Shepherds of Christ Publications
P.O. Box 627
Madison, IN 47250
Shepherds of Christ
Apostle's Manual
Shepherds of Christ Publications
P.O. Box 627
Madison, IN 47250
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This manual was compiled at the direction of Jesus for the 13th gatherings. We encourage you to copy and share this book with all who are interested. If copied, materials in this book cannot be changed or edited in any way.
All messages were discerned for theological errors by Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Professor of Theology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio and Spiritual Director of the Shepherds of Christ Ministries.
In conformity with the decrees of Pope Urban VIII, we recognize and accept that the final authority regarding these messages rest with the Holy See of Rome, to whose judgment we willingly submit.
- Shepherds of Christ Ministries
©Copyright 1997 Shepherds of Christ
Publications
First Printing: August 1997
February 6, 1997
My Dear Companions in the Shepherds of Christ Movement,
We have purchased a new International Center for the Shepherds of Christ Ministries. Our new P.O. Box, address, fax and phone numbers are shown below:
Address: Shepherds of Christ Ministries, 2919 Shawhan Rd., Morrow, OH 45152
Phone Number: (513) 932-4451 Fax Number: (513) 932-6791
(Toll free) Number: 1-888-211-3041
Shepherds of Christ Internet address: http://www.SofC.org
P.O. Box: Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P.O. Box 193
Morrow, OH 45152-0193
Please contact us for these materials from the new Center. If you call the new Center, there will be other apostles there to help you with any problems you have encountered circulating the materials and spreading the Movement.
Other people in the Movement you may wish to call directly are:
John Weickert, President, home: (513) 829-4987
Mary Rettig, School Rosary Coordinator, 1-888-211-3041.
In Their Hearts, Shepherds of Christ Ministries
[ < Contents ]
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.
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Shepherds of Christ
Apostles Manual
Contents
An Overview of Shepherds of Christ Ministries
Prayer for Union with Jesus
Chapter Meeting Prayer Format
Intentions
- for Apostles of the Eucharistic
Heart of Jesus
- for the Rosary Novena
Chapter 1:
Introductory Material by Father Carter and Apostles on
Mission
The Birth of the Full Ministries
of the Shepherds of Christ
Ministries at a Glance
January 30, 1997 - Jesus' Directions for Apostles
Apostles in Florida
Letter from Very Rev. Joseph F. Schaedel
The Role of Private Revelation in the Life of the
Church
The Spirituality Handbook
- Words of Jesus
to Members of Shepherds of Christ Associates
- Introduction:
How It All Began
- Chapter
Guidelines for Shepherds of Christ Associates
- A Way of
Spiritual Life
Message about the Infant of Prague
Chapter 2:
Important Messages given before October 13, 1996 and
Messages Concerning Satan
May 26, 1996 - Pentecost Sunday -
Jesus' Directions for Apostles
March 26, 1996 - The Presence of God and a Message to Fr.
Carter
August 1, 1995 - Message from Jesus and Mary for Shepherds
of Christ Associates
September 26, 1996 - Division, the Devil, and Talking About Others
November 26, 1996 - Satan is Prowling This Earth
Chapter 3:
Important Messages given after October 13, 1996
1st Major Message from God the
Father - January 11, 1997
2nd Major Message from God the Father - January 18, 1997
December 19, 1996 - Message from Jesus
December 19, 1996 - Message from Mary
February 8, 1997 - There will be a Great Era in which the
King will Reign
February 1, 1997 - My Gift is My Heart: A Tool for Greater
Intimacy with Jesus
February 19, 1997 - Intimacy with Jesus and Others
February 6, 1997 - Candlelight Rosary
November 14, 1996 - Directions from Jesus
March 18, 1997 - Directions from Jesus
Chapter 4:
Mary's Image in Florida
Press Release
Instructions for Florida Apostles
Messages Pertaining to This Image
- December 19, 1996
- December 12,
1996 - Mary's Message
- January 18,
1997
- January 16, 1997
- March 31,
1997
- A Message
from Florida
Chapter 5:
From October 13, 1917 - October 13, 1997
Sample 13th Meeting Format as Given by Jesus
On October 13, 1917:
The Birth of the Full Ministries of the Shepherds of
Christ
For Apostles Today From Jesus
Mary's Peace Plan as given to Lucia
Song: Song from Jesus
October 11, 1996 - Study the Rosaries
Holy Spirit Prayer
Prayer to St. Michael
Act of Consecration to the Sacred and Immaculate
Hearts
Petitions
Song: The Rosary
Song: I Love You, Jesus
Song: Here I am Lord
January 25, 1997 - Mary's Rosary
Novena Intentions
February 26, 1997 - A Live Rosary
February 6, 1997 - Candlelight Rosary
The Glorious Mysteries of May 11, 1996
The Sorrowful Mysteries of September 10, 1996
The Glorious Mysteries of October 13, 1996
The Sorrowful Mysteries of November 13, 1996
The Joyful Mysteries of December 13, 1996
The Joyful Mysteries of January 13, 1997
The Sorrowful Mysteries of February 13, 1997
Chapter 7: The
Shepherds of Christ Movement and the Completion of the
Fatima Message
Chart: The Completion of the
Fatima Message
December 13, 1996 - The Vision, the Plan Unfolds
December 29, 1996
- Mary's
Message from the Rosary of August 27, 1996
- October 5,
1996 - Message from Mary
- Excerpts from
Urgent Messages
- December 6,
1996 - First Friday
- December 27, 1996 - The Mass and Fatima
- December 7, 1996 - Revelations
on the Light
- December 27, 1996 - Conclusion
- December 19,
1996
- December 22, 1996
- December 19, 1996 -
Urgent Message
- December 22, 1996 -
Urgent Message
August 11, 1996
March 20, 1994 - before the end of the building collapsed
at the Holy Spirit Center
July 23, 1996 - Love is Giving
Vision as seen by Mary Rettig on the February 13, 1997
Visions as seen by Ellen Sartori and Mary Rettig
March 20, 1997 - Our Lady of Fatima
Chapter 9: The
Ministries of Shepherds of Christ and the 13th Gatherings
October 21, 1996 - Importance of
the 13th
Chart: The Shepherds of Christ Plan
October 27, 1996 - Message for Chart
The Birth of the Full Ministries of the Shepherds of
Christ
Ministries at a Glance
Table Chart for the 13th -
Materials
Table Descriptions and Material Descriptions
- Priestly
Newsletters, Books, Tapes by Father Carter
- Shepherds of
Christ Associates Materials
- Apostles of
the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
- Junior Shepherds
of Christ Associates
- Books
- Audio Tapes
- Video Tapes
- Printed
Rosary Messages
- Rosaries in
the School
- Nursing Home
and Prison Ministry
- Pictures of
the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts
Chapter 11:
Messages and Revelations given after October 13, 1996
February 23, 1997 - Sacrifice
February 27, 1997 - After the Death, There is the
Resurrection
February 28, 1997 - Our Wounds are Glorified When We Die in
Him
February 28, 1997 - A Love Letter to Jesus
February 9, 1997
January 25, 1997 - Jesus' Directions for Apostles
Chapter 12:
Contact Priest, Contact School, Contact Family
Priests
- Priest Newsletter
and Prayer Manual are the Heart of our Material
- What should be said to the Priests
- January 17, 1997 - I Want My Priests to Come Back
- Benefits of
Consecration
- Introduction
for the Mass Book
- Priestly Newsletters
- September - October
1996 Issue
- November - December
1996 Issue
- July - August 1997
Issue
- Come Follow Me
(Newsletter for the Religious)
- Volume 2 Issue 1 -
Spring 1996
- Volume 2 Issue 3 - Fall
1996
Schools
- Letter to Principals
- Consecration
to Jesus and Mary (for duplication)
- Children's
Morning Offering and Consecration to the Holy Spirit (for duplication)
- Imprimatur
Letter from Most Rev. Carl K. Moeddel for Children's Prayers
- Meditating on
the Rosary Aves (All 15 Mysteries)
- Children's
Rosary - April 25, 1996 (Glorious)
- March 18, 1996 - Mary wants Children to Pray the Rosary
- Junior
Shepherds of Christ Associates
- A Letter from
a Teacher
Families
- Letter
from Mary Rettig
- Consecration
to Jesus and Mary (for duplication)
- Shepherds of Christ Associates
- Questions on Forming a
Prayer Chapter
