatima and gave this message
to the children
Excerpt from The Spirituality of Fatima
by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
July 13, 1917
"During her appearance in
July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucia's plea, promised that in
October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe
and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children
to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times,
especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer:
"O my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for
the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the
sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
(11)
"During this same July
apparition, Mary showed the three children a vision of Hell. She
told them:
"You have seen Hell, where
the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to
establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If
people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there
will be peace.
"The war (World War I,
then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop
offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of
Pius XI. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown
light [January 2, 1938],
know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is
going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war,
hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father.
(12)
"To prevent this, I shall
come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate
Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first
Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted
and there will be peace. If not, she will scatter her errors
throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the
Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have
much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed....
"But in the end, my
Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate
Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of
peace will be granted to the world."
(13)
11.
For background material on Fatima, I am particularly indebted
to
Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven (Rockford:
TAN
Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983).
pp.3-4.
12. Ibid., pp.4-5.
13. Ibid., p.5.
R. Mary showed the children a vision of hell –
July 13, 1917
Mary appeared in Florida December 17, 1996
Mary by day
July 5, 2000 |
by night
July 5, 2000 |
shipped from the printers
December 17, 1996 |
Mary appeared
December 17, 1996 |
All 5ths -
Our Lady of Clearwater Florida
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R. Man was created by God to know, love and
serve God.
Matthew 22: 36-40
'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?' Jesus
said to him, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the
greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You
must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments
hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.'
R. Man is to rid himself of interior
attachments that hinder him
from knowing and loving and
serving God.
We are to discipline ourselves –
To live according to God's will in love.
R. Disobedience to God brings disorder,
discord, destruction
Eve wanted to be equal to God –
We have a fallen human nature –
We must discipline ourselves
Millions were killed because of World War II –
Mary warned at Fatima –
So many soldiers were killed in France,
Russia, England and the United States –
How to stop Hitler –
Mary has appeared to me 19 years –
. Look at the destruction of World War II –
. killing millions –
. tearing up the land
. destruction
This message Mary has given in the Shepherds of
Christ is to help to bring to completion
her mission begun at Fatima –
The Big 3
Russia, England and the United States
had to join to stop Germany –
Finally Hitler killed himself –
Mary warned at FatimaExcerpt from The Spirituality of Fatima
by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.
July 13, 1917
"During her appearance in
July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucia's plea, promised that in
October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe
and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children
to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times,
especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer:
"O my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for
the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the
sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
(11)
"During this same July
apparition, Mary showed the three children a vision of Hell. She
told them:
"You have seen Hell, where
the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to
establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If
people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there
will be peace.
"The war (World War I,
then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop
offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of
Pius XI. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown
light [January 2, 1938],
know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is
going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war,
hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father.
(12)
"To prevent this, I shall
come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate
Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first
Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted
and there will be peace. If not, she will scatter her errors
throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the
Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have
much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed....
"But in the end, my
Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate
Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of
peace will be granted to the world."
(13)
11.
For background material on Fatima, I am particularly indebted
to
Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven (Rockford:
TAN
Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983).
pp.3-4.
12. Ibid., pp.4-5.
13. Ibid., p.5.
R. This war, World War II, was a hell-like
war
Men were burned
Men were gassed
Men were shot naked |
|
in the Holocaust |
Death camps –
Dead bodies burned –
Let's pray on the 5ths and 13ths
Let's pray 8 days a month –
Let's make reparation for our sins
and the sins of men –
Clearwater is a sign –
R. Many young people are not aware
what happened in World War II.
The devil wants the youth –
Help me spread the rosary
R. There is the killing of babies in the
womb –
Children in mother's arms were
gassed in the showers
during the Holocaust!
Millions of people killed.
Poland suffered –
R. Pope John Paul II came from Poland.
Here is a story I got from
Spirit Daily.
R. The 6th Commandment says
Thou shalt not kill.
R. Hell exists!
God loves us so much –
We must obey His rule!
God wants us to repent for our
sins!
Jesus died for our sins!
Satan is the father of lies –
Satan tries to show
wrong is right and
right is wrong –
Smoke bellowed from the concentration
camps – millions of Jews were
murdered –
What about abortion?
