M
ARY OUR MOTHERMary is the Mother of God. God the Father sent His Only Begotten Son.
Mary is conceived immaculate. To not recognize this is to not realize the magnificence of God. God could not come in sin. God, Who is all good, could not be conceived in the body of a person tainted with original sin.
"'Father,' he said, 'if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.'" (Lk. 22:42)
I see that God is all-powerful. I am a little piece of the puzzle. I am not the whole puzzle. My love of Jesus and the Mass is why I write this book.
Mary, conceived without sin, is the New Eve. Mary was made our Mother under the cross. Mary is the Mother of our spiritual life. I have felt the pain of Mary under the cross, the pain for her little, lost children.
Mary is the Mother of God. Christ took on flesh. Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is Mary Immaculate. Jesus took on Mary's flesh and blood. To not love Mary is to not recognize His great love for us. We miss our own dignity and honor. Divinity and humanity meet in Mary.
There are five blasphemies against Mary. She has asked us to make the first Saturday devotion. Sr. Lucia ask Our Lord why there were five first Saturdays.
He revealed to her:
My daughter, the reason is simple. There are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
2. Blasphemies against Her Perpetual Virginity.
3. Blasphemies against Her Divine Maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize Her as the Mother of men.
4. The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference or scorn, or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother.
5. The offenses of those who outrage Her directly in Her holy images.46
We must make the first Saturday devotion to make reparation to her, for the indifferences against her Immaculate Heart.
I can see the devil pushing man away from Mary! The devil knows that Mary is a link between heaven and earth. There is a great link between God and man in Mary.
We realize more the mystery of God's love for us when we see how God loved Mary.
Act of Incarnation: God unites to man. My greatest pain felt, lately, is under the cross.
Mary knows the great gift given from God to His creatures. She is our spiritual Mother. She experiences the pain of her lost children. She sees before her, her Son covered with blood.
Mary says it is because of pride they do not accept her. It is because of pride, some think Mary cannot be any higher than them. They do not recognize election.
In having this pride, many miss the great messages given from God. In having pride, we miss a major link between heaven and earth in Mary. It is the Father's will that Mary is our spiritual Mother.
We reach a deeper level in the spiritual life only in the heart of Mary. It is His will. She was chosen, sinless, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and the Mother of God.
We can only go to the deepest chambers of the Heart of Christ through the pure and sinless heart of Mary. We are sinners. She is immaculate.
Besides the messages associated with the major Fatima apparitions, there were other revelations given by Our Lady. Before Jacinta died, she told of other messages given her [during her illness] by Mary:
"Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary…"47
This last message offers us an excellent opportunity to summarize the Fatima message. It tells us "that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary."48
Deep spiritual maturity cannot be achieved without going through the heart of Mary. Jesus came into the world in Mary's womb.
This is the Father's will: for His Son to come into this world, for His Son to be formed in her womb. God wants us to be formed more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus in the spiritual womb of Mary. Jesus wants us to grow in Mary's heart through the Holy Spirit to deepest maturity.
Many, in their willfulness and pride, deny the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, and the virgin birth. It is pride, for they do not want to recognize how much God loves Mary. They are proud and/or ignorant and will not recognize another creature higher than they are.
This is how it is: the Child Jesus, God-made-Man, was conceived in the womb of Mary. He was formed in her womb. To reach higher levels of spiritual maturity, we must dwell in the heart of Mary. We are formed there through the power of the Holy Spirit to be more like Jesus. We achieve depth in our relationship with God through Mary.
"And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord" (Lk. 1:46) All of us children unite in the heart of Mary. I see such oneness between all of us as we join in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We unite in the heart of Mary. She places us in the Heart of Jesus. There we are united with all Mary's children. He is the Light of the World. His Heart burns - a yellow glow with hot embers. Many are the children of the light. Mary is our Mother. She is calling us to be children of the light. She is Our Lady of Light.
It starts with you and me and with all His holy priests. As we consecrate our hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we are one in Their Hearts. I give Jesus and Mary my heart, you give them your heart, we are one in Their Hearts. As the Shepherds of Christ Movement spreads throughout the world, we become one with each other as we give our hearts to Jesus and Mary. There will be one flock and one Shepherd. Father Carter is reaching the priests with the consecration in the priestly newsletter. He is reaching the sisters and religious with the consecration in the religious newsletter. He is reaching the lay people with the Shepherds of Christ Associates prayer chapters for adults and youth centered in consecration of our hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Notes:
In February of 1996, we began a new movement, Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. In it people volunteer two hours a week in front of the Blessed Sacrament and pray for the renewal of the Church and the world. They consecrate their hearts bi-weekly in front of the tabernacle. We are all joined together to help bring the light to others. This is the center, Jesus in the Eucharist. It is for the renewal of the Church and the world.
Mary is now Our Lady of Sorrows. Her heart was pierced with the willfulness of her children. Her heart is in great sorrow at the loss of her children. She calls us to spread the light to this world, to light up the darkness, to come and be fed by the Chief Shepherd.
The devil has waged a war against the children of the light. Children of the light are richly fed with God's love, given abundantly by Jesus in the Eucharist.
This is the plan of Fatima to reach the world. Hearts must be consecrated to the two Hearts. Fr. Carter is reaching the world in the newsletter for priests, religious, and the associates. All are consecrating their hearts. The children must be reached through the Junior Shepherds of Christ Movement. Children need to consecrate their hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The first Saturday devotion must be observed and spread from the Center.
The Fatima messages say, that the peace or war in our country depends on our consecrating our hearts to Mary. Children must be reached with the consecration. Satan is so strong.
The Father's plan will unfold. We must live according to the will of God with love. Every one of us is given such talents. God carries out the work of redemption through our humanity. We must pray to the Holy Spirit to sanctify us and make us holy.
This is what I suffered under the cross: the sufferings for the little, lost children. Mary wants us to make reparation to her heart. Mary told Jacinta, "Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary."49 By recognizing her Immaculate Conception, we are recognizing the great dignity and honor He has given to Mary, a human person.
We go to the spiritual womb, the heart of Mary, because He wills it so. The depth of our union with Him can only come about through a deeper union with her. He wills it so.
The Father chose Mary as the Mother of God. The Father chose her, from all woman, to be Jesus' Mother. She is espoused to the Holy Spirit. Such dignity that God unites to her to bring forth a Son! If God comes to us in Mary's womb, we can go to God in Mary's heart.
In realizing the immense love God has for Mary, we can realize more His immense love for us in the Eucharist, to unite with us in such union. She carried Jesus in her womb. He is no less present in us when we receive Him in Communion.
Her soul magnifies the Lord. We see how our soul is raised to such heights through His grace. We, human persons, are raised to such heights in His grace. We are created to know, love, and serve Him. We can't leave out service. For, "…he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name." (Lk. 1:48-49)
Father Carter talked about spiritual childhood: the more we become like a little child, the more the Father gives Himself to us.
[
< Previous Page ||Next Page > ||Table of Contents||Mass Book Home ^ ||SofC Home ^^]
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