- Membership Form
- Chapter Guidelines
- Letter from John
Weickert
- Spanish
Chapter Meeting Prayer Format
- Ministering to the
Elderly
Chapter 13:
Prayers, Promises, and Devotions
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart
- Program
- The Two Hearts
and the Mass
- Enthronement
of My Sacred Heart
- Images of the
Hearts of Jesus and Mary
- Find Refuge in My
Most Sacred Heart
- Consecrate
Your Churches, Homes, and Workplace to Our Hearts
- Certificate
- Promises of
Our Lord to Those Devoted to His Sacred Heart
Morning Offering (for Shepherds of Christ Members)
Morning Offering for Children
Short Prayer of Consecration Before Mass
Prayer Before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Prayer to Say When Working for Jesus and Mary
Family Consecration
Consecration of an Unborn Child to Jesus and Mary
Chaplet of St. Michael
Promises of Mary Given to Those Who Pray the Rosary
Five First Saturday Devotion
Daily Prayers
Chapter 14:
Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
Letter
Letter without Message (it can be passed out in churches)
Membership Form
Newsletter - Vol. 1 Issue 1 - October 1996
Chapter 15:
Excerpts from God's Blue Books for His Children of Light
Cling to Me
You Are the Light in the Darkness
Angels Will Read the Message
A City on a Hill Shines to the World
I Died For You
I Wake You, Knocking
About the Songs
The Rosary Song
A Song from Jesus
I Love You Jesus
Little Child
Teach Me to Love With Your Heart
God's Love
I Am Your Sacred Heart
See the Eyes That Look At Mary
Little Baby Hands and Feet
Come to My Heart
Your Presence Pervades My Soul
Glory, Glory, Glory Lord
My Open Heart
Chapter
17: Jesus' Urgent Messages
May 25, 1995 - I Am Alive!
June 26, 1995 - The Pain
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Introduction
An Overview of Shepherds of Christ Ministries
Prayer for Union with Jesus
Chapter Meeting Prayer Format
Intentions
- for Apostles of the Eucharistic
Heart of Jesus
- for the Rosary Novena
[ < Contents ]
An Overview of
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
Our movement is a Catholic apostolate which strongly supports our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. As you explore this manual, you will find there are three main levels of commitment in Shepherds of Christ Ministries. All three levels are important to the functioning of the ministry. To assist you in exploring this manual, this brief overview may help. All three commitment levels were defined by Jesus in messages either given through Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. or through the visionary/locutionist Rita Ring.
Jesus revealed these levels over a period of three years as He built the ministry. The three levels were given by Him in order of increasing personal commitment. The three levels are: Shepherds of Christ Associates, Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, and Shepherds of Christ Apostles. At any level, there are no vows taken which bind a member under penalty of sin when ending your commitment. Our hope is that you will be led by the Holy Spirit to the proper place to help you in your journey closer to God. Jesus has promised many graces to anyone who participates in the movement.
Shepherds of Christ Associates: These are prayer groups of two or more people which meet at least monthly. Many groups meet weekly before the Blessed Sacrament. These groups follow the format outlined in the Prayer Manual found on pages iii to x. Meetings normally last about an hour. See pages twelve through fourteen for additional information.
Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus: This prayer movement within Shepherds of Christ Ministries is a personal commitment to pray twice weekly for one hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus gives the instructions for this movement on pages 396 to 405 of this manual.
Shepherds of Christ Apostles: The highest level of commitment in the movement at this time is to be a Shepherds of Christ Apostle. It is truly a serious commitment, for we live in very serious times. An apostle is one who is sent to help lead people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus gives the details of this calling on pages four through six.
This book has many goals which are difficult to meet all at once. Jesus spent three years carefully revealing His plan step by step. He led us along into ever increasing levels of commitment. So as you read this manual, know that it will take even the fervent of heart some time to live the messages. You must also realize that the manual covers many different ministries. Many people are called to help out with one of these ministries. We hope and pray you will find a home in the Shepherds of Christ family. May God bless you and your loved ones now and into eternity!
In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Shepherds of Christ Ministries
[ < Contents ]
Meeting Format
The following format should be followed at chapter meetings of Shepherds
of Christ Associates.
Prayers
All of the following, not just the prayer which is said specifically for priests,
should include the intention of praying for all the needs of priests the world over.
Hymns. Hymns may be sung at any point of the prayer part of the meeting.
Holy Spirit Prayer. Come, Holy Spirit, almighty Sanctifier, God of love, who filled the Virgin Mary with grace, who wonderfully changed the hearts of the apostles, who endowed all Your martyrs with miraculous courage, come and sanctify us. Enlighten our minds, strengthen our wills, purify our consciences, rectify our judgment, set our hearts on fire, and preserve us from the misfortunes of resisting Your inspirations. Amen.
The Rosary.
Salve Regina. "Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, our mourning, our weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary."
The Memorare. "Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen."
Seven Hail Marys in honor of the
Seven Sorrows of Mary. Mary has promised very special graces to those who do this
on a daily basis. Included in the promises of Our Lady for those who practice this
devotion is her pledge to give special assistance at the hour of death, including the
sight of her face. The seven sorrows are:
(1) The first sorrow: the prophecy of Simeon (Hail Mary).
(2) The second sorrow: the flight into Egypt (Hail Mary).
(3) The third sorrow: the loss of the Child Jesus in the temple (Hail Mary).
(4) The fourth sorrow: Jesus and Mary meet on the way to the cross (Hail Mary).
(5) The fifth sorrow: Jesus dies on the cross (Hail Mary).
(6) The sixth sorrow: Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in Mary's arms (Hail
Mary).
(7) The seventh sorrow: the burial of Jesus (Hail Mary).
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us (repeat after each invocation).
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the Covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy rosary,
Queen of the families,
Queen of peace,
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God, that we Your servants may enjoy
perpetual health of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary,
ever virgin, be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our
necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and Blessed Virgin.
Prayer to St. Joseph. St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste spouse of Mary, you passed your life in perfect fulfillment of duty. You supported the Holy Family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly turn to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes; and they turn to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too have known trial, labor, and weariness. But, even amid the worries of material life, your soul was filled with deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with the Son of God entrusted to you, and with Mary, His tender Mother. Amen. -(Pope John XXIII)
Litany of the Sacred Heart, Promises
of the Sacred Heart.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us (repeat after each invocation).