God created a serene, beautiful, loving,
peaceful, harmonious, good
orderly world without sin,
violence or evil –
God made the world beautiful –
It showed us His love for us
God loves His creatures
Jesus comes and shows us about
God –
What is the real picture of God, Our
Creator?
Abraham was chosen –
the Father of many nations –
We are to worship the one true God.
Many false gods people were
worshipping.
Jesus means Savior
Adam and Eve sinned –
Jesus is the New Adam –
Jesus the anointed one –
R. Reach the children
Hail
Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at
the hour of our death. Amen.
R. Mary is the spiritual Mother of the human race
Mary is Mother of the Church –
Hail
Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at
the hour of our death. Amen.
R. Mary was conceived without sin –
Mary is the New Eve –
R. Joseph is the Patron of the Universal
Church –July 31, 1994
Words of Jesus to
Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:
"My beloved
priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds
of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates,
in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.
"I will use the newsletter
and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful
instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.
"I am calling many to
become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them
I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help
bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My
Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of
Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart
and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy
Spirit."
- Message from
Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31,
1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus
(The Jesuits)
R. If we do the will of God we are
living as God wants
in His family –
Matthew 12: 46-50
He was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother and his
brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with
him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, 'Who is my
mother? Who are my brothers?' And stretching out his hand towards
his disciples he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone
who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister
and mother.'
Fr. Carter had a dream.
R. Joseph had a dream.
Matthew 1:18-23
Joseph adopts Jesus as his son
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His
mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to
live together she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to
spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had
made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do
not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has
conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth
to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who
is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place
to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
Look! the virgin is with child
and will give birth to a son
whom they will call Immanuel,
a name which means ‘God–is–with–us’.
R. Mary was absolutely obedient
to the Father's will –
We can't be wishy-washy
about our faith –
We don't want to hide this
message –
This is a Movement of the Sacred Heart
and Immaculate Heart.
It is a Movement of love –
R. Jesus appeared to me on August
12, 2013
as we prayed in China. His hand was under
His Heart and He touched the bottom
rubbing it for 1 1/2 hours, telling us
we need to focus on love.
August 12, 1996
R.
I give
my heart to Jesus and Mary with you in love.
All of my experiences are recorded in
notebooks, rosary meditations and materials spread throughout the
Ministry on computers, discs, etc. I do not know how to use a
computer.
There are so many things that have
happened, but the experiences and dates are engraved in my soul. I
write from all I remember of these experiences. On the morning of
August 12, 1996, I was told to go to Our Lady of the Holy Spirit
Center. There in those early morning hours Mary appeared all night.
I remember the darkness of the Sorrowful Mother Chapel, black, and I
only saw the light of Mary. She appeared in that same glorious light
of hers, light like fluorescent, but not like that at all because it
is like nothing I have ever seen. I cried out to her and begged the
Father to please help me to do what They had asked me, and all of
us, to do. I felt I prayed as never before.
The next morning of the 13th of
August Mary appeared again in the same place for several hours in
the same exact setting in that white light in the darkened Sorrowful
Mother Chapel in the corner. In the late afternoon of the 13th, I
would go to the Sorrowful Mother Chapel again.
The Eucharist was exposed and the
whole front of the chapel was covered with a celestial aura and she
appeared again. This time the light and the aura were a golden
light, almost like a gold glistening veil across the whole front of
the chapel in front of the exposed Eucharist and before Mary. I did
not want to leave there. I drove to the rosary at Tom's farm, the
mikes for the rosary were missing. The younger shepherds had to go
to the store to get some mikes. John Weickert was there for the
first time on the farm. I asked him to say the 7 Sorrows of Mary.
What appeared to me to be a mixed-up situation without the mikes
and equipment turned out to be a night of great grace. I didn't know
all what was happening. Here is an account of what happened to two
others there at the rosary. It is accounted because Father Carter
asked that it be written down.
R. Jesus was protected in the flight into Egypt.
The people - chosen people, were
protected by the dividing of the Red Sea.
