JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Written on First Saturday:

Isaiah 30:19-26:

Yes, people of Zion living in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious to you
when your cry for help rings out;
as soon as he hears it,
he will answer you.
When the Lord has given you
the bread of suffering
and the water of distress,
he who is your teacher will hide no longer,
and you will see your teacher
with your own eyes.
Your ears will hear these words
behind you,
"This is the way, keep to it,"
whether you turn to right or left.
You will hold unclean
the silver platting of your idols
and gold plating of your images.
You will throw them away
like the polluted things they are,
shouting after them, "Good riddance!"
He will send rain
for the seed you sow in the ground,
and the bread that the ground provides
will be rich and nourishing.
That day, your cattle will graze
in wide pastures.
Oxen and donkeys that work the land
will eat for fodder wild sorrel,
spread by the shovel-load and fork-load.
On every lofty mountain,
on every high hill
there will be streams and water-courses,
on the day of the great slaughter
when the strongholds fall.
Then moonlight will be
bright as sunlight
and sunlight itself will be
seven times brighter
-like the light of seven days in one-
on the day Yahweh dresses
his people's wound
and heals the scars of the blows
they have received.

Isaiah 40:1-8:

"Console my people, console them,"
says your God.
"Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
and cry to her
that her period of service is ended,
that her guilt has been atoned for,
that, from the hand of Yahweh,
she has received
double punishment for all her sins."

A voice cries, "Prepare in the desert
a way for Yahweh.
Make a straight highway for our God
across the wastelands.
Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill be leveled,
every cliff become a plateau,
every escarpment a plain;
then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed
and all humanity will see it together,
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."
A voice said, "Cry aloud!" and I said,
"What shall I cry?"
-"All humanity is grass
and all its beauty like the wild flower's.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of Yahweh blows on them.
(The grass is surely the people.)
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God remains for ever."

Adam and Eve are given great gifts and insights into God. They sin, the light of knowing God is dimmed. They do not know God as they did before the sin.

Christ comes, He is the Light of the world. He dies, He gives Himself. He shares His life with us through sanctifying grace.

Through Baptism, we receive this sharing in His divine life. The more He shares His life, the more we are saturated with His life, the more we know Him. He reveals Himself to us-we see the light.

The Kingdom of God is at hand. It is all here: the Mass, the Eucharist, God giving Himself.

To partake more in His life we must give ourselves to Him.

Mary appears to Bernadette. She tells her she is the "Immaculate Conception." We are sinners, but through Mary, the pure and sinless one, we can unite deeply in Him.

We are in darkness in varying degrees. The more we are saturated with His life, the more we see.

The reign of God is at hand. Since He came to the earth, everything is in place to see the light.

God is giving to us great graces to see the light now. He is lifting the veil.

There will be the era of peace as Mary promised at Fatima.

On July 13, 1917 Mary said, "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."⁹

Isaiah 30:26:

Then moonlight will be
bright as sunlight
and sunlight itself will be
seven times brighter
-like the light of seven days in one-…

We see the darkness. As at night, we do not see the colorful leaves, they are there, we do not see them.

In the morning light we see the glory of the beautiful day, the colorful leaves.

As the light steals across the sky, we see more and more. As the sun gradually comes up, we see more clearly the beauty of the leaves.

At first our vision is not so clear because the light does not show in its deepest intensity. As the sun comes up we see more and more vividly until finally we see clearly the beauty of the colorful leaves.

Isaiah 30:26:

Then moonlight will be
bright as sunlight
and sunlight itself will be
seven times brighter
-like the light of seven days in one-…

The more we are saturated with His life, the more we are one in Him, the more clearly we see. It is in this union, in the depth of His Heart, that we receive such life, that we know Him with great clarity, that we are given this vision of God.

It is not with "eyes" that we see, but the illumination is in the knowing power that He gives to us. He enlightens our minds so we understand more into His divine mysteries. We share most intimately with Him when we are one with Him in the Mass and after Communion. These are treasured moments in which He gives us a special sharing to know Him, our Divine Lover.

We see clearly when our hearts are hearts of love. We see vividly when our hearts are filled with love and peace. We were created to love, to love God and love each other.

Adam and Eve sinned. They lost the great gift given to them. The light of knowing God was dimmed because of their sin.