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty,
Heart of Jesus, sacred temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven,
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity,
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful,
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke You,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium,
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses,
Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim of sin,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in You,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in You,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints,
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
make our hearts like unto Yours.
Let us pray: O almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your dearly beloved
Son and upon the praise and satisfaction He offers You in behalf of sinners and, being
appeased, grant pardon to those who seek Your mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ,
Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without
end. Amen.
Promises of Our Lord to those devoted to His Sacred Heart (these should
be read by the prayer leader):
(1) I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
(2) I will establish peace in their homes.
(3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
(4) I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.
(5) I will bestow a large blessing on all their undertakings.
(6) Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
(7) Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
(8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
(9) I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored.
(10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
(11) Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to
be blotted out.
(12) I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant
to all those who communicate on the first Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of
final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments;
My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
Prayer for Priests. "Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the Flock, we pray that in the great love and mercy of Your Sacred Heart You attend to all the needs of Your priest-shepherds throughout the world. We ask that You draw back to Your Heart all those priests who have seriously strayed from Your path, that You rekindle the desire for holiness in the hearts of those priests who have become lukewarm, and that You continue to give Your fervent priests the desire for the highest holiness. United with Your Heart and Mary's Heart, we ask that You take this petition to Your heavenly Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Prayer for all members of the Shepherds of Christ Associates. "Dear Jesus, we ask Your special blessings on all members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. Continue to enlighten them regarding the very special privilege and responsibility you have given them as members of Your movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates. Draw them ever closer to Your Heart and to Your Mother's Heart. Allow them to more and more realize the great and special love of Your Hearts for each of them as unique individuals. Give them the grace to respond to Your love and Mary's love with an increased love of their own. As they dwell in Your Heart and Mary's Heart, abundantly care for all their needs and those of their loved ones. We make our prayer through You to the Father, in the Holy Spirit, with Mary our Mother at our side. Amen."
Prayer for the spiritual and financial success of the priestly newsletter. "Father, we ask Your special blessings upon the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ. We ask that You open the priest-readers to the graces You wish to give them through this chosen instrument of Your Son. We also ask that You provide for the financial needs of the newsletter and the Shepherds of Christ Associates. We make our prayer through Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, with Mary at our side. Amen."
Prayer for all members of the human family. "Heavenly Father, we ask Your blessings on all Your children the world over. Attend to all their needs. We ask Your special assistance for all those marginalized people, all those who are so neglected and forgotten. United with our Mother Mary, we make this petition to You through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Prayer to St. Michael and our
Guardian Angels.
"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the
wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O
prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the other
evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."
7
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be
at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen."
Pause for silent, personal prayer. This should last at least five minutes.
Act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
"Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock, I consecrate myself to Your most
Sacred Heart. From Your pierced Heart the Church was born, the Church You have called me,
as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, to serve in a most special way. You reveal
Your Heart as a symbol of Your love in all its aspects, including Your most special love
for me, whom You have chosen as Your companion in this most important work. Help me to
always love You in return. Help me to give myself entirely to You. Help me always to pour
out my life in love of God and neighbor! Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You! Amen.
"Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, I consecrate myself to your maternal and Immaculate Heart,
this Heart which is symbol of your life of love. You are the Mother of my Savior. You are
also my Mother. You love me with a most special love as a member of Shepherds of Christ
Associates, a movement created by your Son as a powerful instrument for the renewal of the
Church and the world. In a return of love, I give myself entirely to your motherly love
and protection. You followed Jesus perfectly. You are His first and perfect disciple.
Teach me to imitate you in the putting on of Christ. Be my motherly intercessor so that,
through your Immaculate Heart, I may be guided to an ever closer union with the pierced
Heart of Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock. Amen."
The Shepherds of Christ prayers above, one through sixteen, have the following ecclesiastiea approval:
Imprimi Potest: Rev. Bradley M. Schaeffer, S.J.
Provincial
Chicago Province, The Society of Jesus
Imprimatur: Most Rev. Carl K. Moeddel
Auxiliary Bishop
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
[ < Contents ]
Intentions for Apostles
of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
Jesus is calling special apostles to join a new division of the Shepherds of Christ Movement. Here is a message from Jesus given to Father Carter:
"My beloved priest-companion, I am requesting that a new prayer movement be started under the direction of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. I am asking for volunteers who are willing to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for one hour, twice-weekly. Members of the Shepherds of Christ prayer chapters, as well as others, are to be invited to join this movement.
"These apostles are to pray for the intentions I am giving you. For part of the hour they are to use the prayers of the Shepherds of Christ Associates Handbook. They may spend the rest of the hour as they so choose.
"I will use this new prayer movement within My Shepherds of Christ Ministries in a powerful way to help in the renewal of My Church and the world. I will give great graces to those who join this movement. The name, Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, is to be given to this movement.
"I am inviting My beloved Rita Ring to be coordinator for this activity.
"I pour out the great love of My Sacred Heart to all. I am Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock."
This is indeed a special calling for us to unite in one heart with His Eucharistic Heart and pray for the following intentions:
[ < Contents ]
Intentions
for the Rosary Novena
Given by Mary on January 25, 1997:
Mary: I am Mary. I am requesting that you continue to pray the rosary novena daily for the following intentions:
1) For the spread of the rosary, circulation and publication of these rosary meditations, for the Rosary Book and Children's Rosary Books, for the Rosary Aves and consecrations to be distributed and used by school children, for the Priestly Newsletter Books, for the Mass Book, for all materials receiving the imprimatur, for its publication and quick distribution, for the distribution of Mary's Message tape and the Rosary Book and the connection with the Shepherds of Christ Movement and the apparition in Florida;
2) For Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, that the Father's plan will unfold there as He intended;
3) For the new Center, for the new chapel, for the right to reserve the Blessed Sacrament there, for the funding, for the circulation of materials from there, for the beginning of new prayer chapters.
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Chapter 1
Introductory Material
by Father Carter
and
Apostles on Mission
The Birth of the Full Ministries of the Shepherds of
Christ
Ministries at a Glance
January 30, 1997 - Jesus' Directions for Apostles
Apostles in Florida
Letter from Very Rev. Joseph F. Schaedel
The Role of Private Revelation in the Life of the
Church
The Spirituality Handbook
- Words of Jesus
to Members of Shepherds of Christ Associates
- Introduction:
How It All Began
- Chapter
Guidelines for Shepherds of Christ Associates
- A Way of
Spiritual Life
Message about the Infant of Prague
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The Birth of the Full Ministries of the Shepherds of Christ
"I wish to share with you part of a message which Jesus gave us on October 13, 1994. The message tells us about the expansion of the Shepherds of Christ movement:
'My beloved priest-companion, today I come to you with another mission. I am asking you to establish Shepherds of Christ Ministries. At My request you have already begun the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the prayer chapters, Shepherds of Christ Associates...
'I am giving you this message on this day, the 77th Anniversary of the Great Apparition at Fatima, because of the close connection between the Shepherds of Christ movement and the Fatima message. The Fatima message is centered in devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart, especially in consecration to Our Hearts. Shepherds of Christ Ministries is also centered in devotion to Our Hearts. I will use Shepherds of Christ Ministries as a great instrument in helping to bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. When this occurs, My Church and the world will be experiencing the great era of peace promised by My Mother at Fatima.
'Today, then, October 13, 1994, the 77th Anniversary of the Great Apparition at Fatima, marks the birth of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. I pour forth the great love of My Sacred Heart to all. I am Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock.'