The dividing of the Red Sea
pre-figures Baptism –
Jesus gave us Baptism –
Jesus took flesh to teach us –
to give us a sharing in His life –
Timothy was told to hold unto safe doctrine –
to be faithful to the truth
1 Timothy 6: 2c-8
This is what you are to teach and
urge. Anyone who teaches anything different and does not keep to
the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is proud and
has no understanding, but rather a weakness for questioning
everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is
jealousy, contention, abuse and evil mistrust; and unending
disputes by people who are depraved in mind and deprived of
truth, and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit.
R. A man who wants confrontation and
arguments – a passion for
disorder, disunity, arguments
is not meek and tender like
the Heart of Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:
4-5
...All that can come of this is
jealousy, contention, abuse and evil mistrust; and unending
disputes by people who are depraved in mind and deprived of
truth, and imagine that religion is a way of making a
profit.
R. Jesus is the way, the truth and the
life
Jesus had enemies who hated him –
Jesus had enemies who wanted to
hurt Him because they were
afraid of losing power –
God is all Powerful –
Mary says:
Pray the Rosary!!
Jesus says:
You will be hated for My
namesake.
Blessed are you.
R. Some of the greatest enemies
can be those who are
close to you, who are
envious, jealous and
prideful.
Judas was a betrayer –
Yet Jesus chose him to be an
Apostle –
He was secretive behind Christ's back.
He kept the money.
Judas thought in pride he knew
more than Jesus –
Judas was greedy,
seeking dominance for
dominance sake –
Judas betrayed Jesus.
How can we call ourselves holy,
when we smile to those
outside the family and
show hate to those God
called us to work and live with.
Peter was corrected, but he was
humble in heart –
Peter was the first pope
chosen by Jesus –
Matthew 16: 18-19
So I now say to you: You are
Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates
of the underworld can never overpower it. I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven.’
R. Jesus is perfect goodness
Obedience and Rebellion
Matthew 8: 21-23
Another
man, one of the disciples, said to him, ‘Lord, let me go
and bury my father first.’ But Jesus said, ‘Follow me,
and leave the dead to bury their dead.’
Then he got
into the boat followed by his disciples.
John 4: 34, 38
But Jesus
said: My food is to do the will of the one who sent me,
and to complete his work.
because I
have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do
the will of him who sent me.
R. The devil said "I will not serve"
Revelation 12: 7
And now war
broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels
attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his
angels,
Revelation 20: 9-10
They came
swarming over the entire country and besieged the camp
of the saints, which is the beloved City. But fire
rained down on them from heaven and consumed them. Then
the devil, who led them astray, was hurled into the lake
of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false
prophet are, and their torture will not come to an end,
day or night, forever and ever.
Genesis 3:1-24
Now, the snake was the most subtle of all
the wild animals that Yahweh God had made. It asked the
woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of
the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the snake, ‘We
may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the
fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, "You
must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death." ’ Then
the snake said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God
knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be
opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil.’
The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to
the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it
could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She
also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate
it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they
realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig–leaves
together to make themselves loin–cloths.
The man and his wife heard the sound of
Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and
they hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. But
Yahweh God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I
heard the sound of you in the garden,’ he replied. ‘I was
afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that
you were naked?’ he asked. ‘Have you been eating from the
tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the
woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree,
and I ate it.’ Then Yahweh God said to the woman, ‘Why did
you do that?’ The woman replied, ‘The snake tempted me and I
ate.’
Then Yahweh God said to the snake,
‘Because you have done this,
Accursed be you
of all animals wild and tame!
On your belly you will go
and on dust you will feed
as long as you live.
I shall put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
it will bruise your head
and you will strike its heel.’
To the woman he said:
I shall give you intense pain
in childbearing,
you will give birth to your children
in pain.
Your yearning will be for your husband,
and he will dominate you.
To the man he said, ‘Because you listened
to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I
had forbidden you to eat,
Accursed be the soil because of you!
Painfully will you get your food from it
as long as you live.
It will yield you brambles and thistles,
as you eat the produce of the land.
By the sweat of your face
will you earn your food,
until you return to the ground,
as you were taken from it.