Christ comes into the world. He is the Word. He is the light of the world. He comes to save man from his sin. He comes in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Mary is the pure and sinless one. Jesus comes to pay the price for the sin of Adam and for our sins. We are all tainted by this sin of our first father and mother. Mary is the immaculate and pure one, the highest human person. Divinity unites with humanity in the womb of Mary. They are one. Jesus is carried within the body of His mother. Such unity from the beginning, for His life is formed within her body. Is it surprising to us, then, if Christ comes within the womb of the Virgin Mary, that we too must go through Mary to unite to Him? Where is the pride in the hearts of men that think they do not have to go through their Mother Mary? If Christ comes in the womb of Mary to pay the price for man's sins, and we are tainted by the sin, in order to unite to the Almighty God Who is all holy, we must go through the pure and sinless one.

Adam and Eve sinned. The Father sends His Son into the world to pay the price for man's sins. Jesus is the New Adam; Mary is the New Eve. Man continues to sin, greatly displeasing God. The Father allows Mary to appear to Bernadette at Lourdes as the Immaculate Conception, as having been conceived without original sin. The Father then allows Mary to appear to the children of Fatima as the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We are sinners, we cannot unite closely to Him unless we go through Mary.

Mary is the pure and sinless one. We can unite deeply to Him. We are in darkness in varying degrees. The more we are saturated with His life, the more we see.

The reign of God is at hand. He came to the earth, He died, He rose on the third day. He gave to the Apostles the power to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood. He gave to them the power to forgive sins. He established His Church pouring forth from His pierced side. We do not see the great gifts that He has given to us. He is giving to us great insights into these gifts. God is giving to us great graces to see the light now. He is lifting the veil.

There will be an era of peace and all will see with such light as Isaiah speaks of in Chapter 30, verse 26:

Then moonlight will be
bright as sunlight
and sunlight itself will be
seven times brighter
-like the light of seven days in one-…

Man sinned. Jesus came to redeem us. Man is still so sinful. Mary appears at Fatima. She tells us that we are offending God, that we must make reparation to her heart and the Heart of her Son.

She gives us the peace plan for the world. She tells us that the Sacred Heart of Jesus will reign and her Immaculate Heart will triumph but we must do what she says. The Church has approved Fatima. The devil has blocked the message. How can we disobey our Mother? How can we ignore her? Mary appeared at Fatima and was ignored. The plan of the Father will unfold despite any person's willfulness.

We are not listening to Mary. Man has sinned. Jesus came to redeem us. Mary tells us what we must do. Men are disobedient. They disobeyed their Mother. They do not do what she told them what they must do at Fatima. When hearts are consecrated to Jesus and Mary they become holy hearts, deeply one with God. The reign of the Sacred Heart is at hand for He has given to us abundant grace that we are seeing with such clarity. When we stay after Communion and go before the tabernacle He gives to us great graces. The more we become one in Him the more He enlightens our minds. We know Him in this oneness we share with Him, especially after Communion and before the tabernacle.

The more we focus on what Mary has told us, the more we will have peace. She is the Queen of Peace. Our Lord has entrusted the peace of the world to her. We are spreading the good news when we spread the consecration.

We must heed the words of our Mother. She will not go away because of willful men. We have angered God more by ignoring Mary. There is only one way: it is the plan that Mary has given to us at Fatima.

Many in the Shepherds of Christ Movement are fervently loving Him. In the Shepherds of Christ Movement, as the apostles spread the consecration to the Church, the family and the school, the fire of His love will cover the earth and it will be lighted with this love coming from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacred Heart of Jesus will reign and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph.

We, in the Shepherds of Christ Movement are under the direction of Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J., helping to spread the fire of His love across the earth through the consecration.

The hearts of men will turn from their sick and desolate ways to hearts gentle as a little lamb. There will be one flock and one Shepherd and His staff will rule over all. Hearts consecrated to Their Hearts will lead the light across the earth. This light will be a light of intense brightness, brighter and hotter than any light from a flame. It will be the fire of God's love. The Spirit will move in all hearts consecrated to His Heart, and we will know how fire truly spreads, for the love of God is a fire, it is vibrant, it is encompassing, it is smoldering, burning deep within and speedily spreading on the outside. No fires on this earth can ever describe the burning embers that burn from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. No fire burns like the fires coming from His Heart and hearts filled with the love from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On October 13, 1917 Our Lady gave to Lucia and 70,000 spellbound people, a great vision: the sun spun in the sky, casting off great lights. This happened three times in about 12 minutes.