Jesus has told us that Shepherds of Christ Ministries includes: the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, Shepherds of Christ Associates prayer chapters, various publications, including books, whatever else Our Lord directs us to undertake.
As members of Shepherds of Christ Associates, you are an extremely important part of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. You have given great joy to the Heart of Jesus by responding to His invitation to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. As He draws you closer to His Heart and to His Mother's Heart as Associates members, He will fill you with an ever-increasing experience of His love, peace, and joy."
- From In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Newsletter of
Shepherds of Christ Associates
by Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J., Volume 1, No. 1, 1995. p. 2.
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Ministries at a Glance
Since its formation, Shepherds of Christ Ministries has grown rapidly in both scope and function. The ministries outlined below are defined in further detail inside this manual, at the tables set up on the 13th of every month or at the Shepherds of Christ Internet site.
Shepherds of Christ Newsletter
Shepherds of Christ Publications
Shepherds of Christ Associates
Junior Shepherds of Christ Associates
Shepherds of Christ Audio/Video
Come Follow Me Newsletter (for religious)
Shepherds of Christ International
Apostles of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
World-Wide-Web Site (Internet)
Retirement/Nursing Home Prayer Groups
Rosary in Schools, Homes
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January 30, 1997
Jesus' Directions for Apostles
Message given through Rita Ring
Jesus: My Dear Beloved Apostles,
How tenderly I caress you and hold you to My Heart. Do not be afraid. I have taught you these long months. I am forming you for your mission as My apostles. I am telling you, you must study the messages I have given to you in God's Blue Book and Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. I am giving to you my directions to bring about My Father's plan for the completion of the Fatima message which will culminate in the reign of My Sacred Heart and triumph of My Mother's heart. The directions I am giving to you, My beloved apostles, on the 13th of the month must be studied. You must see the Father's plan as unfolding and your work as My apostle is crucial to the unfolding of His plan. His directions are given to you in the messages. Today I am asking that a book be compiled with the messages given in the 17th Blue Book Meetings. The apostles must study this book in addition to the other messages given and study the Apostle's Manual. I am calling you an apostle in these last times. You must study My direction given. I ask you to read the message "The Carpenter" June 12, 1994 in Blue Book III. I ask you to study all messages with reference to the Father's plan and the Father's will.
When traveling to Florida or as My apostles, you must spend time daily alone with Me. As an apostle, I am asking you to spend one hour with Me that day, especially when on duty in Florida or elsewhere. This is very important. I will give you great graces in this hour. I will sort out all the debris in your heart. I will instruct you on your Father's will for you and I will saturate you with My divine love. In this hour, we will share intimately in our love for each other.
I am telling you that when you are on a mission, an assignment in Florida and elsewhere, you must go to daily Mass and Communion and spend twenty minutes after Communion. I will give you My intimate love in these moments after Communion.
I am telling you, My apostles, to pray the consecration to My Heart and My Mother's heart and the Holy Spirit Prayer all through your day. Whenever you gather together, begin with the Holy Spirit Prayer, St. Michael Prayer, Guardian Angel Prayer, and Consecration prayers as listed on the prayer card. This will bind you in one mind and one heart and you will work together in harmony according to the Father's will.
You will be protected greatly from the evil one when you pray these prayers on the prayer card.
Your mission is a holy mission to spread My love and the love of My Mother. Your mission is a mission of love. You are working for Me and My Mother. You are the apostles of Our Hearts.
You must realize if you do not follow the directions I give to you, you will tend to do your own will and not the Father's will and the devil will taunt you and make headway because you are not properly protected.
See My Mother crushing the head of the serpent. When you give your heart to her, the Holy Spirit works within her heart and fills your heart, and she crushes the head of the devil.
You are in a spiritual battle with the evil one. You must realize he is cunning and sly. He comes in a smooth talking person to trick you. You must stick to the directions I am giving to you. You are there to spread the messages given in God's Blue Book, Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Tell My People, all Fr. Carter's publications, and all publications of the Shepherds of Christ Movement.
Any material not discerned or approved of by Fr. Carter is not to be distributed under the title of Shepherds of Christ or in connection with Shepherds of Christ.
Nothing is to be distributed without his approval.
So I am summarizing. These are My requirements when on mission as an apostle to Florida or other locations spreading the Shepherds of Christ Movement:
The Apostles Prayer Schedule:
1. The Morning Offering
2. Daily Mass and Communion
3. One hour of private adoration, preferably before the tabernacle.
4. Consecration Prayers
5. Rosary, the prayers in the Handbook (Prayer Manual)
should be recited daily when on mission and several times a week when not on mission.
The Morning Offering will bind all members of the Shepherds of Christ Movement in union with each other, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass all day. You will be one flock with one Shepherd all dwelling within My Heart which is your home. Oh, how I love you! You must obey these directions I give to My apostles.
Beware of the workings of Satan to distract you and lead you away from this mission.
I am asking all members in the Shepherds of Christ Movement to be apostles. Some will be able to give more time than others. When traveling to Florida, I am asking you to follow the Apostles Prayer Schedule.
I am asking all members to circulate the Mary's Message tape, the short message sheet, and the Rosary of December 13, 1996 and January 13, 1997 to connect Mary's Message to her apparition in Florida. I love you. I am your beloved Jesus.
Mary said on December 19, 1996:
"I am Mary, your Mother. I do not appear as I once appeared to you. I am asking you today to circulate my message given on a tape on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 1996. Please circulate this tape now. Give it to as many people as you can. I am Mary your Mother. Please circulate my Rosary Book."
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Apostles in Florida
Message given through Rita Ring
Jesus: My Dear Apostles in Florida,
I am Jesus, your Savior. The Florida site will help with the completion of the Fatima mission. In addition to all material being distributed there, you are asked to spread the Shepherds of Christ Associates Prayer Manuals, rosaries, and consecration cards. Many will be reached from this site with rosary and consecration. This will aid greatly in bringing about the completion of the Fatima mission.
I am Jesus. Please help to bring about the reign of My Heart and the triumph of My Mother's heart by spreading this material.
I love you, My apostles. Please tell all priests that come to the Florida site about the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ.
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The Role of Private Revelation in the Life of the Church
In these our times there have been numerous reports from around the world of events regarding alleged private revelations. Messages from alleged visionaries and locutionists abound. Many people are at least somewhat confused regarding how one should react to all this.
It seems appropriate, therefore, to offer some thoughts concerning the role of private revelation in the life of the Church.