For dust you are
and to dust you shall return.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she
was the mother of all those who live. Yahweh God made tunics
of skins for the man and his wife and clothed them. Then
Yahweh God said, ‘Now that the man has become like one of us
in knowing good from evil, he must not be allowed to reach
out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and
live for ever!’ So Yahweh God expelled him from the garden
of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He
banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he
posted the great winged creatures and the fiery flashing
sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
R. We can request the grace to be obedient
to God and do His will –
Sin has consequences
Romans 1: 18 - 2: 11
The retribution of God
from heaven is being revealed against the
ungodliness and injustice of human beings who in
their injustice hold back the truth. For what can be
known about God is perfectly plain to them, since
God has made it plain to them: ever since the
creation of the world, the invisible existence of
God and his everlasting power have been clearly seen
by the mind's understanding of created things. And
so these people have no excuse: they knew God and
yet they did not honour him as God or give thanks to
him, but their arguments became futile and their
uncomprehending minds were darkened. While they
claimed to be wise, in fact they were growing so
stupid that they exchanged the glory of the
immortal God for an imitation, for the image
of a mortal human being, or of birds, or animals, or
crawling things.
That is why
God abandoned them in their inmost cravings to
filthy practices of dishonouring their own bodies-
because
they exchanged God's truth for a lie and have
worshipped and served the creature instead of the
Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen
That is why
God abandoned them to degrading passions: why their
women have exchanged natural intercourse for
unnatural practices; and the men, in a similar
fashion, too, giving up normal relations with women,
are consumed with passion for each other, men doing
shameful things with men and receiving in themselves
due reward for their perversion.
In other
words, since they would not consent to acknowledge
God, God abandoned them to their unacceptable
thoughts and indecent behaviour. And so now they are
steeped in all sorts of injustice, rottenness, greed
and malice; full of envy, murder, wrangling,
treachery and spite, libellers, slanderers, enemies
of God, rude, arrogant and boastful, enterprising in
evil, rebellious to parents, without brains, honour,
love or pity. They are well aware of God's
ordinance: that those who behave like this deserve
to die-yet they not only do it, but even applaud
others who do the same.
So no matter who you
are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. It is
yourself that you condemn when you judge others,
since you behave in the same way as those you are
condemning. We are well aware that people who behave
like that are justly condemned by God. But you-when
you judge those who behave like this while you are
doing the same yourself-do you think you will escape
God's condemnation? Or are you not disregarding his
abundant goodness, tolerance and patience, failing
to realise that this generosity of God is meant to
bring you to repentance? Your stubborn refusal to
repent is only storing up retribution for yourself
on that Day of retribution when God's just verdicts
will be made known. He will repay everyone as
their deeds deserve. For those who aimed for
glory and honour and immortality by persevering in
doing good, there will be eternal life; but for
those who out of jealousy have taken for their guide
not truth but injustice, there will be the fury of
retribution. Trouble and distress will come to every
human being who does evil-Jews first, but Greeks as
well; glory and honour and peace will come to
everyone who does good-Jews first, but Greeks as
well. There is no favouritism with God.
R. When we sin we show ingratitude
to God.
Hell is the ultimate consequence of sin.
Excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. P.60-61
136. THE FOURTH DAY
A MEDITATION ON TWO STANDARDS
The one of Christ, our supreme leader
and lord,
the other of Lucifer, the deadly enemy of our
human nature
PRAYER. The usual preparatory prayer.
|
window at a former Jesuit
Seminary |
137. FIRST PRELUDE. This is the
history. Here it will be that Christ calls and wants all beneath His standard,
and Lucifer, on the other hand, wants all under his.
138. SECOND PRELUDE. This is a
mental representation of the place. It will be here to see a great plain,
comprising the whole region about Jerusalem, where the sovereign
Commander-in-Chief of all the good is Christ our Lord; and another plain about
the region of Babylon, where the chief of the enemy is Lucifer.
139. THIRD PRELUDE. This is to
ask for what I desire. Here it will be to ask for a knowledge of the deceits
of the rebel chief and help to guard myself against them; and also to ask for
a knowledge of the true life exemplified in the sovereign and true Commander,
and the grace to imitate Him.
FIRST PART
THE STANDARD OF SATAN
140. FIRST POINT. Imagine you
see the chief of all the enemy in the vast plain about Babylon, seated on a
great throne of fire and smoke, his appearance inspiring horror and terror.