It seemed that the whole world was on fire, with the sun spinning at a greater speed each time.
Then a gasp of terror rose from the crowd, for the sun seemed to tear itself from the heavens and come crashing down upon the horrified multitude…Just when it seemed that the ball of fire would fall upon and destroy them, the miracle ceased, and the sun resumed its normal place in the sky, shining forth as peacefully as ever.¹⁰

Mary gave this tremendous sign at Fatima and people did not listen. The events that followed were as she had predicted since we disobeyed her. There was a brutal war, World War II. Mary appeared at Fatima six times to three children. The first vision was on May 13, 1917. The sixth and final vision was on October 13, 1917. On July 13, 1917, 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.¹¹

Mary told Jacinta, one of the visionaries from Fatima, "I can no longer restrain the hand of my Divine Son from striking the world with just punishments for its many crimes."¹²

Adam and Eve sinned. God the Father, sent His Son. Man continues to sin-the Father sends Mary but she is ignored!

Peace will abound when nations, churches, families and individuals are consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Shepherds of Christ Movement, under the direction of Fr. Carter, is a pillar of light in the darkness.

We must encourage all to consecrate their hearts to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to join the Shepherds of Christ chapters, and the Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Movement, to pray for priests in a special way, for our Church, and our world.

This Movement is to help in the renewal of the Church and the world, based in consecration, joining our every act to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, praying the rosary, and making reparation to Their Hearts, especially on First Fridays and First Saturday. We will help to save many souls through our prayers and sacrifices. Our consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary greatly helps us in this regard. Their Hearts and the fire of His love will light up this darkened world.

Many are living in darkness because they are not obeying Our Lady. The people will see the light when they obey her and consecrate their hearts to her heart and the Heart of Jesus.

To have this intense union with Jesus, with God, we must give ourselves to Our Lady. It is there in the intimacy with Him that we are saturated with His life and that He reveals to us great lights, great insights into His divine mysteries. Yes, indeed, the light will steel across the earth and the hearts of men will be hearts filled with His love. They will know their God with great light imparted to them by the Holy Spirit, a light given to them because of the deep union that they have with Jesus. The reign of the Sacred Heart is at hand.

Isaiah 30:26:

Then moonlight will be
bright as sunlight
and sunlight itself will be
seven times brighter
-like the light of seven days in one-…

Isaiah 30:25:

On every lofty mountain,
on every high hill
there will be streams and water-courses,
on the day of the great slaughter
when the strongholds fall.

Truly His Heart is the fountain of divine life. It flows through the Church, through the hands of His holy priests. When priests are consecrated to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and celebrating the Mass, and administering the Sacraments, an immense amount of His grace will be outpoured on the earth.

A people in darkness have seen a great light. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, the Light of the World!

Our Father…thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We will all love as the Father intends, for now He looks to the earth and He sees it covered with darkness. As hearts are consecrated to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the earth will be covered with His light.

Revelations 12:1-12:

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky: there was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail swept a third of the stars from the sky and hurled them to the ground, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was at the point of giving birth, so that it could eat the child as soon as it was born. The woman was delivered of a boy, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron scepter, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had prepared a place for her to be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days.

And now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels, but they were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had led all the world astray, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him. Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, "Salvation and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the accuser, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down. They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word to which they bore witness, because even in the face of death they did not cling to life. So let the heavens rejoice and all who live there; but for you, earth and sea, disaster is coming-because the devil has gone down to you in a rage, knowing that he has little time left."

We are in Mary's spiritual womb (heart). She is pregnant, bringing forth her children of light. As we go to her heart, she crushes the head of the serpent. Some of the brightest stars that will light up the earth are in the Shepherds of Christ Movement. We are the children of light. We are being sent forth as she brings us forth her children of light to stamp out the darkness. We must give ourselves to Mary.

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Copyright © 1997 Shepherds of Christ Ministries
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact Shepherds of Christ Publications
First Printing: September, 1997