First of all, we must realize the Church recognizes that private revelation has a role to play in the life of the Church. The Catechism says:
Throughout the ages, there have been so-called 'private revelations,' some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history.1
We would now like to offer the thoughts of some contemporary theologians regarding this role of private revelation: Harvey Egan, S.J., says:
Private revelations often presuppose the gift of prophecy. Prophetic revelations commission the mystic to address the entire Church, or a significant portion. He must deliver a message, plead for a particular devotion, call for conversion and penance, warn against certain aberrations in Church life...suggest new styles of life or spiritual doctrine, or foretell the future. Those post-apostolic, prophetic revelations, therefore, apply the faith in a practical way to daily Christian living.2
Jordan Aumann, O.P., observes:
There have always been persons gifted with prophecy, as is testified by Scripture and the processes of canonization of the servants of God. Nevertheless, private revelations do not pertain to the deposit of faith, which consists of the truths contained in Scripture and Tradition under the vigilance of the Church.3
Karl Rahner, S.J., offers the following regarding private revelation:
A private revelation as a mission to the Church signifies...an imperative which within the context of a particular historical situation of the Church, points out a particular course of action from among the many possible according to the universal and public revelation as the one most urgently needing to be realized. The new feature in such a private revelation consists therefore not in its particular material elements but in the imperative marking and shifting of accentuation within the possibilities of Christianity...Hence the private revelation as a mission to the Church can be conceived as a heavenly imperative interpretation of the particular situation of the Church at this time; it answers the question as to what is most urgently to be done here and now in accordance with the general principles of the faith.4
It would be wrong, consequently, to deny the existence and proportionate importance of private revelation in the life of the Church. Such an attitude would be in opposition to the teaching of the Church and that of reputable theologians. Private revelation is yet another sign of God's overwhelming love towards us. In His great love He has given us the truths of faith as contained in public revelation. In His ongoing love for us He gives us private revelation to aid us in the living of public revelation. We should not, therefore, be indifferent to the role God has assigned to private revelation in the life of the Church.
It might be well at this point to offer a description of what occurs when a person receives an apparition and/or locution (message). Joseph de Guibert, S.J., one of the most eminent mystical theologians of this century, says:
A distinction is made between corporeal, imaginative, and intellectual visions. This distinction can also be applied to locutions. In corporeal visions and locutions there is a real perception by the external senses; the person who is seen or heard may be really present, or (in corporeal visions) the body which appears may be formed in the air, or a change may be affected at the moment the light-rays impinge on the eye, or (in corporeal locutions) a real acoustical vibration may be produced in the ears. In imaginative visions and locutions there is no perception by the external senses, but, rather, a Divine action on the imagination or the internal senses...In intellectual visions and locutions the Divine action directly affects the intellect.5
What should one's attitude be regarding alleged instances of private revelation which have not yet been the subject of official Church investigation- and perhaps never will be? First, one should always recognize that the final authority regarding private revelations rests with the Holy See of Rome, to whose judgment we should willingly submit. Secondly, one may personally act upon these messages of private revelation if a person observes that they contain nothing contrary to faith and morals and that they help bring one closer to God. Our Lord has said: "...a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit." (Mt 7:17-18).
A good example of what we have just said is the situation regarding the alleged apparitions and messages at Medjugorje. The Church's investigation of this site is ongoing. No definitive decision has been made. In the meantime, the Church is not forbidding the faithful to go to Medjugorje. She is not forbidding them to personally accept the messages, presuming, again, they contain nothing contrary to faith and morals. Millions of pilgrims have gone to Medjugorje, including thousands of priests and hundreds of bishops.
An outstanding example of the importance of the role of private revelation in the life of the Church is that of Fatima. The Church has formally approved the message of Fatima as being worthy of belief. In her July 13, 1917, message, Our Blessed Mother said:
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.
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.6
There is more to the requests of Our Lady of Fatima besides those elements contained in the above message. But these aspects of the Fatima message are obviously critical ones.
Because enough people did not respond to Mary's requests made at Fatima, we did have World War II and all the horrors connected with the rise of Russian dominated Communism. Again, Fatima is a prime example of the importance the role of private revelation can assume in the life of the Church. Popes Pius XII and Paul VI made visits to Fatima, as has Pope John Paul II.
- From Shepherds of Christ, A Spirituality Newsletter
for Priests by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.
May/June 1995 Issue. pp. 3-5.
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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., as
given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The
Jesuits).
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Introduction:
How It All Began
During the summer of 1993, Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Professor of Theology at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, began to receive mystical locutions (messages) from Jesus and Mary on a regular basis.
In a message given on May 31, 1994, Jesus asked Father Carter to begin the publication of a spirituality newsletter for priests. To be sent to more than 45,000 priests in the U.S.A., and also to priests in other countries, the newsletter is published by Shepherds of Christ Publications, and is distributed bi-monthly. The title of the newsletter is Shepherds of Christ.
Jesus has asked that chapters be formed to pray for the needs of priests and religious around the world. The chapters are to pray in a special way for the spiritual success of the priestly newsletter, as well as to aid in the financial support of this publication. The chapters and members are to be called Shepherds of Christ Associates.
Our Lord has stressed that Shepherds of Christ Associates become an international movement.
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Chapter Guidelines for
Shepherds of Christ Associates
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A Way of Spiritual Life
The way of spiritual life proposed to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates is centered in consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. All aspects of the spiritual life discussed below should be viewed as means to help members develop their lives in consecration to Christ, the Sacred Heart, and to Mary, the Immaculate Heart.
An Overview of the Spiritual Life
The Christian life is rooted in the great event of the Incarnation. We must consequently always focus our gaze upon Christ, realizing that everything the Father wishes to tell us has been summed up in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It only remains for us, then, to strive to understand with greater insight the inexhaustible truth of the Word Incarnate: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days He has spoken to us by a Son, Whom He appointed the heir of all things, through Whom also He created the world." (Heb. 1: 1-2)7
What was the condition of the human race at the time of Christ's coming? In some ways, people were much the same as we are today. There were those just being born into this world of human drama. There were those who, in death, were leaving it, some of whom had grasped but little of life's meaning. There were those who were healthy and vigorous. There were those who were sick and lame. Some especially felt the burdens, the grief, the suffering of the human condition. Others were ebullient and desired all the pleasures life could provide. There was some good being accomplished. Immorality, however, was rampant. What St. Paul tells us concerning the time that immediately followed Christ's existence certainly could also be applied to the time of His entrance into the world. It is, in short, an ugly picture that St. Paul depicts for us (Rom. 1: 22-32).
Into such a depraved condition Jesus entered, with a full and generous Heart, to lead the human race from the depths of sinfulness to the vibrant richness of a new life in Himself. Through His enfleshment, this Christ became the focal point of all history. The authentic hopes and dreams of the human family, now so overshadowed by the ugliness of sin, came converging upon this Christ. He would gather them up in Himself, give them a new luster and brilliance and dynamism, and would lead the human family back to the Father in the Holy Spirit.
Christ was radically to release us from the dominion of sin and elevate us to a new level of existence. This life Christ has given us is not a type of superstructure which is erected atop human existence. Although nature and grace are distinct, they do not lie side by side as separate entities. Rather, grace permeates nature. The Christian is one graced person. The Christian is one who has been raised up, caught up, into a deeper form of life in Christ Jesus. Nothing that is authentically human in the life of the Christian has been excluded from this new existence. Whatever is really human in the life of the Christian is meant to be an expression of the Christ-life. The simple but deep joys of family life, the wonderment at nature's beauty, the warm embrace of a mother for her child, the agony of crucial decision making, the success or frustration that is experienced in one's work, the joy of being well received by others, and the heartache of being misunderstood-all these experiences are intended to be caught up in Christ and made more deeply human because of Him.
Jesus has come, then, not to destroy anything that is authentically human, but to perfect it by leading it to a graced fulfillment. This is the meaning of the Word's becoming flesh, the meaning of the Incarnation. The more God-like we become through Christ, the more human we become.
We, through our incorporation into Christ which occurs at Baptism, are meant to relive the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In doing so, we are not only accomplishing our own salvation, but we are assisting in the salvation of others also. The Incarnation continues all the time. Christ, of course, is the one Who fundamentally continues the Incarnation. But He enlists our help. The world no longer sees Jesus, no longer is able to reach out and touch Him. We are the ones who now, in some way, make Christ visible and tangible. In union with the invisible, glorified Christ, and depending on Him as our source of life, we continue the Incarnation in its visible and temporal dimensions. This is our great privilege. This is our great responsibility.