141. SECOND POINT. Consider how
he summons innumerable demons, and scatters them, some to one city and some to
another, throughout the whole world, so that no province, no place, no state
of life, no individual is overlooked.
142. THIRD POINT. Consider the
address he makes to them, how he goads them on to lay snares for men and bind
them with chains. First they are to tempt them to covet riches (as Satan
himself is accustomed to do in most cases) that they may the more easily
attain the empty honors of this world, and then come to overweening pride.
The first step, then, will be
riches, the second honor, the third pride. From these three steps the evil one
leads to all other vices.
SECOND PART
THE STANDARD OF CHRIST
143. In a similar way, we are to
picture to ourselves the sovereign and true Commander, Christ our Lord.
144. FIRST POINT. Consider
Christ our Lord, standing in a lowly place in a great plain about the region
of Jerusalem, His appearance beautiful and attractive.
145. SECOND POINT. Consider how
the Lord of all the world chooses so many persons, apostles, disciples, etc.,
and sends them throughout the whole world to spread His sacred doctrine among
all men, no matter what their state or condition.
146. THIRD POINT. . . .
end of excerpt
R. Jesus shows us humility –
Satan shows pride –
discord, hatred.
A person called in a vocation
is to humbly submit
to God –
Excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius,
by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. pp. 141-150
313. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
I
Rules for understanding to some extent the
different movements produced in the soul and for recognizing those that
are good to admit them, and those that are bad, to reject them. These
rules are more suited to the first week
314. I.
In the case of those who go from one mortal sin to another, the enemy is
ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures. He fills their
imagination with sensual delights and gratifications, the more readily to
keep them in their vices and increase the number of their sins.
With such persons the good spirit uses
a method which is the reverse of the above. Making use of the light of
reason, he will rouse the sting of conscience and fill them with remorse.
315. 2. In the case of those who go on
earnestly striving to cleanse their souls from sin and who seek to rise in
the service of God our Lord to greater perfection, the method pursued is the
opposite of that mentioned in the first rule.
Then it is characteristic of the evil
spirit to harass with anxiety, to afflict with sadness, to raise obstacles
backed by fallacious reasonings that disturb the soul. Thus he seeks to
prevent the soul from advancing.
It is characteristic of the good
spirit, however, to give courage and strength, consolations, tears,
inspirations, and peace. This He does by making all easy, by removing all
obstacles so that the soul goes forward in doing good.
316. 3. SPIRITUAL
CONSOLATION. I call it
consolation when an interior movement is aroused in the soul, by which it is
inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and as a consequence, can love
no creature on the face of the earth for its own sake, but only in the
Creator of them all. It is likewise consolation when one sheds tears that
move to the love of God, whether it be because of sorrow for sins, or
because of the sufferings of Christ our Lord, or for any other reason that
is immediately directed to the praise and service of God. Finally, I call
consolation every increase of faith, hope, and love, and all interior joy
that invites and attracts to what is heavenly and to the salvation of one's
soul by filling it with peace and quiet in its Creator and Lord.
317. 4. SPIRITUAL
DESOLATION. I call
desolation what is entirely the opposite of what is described in the third
rule, as darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is low and
earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which
lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love. The soul is wholly
slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord.
For just as consolation is the opposite of desolation, so the thoughts that
spring from consolation are the opposite of those that spring from
desolation.
318. 5. In time of desolation we should never
make any change, but remain firm and constant in the resolution and decision
which guided us the day before the desolation, or in the decision to which
we adhered in the preceding consolation. For just as in consolation the good
spirit guides and counsels us, so in desolation the evil spirit guides and
counsels. Following his counsels we can never find the way to a right
decision.
319. 6. Though in desolation we must never
change our former resolutions, it will be very advantageous to intensify our
activity against the desolation. We can insist more upon prayer, upon
meditation, and on much examination of ourselves. We can make an effort in a
suitable way to do some penance.
320. 7. When one is in desolation, he should
be mindful that God has left him to his natural powers to resist the
different agitations and temptations of the enemy in order to try him. He
can resist with the help of God, which always remains, though he may not
clearly perceive it. For though God has taken from him the abundance of
fervor and overflowing love and the intensity of His favors, nevertheless,
he has sufficient grace for eternal salvation.