The Christian is initiated into the mystery of Christ, into his or her role in prolonging the Incarnation, through Baptism. In the words of St. Paul: "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6: 3-4).
It is not sufficient, however, that we be incorporated into Christ through Baptism. All forms of life require nourishment. So, too, our life in Christ must be continually nourished. How can we continually keep in contact with Christ? There are various ways. We contact Christ in a most special way through the liturgy, above all in the Eucharistic liturgy. Here the entire course of salvation history, as centered in Jesus, is sacramentally renewed and continued. Through our most special and most personal meeting with Jesus in the Mass, we are more deeply incorporated into Christ. Also, we should remember that all the sacraments make up part of the Church's liturgy.
The reading of Scripture provides another special opportunity for meeting Jesus. This is true for both Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament prefigures the New Testament and leads to it. It is obvious, however, that we meet Christ especially in the pages of the New Testament. How true it is to say that not to be familiar with Scripture is not to know Jesus properly. We should resolve to read from Scripture daily.
We also meet Jesus in our interaction with others. Everyone we meet, everyone we serve, is in the image of Jesus. We have to take the means to grow in this awareness. If I truly believe that everyone has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, how should I treat everyone?
These, then, are some of the ways we keep in contact with Jesus. Common to the various ways of meeting Jesus is a certain degree of prayerful reflection. Our contact with Jesus in the liturgy, in Scripture, and in our interaction with others, and so forth, will not be all that it should be unless we are persons of prayer. The light and strength of prayer enables us to keep in contact with Jesus as we should.
We live out our Christ-life in an atmosphere of love. Indeed, the life Jesus has given us is centered in love. It has its origins in the mysterious love of God: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3: 16).
Our new life in Jesus has arisen out of God's fathomless love. Christ, in His descent into human flesh, has established a milieu of love. The life He came to give can flourish only in the framework of love. Indeed, we can summarize the meaning of the Christian life by stating that it is our loving response to God's love. The pierced Heart of Jesus, this Heart which shed its last drop of blood in the greatest love for each one of us, is the symbol of God's tremendous love for us. Christ's Heart also calls us to respond by giving ourselves in love to God and neighbor. Yes, Jesus invites us to respond to God's love by giving ourselves in love to Him in an ever closer union. The more closely we are united to Him, the greater is our capacity to love God and neighbor. The more closely we are united with Jesus, the more closely He unites us to the Father in the Holy Spirit, with Mary our Mother at our side.
Consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
We have already spoken of how we are incorporated into Christ at Baptism. Now we shall speak of the life which comes to us in Baptism in terms of consecration:
To consecrate means to make sacred, to make holy. Only God can make a being holy. So to speak of our consecration is to speak of God's activity in making us holy, His activity of giving us a share in His own holiness. At Baptism we receive a share in God's life, a share in His holiness. Christ is the Mediator of this grace life. We are baptized into Christ, into His death and resurrection. In Baptism we become holy by sharing in the holiness of Christ. We become consecrated, sealed with the divine holiness. We belong to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit.
On our part, we must respond to God's consecration of us. We must live out the consecration of Baptism. We must realize what God has done for us in Christ and live according to this awareness. We need to live the life of holiness and grow in it. In other words, we must develop the life of grace, the Christ-life.
What God has done for us in Christ involves Mary. God has given us a Christ-life, our life of grace, and Mary is the Mother of this Christ-life. Consequently, living out our life of consecration to God-living out the Christ-life-includes allowing Mary to increasingly be the Mother of our Christ-life.
Consecration to Mary, therefore, is an aspect of our consecration to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is entrusting ourselves entirely to her maternal love so that she can bring us ever closer to Jesus, so that we can increasingly live out our consecration to God in Christ.
At Fatima, Our Lady asked that we consecrate ourselves to her Immaculate Heart. Mary shows us her heart as a symbol of her love for God and us. She asks us to make a return of love to her, to consecrate ourselves to her, to give ourselves to her completely. She wants us to entrust ourselves to her completely so that she may help us love God and neighbor.
As stated above, consecration to Mary is an aspect of our consecration to God in Christ and she has asked for consecration to her Heart so that she may assist us. Christ, in turn, invites us to live out this consecration to Him through consecration to His Sacred Heart. We see the divine symmetry: consecration to the Immaculate Heart helps us to live out consecration to Christ Who reveals His Heart as symbol of His life of love in all its aspects, including His tremendous love for each of us individually. His Heart also asks for our love in return, a return which ideally is summed up in consecration to Jesus' Heart. Through this consecration we give ourselves completely to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart. In this consecration to Jesus, we promise to strive to live according to His Father's will in all things.8
Our Personal Relationship With Jesus
He hung upon a cross on a hill called Calvary. Death was near. How much Jesus had already suffered! He had been brutally scourged. Much of His sacred body was a bloody, open wound. He had been derisively crowned with thorns. In a terribly weakened condition, He carried the heavy cross to the hill of Golgotha. There He was stripped of His garments and mercilessly nailed to the cross. Try to imagine the excruciating pain Jesus suffered as the nails penetrated His sacred hands and feet! After all this brutal and agonizing suffering-of body and spirit-Jesus finally died.
And He did it all for you! Yes, you can truly say that Jesus did it all for you. I can say that Jesus did it all for me. He suffered and died for the whole human race, but He did it in a way which makes it true to say He also did it for each individual. When He was undergoing all the brutal and horrible suffering, He knew you and He knew me by name. He was loving each of us with the most tender, and tremendous, and unique love! He gave the last drop of His precious blood for you individually and for me individually!
What should be our return to this magnificent Heart of Jesus which gave until there was no more to give? No less than our entire selves. No less than a total consecration to this tremendous Lover, to this magnificent and tender Heart! No less than a day-by-day resolve to strive to live our consecration with the deepest faith, hope, and love. No less than the deepest desire to develop the most intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. The total and the most tender love of Jesus' magnificent Heart for you and for me deserves nothing less!
Mary Our Mother
As Jesus hung upon the cross in His excruciating suffering, He gave Mary to us as our spiritual Mother:
...standing by the cross of Jesus were His Mother, and His Mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His Mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, He said to His Mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your Mother!' (Jn 19: 25-26).
Yes, John, the disciple, represented all of us. Jesus, in giving Mary to John as His Mother, was giving her to all of us as our spiritual Mother. We can never thank Jesus sufficiently for this great gift. Mary is your Mother and she is my Mother. Pope John Paul II tells us how Mary is Mother to each of us according to each one's uniqueness:
Of the essence of motherhood is the fact that it concerns the person. Motherhood always establishes a unique and unrepeatable relationship between two people: between mother and child and between child and mother. Even when the same woman is the mother of many children, her personal relationship with each one of them is of the very essence of motherhood...
It can be said that motherhood 'in the order of grace' preserves the analogy with what 'in the order of nature' characterizes the union between mother and child.9
Let us always thank Mary that she is the Mother of each of us according to each one's uniqueness. I can truly say that Mary is my Mother in an unrepeatable way, and you can truly say that she is your Mother in an unrepeatable way. Realizing what a great and unique love Mary has for each of us, what reason could we ever have for not always going to her? What reason could we ever have for not asking her to take us as her beloved children and to hold us close to her maternal and Immaculate Heart where we always experience the love, the warmth, the tenderness of this magnificent Mother?