321. 8. When one is in desolation, he should
strive to persevere in patience. This reacts against the vexations that have
overtaken him. Let him consider, too, that consolation will soon return, and
in the meantime, he must diligently use the means against desolation which
have been given in the sixth rule.
322. 9. The principal reasons why we suffer
from desolation are three:
The first is because we have been tepid
and slothful or negligent in our exercises of piety, and so through our own
fault spiritual consolation has been taken away from us.
The second reason is because God wishes
to try us, to see how much we are worth, and how much we will advance in His
service and praise when left without the generous reward of consolations and
signal favors.
The third reason is because God wishes
to give us a true knowledge and understanding of ourselves, so that we may
have an intimate perception of the fact that it is not within our power to
acquire and attain great devotion, intense love, tears, or any other
spiritual consolation; but that all this is the gift and grace of God our
Lord. God does not wish us to build on the property of another, to rise up
in spirit in a certain pride and vainglory and attribute to ourselves the
devotion and other effects of spiritual consolation.
323. 10. When one enjoys consolation, let him
consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation,
and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day.
324. 11. He who enjoys consolation should take
care to humble himself and lower himself as much as possible. Let him recall
how little he is able to do in time of desolation, when he is left without
such grace or consolation.
On the other hand, one who suffers
desolation should remember that by making use of the sufficient grace
offered him, he can do much to withstand all his enemies. Let him find his
strength in his Creator and Lord.
325. 12. The enemy conducts himself as a
woman. He is a weakling before a show of strength, and a tyrant if he has
his will. It is characteristic of a woman in a quarrel with a man to lose
courage and take to flight if the man shows that he is determined and
fearless. However, if the man loses courage and begins to flee, the anger,
vindictiveness, and rage of the woman surge up and know no bounds. In the
same way, the enemy becomes weak, loses courage, and turns to flight with
his seductions as soon as one leading a spiritual life faces his temptations
boldly, and does exactly the opposite of what he suggests. However, if one
begins to be afraid and to lose courage in temptations, no wild animal on
earth can be more fierce than the enemy of our human nature. He will carry
out his perverse intentions with consummate malice.
326. 13. Our enemy may also be compared in his
manner of acting to a false lover. He seeks to remain hidden and does not
want to be discovered. If such a lover speaks with evil intention to the
daughter of a good father, or to the wife of a good husband, and seeks to
seduce them, he wants his words and solicitations kept secret. He is greatly
displeased if his evil suggestions and depraved intentions are revealed by
the daughter to her father, or by the wife to her husband. Then he readily
sees he will not succeed in what he has begun. In the same way, when the
enemy of our human nature tempts a just soul with his wiles and seductions,
he earnestly desires that they be received secretly and kept secret. But if
one manifests them to a confessor, or to some other spiritual person who
understands his deceits and malicious designs, the evil one is very much
vexed. For he knows that he cannot succeed in his evil undertaking, once his
evident deceits have been revealed.
327. 14. The conduct of our enemy may also be
compared to the tactics of a leader intent upon seizing and plundering a
position he desires. A commander and leader of an army will encamp, explore
the fortifications and defenses of the stronghold, and attack at the weakest
point. In the same way, the enemy of our human nature investigates from
every side all our virtues, theological, cardinal, and moral. Where he finds
the defenses of eternal salvation weakest and most deficient, there he
attacks and tries to take us by storm.
328. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
II
Further rules for understanding the different
movements produced in the soul. They serve for a more accurate discernment
of spirits and are more suitable for the second week
329. I. It is characteristic of God and His
Angels, when they act upon the soul, to give true happiness and spiritual joy,
and to banish all the sadness and disturbances which are caused by the enemy.
It is characteristic of the evil one to
fight against such happiness and consolation by proposing fallacious
reasonings, subtilties, and continual deceptions.
330. 2. God alone can give consolation to the
soul without any previous cause. It belongs solely to the Creator to come into
a soul, to leave it, to act upon it, to draw it wholly to the love of His
Divine Majesty. I said without previous cause, that is, without any preceding
perception or knowledge of any subject by which a soul might be led to such a
consolation through its own acts of intellect and will.