Mass and the Sacraments
The best way to return love to Jesus is through participation in the Mass. Indeed, the Mass is the chief source for growth in our life of consecration. Everything in the life of the Church-including the sacraments-centers around the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
All the faithful are privileged to be able to enter into the offering of the Mass:
The sacrifice of the Mass, as we well know, makes truly present the sacrifice of Calvary. At His sacrifice on Calvary, Christ was Priest and Victim. We obviously did not offer together with Him. At the Mass, however, Christ, although He is the chief Priest and Victim, does not act alone. Through God's gracious design, at Mass all the members of the Church are priests and victims together with Christ. To be sure, there is a very significant difference between the priesthood of bishops and priests and the priesthood of the faithful. The point we wish to stress, however, is that the universal priesthood, given in Baptism to all the faithful, is a real participation in Christ's priesthood.
Vatican II has stressed this concept of the priesthood of all the Church's members. Speaking of the Mass, the Council says: 'The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators. On the contrary, through a proper appreciation of the rites and prayers, they should participate knowingly, devoutly, and actively. They should be instructed by God's word and be refreshed at the table of the Lord's body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn to offer themselves too. Through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn, day-by-day, into ever closer union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.'
During all our Christ-like activities, we are living the Mass. Working, recreating, laughing, weeping, enjoying success but also experiencing failure, enjoying the beauties of nature-through all such activities, we are living the Mass. We are continually offering ourselves in loving conformity to the Father's will. From time to time during the day, we should make a conscious act of uniting ourselves and our activities with the sacrifice of Calvary as it is made present throughout the world through the Mass.
A very precious time during the Mass is, of course, our reception of Jesus in Holy Communion. We should make the most of these special moments. Let's properly thank Jesus for coming to us with His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Let's thank Jesus for the tremendous suffering He experienced in order to be able to give us the Eucharist. As Jesus dwells within us in this precious way at Communion time, the very Heart of Christ-this Heart which is symbol of His great love-dwells within. This Heart cries out for our love in return.
One of the great means God has given us to help prepare ourselves for better participation in the Mass is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our Lady of Medjugorje asks us to go to Confession at least once a month.
Indeed, we should use all available means to prepare ourselves for a more fruitful participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. It is a great privilege to be able to be present at, and to participate in, the Mass. We should show Jesus our appreciation for such a great gift by preparing ourselves as best we can, and in this way we will gain the greatest possible benefit from the Mass, both for ourselves and for others.
Included in our devotion to the Eucharist should be our desire to make Eucharistic reparation. One way to do this is to say often the following Fatima 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 the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences 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 sinners.10
Besides saying the above prayer, there are other acts of Eucharistic reparation we can make. One of these is to be sure we make adequate thanksgiving after Mass. One of the intentions we should have at this time is to help make reparation for the lack of proper thanksgiving on the part of many. Pope Pius XII speaks about the duty of spending the proper time in thanksgiving:
When at Mass, which is subject to special rules of the liturgy, is over, the person who has received Holy Communion is not thereby freed from his duty of thanksgiving; rather, it is most becoming that, when the Mass is finished, the person who has received the Eucharist should recollect himself and, in intimate union with the Divine Master, hold loving and fruitful converse with Him. Hence they have departed from the straight way of truth who, adhering to the letter rather than the sense, assert and teach that, when Mass has ended, no such thanksgiving should be added, not only because the Mass is itself a thanksgiving, but also because this pertains to a private and personal act of piety and not to the good of the community.11
Life in the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is given to us to transform us in the likeness of Christ. This is an ongoing process. Here is a message of Jesus which speaks to the issue:
My beloved friend, tell My people to pray daily to the Holy Spirit. They are to pray for an increase in His gifts. My people must realize that the Holy Spirit comes to transform them. The Spirit desires to transform you more and more according to My image. Those who are docile to His touch become increasingly shaped in my likeness. He performs this marvel within My Mother's Heart. The more one dwells in My Mother's Heart, the more active are the workings of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads Mary to place you within My Heart. In both of Our Hearts, then, your transformation continues. The more you are formed after My own Heart, the more I lead you to the bosom of My Father. Tell My people all this. Tell them to pray daily for a greater appreciation of these wondrous gifts. I am Lord and Master! All who come to My Heart will be on fire to receive the gifts of the Spirit in ever greater measure! I love and bless My people! (Message of Jesus given to Father Carter).12
Life Within the Church
God calls us to live Christian existence, the spiritual life, within the Church-the Church which Christ has established. This Church is a many splendored reality. It has many different names, images and dimensions that variously attest to and manifest this multifaceted richness. All of them, however, speak of the one, same reality. Here is a message of Jesus which speaks of His Church:
My beloved priest-companion, remind My people that the Church was born from My Heart, pierced with the soldier's lance on Calvary. From My pierced Heart the Church and her sacraments were born. Two of these sacraments, the Eucharist and Baptism, were symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from My pierced side.
As the Church was born from My pierced Heart, so does the Church's life grow from the graces I continually give to her from My pierced Heart, this Heart which is now glorified.
I call all the members of My Church to help build up My Body, the Church, by coming to My pierced Heart. United to My Heart and dwelling within It, I will give to each the light and strength to carry out My Father's will in the building up of My Church.
Mary is Mother and Model of the Church. As Mother of the Church, she intercedes for all the graces the members need to contribute to the building up of My Church. As Model of the Church, as perfect imitator of Me, she shows the children of the Church how all, individually and collectively, are to be increasingly formed in My image. As all come to My Heart for the building up of My Church, let them do so united in the Heart of Mary.
My Church is experiencing critical and difficult times. There are many divisions within My Church. There are many false teachings, including some put forth by certain theologians. These false teachings occur because those responsible for such are not in proper union with My vicar, the Pope, and the Church's Magisterium. I want all My children to pray daily for the cure of the many and serious ills of the Church. With the increase of prayers and sacrifices for the health of the Church, that day will soon come when the Church will be purified and revitalized. When that day comes, the renewed Church will be characterized by the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. Thus the message of Fatima will have reached its completion.
I am Lord and Master. I request that all My people listen to My words and respond to them. I love My people with a tremendous love and, in this great love, I give them this message! (Message from Jesus given to Fr. Carter).13
The Spiritual Life and the Christian Virtues
The life of sanctifying grace expresses itself through the various Christian virtues. Let us take a brief look at this life:
The Persons of the Blessed Trinity have communicated Themselves to us in lavish love. When a person is in the state of grace, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell within that person in an extraordinary fashion.
Such is the intimacy of this Trinitarian communication that the Persons of the Trinity imprint Their image upon us. This image is our life of grace, our created participation in the life of the Trinity. We receive this life at Baptism, and our privilege and responsibility are to develop it as fully as possible during our earthly journey before experiencing its culmination in eternal life.
"Because Christ in His humanity is Mediator of our life of grace, it possesses not only a Trinitarian dimension, but a Christic aspect as well. We can readily understand, then, why our grace-life is very appropriately also called the Christ-life.