331. 3. If a cause precedes, both the good angel
and the evil spirit can give consolation to a soul, but for a quite different
purpose. The good angel consoles for the progress of the soul, that it may
advance and rise to what is more perfect. The evil spirit consoles for
purposes that are the contrary, and that afterwards he might draw the soul to
his own perverse intentions and wickedness.
332. 4. It is a mark of the evil spirit to
assume the appearance of an angel of light. He begins by suggesting thoughts
that are suited to a devout soul, and ends by suggesting his own. For example,
he will suggest holy and pious thoughts that are wholly in conformity with the
sanctity of the soul. Afterwards, he will endeavor little by little to end by
drawing the soul into his hidden snares and evil designs.
333. 5. We must carefully observe the whole
course of our thoughts. If the beginning and middle and end of the course of
thoughts are wholly good and directed to what is entirely right, it is a sign
that they are from the good angel. But the course of thoughts suggested to us
may terminate in something evil, or distracting, or less good than the soul
had formerly proposed to do. Again, it may end in what weakens the soul, or
disquiets it; or by destroying the peace, tranquility, and quiet which it had
before, it may cause disturbance to the soul. These things are a clear sign
that the thoughts are proceeding from the evil spirit, the enemy of our
progress and eternal salvation.
334. 6. When the enemy of our human nature has
been detected and recognized by the trail of evil marking his course and by
the wicked end to which he leads us, it will be profitable for one who has
been tempted to review immediately the whole course of the temptation. Let him
consider the series of good thoughts, how they arose, how the evil one
gradually attempted to make him step down from the state of spiritual delight
and joy in which he was, till finally he drew him to his wicked designs. The
purpose of this review is that once such an experience has been understood and
carefully observed, we may guard ourselves for the future against the
customary deceits of the enemy.
335. 7. In souls that are progressing to greater
perfection, the action of the good angel is delicate, gentle, delightful. It
may be compared to a drop of water penetrating a sponge.
The action of the evil spirit upon
such souls is violent, noisy, and disturbing. It may be compared to a drop of
water falling upon a stone.
In souls that are going from bad to worse, the action of
the spirits mentioned above is just the reverse. The reason for this is to be
sought in the opposition or similarity of these souls to the different kinds
of spirits. When the disposition is contrary to that of the spirits, they
enter with noise and commotion that are easily perceived. When the disposition
is similar to that of the spirits, they enter silently, as one coming into his
own house when the doors are open.
336. 8. When consolation is without previous
cause, as was said, there can be no deception in it, since it can proceed from
God our Lord only. But a spiritual person who has received such a consolation
must consider it very attentively, and must cautiously distinguish the actual
time of the consolation from the period which follows it. At such a time the
soul is still fervent and favored with the grace and aftereffects of the
consolation which has passed. In this second period the soul frequently forms
various resolutions and plans which are not granted directly by God our Lord.
They may come from our own reasoning on the relations of our concepts and on
the consequences of our judgments, or they may come from the good or evil
spirit. Hence, they must be carefully examined before they are given full
approval and put into execution.
end of excerpt
Soul of Christ by St. Ignatius
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Permit me not to be separated from Thee
From the wicked foe defend me
at the hour of my death call me
and bid me come to Thee
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee
For ever and ever. Amen.
R. God is with us
Matthew 6: 28-29
And why worry about clothing? Think
of the flowers growing in the fields; they never
have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even
Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one
of these.
R. God asks us to spread seeds –
Sing: Come with Me into the Fields
R. Yeast and flour
Matthew 13: 33
He told them another parable,
‘The kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed
in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all
through.’
John 10: 3-4, 14
the gatekeeper lets him in, the
sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and
leads them out. When he has brought out all those that are his,
he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know
his voice.
I am the good shepherd;
I know my own
and my own know me,
R. Jesus healed –
Jesus performed miracles –
Jesus forgave sins
Jesus wants us to reach souls.
Matthew 13: 47
'Again, the kingdom of
Heaven is like a dragnet that is
cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish.
R. Jesus died
R. Jesus Rose from the dead