Our Christ-life is centered in faith and love. Christian faith gives us an extraordinary capacity to know realities about God and the things of God. The virtue of Christian love allows us to accompany this faith-knowledge with an appropriate love-response. Christian hope is the chief support of faith and love. Finally, all the other Christian virtues are variously connected with these three main Christian capacities.14
We hear much about faith and love, the two main Christian virtues. However, hope is also extremely important. One of the aspects of the virtue of hope is trust. Let's listen to a message of Jesus regarding trust:
My beloved priest-companion, tell my people to trust Me unreservedly. I am Lord and Master. I am God. So many fail to trust Me as they should. I love all My people much more than they love themselves! The great love I have for each person should encourage all to trust Me! The more you realize how much a friend loves you, the more you place your trust in that person. I am your perfect Friend. I love you much, much more than your best earthly friend! Tell My people to trust Me completely. Tell them to say often, 'Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.' (Message of Jesus as given to Father Carter).15
Prayer
Here is a message from Mary on prayer. She tells us of the great importance of prayer regarding the spiritual life:
My beloved priest-son, many times I have taught you the great importance of prayer. I have obtained for you the grace so that you love to pray, not only during your set periods of prayer, but also during the day in a way which permits you to perform your daily duties. I have taught you to always be aware that all prayer should be made in union with the Mass. Indeed, the Eucharistic sacrifice is itself the greatest prayer. All other prayer should be consciously united with the Mass which is constantly being offered throughout the world. I have taught you the great importance of praying before the tabernacle. My Son is present there in the Eucharist-Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Special graces are given to those who pray before the tabernacle.
There is much to pray for in these most critical times. The Church and the world exist in most difficult times. I desire that all my children pray daily for all the needs of the Church and the world. I ask for special prayer for the conversion of sinners.
I ask that my children pray the rosary each day. Very special graces are given to those who do so. During these days of great purification, I promise special protection to those who regularly pray the rosary. I also promise protection to their loved ones.
Whatever form of prayer my children use, it should always be made in union with my Immaculate Heart. The more my children are united to me, the more I lead them to make their prayer in the Heart of my Son, Jesus. He, in turn, places all prayers in the bosom of the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
My dear son, keep reminding all my little ones of the great importance of prayer for their own needs and the needs of all others. Keep telling them of the great necessity of prayer for growth in love of God and neighbor. I love all my children with the most tender love. I desire that all listen to my words and live them in their daily lives! (Message of Mary as given to Father Carter).16
The Cross Leads to Life
Our incorporation into Christ at Baptism, and the gradual nurturing in that life, is centered in the pattern of death-resurrection. Indeed, the theme of death-resurrection is at the heart of salvation history. Let us briefly consider its place in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in our own lives, always remembering that any form of death-that is, any form of suffering-is meant to lead to greater life, greater peace, greater happiness.
The theme of death-resurrection is at the heart of Old Testament history. The Jewish people, under the leadership of Moses, experienced death-resurrection as they were formed into the people of the covenant, God's people. In the great Exodus event, they escaped Egyptian slavery, went on to Mt. Sinai where the covenant was ratified, and then progressed to the Promised Land. As members of the Mosaic covenant, as God's people, the Jews experienced religious transition. They passed over to a higher level of religious existence, to a more intimate union with God.
This religious transition contained death-resurrection. For the Jews to become people of the covenant, to remain so, and to grow in the life of the covenant, it was necessary that they undergo a mystical or spiritual death. In short, the Jewish people had to be willing to bear that which was difficult in covenant life. They had to be willing to die to that which was not according to God's will. This mystical death, however, had a very positive purpose. It was directed at life in the covenant and at growth in that life. This spiritual death, in other words, was aimed at resurrection.
Christ perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament theme of death-resurrection. In doing so, He, too, was experiencing a religious transition. He was passing over-gradually at first, then definitively in His death-to a new kind of existence, to the life of His resurrection, which He achieved not only for Himself, but for the entire human race. To achieve this newness of life, Jesus was willing to pay the price. Jesus was willing to suffer, even unto death. That it had to be that way, that the only way Christ could have achieved resurrection was through suffering and death, was pointed out by Jesus Himself to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His Glory?" (Lk 24: 25-26).
Christ has structured the Christian life by the way He lived, died, and rose from the dead. It is obvious, then, that the pattern of death-resurrection must be at the heart of the Church's life. Individually and collectively, we continually die with Christ so that we may continually rise with Him. Thus we pass over, in a process of continued religious transition, to a greater participation in Jesus' resurrection. It is true that our participation in Jesus' resurrection will reach its completion only in eternal life. Nevertheless, we begin the life of resurrection here on earth, in the here and now of human life, in the midst of joy and pain, in the experience of success and failure, in the sweat of our brow, in the enjoyment of all of God's gifts. As Christians, we should have a sense of growth concerning our here-and-now life of resurrection. Some seem to have a rather static view of the Christian life. They do not seem to have a vital and efficacious realization that the spiritual life, centered in death-resurrection, should become more conscious, more experiential, more dynamically relative to daily existence.
We cannot maintain the life of resurrection-our newness of life in Christ-without a willingness to suffer, a willingness to follow Jesus in the carrying of the cross. This does not mean that we need to feel overwhelmed and heavily burdened by the suffering in our lives. The greater portion of suffering for most Christians seems to be an accumulation of ordinary hardships, difficulties, and pains. At times, however, deep suffering, even suffering of agonizing proportions, can enter one's life. Whether our sufferings are of either the ordinary variety or the extreme and rare type, we must convince ourselves that to properly relate to the cross is to grow in resurrection. And to grow in resurrection ourselves means that we have an increased capacity to help give resurrection to others.
The pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary are the great symbols reminding us that to love God and neighbor requires a willingness to suffer. How much Jesus and Mary suffered for love of you and me! Our consecration to Their Hearts includes a willingness to carry the cross, not as an end in itself, but as a means to greater life. As we bear the cross in loving conformity to the Father's will, we grow in the Christ-life. With Mary at our side we come closer to Christ. Jesus, in turn, leads us closer to the Father in the Holy Spirit. And as we ourselves grow in the Christ-life, we become more apt instruments in helping to channel this life to others. Yes, the cross of Christ always points to life!
Relationships with Others and the World-at-large
The true Christian is imbued with a proper consciousness of others. That is to say, the true Christian is keenly aware that a great part of God's plan for us tells us that we must, according to His will, relate in various ways to our fellow human beings. Indeed, the Christian imperative tells us that we are to walk life's path, not in isolation, but hand in hand with our brothers and sisters of the human family.
To relate to others according to God's will, we must be properly aware of who they really are. We must, in short, be able to go beneath surface appearances, which may or may not be appealing to us, and contact others in their core existence. When we are truly in touch with others at the core of their beings, we are aware of their awesome dignity. We are conscious that these persons are created and redeemed by God's love. We are conscious that our merciful and loving Jesus shed His last drop of blood for each of them, that His Heart was pierced on the cross because He loved each of them without measure! We are conscious that this magnificent, pierced Heart, now in Its glorified state, still beats with the most special love for each individual upon this earth. Realizing all this, and doing so consistently, gives us the basis and the motivation to try to relate to all-both those we directly contact and those billions we never physically meet-with the greatest love.
In order to be in touch with the inner self of others, we must be aware of, or in touch with, our own true self. This awareness is a realization that our self is likewise made in the image of God, that we have been redeemed by Christ, and that we can only find true happiness through the constant effort to grow in love of God and neighbor. Here, then, we can see the profound interaction among the three awarenesses and loves-awareness and love of God, neighbor,